Fishing the Salt River

It was kind of hard to cast my fly rod as I was under a bridge and having to make a sideways cast to avoid damaging my equipment on the overhanging structure. I made several casts and then cast alongside the main support. My fly and strike indicator flowed with the current before stopping and going under below the bridge. Setting the hook I was on to a decent fish!
The day before Renita asked me what I wanted to do for my birthday and so after a couple of seconds thought, I decided that I would like to go for a picnic and fish the Salt River. Its the main stream that flows down Star Valley and joins the Snake just below the junction of the Grey.
So we drove up to the first public access and as soon as we stopped I got my first good look at the river. What a beautiful stream! Crystal clear cold water flowed across rock bars and ripples and there were the usual cut banks everywhere. Now if I could only spot or even hook a fish.

I spooked a small cutthroat as I stepped into the water and tried to ease my way across the shallow branch. Stepping onto the stream bed below a small island I cast  several times before I tried to set the hook on a trout. Several more casts and I again missed the fish. Salmon fishing on the Kenai was so much easier.
Wading above the island I made a series of small casts and floats, high sticking really, and I thought of my friend George and how he would be killing the fish here. Disturbing my thoughts my strike indicator disappeared and I set the hook on a small cutty.The fish cleared the water and I smiled as I fought and then lost the fish but it really didn't matter. I had planned on releasing anything I caught anyway.
Wading upstream I realized I could spend hours covering this small segment of stream and again I admired the clean water and deep holes, punctuated by numerous gravel bars. Returning to the truck Renita told me she had seen a beaver swimming and diving under a ledge.

Driving a little further downstream we stopped at the next public access and I was quickly making some casts. The water was fast and deep here and so I couldn't wade and fish like I wanted but I did catch a beautiful mountain whitefish on a small prince nymph. It was a beautiful fish and they are quite tasty but I released it as I have plenty of fish to eat.
Our next stop was again downstream and the area there had a large lot for camping. Walking across the irrigation canal I cast downstream and had a large cutthroat on! It was really a forlorn hope, landing the fish, as I was on a board walkway and the fish was in strong turbulent water so it didn't take long to lose it.
No matter really as I had learned a little about the river and it promises to be a great stream to fish and even float. Arriving back home I tried to answer all the birthday greetings on facebook but I am not a very good facebook user and so I didn't have much success.

Regardless it had been a good day and I had even caught a fish. Later the smoke from fires filled the valley and even blocked out our view of the mountains. A blood red sun set and of course my ace photographer captured the color and the haze. Clear skies