Pictures From the South Fork of the Snake

Our camp under a lone Juniper

Another Fishing Report, This Time in the Form of a Poem

We had a good fishing trip to the South Fork of the Snake, but the sun may have fried my brain, along with the lack of sleep that comes from a fly by night trip like this. Obviously something has affected me. I am usually not quite this "good" at poetry:).

All told we boated somewhere around 20 fish and had numerous strikes and fish on that got away. Kelly caught the biggest fish of the day, a big brown pushing 20 inches, and I landed one of the bigger cutthroat, 19-20 inches, I have ever caught out of that river. Interestingly enough it was out of the exact same hole, and I mean exact, that I caught my biggest trout to date, a 25" Brown last September. What was really neat was that I saw him come up and take a fly off the surface just before we got there so I knew he was there when I casted into the hole but wasn't sure he would be coming back up for another bite. It is always fun when you have things come together so nicely.

Another somewhat interesting happening came when we went down one good looking side channels in the river. I was casting into perfect looking pockets and in the span of about 75 yards of river had five consecutive fish smash my big stimulator fly but no hookups. After taking some ribbing from the other yahoo's (my father-in-law and my little brother) in the boat I thought, "you know, I have been known to miss a few fish but that was just weird, I better check my fly to make sure it still has a hook." Really I had no expectation that there would be any such discovery but sure enough when I pulled the line in and looked at the fly there was a perfectly good looking #6 stimi with no hook. It had broken off mid shank. Not sure when that happened but I have a good idea that it could have been the result of one of my hookups with the thick brush along the bank and trying to yank the hook out of there. Anyway, it was another fun trip. Looking forward to the next one already. Pictures are soon to come, for now you are stuck with a goofy poem:

T’was the Night of the Hatch
By Benji

T’was a cool night in July, and all over the river
Not a creature was stirring, not even the beaver
The 5 weight was rigged, and leaned against the wall
Ready to go, for that expected call

Then it was Friday, and work was, well…work
And my casting arm, was developing a jerk
I clicked on a website, with remedies for this
The fishing report, said “’The Canyon’…can’t miss”
“The Salmon Fly’s, are hatching their way”
“Up, up the river, at a mile a day”
“By Monday” they said, “you can be expecting to see”
“Fish piling up, under each bush and each tree”
“Gulping huge bugs, as they slipped from the twigs”
“Fish with good size, some call them pigs”

In a flash it was on, I threw the gear in the truck
Said good bye to the family, as they wished me good luck
Barreling down, the freeway we went
One image in my mind, a rod that is bent
In the shape of a taco, and on the end with the hook
A big German Brown Trout, worth a second look

At Spring Creek we launch, with our heads in the clouds
Expectations are high; the call of the river is loud
The ramp is alive, with boaters bustling about
Here we are putting in, while they are all taking out

As we float under the highway the bridge fades from view
Leaving civilization behind, to see “The Canyon” anew
The sounds of the road die slowly away
Displaced by the sound, of the oars and soft sway
Of the drift boat, as it bobs gently along
In the current, that’s in tune, to nature’s sweet song

Casting in time, to an inaudible beat
To fish that we hope, are ready to eat
I get my first strike, yet it’s gone in a flash
But fish fever has set in, (minus the rash)

Finally a hookup, the brown puts on a show
Splashing and jumping, not ready to go
Into the net, and a quick, painless release
It swims back to its hole, with grace, and with ease
Ah, this is the cure, for the twitch in my arm
The river soft rush, has rung its silent alarm

The rest of the float, is more of the same
Big bushy flies are the pawn in this game
Under each grassy bank, there are trout eager to eat
Where the rivers swift current, and the canyon walls meet

As my mind, and the river sync up in their pace
I am glad for one day, I am out of the race
They say is for rats, but we do it each day
Hustle and bustle, to each make our hay
No matter how short, we make the best of these times
Even when they result, in these ridiculous rhymes

Bull Trout Lake

Well I didn't take many pictures on our 4th of July camping trip but Bull Trout Lake was very pretty. The pics I did get didn't impress me much but here are a couple. We had a fun trip and we caught a lot of Brook Trout and Rainbow Trout out of the lake.

I do like this one of Todd fishing in Martin Lake