Fishies and Freshies

After a week of pure sweetness we were down to our last day. We traveled back to "Jurassic Lake - the place that had shown me the biggest bow of my life. I was stoked. We wouldn't have all day to fish it, but much of the evening - which we hoped would offer us the best fishing. Jurassic was void of people and we began fishing where we had picked up fish the time before. Occasional risers helped us narrow down the active fish. Derek picked up the first. It was a super dark colored male. Then later he hooked into another that felt much bigger. It took him in some weeds and busted him off. After Derek saw some action I hooked up with a beast! It jumped after the hookset and I saw a bow that again had to be one of the biggest trout I'd ever seen. I played him in close and unsuccessfully avoided a large mass of weeds. He got stuck then busted my 3x tippet like it was nothing. Dangit! That's it. I subscribe to the theory that fisherman can fish larger tippet size than they usually do. I believe the main concern that one should consider is that of drag and your fly moving naturally and NOT that the fish is going to see your line and shy away from your fly because of it. After breaking off what would have been a great fish I clipped my tippet and tied on some 0x. This should be interesting. If I could pick up a fish using 0x tippet under an indicator with a size 12 hook then that would be more personal confirmation to this theory.

We moved to another spot. After some moving around and variation in methods we found ourselves fishing in a small sharp bend in the lake. There was a good chop on the water blowing my bugs right back toward me. My indicator drifted towards me and about fifteen feet out it slowly tanked. I set the hook and felt a strong pull. Dang man, I had another really nice fish on. When Derek netted it I was astonished by its size. It was much bigger than I expected. After carefully taping the beast it came out to be one inch longer and about a half inch bigger around than the big female that started out the trip.

After releasing the fish I had an overwhelming sense of satisfaction. I couldn't have asked or hoped for a better trip. Starting it off with the biggest trout of my life and ending it with one that was even bigger. In between were many memories of other beautiful fish and beautiful places. We walked back to the car with a gorgeous sunset overhead and felt full of gratitude for the lives we lead that allow us to take this time and enjoy such beautiful moments. Life is good.

Prior to our trip Derek had agreed to take a family friend out for some bullies so we made the journey back to some familiar water. While we had already been blessed with some good fish, we had caught brief glimpses of fish at and around the 3ft mark that called us back to these commanding waters. How could you ever get sick of fishing in a place like this anyway? The crystal clear waters cutting through the rock and littered with rounded stones of every color. This place is nothing short of amazing.



Today was very similar to the last time we were here. Whitefish and West Slope Cutthroat skittered about cautiously in the big current. They would occasionally take bugs off the surface as they swam around in small pods. The whitefish would sometimes coast down the heavier, bubble-filled current often with their bodies breaking the surface. This seemed sketchy due to the savage takes that we frequently witnessed. All the whities and cutties seemed perfect munching size with the occasional larger cutt. The bullies ranged from 22ish up to the 36+ inch fish that Derek had spotted on the last trip. The action was about the same with the fish (and water) making you work for each hookup. Hookups would come in all manners. Some as you fished deep and some shortly after the fly hit the water. We both were able to witness one take that was particularly jaw-dropping. Derek chucked his meat to the opposite cliff wall in a DEEP, bubble-filled run. The instant the fly smacked the water a bull charged from his unseen holding place and chomped his prey as he rocketed out of the water. Insane. This is the rocket himself (followed by a couple of his friends).













My most memorable part of this trip was one of those that will forever be filed under "the one that got away". It all began in utter chaos. I'm fishing the upper part of the hole where the bubble water dumps in. I feel a hit deep in the channel and I set on what feels like a great fish. Very shortly after I find that my excess fly line has tightened into an impossible knot! I yell to Derek that I would need his assistance as I now frantically battled the biggest trout of my life. Derek works furiously to untangle my knot as I do my very best to keep pressure him hard enough to keep the fly in and the fish in the slower, deeper water and yet light enough to keep him from turning the fight on and heading to the faster tailout of the pool. After literally two or three minutes, Derek has successfully un-knotted my fly line. As I now begin applying more pressure the fish comes to life and intensifies his protest. I played him for a few brief minutes in the preferred water until he made his way for the faster tailout of the pool. This is the point where the fun begins.

Once fish reach this point it is necessary to chase them down the cliffed-out banks. At this point where the river dumps down into a longer, calmer stretch, the cliffs rise up and away from the river making it necessary to climb, rod in hand (or mouth), and play the fish from an elevated 20-30ft above the river. More than once we found ourselves climbing and chasing bullies in a manner somewhat reminiscent of Frank Smethhurst in "Running Down the Man". On this occasion, Derek climbed first with the net and I handed my rod off as I quickly joined him on top. Thank heavens for Chacos and stealth rubber! Once atop I continued to play the fish in this slower water as I walked to the top of the cliff. It was here that I realized that I was indeed in battle with the largest trout of my life. Not gargantuan, but definitely a fish of size. I hoped that I would be able to tire him out here so that Derek would be able to net him 50 yards down where the rock descended back down to the riverside. This was because right below that point there was another point of no return where the river again dumped into a new stretch. Unfortunately, the fish decided not to play nice.

After a few minutes of working him in this stretch he gradually made it down to where Derek was but avoided the net. I scrambled down the rock as quickly as possible while frantically taking in all the line I could. After the water dumped it maintained a healthy current as it entered a deep channel between 30ft cliffs on either side. If I was to follow the fish past this point it would have to be by either swimming through the scary-deep channel or by scaling the cliffside (a harder/longer climb than before) and fishing from the top.

The fish made his way quickly into the deep channel. I swam to a small perch at the mouth of the channel. Here Derek and I put up our last battle. Derek waded deep to the edge of a rock shelf that dropped off into unknown depths. I applied as much pressure as I dared - knowing that this was my last chance. We had him to the net, but Derek was unable to negotiate him in as nothing short of a perfect head-first dive into the net would suffice on a fish this long. It was when I brought him up out of the deep one last time and Derek made his final swipe that the hook finally pulled from the fishes mouth. I could do nothing more than hunch over like Gollum and tightened every little muscle in my body. I couldn't believe it! I sat in unbelief and couldn't help but burst into laughter. What an adventure it was! Climbing and swimming with my homie, Derek, to chase an amazing fish over 150 yards downstream and then losing him at the net! I loved every minute of it. To my suprise Derek's friend, Richard, had even grabbed my camera and caught some of the moments on film. Priceless. One of the sweetest moments I've ever had fishing. I take it as the fishes' invitation to come back for more. Now that's an invitation I could never refuse!

Time was limited, but we both wanted to get up and hopefully get into some golden trout. We drove to the trailhead and started our hike to a lake that holds some good size goldens. The views were amazing as we hiked through the pines. Mother nature hooked us up with some treats which made the hike take a lot longer. Wild huckleberries were everywhere. I'd never had them and let's just say they're amazing. We stripped them from bushes along the trail and stopped periodically to fill our hands and mouths with them.


After some amazing views and delicious berries we finally arrived at our destination. The scene was calm. No risers and no cruisers visible in the shallows. We walked the bank line and headed to where a small stream cascaded into the lake. Not knowing how the lake had wintered or it's activity in recent years, I was a bit pessimistic after no real signs of fishiness. Finally after a while we found a fish feeding intermittently feeding near the inlet. It was clearly visible through the clear water and dark lake bottom. After it rejected my bug Derek gave it a go which resulted in an eat. He missed the hookset. I've never seen him so upset while fishing. I chuckled inside even though I REALLY wished that either of us would have gotten the sizable golden to hand. The sun was getting low and I was able to get some of my favorite photos I think I've ever taken. After seeing and losing another battle with the only other fish we saw, we started our hike down. As not to go home skunked we stopped by a lower lake and fished for some cutthroat/golden hybrids.

Although I had hoped to catch my first golden trout on this trip, the hike was awesome and I guess it gives me a good reason to come back next year...as if I need one.

With some changes to our original plans we set out to fish for bull trout in a new area. The river itself was beautiful and it was cool to see bullies of all sizes holding in the deeper pools as we snuck along the banks looking for prime lies. Overall the fish here were smaller and seemed less aggressive; however, what these fish lacked in size and aggression they made up in beauty. The colors on these fish were much more vibrant than the fish we had caught earlier. Bright pink spots and peach bellies. Amazing. These were the fish I had literally dreamed of seeing. Part of my fascination with bull trout is their combination of notorious reputation and their remarkable beauty. I can definitely say that they were just as awesome as I thought they would be. Because bull trout are so precious we did our very best to ensure that their quick and safe return to the water was of up-most priority. The following are some of my brief attempts to capture some of their beauty.

This was the day I had been waiting for. Today we were to hunt bullies. The trip was already off to a great start, but I could hardly contain my stoke-level to chase these fish. The drive was a long combination of pavement and dirt. The drive was followed by hiking through trees, across water, and over rocks. The surroundings were much of what I had imagined, and definitely more. This place was truly awe-inspiring. The deep, clear waters flowed over rocks and boulders of all colors.

The first bully was spotted cruising in some deep slack water. It was so crazy to finally see one - especially under such beautiful circumstances. A fish close to thirty inches lazily cruising calm, crystal clear water in search of food.













Another hundred yards or so upstream was the hole where we would begin to tempt these beasts. The "hole" was one unlike one I'd ever fished before. The river was roughly 40ft wide, about 30ft deep, and surrounded by rock. The water was passed through a narrower, steeper channel and dumped into a wider, deeper pool. We chucked our meat from atop the small cliffs above the pool. My first fish came seconds after a cast to some calmer water on the far side of the main current.

The take was ridiculous. My streamer slapped the surface and almost immediately the fish appeared from below and destroyed the fly. The fish wasn't the most impressive of specimens, but it was a monumental fish, nonetheless.



Another highlight was seeing a large bull trout with an 8 inch whitefish in his mouth being chased by another large bull trout. It was incredible to see just how gnarly these fish were. Later in the day I once again faced the first fish we spotted that day. In my eagerness I had pulled my fly from its mouth earlier in the day and I now had another chance. Derek had a fish on and this fish had come back out to investigate. From an elevated position, I tossed my oversized streamer out and stripped it passed him. I'll never forget how awesome it was to see his huge jaws and the white of his mouth envelope my fly. It was a great way to end yet another awesome day chasing trout.

My infatuation with bull trout started a little over a year ago. A mysterious fish that grows to immense size. They inhabit pure waters in wild places. Besides their size and the beautiful places where they're found, there were two other characteristics that pulled me in. The first was their sheer beauty. To me it doesn't get any better than the char family and bull trout are definitely no exception. The second thing that captivated me was their incredibly aggressive nature.

My homie, Derek, comes from bull country and it wasn't long before a trip was in the works. Unfortunately I'd have to wait a whole year to meet one of these predators in person. We tied big, nasty flies in preparation, as well as a myriad of other bugs to meet the needs of the other fish we'd be pursuing. What started as a bully trip turned into a week-long trip chasing trout of all shapes and sizes in all sorts of beautiful places.

Day 1. With the car packed up with camping gear, tons of rods, and everything else you'd need to fish like mad for a week we began our journey. We passed the time talking fish as Derek tied flies. We arrived to our first destination as it began to get dark. We squashed our original plan to toss big bugs in the dark and decided to get some grub and hit the hay so that we'd start the trip off with energy. It was to be a long week.



I felt like running, I was so stoked. Today was to be a day chasing big bows at a place we dubbed "Jurassic Lake". The name is very fitting because like the lake it's nick-named after - it holds very large fish. I'd seen pictures and none of the fish were under 21 inches. However, it was already mid-July and I was a little nervous that this stillwater would show us who's boss. We began casting and my nervousness grew as the weeds were a constant nuisance. As I attempted to find weed-free water I was amazed by the amount of bug life in these fertile waters. Scuds flurried about and congregated on my waders. Dozens of damselflies fluttered off bushes along the bank as we made our way through to find the right spot. We found what looked like a promising spot. There were less weeds and what looked like a good cruising zone.

Though fishing was tough, it was very possible that one fish would make it all worth it. The only signs of fish was the very occasional rise and a cruiser that we saw swim buy at a leisurely pace. Now, I've seen cruisers and I've seen some big cruisers; all of which get me super excited. But this fish was the BIGGEST trout I had ever seen. I literally could not believe my eyes. We tossed in it's cruising path with no results. I stood their shaking.

Derek was the first to hook up. We were in the heat of the summer so the water was relatively warm: making the fish somewhat more lethargic. While everyone enjoys a good fight, it definitely was easier on the nerves as bringing a fish back from your backing through sporadic death traps of thick weeds would be nearly impossible. The fish still fought with power but I soon netted the first fish of the trip. A beautiful silvery female looked up at me. Her rosy gill-plate glistened in the sun. Dang, that was a nice fish! We snapped a few pics and sent her on her way. We estimated that she was around 24 inches and probably 3 or 4 pounds.


It was about twenty minutes later that my indicator tanked - an image that will be burned into my memory forever. The feeling of seeing your indicator tank when fishing waters like this especially exhilarating because that split-second before the hookset is filled with excitement and anticipation of just how big the will be. I set the hook and was met with the strongest pull I'd felt since Alaska when I was younger. The power was simply incredible. Although my flyline sliced through the water, it couldn't keep up with the monster flash I saw below. To my relief the runs were relatively short, but the power was undeniable. I screamed and giggled like a little girl. I knew that this was finally the fish I was looking for. For the last year or so I'd be actively pursuing a fish over 24" and this fish was without a doubt over that mark. I prayed that my 3x tippet would hold up as I did my best to keep this beast from ending my excitement in one of the many large masses of weeds. After an epic battle, we got the gorgeous slab of rainbow love into the net and I yelled in excitement and relief. What a fish. Not a bad way to start out the trip.

We set out from my wife's family cabin on motorcycles to go explore some streams in a nearby canyon. We were hoping to explore a larger stream that I'd seen on the topo map. Upon arriving to where the stream crosses the road be discovered that the water was private for something like 6 miles upstream and 6 miles downstream. I was so bummed. The water looked EPIC! So clear and it looked like it probably held some good-sized fish. We continued on to see what else we could find. We later came across a trickle of a stream that we decided to stop and check it out. I found the first likely spot and looked for signs of fish. It didn't take long before I spotted a small trout. Sweet! I grabbed my 3wt and still felt over-gunned.

The water was gin clear. It was no more than four feet wide in most spots and no more than two feet deep in most spots. However after further exploration we found some small waterfalls and plunge pools that were up to eight or ten feet deep. It was truly a gem of a stream and I soon found out that the fish it held were equally special. Looking back, I wish we would have had more time to explore and wish I would have done better at capturing it's beauty. Luckily, I did come back with one shot that I'm pretty stoked about. Now I can't wait to get back!