Sunset On A Storm

A quick trip this evening that didn't find any trout but certainly lit up the sky with a fast moving rain squall that blanketed the valley and ended up being back lit by the setting sun.

Float Tubing High Country Water

I had the afternoon and evening to head to the mountains and chase some trout with the fly rod.  It had been nearly two weeks since I had a chance to get on the water and I was in need of some cooler air and relaxation.  The float tube seemed like it would be a fun way to fish, so I loaded up the car and took to the highway.  The temperatures at altitude were a relief when compared with the valley floor and I quickly rigged up and got out on the water.  The fish were all on dries and for the most part I fished a grasshopper all evening without having to change flies at all.  The lake is thick with cutthroats now as a result of what must be the current stocking management plan.  I did not find a single rainbow trout this evening.  It was nice to see a splake for the first time this year.  I am still hopeful some of the larger hold over splake are here even though I wasn't able to find any today.  I am looking forward to another tubing trip here this fall if I can talk Floyd or Eric into hunting big splake.  More bull moose spotted this evening.  Three different bulls were feeding along the road on the way down to the valley.

The typical cutthroat dominating the lake

The scenery is hard to beat while tubing

Brookies would break through the cutthroat onslaught on occassion

First splake of the year

Mountain Brook Trout

George and I took a trip into the mountains to check out some scenery and find a few trout along the way.  The snow pack has produced a wonderland of lush meadows coated in wildflowers.  The amount of water this year has been unbelievable.  We had the countryside to ourselves as the threat of a late day thunderstorm and a bit of wind seemed to have kept everyone else at home.  We did eventually get stormed on and it cut our day a little shorter than we had hoped.  I think we made the right decision to head for the car and skip the cutthroat trout lake in favor of hiking out.  We ended the day watching a pair of bull moose browsing a creek at the top of the pass.

Meadows of flowers

George coming up the trail

Medicine Bow peak in the distance

Beautiful colors were everywhere, on fish and flowers alike.  The high country does not disappoint.

A glacial stream that hosts wild cutthroats

First Trek Above The Trees

The high country is finally open and Eric and I took advantage of the mostly snow free trails to find our way into some of the mountain lakes.  We have been anxiously awaiting access to these mountain trout havens.  Getting our high country packs together and our legs on the trails, we ventured in and found some beautiful cutthroats and brook trout on various lakes scattered throughout the back country.  Trekking poles were helpful on the snowfields.  It was hard to believe the sheer amount of snow that was remaining in the mountains.  One stream that can normally be walked and fished was covered with a snow cave for quite a lengthy portion of it.  The fish were willing and we enjoyed a fine day in the mountains exploring everything we could in a day trip for the first time this year.  I will have to make as much effort as possible to hike into the high country before the fall snow begins to fly in September.  A monster storm was approaching us just as we were hiking out in the afternoon.  It is good to see the mountains are back to their normal selves.  On the way home we managed to spot four different bull moose.  They are out thick in the evenings feeding in the marshy creek bottoms.

Eric and Xena on the trail

A Marmot assessing our threat level

Bear River Cutthroat Trout

One of the many lakes we fished

Beautiful brook trout were everywhere

Eric on the shores of a brookie lake

A buck that walked past us with no concern at our presence

Brook trout were taking hoppers

The storm approaching over some of the snow fields