Yellowstone 2011 (Part 2)

We took off from Salt Lake City and arrived at Palisades campground (Idaho) in the afternoon.
Here is the S. Snake, still quite full. It just started fishing well last week on drift boats.

Palisades Campground valley-There were 7 sites and NOBODY in them! Sweet!

We set up camp and I went and bought my license at the fly shop just down the road (seems there’s a fly shop “just down the road everywhere here!)
Mark abstained to stay with the camp stuff. No big deal as the little Palisades Creek was running pretty fast even for a small stream and it was kind of dangerous. We headed back to camp and Mark proceeded to make a fantastic meal of week-old pan seared yellowtail (with a “secret spice rub”) Rice Pilaf with portabella mushrooms and baked beans. Yum!






Next am, we broke camp, loaded up the Excursion and headed over the Pass to the Teton Valley. First stop was some breakfast in Victor, Idaho. We headed for the Teton River, but it wasn’t meant to be as we were unsure how to access it properly and the areas we visited looked questionable for wading. The drift boats were out though.
We opted for another stream on the map that Mark had been jones’n to fish since his last trip up here. We headed there and were pleasantly surprised to find a gorgeous stream in a pristine setting. We geared up and were on the water by 1pm. We fished for 7 hours and lost count of the cutties that seemed to rise, one after another, to our dry flies. PMD’s and stims or hoppers were the ticket.
I tried one copper John at one point and caught many whitefish, and some cutties. At one point, Mark and I were in the middle of an epic hatch of caddis and PMDs that had the fish boiling within 5 feet of us. Needless to say, this was a great, productive hour!
This stream was perfect, the water was perfect, and the fish keep getting bigger! Day one, our biggest was prob. 14” and day 2 we saw several fish in the (hefty) 15-16” range.
I loved the old shack in the background-It’s so Idaho don’t ya think?











Mark with a nice 4 incher.

Here are a couple of PMD patterns I tied in 16. I took my biggest fish of the trip on the one with cereal-plastic-bag wings!


Mark working a hole

This is a locally tied hopper pattern that I loved, and SO DID THE FISH!

A Mountain Whitefish. Put on a copper john, you caught whitefish.






The getaway!




Our digs in Driggs is an amazing condo my wife’s boss was kind enough to use, gratis, for 5 days. It is super nice and all decorated in a tasteful western theme. It sure is nice to come home to a fully stocked kitchen, hot shower, and fly tying station at the kitchen table.



Today I hiked down the Teton River Gorge to the confluence of another creek rumored to have many large willing trout. The hike was a B*&$! It reminded me of our locals, only harder. Mark stayed home nursing a sore back. Hopefully, it won’t affect the rest of the trip. The Smallish bows were willing enough, but the risk/reward factor will send me back to our cutty hole tomorrow.
I took lots of pics of the Tetons, cuz they are simply amazing. Ah, to live here (not in winter tho!)
I have also been taking this fantastic opportunity to talk to fly shops about my nets, and to take photos with fish in em.


Potato fields

This is the Gorge I about to hike down into.



Here, you can get an idea of what I was hiking down. Miraculously, I never once slipped and was in hippers!

Again, note the steep sides, I went about 5-600 feet up that left embankment. (cliff!?)


This feisty rainbow took a mini hopper I tied.



You can see the Teton River in the background. This creek T-bones it.

A nice lil bow inhaled a # 14 Stimulator. Bagged him in a Spalted Maple custom net.








We bug out Friday to camp in and around Island Park. Stay tuned!
Peace!