Greetings from Bridge Bay!
After splitting up for the backcountry, the group has reunited on the banks of Yellowstone Lake to recoup from a tough, but amazing Slough Creek backcountry. But before I dive into that, there is a lot of amazing fishing to unpack. Our trip started out hot, catching 100+ fish on the upper Gibbon river. The guys really enjoyed the opportunity to warm up by slaying fish on dry flies in small water. After a long day, we enjoyed bratwursts and salad, getting ready for a hike the day after. In search of bigger fish, we set out to day-hike to Grebe Lake. Grebe Lake is a Lillard classic and provided even more than we expected. The westslope cutthroat that call this lake home were going nuts! Damselflies were no match for acrobatic fish snatching bugs out of the air. The guys tied on blue chubbies and everyone caught numerous nice fish. We were thoroughly impressed with the high bar set by our crew. The hike was worth it and the crew headed back to prepare for Slough Creek.
Over the next four days our group split in half. Because Yellowstone's backcountry permits max out at eight people, we split up and get to see twice the country. Each group got two days in Slough while the other group stayed in the front country at Mammoth Hot Springs. In the front country, we fished all over the northern region of Yellowstone. Between spotting bison herds and the occasional pronghorn, we fished Soda Butte Creek, Lava Creek, Blacktail ponds, the Gardiner River, and more. The guys fished really hard and we caught lots of brook trout, cutthroat, and whitefish. It was all great! With all the exploration we have done thus far and all that is to come, all the guys will be experts on Yellowstone's fishing options.
Now that we've covered the front country, I get to talk about Slough. Slough creek is one our absolute favorites -- spring fed and full of dry fly eaters; it is surely one of the best cutthroat fisheries in the world. Picturesque meadows, towering peaks, and gorgeous water create a 'perfect' fishery that is as pretty as it is fishy. The hike wasn't easy, but 18 miles round trip proved to be well worth it! Both groups crushed it having multiple days of double digit fish. Everyone caught 18+ inch fish and got to experience some of the best trout fishing there is. In the backcountry we ate like kings, enjoying mac and cheese, chicken pesto tortellini, and backcountry cheesecakes (look for Jello No-Bake deserts in the grocery store!!!). Aside from the fishing, all the guys were grateful to get to experience some beautiful and remote wilderness that many people wait their entire lives to experience. Hiking is great for all of us; there's something about putting your head down and walking somewhere that creates deep bonds. Doing hard things builds so much self-confidence, seeing this group crush this hike by encouraging themselves and each other was so much fun. It's amazing to watch our group develop the skills that we developed on our trips at their age. These motivational skills will serve them through all their lives. One of our trip-mates said "the fish feel like a bonus, this is just awesome", we couldn't agree more. The crew is starting to mesh incredibly well and we can tell that lifelong bonds are beginning to form. It's a joy to see these kids already planning how they might visit each other when they get home and so eager to keep fishing together.
Over the next couple days, the group will stay together and enjoy a large group campsite at Bridge Bay, a campground on the north side of Yellowstone Lake. From here we are in a prime location to catch the biggest fish of the trip. The Yellowstone lake ecosystem holds massive cutthroat. Fishing the Upper Yellowstone and the lake itself will give our crew lots of shots at heavy cutthroat well over 20 inches. We (Cole, Braden, & Owen) cherish our memories of fishing the Upper Yellowstone with Lillard. For us the Upper Yellowstone was our first experience with jaw droopingly large trout. To this day this section of river gets us giddy. We will likely have the opportunity to catch these fish on dry flies. The concept of 'fish of a lifetime' is central to many lifelong fisherman. These once in a lifetime fish are not just about the fish but about how and where they were caught. Over the next few days, many of us will touch fish that create lifelong memories and forever bring us joy. This trip is going by so fast and we can't believe we're almost halfway done. Come Monday we will begin our final backcountries on the Snake River. The Snake River is epic and flows all the way to the mighty Columbia River in Washington state with its headwaters beginning in Yellowstone. These headwaters are pristine! Big snake river cutthroat and browns call this section of river home, and they don't get fished to very often. The hike will be another 18 miles round trip and will yet again immerse us in remote wilder The guys couldn't be more exited to get into more fish. Their passion for fishing is invigorating! We are so exited for what is to come and feel so privileged to have had such a great trip thus far.
We're having a blast -- lots of laughs, good food, new friendships, and big fish. We can't wait to share what we get into in the next few days. Until then...
The guides and the guys
