The day was Friday April 8, 2005. My two favorite fly fishing friends were ready to set out with me to create an amazing day that we will linger with us, both the good and bad happenings of the day.My grandpa, from New Mexico, was in Wyoming for our annual fly fishing trip. Last year this was the trip when we had caught the big browns and we couldn’t wait to see how this year would unfold. The only difference this year was instead of my other grandpa being with us my dad came. That was enough to make it a great day. Just having the two people in my life that brought me to love fly fishing so much and having the whole day to spend with them. We set out, and from the get go we were hooking fish. Grandpa was the first to hook up, not a 100 ft from the boat ramp. A nice bow that fell on an orange egg pattern. We were using bright colored flies due to the fact that the rainbows were in full spawn. We continued hooking fish and swapping rowing jobs. We switched after every 2 fish caught. Now my grandpa is a pretty sly dog and he likes to make it seem like he would like to row, but he really doesn’t. So he was up to rowing and after we went from one side of the river to the other, spun around 3 times, and a close encounter with the local vegitation on the banks, grandpa was finished rowing. We teased that if we got into some real moving water we might have been in trouble. When fly fishing with my dad and grandpa we came up with alot of ideas as to why the fish weren’t feeding. It seemed that every time grandpa had a cigar in his mouth we were catching fish and when he didn’t it came to a stop. So lets just say we were happy he bought 2 packs of cigars. The day was full of many events. We were coming up on a shallow gravel bar and I rowed to a deeper run next to it. As we fished by I noticed several streaks go by. Look at all the fish! It was a spawning bed and the fish were covering it. Small fish and fish as big as your arm. It was truly an amazing experience for all of us. We stayed of the spawning beds that day, but caught many fish in the runs below them. So if we weren’t catching fish we could at least see them. We were going through a trout hole where I knew fish held and we were all looking at all the fish lining the shallow water on the banks when all of a son my line began screaming off my real. Then so did Grandpas! We had a double, it was perfect. As the day went on a spring storm was moving in and it hit hard. There were waves as high as the boat and it was time to get out of the river. We waited for a while on the bank and decided we might be able to pull the skiff along the bank to the cliffs where we could get back to fly fishing out of the wind. We made it and kept out of the wind till we reached the end of the cliffs. Thats when it happened, I went to get my dads rod for him and the oar caught the bottom and with all the force broke the oak oar lock out of the gunnel. I managed to catch the oar. The day was looking worse but we were not down. We put the oar back in the other oar lock and continued on. All of us were frustrated but grandpa has a way to make everything alright. I guess we were to mad to notice but the weather had changed and there was no wind. We managed to pull ourselves together and had a beautiful evening on the water. A day that could not have been spoiled no matter what because we were fly fishing. I am just happy that I have my grandpa and dad to do this with and I hope I always will.
Book
- Alaska
- Guide & Fisherman
- Guiding: Choosing Your Guide And Choosing Your Customer
- Guiding: Do It Yourself With A Guide
- Guiding: Evolution Of A Guide
- Guiding: Freshwater, More Than Meets The Eye
- Guiding: Friends For Life
- Guiding: Know Where You Are
- Guiding: More Than Just A Fisherman
- Guiding: Mystery Of The Fisherman
- Guiding: Payment
- Guiding: Saltwater, A Different World
- Rough Fish
- Fly Fishing For Rough Fish: Why Do It?
- Introduced Rough Fish: The Carps & Other Invasive Species
- Methodology: Gear & Tactics For Pursuing Roughfish On A Fly
- More Roughfish: Bullheads, Whitefish, Goldeye, Burbot & Drum
- Rough Fish Environments: Where To Look For Rough Fish?
- Rough Fish Species: The Suckers
- Rough fish: A Lifetime Of Learning
- Rough Fish: Fishing For Dinosaurs (Gars & Bowfin)
- Rough Fish: What Are They?
- The Hook: Some Common Rough Fish Fly Patterns
- Spey
- Spey: Applications, Where Can You Do It?
- Spey: Atlantic Salmon, A Significant Fish
- Spey: Defined And Demystified
- Spey: Gear, The Nuts And Bolts
- Spey: Lines, They Are That Important
- Spey: Steelhead, New Traditions & A Modern Movement
- Spey: The Energy
- Spey: The Flies
- Spey: The Swing
- Spey: Two Critical Casts
- Striped Bass
- Striped Bass: Fishing Rocky Shorelines
- Striped Bass: Fishing The Beaches
- Striped Bass: Fishing The Flats
- Striped Bass: Fishing The Reefs
- Striped Bass: Fishing Tidal Rivers
- Striped Bass: Flatwing Swing
- Striped Bass: Fly Line Options & Choices
- Striped Bass: Gear, The Nuts & Bolts
- Striped Bass: Migration Patterns
- Striped Bass: What They Eat
- The Art Of Escape
- Fly Fishing: A Natural Drug
- Fly Fishing: A Validation Of Freedom
- Fly Fishing: Don’t Fight The Current
- Fly Fishing: It Is What It Is
- Fly Fishing: Socialization For Asocial Individuals
- Fly Fishing: The Allure Of The Fish
- Fly Fishing: The Art Of Escape
- Fly Fishing: The Simplicity Of It All
- Fly Fishing: Time Flies
- Fly Fishing: Times You Remember & Try To Forget
Wow, great story Kray. Fishing with your Grandpa, that is something to treasure. Anytime your Grandpa can’t make it, I’ll be happy to smoke some cigars in your boat (for luck). 😉
Rick, i really apriciate that
out of all seriousness we will have to make a trip sometime
thanks
great story kray – i don’t know that we can let you post anymore though – it’s too easy to catch nice trout in wyoming and – it makes too many people jealous! so i have no choice but to either demand you take me to your secret spots when i come out….or block you from the website:)
Just kidding – I love to see all the great fish you catch – and read your stories – I wouldn’t care if there was one every day! I guess that is why Wyoming is world famous for trout fishing – but give it time – us maine guys will give you a run for your money as soon as the water temps warm up a little.
we should have a East Coast – West Coast friendly competition this season!!! Any thoughts! would be fun!
Super story Kray. It is really nice to be able to share your love of fly fishing with your family. I’m sure the fish Gods look favorably upon Three generations all in the same drift boat!!
well said waterwhippa.
thanks much jeremy
it means alot to me fishing with my family i am very lucky to have them.
that is a great idea i would love to have you down we always have an open room lets work something out
your bud
kray
Great story kreh it’s really cool to be able to do something with your family that you all enjoy, in this case fishing. I haven’t had any good rainbow fishing for a loooong time so keep your stories coming for they partially cure my rainbow fishing blues!
thanks kodiak
i am sure that the bow fishing will get better for you and if it doesnt you can come down here, because we have plenty trout, ha ha