Caddis Hatch

With the light all but gone I continue to throw my caddis imitating fly at the continually surfacing fish. I squint to see it before it is taken by a hungry brown trout. We fight for a moment before I pull him from his aquatic home. It is sad that we have to meet this way, but I admire him. He has outsmarted me many a time and it just so happened that this time I tricked him. I knew what he was hungry for. I carefully remove the hook from his mouth and hold him underwater letting him catch his breath. After a moment of rest he swims away.

This might be my favorite time of year to fish. There isn't anything like throwing a dry fly out on the water and watching a fish splash out of the water with an open mouth to take it. As darkness draws near, at this time of year, there is an amazing bug hatch nearly every night. The Caddisfly spends much of its life underwater. The cooling temperatures of the day usually trigger emergence where they break free of their underwater case and swim to the surface for their short 1-2 week adulthood. The last few time I have been out have been some of the best hatches I have been encountered. There are points in the evening where I am covered in caddis. They land on my glasses, tickle my ears, and get uncomfortably close to my closed mouth. Fishing while covered in bugs... I never thought I would enjoy it so much.

Sixth Water

One of the things I have enjoyed most about getting into Fly Fishing is the places it has taken me. Last week we headed up to Sixth Water. A portion of skinny water up at the top of Diamond Fork Canyon. Had I not picked up fishing, I don't know what else would have taken me up that way. I reeled in my first Cut Throat. It was a beautiful little fish, emphasis on little, that I didn't take the time to snap a photo of. If you don't fish and are in need of a nice drive add Diamond Fork to your list. 

Yellowstone

It has been close to 20 years since I was in Yellowstone National Park. After going on this recent trip with Neena's family I realized that I have been blowing it. The five hour drive is definitely not enough to have kept me away for this long.

The only word that can adequately describe Yellowstone is wild. We watched the earth bubble and erupt. We saw waterfalls, lakes, and winding streams. We encountered 16+ different species during our short three days in the park. It was good for the soul to see the open expanses filled with wildlife roaming uninhibited. It made me wonder what Utah county would have looked like back before the we took control of God's unfinished sculpture. What would the Provo River look like? Would herds of elk be roaming freely? I am grateful for the men who had the vision to preserve Yellowstone.

We spent a lot of time in the park going from place to place, it seemed as if every bend brought some new amazing vista. My favorite time we spent in the park had to have been the last day. We entered the park to fish, picnic, and do one short hike. I am glad we spent the time to explore the park, but I think future trips will be more focused on specific areas. I hope to make this more of a routine trip.