NE Corner Addiction

Lovely Yellowstone Cutthroat and pretty rivers in northeast side of Yellowstone Park became my new addiction. Particularly complicacy and technicality at Slough Creek drew me back again since my birthday. This time NO QUICK-SAND!! It is not always my style to sit still until hatch(es) occurs as I typically fish with nymphs and streamers. But today, I just wanted to see Gray Drake hatch again and if I could do better. I first noticed water was almost foot lower than two weeks ago. I was able to hold the best spot. Number of insects on the water and trout rises were somewhat less than two weeks ago. I started with Gray Drake Sparkle Dun. I also heard a new tip to fish here. I used a 12-14 feet leader/tippet to conquer drags caused by complicated currents. I am just telling you that, whether you hire me as a guide or not, because not everyone wants to handle that long leader and cast over 50 feet for drag-free presentation.

It was a fighty Yellowstone cutty.

After this, I caught a cutbow just about the same size. And it turned out to be slow and tough. I was trailing another fly behind but fish were still rising (and I kept missing) on Gray Drake Sparkle Dun. So trout must have been looking up Gray Drakes and Drakes must have been there. I changed the second fly into Hi-Vis Spent Sparkle Drake.

This fly suggests dun, emerger, and even spinner. I just needed something to attract trout's attention.

Then it happened within a few casts. I have never seen that kind of rise and take!! I'd say it was lighter and quieter than rise for midges. It was just a tiny bump on the surface and two flies of mine gently sank.......Set!!?? It was on!! and I felt it would be a large one!! I should have brought my net...... I gently dragged him to the shallow.
This huge male rainbow indeed took the Spent Sparkle Drake. AGH!!! I screwed up the close-up shot by my shadow!!

How about this? It was a feisty 17-inch male rainbow. It actually didn't fight as much as the previous little ones. It didn't look sick either as his teeth punched holes on my finger!!

Wind blew hard and hatch ended. Now it was a terrestrial time. I moved on. At another great deep run, trout came up to my hopper gently.......I made sure my hopper was in its mouth and set the hook!! Another feisty Cutbow!!

It really chewed and swallowed my hopper!! Playing with these NE trout, I learned that I hold a breath a bit longer before I set the hook. They just come up slowly and deliberately and then munch on it. We don't want to take our flies away fro their mouth because of our excitement.

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I moved to Lamar River. All through the Valley was covered by buffs beyond my comfort zone. I did explore some but not as much as I wanted to as these beast can be very unpredictable.

Invasive species?? No....this must be sculpin, isn't it? I just found something dead in the water column.

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I will never get bored at Slough Creek even I have to visit every day!! It may not be for everyone. In that case, there are various kinds of waters for your taste. I will report you more next week. Fishing life goes on!!