Day 2: Misc Places - Sightseeing at Least....

June 23rd, I first went to Lewis Lake outlet. My objective was again to experience new water and new species. In this case, Lake and Brown trout might still be hanging around the lower portion of the lake and in the outlet. With a great success of the previous day, I wondered to see if I find another luck.

Driving was long but smooth. I had never made this way before. I fished with streamers at likely spots. Nothing but snagging my flies happened. It was not an easy hike from the parking lot to the outlet either. I decided to leave and would probably head to Firehole River. Then two local anglers who were getting their gears and motorboat ready at the parking lot talked to me. They told me, both brown and lake already went back to the depth and right now the outlet would be empty. Instead they suggested me try Yellowstone Lake for native cutthroat, driving along the west shore up to Fishing Bridge. Cutthroat are more like cruising banks unlike lake and brown.

I drove along to the Fishing Bridge, as observing where I can step in on the way back. I did see lots of large cutthroat from the bridge below.

It was a great moment to forget fishing but to just be a visitor.

I stopped and fished several spots on my way back on the same highway. I was primarily stripping leech patterns, hoping for the tugs. I never got closer to nice cutty like above.....

I dropped by Muleshoe Bend of Firehole as I headed back to town. I just grabbed the same 6wt of mine and see how trout in Firehole would react to sculpin/baby trout streamer. I ended up just losing a few streamers by snagging the weeds. Then as I was leaving around 5:00pm, I noticed trout started to rise.

I pulled in Talus Storyboard of Madison. I was still with my streamer. I wanted to fish down-stream to Nine Mile Hole but one fisherman was occupying there. I saw several rises so I was going to rig up soft-hackles at my truck to fix the "skunk" of the day. Then a guy pulled in right in front of me and stepped in where I was going to. Well, I don't own the river so there was nothing I can do. But what really made me mad was that guy even couldn't cast. Stepping in and messing up for only 5-7 minutes and then he was gone while I was taking off my wader.

I guessed I used up my concentration and a portion of my luck for grayling on the previous day. There has been one or two bad day during my previous trips. Well not totally fishless like this though........ My luck needed to change. I decided that I would get out of the Park next day to fish the Madison below.