West '05 Trip - Day 24

Posted: 2006-05-04
By: Randy Cochran

Overcast skies clouded the day. Perfect fishing weather, so it was OK by me.

I returned to the same body of water that I fished yesterday to find that I had the place to myself.

Fishing was difficult but satisfying. Many large cutts cruised the shorelines and nearby weedbeds. If you didn't see them first and plan accordingly, any movement would spook them before you could even get your fly in the air.

I was fortunate under the circumstances to land 3 nice Yellowstone natives, all over 19", and miss as many as big or bigger. A large rainbow of 5 or 6 lbs. would appear out of the ethereal depths to check out matters surface-side, but was way too skittish for me to coax a strike. Not acceptable!

The wind soon blew beyond what I consider to be manageable as a fly caster, so I hiked back to my car and drove off to my favorite nearby stream.

Checking a few spots that I worked last year, it became apparent that I had my work cut out for me. Areas that had produced well were reduced to mere trickles, and there was very little activity to speak of. On top of that, the valley was now more pressured than her more famous neighbors; it was even worse crowd-wise than last year at high-season.

A few looks, no takers. I changed locations and caught a few small ones, all on dries. Turned a big one a few times and missed him on a solid take once.

Aside from the lake, my YNP stint this year has left me less than overwhelmed. Not quite underwhelmed either. Maybe just whelmed?

Went back to camp after grabbing a two-fer of Wilcoxson's chocolate-covered mint ice cream bars in Cooke City. Devoured those with a quickness and then slept away in my leaking tent, only slightly repelling the rain which then fell the better part of the night.