On Friday, August 17, 2012 2:08:59 PM UTC-4, Kevin J. Chaney wrote:
TPFRs,--
I've been following for about 2 years or so, but this is my first post. In late June I had the pleasure of visiting Grand Teton NP and Yellowstone NP with my GF, to get away from the concrete jungle that is DC (and the political ads)!
We flew into Idaho Falls and drove to Jackson - making stops at the Grand Teton Brewing Co. in Victor Idaho and the Snake River Brewing Co. in Jackson for beer tasting. (My GF, a non-beer drinking was a doll and did the driving). Both had a Seasonal Summer Sour Ale which was fabulous - unfortunately neither distribute in our area. I hope that might change in the near future. I've added a few photos and hope to upload more to a public site - which I will share in the future.
When we arrived in Jackson, I made way to Jack Dennis Outfitters, spoke with the gents at High Country Flies and bought some gear. Everyone was very helpful and took time to explain which fly patterns to try. While in Jackson we did some white water rafting (With Jackson Hole White Water - highly recommend) and between rapids, I asked our guide Kyle about his favorite spots (Hoback Junction, Mixing Bowl on the Snake; String Lake). Unfortunately,our schedule was fairly packed, and I only had the chance to fish String lake and the connecting stream to Jenny Lake. Missed a few on a size 18 caddis; and just when I felt the mojo flowing, a bear appeared and not wanting to risk having to use the bear spray, decided to pack up and head north toward Signal Mtn., Oxbowbend and eventually Yellowstone.
During our stay in YSNP, we did a full day float trip up the Madison River just north of Quake Lake, with Yellowstone Fishing Guides (Travis Hansen). This was my first float trip, and it was amazing. Using a double nymph rig, we caught Mountain White Fish, Brown Trout and some beautiful Bows. Later in the day we switched to some caddis and caught some smaller browns. Probably landed around 30 fish throughout the day, I had a trophy brown break me off after a 10 minute fight - I was really bummed, but then I looked up and was reminded of the beauty - and it didn't seem so bad. Even my GF who is not a big fishing fan, had a great time. Our guide was fantastic, and highly recommend him or his wife Giselle (http://yellowstonefishingguides.com/ ).Welcome.html
Throughout our trip I did some fishing on the Gibbon, Gardner, and Firehole when we had some time. I managed to pull a 10 inch Cutthroat and and 12 inch Cuttbow from the Gardner just north of Mammoth on a caddis, and a small brookie from the Gibbon on a trude. The Firehole was tough and I likely could have benefitted from a guide. When we weren't fishing we were looking for wildlife and saw lots - bison, eagles, pronghorn, grizzly, blackbears, wolves, coyotes, elk, moose...the list goes on. We were fortunate to watch an encounter between a wolf and grizzly in Lamar Valley. The wolf's catch (likely a vole) went to the grizz. Also, saw cutthroats preparing to spawn at Trout Lake in Lamar, which was very cool.
Needless to say - the trip was a major success, saw some amazing sights, encountered wildlife, and learned so much about the geothermic landscape. I can't wait to head back. Hopefully the pictures can be inspiring for others to at least get out and visit one of the many National Parks we have in the country (whether it be near or far). They're a true treasure. However, keep in mind we're responsible to try and keep it them beautiful. It was troubling to see some individuals (including fellow flyfisherman) in our National Parks litter - whether it was 7x tippet or live cigarette butts - knowing it doesn't take much to start a massive blaze. Members of the Forest Service were on our flight to fight the fires in Colorado and I managed to capture a few pictures of what it looked like from above - sobering to say nonetheless.
Hope you all enjoyed a small slice of my journey, as so many of you have shared with me over the years.Tight-lines,
Kevin
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