Renita’s First Trout on a Fly Rod, Mountain Wildflowers, and Bees

I was pretty disgusted. After fishing pocket after pocket of good looking water I had not set a hook on a single fish. My setup was perfect, a gold beaded hare nymph with a copper john trailer. Starting to look for rocks, I decided it was too early to quit fishing and tied on a dry fly selecting a green bodied elk caddis.

Casting it by the large rock, it floated through the deep hole and nothing happened and so I cast again and again. On the third cast the largest cutthroat I have ever seen slurped the fly off the surface and turned sideways as I set the hook. Its color was incredible and as the current caught its deep body it swam downstream. I tried to follow it as I knew I didn’t have a snowballs chance in hell to land it where I stood.

To celebrate the Fourth of July we had floated the Salt and decided that the next day we would fish the Greys River and Little Greys River. Heading through Alpine quickly brought us to the confluence of the two streams and before long, Val, Renita and I were wearing our waders and casting into the stream. Renita had never fly fished before and so Val had volunteered to act as her mentor.

 Never having used a fly rod before she missed two fish as she tried to set the hook and then wind them in. Val explained to her that you should use the line and not reel and before the day was out I heard her yell for joy as she landed her first Fine Spotted Snake River Cutthroat, (released unharmed).

Heading downstream I encountered a field of wildflowers. Purple and red fireweed, along with white death cammis, phlox(?), Mountain blue bell, and many unnamed others shared their beauty. Stopping to take some images I felt my ear burning as a bee decided I had intruded in its territory and stung me. I stopped what I was doing and hurried back to the truck for some ice to stop the pain and swelling, (Hmm our neighbor and blogger, John, had arrived the day before and I wondered if I had acquired his streak of bad luck, Just kidding John).

I hiked back upstream to find Renita and Val and told Val she should try the rock where I had lost the big cutthroat. She finally headed up to the point and as I watched the big fish appeared and took her fly! She had as much luck as I did and we talked about the chances of actually landing such a large fish in clear fast moving water, (we were using a two pound tippet).

The promised storm clouds finally arrived and thunder and rain drove us back to the truck. What a day, Renita’s first trout on a fly rod, having a huge fish on, and the beautiful fields of mountain wildflowers.

On the way home we called our friend George to brag about the fishing. We probably shouldn’t have done that and I hope he doesn’t drive to fast, on his way up here. If you want to see the flowers now is a great time! Clear skies

ps I used our small camera so the flowers colors are pretty poor. I need to head back up there with the good camera.