Happy New Year!

As each year draws to a close, I typically like to reminisce and reflect on the events that helped shape my year. The older we get, the faster each year seems to pass. 2010 was no exception. With a young family, work obligations and the burning desire to get out there and play, the time seems to go by faster than ever. One of the highlights of my year was the chance to watch my daughter Charlotte develop from a vibrant two-year old into an amazing three-year old, while watching Hannah blossom out of infancy. The last couple of months of 2010 saw both girls starting to play together and the seeds of a strong sibling relationship developing.
The year in fly-fishing was a great one. After a lackluster winter, the skies opened up with spring snow and rain to bump up our water content which helped the fishing tremendously. From the pre-runoff angling on the Snake and Green, to the Salmonflies, Drakes and PMD's on the South Fork, the first half of the summer was stellar. It only got better from there, with record low flows on the Snake through the fall, which made it easy for us to find the goods. The year culminated with a great fall streamer bite. Thanks to everyone this year, clients and guides alike, that made it so special. The summer was also bittersweet; the river accidents that took the lives of Rob Merrill and Phil Blumquist on the South Fork remind us of how fragile life is, and of why we do the things we do. My thoughts were with them this holiday season. Here's to a great 2011...hope to see all of you on the river. I'll be celebrating a rather large birthday this coming year and will be planning a truly epic fishing adventure to ring it in ...more on that later. Make sure to visit the Trout Unlimited Feed on my site (all the way down on the right). Click on Jackson Hole Fly Fishing Dreams to view a great video that my good buddy Scott Smith produced. Enjoy a few photos...the best seat in the house of 2010 on the Wind River; the prettiest Cutthroat of 2010 in my net; the best conversationalist in my boat in 2010 (Tom Brokaw); the two cutest daughters around enjoying a Christmas snowstorm. See ya next year!

The Winter Solstice

The Winter Solstice has arrived! The days are now finally starting to get longer again. Living at this latitude, there are many days that we leave for work and come home from work both in the dark. Obviously, the sun is the cornerstone to life on earth, but it is also pivotal in keeping spirits up. The warming effects of the sun on the body and mind are amazing. That big orange ball in the sky also rules the life-cycle of aquatic insects and trout.
Rays of light allow vegetation to grow in our rivers and along their banks, creating breeding factories for Mayflies, Caddisflies and Stoneflies...all of which feed our trout. Rachael and I have always celebrated the 21st of December as a bright day. It is also our daughter Hannah's first birthday today...Happy Birthday Hannah!
The snow continues to fall around here; we're on our way to a record winter of snowfall. We had a huge storm over the weekend. Seventeen inches of snow was reported at Teton Village in 24 hours. The skiing Sunday was amazing, with coverage looking more like late February. I shoveled our driveway and walk three times on Sunday, barely keeping up with it.
I've put together a collage of some of my favorite photos of some amazing sunlight from our travels. Sunset on Ko Tao Island, Thailand; sunset from Tamarindo, Costa Rica; sunset on the island of Santorini, Greece; sunset from the boat dock at Boca Paila, Yucatan Peninsula; sunrise from the beach at the Palometa Club, Yucatan Peninsula. Happy Holidays!

Nice Fish Josh!

It's been all about the skiing around here lately. The snow continues to fall heavily while another winter storm warning goes into affect today. If it keeps up at this rate, we may not be fishing anywhere next summer until August! With all of the moisture we have been getting, the temperatures have been staying relatively warm. The La Nina weather pattern usually brings ample moisture with warmer air...this is exactly what we have been seeing. I've received some great reports from the South Fork from Paul Bruun, Tom Montgomery and Jeff Currier lately. Check out Currier's Blog (below on my link list) for some details. Click on this link to take the Trout Unlimited Quiz: www.youdontknowtrout.com How well do you know trout? You'll be entered to win a Dream Fishing Trip to one of my favorites: The Bighorn River in Southeastern Montana. Enjoy this recent picture of my buddy Josh Graffam. He's just finishing up a whirlwind tour of New Zealand. He apparently knows trout very well...

Traditions

Rachael and I took the girls today on our annual hunt for our Christmas tree. It's a great tradition that usually involves good four-wheel driving through the Bridger-Teton National Forest, hiking through the snow and some good hot chocolate. It was a great day for it...the temps were in the high 30's which made it very pleasant. We chose a spot South of town that I had never explored before; I think we'll check it out again this summer in search of some fish! On the drive out, Charlotte actually asked: "Daddy, are we going fishing?". I guess it looked fishy. Not bad considering she is just about to turn only 3! If you have not seen the Trout Unlimited live feed that I have on this site (all the way down on the right side), check it out and click on "A Monster on the Horizon". Wild Salmon fisheries may be facing a new threat: genetically modified fish that could do irreparable harm to the wild strains. Scary stuff. If you are not a TU member, consider joining today! It is a critical non-profit organization that has the sole mission of protecting our nations cold-water fisheries. Check them out.