Grand Finale - Annual 50

As of this typing, Winter Rate and Winter Pass are still effective at DePuy's Spring Creek. But I have completed my Pass season with another trout- & insect-filled week. Hence this post is also a semi photo gallery to highlight some of the BEST spring fly-fishing in Norther Hemisphere!!

April 4, as I walked to the intended spot, I realized I forgot my landing net in my truck. It was a bit too far for me to get back, plus afternoon baetis hatch time was coming. I kept on. I practiced hand-netting, which I'm not bad at.

A large spawning specimen came up and take my dry-fly!! This one, I stirred and gently beached to the soft creek bed. I consider beaching large trout requires delicate skills and should be conducted only by experienced anglers if trout are to be released.

A nice brown by hand-netting.

April 5th, it was just about the same condition as the previous day!

Then I had a surprising catch!! This must be the biggest live sculpin I've ever seen in the creek and surrounding waters.

For your tying inspirations........... After photo-sessions it was successfully released!!

April 6th, I hit one of challenging spots for this spring. I'd been hooking and losing. I was finally able to hook and net one respectable trout!

Evening hatch!!

 I pursued visually feeding trout. I was rewarded with a large & healthy Yellowstone Cutthroat, which is very surprising to see at this time of year!

Then even larger and hard-fighting rainbow!!

April 7th, it's also about time for Sandhill Cranes to migrate on and along the creek.

This was also caught by sight-fishing; targeting visually feeding trout at a skinny water spot while they were cruising and feeding at their whim....... Very exciting and rewarding method to fish!!

Just as I expected.

During the evening hatch, I caught up with one of my neighborhood anglers on the creek and shared a stretch. Les snapped several action pictures!
An accidental catch!

Me working on a challenging spot.........

April 10th, my designated last day, also it marked The 50th Rod with Winter Pass!
Day started with some spot-holding-confrontation on the creek.....

Renee joined on this day. She started hauling in so many fish right off the bat!

Including some exotic species.........

I gradually rigged up my rod and started fishing for morning midge hatches!

 Then my new pattern passed through the experiment!!

It will be introduced soon.

Renee started midge fishing too and hooked on!

 She's getting better at this.......

Afternoon - baetis window!

Nice brown!

I was working on midge-sippers on the skinny water.........

Then she got the biggest bite of the day!!

 It was a handsome Cutbow buck, running up from Yellowstone River, caught on a small Pheasant Tail Nymph!! Congratulations!!

Lunch: grilled cheese burger with grilled tomato and zucchini!!

 It didn't appear to be a perfect condition for the evening hatch but trout were active. Here's Renee perfecting a sight-fishing!! Good job!!

 Hmmm.......... time for the green thing...........

Another catch of hers. Meanwhile I was having a tough time with spooky trout......

Toward the end of the day, I spotted several rising trout. It was at a no-easy spot.  I inched myself and my flies to it. A couple of nerve-wrecking careful casts were rewarded with the subtle yet solid take!, which was followed by strong runs!!

This marked the last trout with Winter Pass and I concluded my season with happy & meaningful notes!

Winter Pass on DePuy's Spring Creek has been my staple, shaping up my body and fishing senses from the fall through spring. Then I'm always learning something from the creek, trout, and other anglers who are also enthusiastic to the spring creek fishing.
There's no particular reasons to make 50 rods (or less or more) but it just sounds good and I've been hitting the mark for the past 5 seasons, which have been positive impacts to me as a guide and an angler. Thank DePuy's family to answer my compulsive phone calls and random visits!!

Also, ending Winter Pass doesn't mean I'm done with spring fishing!! There are more waters available by now!!