Autumn Brown Trout

As the water temperatures are beginning to drop on area lakes, Adam and I made it out to find the brown trout to be in a frenzied prespawn feeding pattern. The day was filled with lightning strikes and fish too numerous to count with most falling in the 14-18 inch range. We had some beautiful squash yellow brown trout, all colored up and just about ready to begin their mating ritual along with some large, fat snake river finespotted cutthroat that made their presence known throughout the afternoon. Adam had the big fish honors on the cutthroat with a piggy 21 incher that made him work hard to land her. We had a few big browns too with one that pushed a healthy 20 inches. The drift boat proved to be a wonderful lake fishing platform as we were able to work the water rapidly and position the boat where we wanted to hold with the heavy anchor. Dusk crept in on us, our casting hands aching from a day of fighting fish. Neither of us really wanted to leave but the day had come to an end as beautifully as it had begun.

Autumn Brown Trout

In Search of Gold

Adam, Floyd, and I took a trip hoping to find some golden trout in the high country lakes during the height of the mountain summer. The valley is sweltering but the mountains are a welcome escape to cooler temperatures and secluded fly fishing. We had threatening weather passing by all day but it never hit directly where we were fly fishing. Cutthroat and brook trout were the major catches of the day as the goldens were able to somehow elude us.

View Album

Get your own

High Country Cutthroats

We had a day devoted to cutthroats. They seemed to be more willing to hit a wider assortment of flies than this lake has allowed for in the past. I had particularly good action with a beetle pattern and Eric was pounding away at them with a selection of emergers for most of the day. Many people were packing out of the backcountry with horses and search and rescue planes and helicopters were either training or actually searching for someone. On the way home the sunlight was cutting under large storms in the valley. It produced a beautiful rainbow. The pictures don't seem to quite do it justice.

High Country Cutthroats

Snow Fields, Rain, And Trout

The high country has its grasp on me and I cannot seem to think about venturing anywhere else in the heat of summer. A much longer back country hike awaited Eric and I on a day that tested our ability to stay dry. The majority of the afternoon rained steadily with sporadic lightning that sent us scrambling for the small amount of cover available. None of this seemed to bother the trout at all and they willingly pounded leech imitations all day. After the rain cleared, we were treated to an evening rise of bear river cutthroats, some a decent size for being above 10,000 feet.

View Album

Get your own

Back Country Is Open

The first real hike in high country trip of the year was a beautiful day spent amongst the high peaks outside of town. Ice still held firm and in drifting floes on many of the lakes. Plenty of open water was available and we were able to fish four major lakes and some other side stream connected minor water. We found trout willing to entertain our offerings in almost all the water we spent time on... however some were surprisingly picky fish. Cutthroat, brook, and rainbow trout were all found scattered across the various waters making for a terrific time traveling between lakes to see what the next one held in store for us.

Back Country Is Open

Midge Emergers In The Afternoon

I took off for the afternoon to check on a high country lake that was still working its way out of the ice. There was enough water to fish so I worked dries to the risers which produced a decent three species day with rainbows, brook trout, and even a willing cutthroat. The cutt was the nicest fish of the day. They were taking tiny midges on and just under the surface making for a challenging time of trying to tell just where your fly was in relation to the risers.