At DePuy's

Happy Valentine's Day!!

I had an intimate and romantic day at DePuy's, maybe. First, the last weekend was terrible and scary with gusts up to 50mph all two days long. Sunday morning, I found the cap of chimney that had belonged to the wood stove chimney on the ground. Evidently blown away during the night and no wonder I couldn't control the fire (wood was just fired up like paper).
Today, weather forecast said wind would be about 20mph. At least it was warm up to 50F and wind was not continuous. And further forecast is saying that from Tuesday it will be the mix of snow and cold, so I had to get out today!! It may have not been the best day to visit one of spring creeks here in Livingston. But I figured considering gas and driving time to Madison or Gallatin (Yellowstone is very iffy with ice), paying some fee is actually the same cost as fishing Bozeman area. Also, I can come back to my house for quick grab at lunch rather than packing/buying something.
These cute girls were my companion in the morning.


In spite of gusts, it had not been cold or wet so I was hoping creek temp would be friendly enough for trout to be active some. And I knew I'd better search waters a bit slower than I usually do. Whatsoever I did, my first brown trout for 2011 was this nice 17-incher!!

I think I was happy first thing in the morning!

Thanks, buddy, and bye-bye, as I was releasing him.

Just a bit later, another fatty came. Could be a spawner?

Real beauty.

And I finally met my true girlfriend and I was about to kiss her (maybe I did). This is the first time I hooked whitefish at Livingston spring creeks (I hooked a sucker in April 2009!!). I was fishing just a bit above from the end of the creek where it spills into Yellowstone River. So this one must have entered the creek following rainbow and their eggs to suck!!

Lunch was great at my house, which is less than a 10-minute driving. Actually from the late morning, wind started to pick up and became more continuous than in the morning. I covered more than a mile one way, spooked only a few trout, and went back to truck at almost 6pm.

I don't discuss the comparison among three spring creeks here for now but anyway it was an enjoyable day. As of now typing this, gusts are on constantly at 40mph and if weather people are right, it will be cold and wet again so it was really a good decision!! I intend to go back in March, hoping for some spring hatches of midges and baetis.