Fishing and Fossils

I worked my way along the stream. Reaching a large shallow pool, I cast my fly and hoped that a cutthroat was hiding under the bank. As it drifted downstream five trout suddenly appeared, four small ones and one of the largest cuts I had seen in quite a while.

My first thought was that they had been spooked by my presence, but the small trout took refuge in the undercut bank and the large trout turned upstream and engulfed my fly, (a purple haze colored Adams). Setting the hook, I fought the fish and for a while it was a standoff.

I knew that the five-x leader should hold but only if I took my time to tire the fish. Of course, I remembered that I had caught and released fifteen others that day and had not retied the fly. Slowly the fish tired and I was able to guide the fish to a narrow inlet, where leaving the fish in the water, I was able to measure the fish and release it safely. The fish darted back to its home. It was a nineteen-inch fish, a Bonneville cut and the largest cut I had caught in years.

(The above picture is of Heart Mountain, which was one of the sites where Japanese Americans were interned during World War Two. The haze is from a forest fire.)

Two days later and we were driving to Cody, Wyoming. This time the trip wasn’t about fishing but all about fossils! While at the Cody show several collectors had approached us and told us of their collections. One had said that he was selling much of his grandfather’s collection.

Years ago, his grandfather had owned a rock shop in Greybull, where he sold his personal finds and fossils he had traded for from England and Germany. Included n the items for sale were thunder eggs, petrified wood, and thousands of ammonites.

Of course, I couldn’t wait to see them, and so we drove the three hundred and fifty miles hoping the trip would be worthwhile. Spending the night in Thermopolis,Wyoming we rose early and made the trip to Cody. Meeting the grandson and his wife we looked over the fossils and while enjoying the vast collection we were treated to many beautiful specimens that the couple were keeping.

One was a thunder egg half that contained the largest fire opal I had ever personally seen. It was the best red color, had no flaws and I told them my estimated value of the stunning precious gemstone. It was not for sale and so it was okay to give them an estimate of its value, (It is unethical to appraise a piece and then offer to buy it and is illegal to do so in many states). As a result, we no longer appraise items unless they are not for sale.

So now it was time for the dance. Normally you let the owner set a price and then offer them less. If you take the sellers first price, without dickering, they often think that they have undervalued the collection. I told them they had underpriced the collection, (and they knew it), and offered them more than the stated price.

They looked at each other and agreed to my offer! So now we have several thousand ammonites, some from around the world, but most from Wyoming, Montana, and South Dakota. Now comes the hardest part, identifying the genus and species and then determining the price.

Quite a few are large and are display specimens and so we need to figure out display stands. Some will be formed into our jewelry, but most will be sold as is. One can never have enough rocks and fossils and someday Matt and Jenny will look at the collection and say to each other, “What are we going to do with all of these?” Lol, and of course Clear skies