Hi all,
We are out of our second and final backcountry in the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone on the Yellowstone River. The crew splitting up into two groups again, we enjoyed awesome numbers of fish caught, a great reward for a strenuous hike into and out of the canyon.
The day after our last update we fished the park section of the Snake River. A beautiful day on the river came with some great fishing for some large fish in a sparkingly clear river. Catching a new subspecies of cutthroat -the Snake River cutthroat- this was our third and final subspecies to check off on the trip. Much more brightly yellow with a unique spotting pattern, these are truly beautiful fish. It was fun watching the guys' excitement at the prospect of catching another unique type of trout; they're clearly interested in learning more about where these fish are and how they thrive (or are threatened).
While one group was in the backcountry, the other group also enjoyed some excellent fishing and sight-seeing in the park. The front country group enjoyed fishing the Upper Yellowstone and Snake Rivers which also provided some excellent fishing opportunities. Additionally, a group was also able to go check out the magnificent Yellowstone falls and famous Old Faithful geyser.
After spending our last morning in the park fishing the technical frontcountry section of Slough Creek, this morning we are headed back to base camp to prepare for our float trips. We'll close out the trip floating the Madison River for the next two days. Fishing report is great - the weather may be hot, but the fishing's been awesome. As we get toward the tail end of the trip, it's cool to reflect on where the group is: Everyone arrived with varying degrees of fly fishing experience and skills; it's been awesome watching the crew's improvement. Some guys are dialing in their casts, others are interested in learning more about insect activity and how to mimic it, while others are trying to master knots.
Until Next Time,
Shane, Hunt, Jacob, and the crew
