Out Like A Lion

As the saying goes, the month of March is supposed to "come in like a lion, and go out like a lamb". Maybe not this year. There is a winter storm watch in effect for our area starting tomorrow night through Wednesday morning. If this thing hits us, we could end up with some very significant snow in the high country and the valley. Good news for skiers, as we start the last week of lift served skiing at the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort in Teton Village. Also, very good news for anglers, since we need to seriously boost our snowpack and water content before the summer arrives. We'll see what happens. Today was another beautiful day in paradise. Clear skies, and warm temperatures brought everyone outside this weekend. I can't remember the last time I saw so many driftboats being pulled around town, and so many anglers wadefishing the Snake near Wilson so early in the season. These fish are going to get educated even earlier this year! Lets hope everyone out there is practicing catch-and-release; get them in quick and release them just as quickly please! Scroll down to check the latest from the Trout Unlimited live feed. There is an extended interview with Deadliest Catch's Sig Hansen that is worth the read. Here's a shot of a healthy Brown taken on the Snake, headed home.

Dry Flies on the Snake

The weather this past week has still been simply amazing. It's been sunny and warm, with valley temps as high as the high 50's. March can be very unpredictable around here; some years, it can snow the entire month, and other years it can be spring-like. With the skies clear today, and the thermometer rising toward 60 degrees, I decided to head down to the Snake to fish for the afternoon. I headed south of Jackson, threw on the waders and visited a few of my favorite holes. Sure enough, on the first spot I came too, there were fish up on top eating dry flies. I honestly did not even inspect the water that closely before throwing a size 16 parachute adams at them...and guess what? They ate it. After hooking and releasing a handful of small Snake River Cutthroat, I took a closer look at the water and found it to be mostly a Midge hatch. There were some random mayflies around as well, and even saw a rogue Caddisfly. With the flows still very low (1,160 cfs below South Park), the fish are still stacked in their winter holes. It was a fun afternoon to be out; while on foot, I saw no less than 6 driftboats pass by me. I think the word on the Snake is out. As a guide on this river, it is easy to get jaded about it each summer. When you spend so much time on one river, you can occasionally take the fishing for granted. If you read this blog and know me well, you know how much I enjoy fishing for large Browns and Rainbows on rivers such as the Green, Missouri and Big Horn. Fishing for native Cutthroat can sometimes seem less exciting. Spending time on the Snake in the spring makes you realize just how hearty these native fish are and just how special this river is. After wintering in such an extreme environment as we have here, these fish are ready to eat as soon as the temps allow for some insect activity. All of the fish I saw today were in great shape. Snake River Finespotted Cutthroat are among the strongest and prettiest trout around,and should not be taken for granted.

Bluebird

If you've been paying attention to the weather details above this post, you have probably noticed that it has been gradually warming this week, and has been absolutely beautiful. The weather today is very warm in the valley, with a deep blue sky above. Perfect spring fishing conditions! In the past few days, I've spotted numerous trucks around town pulling drift boats, and have seen some activity at the Wilson Bridge as well; anglers on foot as well as boats being launched. I'm sure the Snake is starting to turn on. I had planned on an outing to the river this weekend, but decided to get Charlotte on skis instead. We took her out both mornings to the Village and had her gliding on Teewinot (the bunny hill); she did great. My good buddy and fishing client Charlie Howorth is in town for a few weeks skiing and enjoying springtime in Jackson. I hope to get a few hours on the water with him while he is here. Here is a recycled photo that I just love of Charlie with a stud Green River Brown from a few years ago. Can't wait to see more of those this summer! Don't miss the informal Trout Unlimited gathering at High Country Flies this Thursday, from 5-7pm. Should be fun.

Still Warming Up

The spring weather that I posted about last week is still here in full force. The skies have been clear, and the valley temps have been reaching 40 degrees all week. A massive winter storm just missed us to the South over the past few days. As each day goes by, we lose the chance to make up ground on our snowpack and snow-water equivalent. It's looking more and more like we'll have good early fishing this year. I ran into a friend skiing the other day, that walked in on the Snake twice last week, and gave a great report. Cutties up on small dries! As the valley loses its snowpack, access should get much easier. My good buddy and co-worker Josh Graffam is hanging up his hat around here this summer; he won't be guiding with us in Wyoming anymore. After returning from New Zealand, he decided to take a great job with The Ranch at Rock Creek, in Western Montana. Check out the website, it looks like a great place. www.theranchatrockcreek.com Good luck Josh, can't wait to visit. For those of you that have not seen his trophy Brown Trout from New Zealand, here it is. A 10.5pound stud, taken on a nymph. Don't forget to check the Trout Unlimited feed at the bottom of my website. Stay informed about what's happening on the Teton River just over the hill, as well as other cold water fishery news.