Spring Consumed!

Well I mowed the lawn yesterday.  Spring is finally here, but not final.  It snowed today! The trees we planted last year are starting to blossom!  I'm simply happy that they didn't die during the winter.

Busy! Busy! Busy!  I was already chasing spring way back in Dec. in pursuit trout.  We definitely took care of the itch during the cold season.  If I could give any advice to cold weather anglers to make your outings more pleasurable, it would be to keep a pair of  "hand warmers" in your pockets.  They are cheap and so effective at conducting heat into your hands.  Also of note, I camped out a handful of times this winter. The next best thing to having your loving companion next to you, is to sleep with these hand warmers.  You will likely end up tossing your warmers out of your bag, removing your hat or sleeping bag hood.  When you have these guys in your bag the chore changes from attempting to maintain heat to regulating it!  What a wonderful problem to have in below freezing temps!

Now I'm sure your are more interested in this winters photography records.

New ball cap design I put together, SOLD OUT! Thank you all!

My buddy who sticks fish and puts together some Sweetness in Graphics, he is called Mike Larsen.

Seam Shot! by Jordan Gilbert of Crimson Jaw

 This Little Piggy! Photo by Jordan Gilbert

Runnin' Shot by Cortney Boice

Carp Photo by Scott Jackson

 Photo By Phil Tuttle of OutSmartingFish.com

Bloody Pike Photos By Colby CrossLand of TheTroutSmith.com

 The Crimson Duo haulin' slabs!

 This Photo by Jordan Gilbert of Crimson Jaw

Photo by Jordan Gilbert

The Gall

Check in with CrimsonJaw.com for a solid Steelhead Post!

HYPERPHAGIA! (Also known as fall)

This is a time of year when people and animals get hungry.  Fish begin to glut themselves in preparation for the long, cold, icy winter.  It seems that fall, with its colder temperatures, shortening days and hungry fish, is a perfect time to fish.  It is!  Driving up the canyon early morning this week, I ran into temperatures dipping to 29*. Brisk!
Here is an example, I feel it applies equally well to fishing!
"Further increasing the odds of a grizzly encounter is the fact that hunters take to the field right when bears are most fixated on food. In fall, bears enter a stage called hyperphagia, a single-minded lust for calories in advance of their long winter’s sleep. When grizzlies find food, they can become so engrossed in eating they pay less attention to their surroundings than usual." Taken From Montana Outdoors
So here is my suggestion.  Get out as much as possible this fall, while your odds are high, to encounter the aquatic worlds meat-eating, monsters!

Note: This Kokanee is a poor meat-eating example despite its ostentatious apparel and dreadful grin, but an excellent fall indicator!  Photography Credit: Josh Gilbert

By:
Targhee Boss
Utah Fly Fishing Guide

Other World!

I'd been itching for a Grayling trip. As things began to line up, I had one of my oldest friends in town from HI.  We woke up one morning and hit a REI garage sale to see if we could score a few things that we "absolutely needed," ha.  As luck would have it I found a righteous deal on a down bag and my buddy collected a few items as well.  Good start to a great outing!
We hit the trail in the afternoon and started the relentless uphill climb in search of Arctic Grayling! By its name alone the fish conveys something "other worldly."
Years ago it was this "other worldly" quality that relentlessly beckoned to me.  After quite a bit of research I settled on a group of lakes that seemed to be my best option for a local-"out of this world" fish.  It was these lakes that gave my wife her first fish on a fly rod, an Arctic Grayling! These fish and this place hold a strong place in my soul.
Enough of that tangent.

We continued our march.  Realizing this trip, unlike trips past, that there is beauty in the journey.  We marched intermittently enjoying the pleasures of our surroundings.  Trips past have been all about the destination and the fish.  To a large extent fishing is always the motivating factor through the miles, I rarely hike at all unless there are fish included in the destination. This is most likely why I did not remember the hike being so vertical, my only memories were of the fish and the lake.

I am lucky to be passionate about such a thing as fish.  They are very generous, both as table fare and often take you to the most beautiful places this earth has to offer.
Up and up!  Passed lakes, passed people. The trail peetered out into braided game trails.  We'd arrived! One lake, NO people! Ideal!

We surveyed the water as we prospected sleep sites.  The lake seemed to be barren!  We set up camp and strung the rod.

Down to the waters edge! The only sign of life thus far had been scattered tufts of Mt. Goat hair.  Wait, add one bleached mule dear skeleton.  As the sun set the water began to communicate fish locations.  I worked my way towards an end of the lake nestled below a cirque.  Structure began to reveal itself and I placed a peachy, little soft hackle, with a golden bead head just off the deep side of a submerged boulder.
Lighting struck! Not in a jerk-the-rod-out-of-your-hand kind of way, but just as sudden!
The evening light burst from the Grayling's fins as it attempted to liberate the soft hackle from its fluorocarbon path.

The remainder of the evening followed this theme.
We surrendered to the invading darkness and stumbled back into camp to share memories and updates of families gained.
I hit the sac this evening tired and rejuvenated.  An existence only mountains, fish and dear friends can conjure.
Thank you Father.
 By: Targhee Boss
Utah Fly Fishing Guide
Utah Grayling

Forbearance!!

Shared the boat with Scott.  Musky fishing makes for some long days and Scott stuck with it and stuck this fish.  Follow, after follow, after follow, Scott persevered and when this fish committed he drove the steel home.

 Smiles, High Fives, Photographs and Memories!!!  Thanks Scott!

By:Targhee Boss

Utah Pike Guide

Girth

Jake's second cast, Boom!

 Awkward timer shot.

Boom-bada-boom-boom!

 Double Tap!

Leather Belly

Despite the wind, a late arrival and the carp's eagerness to propagate its species we were still able to find a few that were willing to eat, as long as we put the fly in their mouth!
Click on the link below:
A single carp can lay over a million eggs in a year.

By: Targhee Boss
Utah Pike Guide

The Art of Eat

Targhee:
"Big musky right here, Derek!" (5 ft off starboard)

Derek, holding his fly in hand, pitched it low and inside.  Apparently, exactly how this heavy hitter likes them.

Cortney:
"Don't blow it!"

Derek:
"Like that!"

After Derek's fly splat on the surface, the Musky disappeared into the depths.
Derek stripped the fly once!
Rushing up from darkness came this monstrosity of a fish!
This Musky, quite astute in "the Art of Eat," had taken a page from the Great White killers off Cape Town South Africa.
The Musky sounded to depth from where it could ambush from below with devastating speed.
As it ate, the Musky inverted itself at the surface .  Nearly four feet of bleached Musky belly flashed as the fish turned to the depths with a mouth full of deception.
Writ can not convey the explosion of this scenario.
41 seconds it has taken me to read the latter description (I'm a bit dense.)
When in reality it happened, "As Sudden As Death!" Quote from Will Ryan
Boom!  High Fives, memories and photographs!  When dreams materialize!

The highlighted "orange-ish" words below are links, click on them!

If you'd like to see some real photography check out Cortney Boice's/Blue Halo Gear work on his Blue Halo FaceBook Page or you can find them and all things fish at OutSmartingFish.  These boys do great work with rods, lenses, and interwebs.  Thanks for sharing the boat fellas!

By:Targhee Boss

Utah Pike Guide

Photography by Drake Munson

Drake sent over some photos from a few weeks back.  Thanks Drake!  Skilz with the Lenz!

Report: Frozen Fingers to Warm

Cold Start this week!

Two Old boys getting it done!

 First pike smiles!