FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

“SAVE OUR WATERS”

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The Wade Right Fishing Belt

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Trout on the Fly – Nathan Anderson

One of the things I wanted to be dang sure I did while I was there was fish the Yellowstone in a drift boat, and was lucky enough to get it done.  With lots of fishing travel under my belt you never know how it will go and in this case the plan came together and it was a good day to be alive.

Never forget to stop and take it all in.  It is not just about the fishing.

The Boss and I met our guide Nathan at the ramp at 8:00 and it was not long before we were on the water.  As those of you who read this stuff know the Boss and I are really fly fishing neophytes with lots to learn and Nathan was a perfect guide and teacher for our day on the water.  He has fished those rivers for 35 years, was patient, technically proficient, and just an overall good guy to spend the day with.

My first Brown on a dry fly.

As I noticed in the park there were lots of grasshoppers and it turned out to be our plan for the day.  In my case catching any particular fish on topwater is the bomb, and we spent most of the day fishing larger hoppers with a smaller floating “something or other” on a dropper around 8″ behind.  And it was so interesting to see the fish react.  A few smashed it, (At least for a trout.)  most barely slurped it under, and others could not resist rolling on it, or just taking a look.  It took me a bit to get the hang of setting the hook like you need to and after a while I managed to toss a couple of small rainbows completely over the boat.  It really was a new way to fish for us and it took a while to get the hang of it but I intend to put those lessons to work in Colorado when I head there this fall.  Since this was our 5 or 6th run at it the Boss commented that each place and method was different, it is all part of the learning process.

Catching on a dry fly is not as easy as you would think.

I probably went about 10 for 20 with one whitefish, the Boss struggled.  So late in the day Nathan put us on a nymph rig with an indicator.  (Or as we regular folks call it, a bobber.)   He wanted to be sure the Boss caught a fish and she finally boated a rainbow and a native whitefish.  But the Boss was happy just sitting in the back and enjoying the day and the view, but I give her credit, she kept casting like a trooper.  He was so patient as we tangled, crossed, casted like the rookies we are, and he just continued to act like the professional he is.  (Except we all laughed like crazy when at one point when we were thrashing multiple messes he said; “Stop casting!”)  Of course I told him I would trash him here so let me do it now – One of the best guides to spend the day with I have had the pleasure to fish with.  So take that homie.  From the Great Barrier reef, Belize, Colorado we have fished with our share and today was one of  the best all around experiences we have ever had.

The fishing was not fast by any means, but the bite was consistent.  I was not surprised by the number of refusals with the traffic and it being late in the season.  Nathan made several fly changes during the day until we finished the day with the nymph rig and put the last couple in the boat.  He worked hard to put me on a little bigger fish and his efforts were appreciated.  Probably if I would have bullshitted less and fished harder I might have boated one of the better fish I missed, but I could have cared less as numbers were not the reason for the day

One of 6 or 7 Rainbows.

Being a Saturday there was quite a bit of traffic, but it is a big river, and when compared to Froggie’s on the weekend no big deal.  Of course we had a few incidents where both guides and the public cut us off, or were just plain were clueless.  (Sound familiar you coastal boys?)  As you know one of my rules to live by on our busy waterways – Be nice, be the bigger man, and just because you have the right of way let them go.  Nathan naturally lives and practices that making our day on the water pleasant and fun and he is a credit to the profession.  I can be pretty hard on guides.

Whether drift boats or rafts, there were lots of folks on the river.

It really was comfortable fishing from the drift boat.  The Boss loved the safe manner he operated and being able to stand up and cast from the leaning post, or whatever it is called.  I learned a lot about the drift boat and how it preforms on the water.  As we accelerate our search for our place in the mountains Montana has made the list.  Of all the places I have fished Montana gets an A+ for the access available to the public. (So thanks Nathan for offering to be my new best friend and take me fishing all the time if we end up in the area.  At least I thought I heard him say that!) 

The end of a great day.

And a big thanks to Johnathan of Captain Experiences, https://captainexperiences.com/ , for booking and following up on our trip.  The home of Damn Good Fishing Guides, they have guides all over the country and they lived up to their name when they hooked us up with Nathan.  Nathan guides for Trout on the Fly, LLC out of Bozeman, Montana, fishing the Yellowstone, Madison, and a couple of other great Montana rivers..  The owner of Trout on the Fly, Nate, kept us informed with a full written itinerary, with constant follow up both before and after the trip.  It was a professional job all the way around.  So if you are looking for a guide anywhere, or wanting to fish the Yellowstone area, give Johnathan a call and he will put you with the best.  Overall a first class trip.

So when it is all said and done it was a great way to spend a day along with our park expedition.  And here is a taste of what is next, as soon as I organize all of the park stuff.

God Bless the mountains, the park, and the great outdoors! 

We saw almost everything we wanted to this trip and were so fortunate to see the wolves everyday along with enough wildlife to keep us happy.  (For a while!)  And to Nathan, I have added the Madison to my bucket list.  And the rest of you keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

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The new Knockin Tail colors are freakin’ stunning! 

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Good Luck and Tight Lines