netboy

Well to add to this conversation, I have had many basal cell cancers cut out as well as a couple of squamous cells and one melanoma on my shoulder Trust me, that is no fun as he kept cutting deeper and deeper until he thought it was clear. About 2 hours of cutting and looking at the results and then cutting some more. Two years ago I had a basal cell cut out of my nose and that one was with the mohs surgery. That one lasted 5 hours with the surgery and 3 more cuttings to get clearance and then another hour with the plastic surgeon to "clean things up". I go the dermatologist every six months and fortunately he only freezes a few pre cancers off these days. Bottom line... cover up and use that sunscreen.

I caught a few small Yellowstones back in 2019 when they first stocked them. They have the larger spots like the Bonnevilles, but are more golden colored.

Took the boat out this morning and anchored above a weed bed that has been producing a small sulphur hatch early in the morning. It is nothing like the evening hatch, but much cooler conditions to fish. Fish were coming up after the bugs until around 8:30 and I caught 6 on a size 16 sulphur dry. Also lost 3 or 4 others due to setting the hook too soon. After the hatch slowed down, I switched to a sulphur colored crackleback and caught a few more stripping it in the surface film. Mostly rainbows today along with one 16" brown and a 10" brookie. Here are a couple of the better rainbows...

Nothing better than watching those browns take a dry fly. The sulphur hatch was great this year, but the caddis hatch was even better. Problem with the sulphur hatch is that it starts in the late afternoons and SWPA has been opening all 8 units around noon, making it hard for us old guys to get more than 1 or 2 casts at those pods of browns. We had lots of low, wadeable water during the caddis hatch, so it made for easier fishing.

That one was a Snake River (aka fine spot) cutthroat. The Bonnevilles have fewer spots and are lighter in color. Here is a pic of a Bonneville caught at Rim Shoals earlier this year...

If you are looking for waders, neoprene waders are hot as hell in the summer, but good in the winter. You can't beat Simms GoreTex products for year around comfort and durability. You can find some great deals on Ebay and Facebook Marketplace.

Nice fish. I avoid the boat ramps on the weekends this time of year. It sure can raise your blood pressure.

I didn't want to fight the Saturday boat ramp crowds, so I went to an area that has some wadeable water with the higher flows. Started the morning with a tiger tail and caught 3 pretty quick. Then I switched to an olive/brown sculpin imitation bounced off the bottom and had good luck with that. After the sun got up, I switched to a double midge combo (ruby and P&P) under an indicator and had steady action until I left at 11. Ended the morning with a dozen rainbows and 1 decent cutthroat. Here's a few of the better ones. The biggest rainbow was 21", but pretty skinny.

I took Tina out this morning for a quick fishing trip in the boat. We started with tiger tail buggers and each caught a few rainbows. When that slowed down, I switched to a sulphur colored crackleback stripped just under the surface. We caught a few more and missed more than we caught. It is hard to wait a second or two for them to turn before setting the hook when you see them follow and take the fly. When that action slowed, I anchored above a grass bed that usually holds some nice rainbows and set up indicator rigs with a Y2K and ruby midge dropper. We had steady action on that combo until we left at 10:30 as it was getting pretty hot. We ended the morning with around 20 between us. Here's a couple of the better ones...

Went to the same area, same MO and another good morning. This one was also 23" but quite a bit fatter.

The goldens were mixed in with the normal rainbows and came from Crystal Lake Hatchery. They were paid for by FEMA funds in mitigation for flood damages to the Jim Hinckle Hatchery in 2017. I have not heard of any more stockings from Crystal Lake this year so I guess it is a holdover. With that said, I still see quite a few goldens in the river. They show up like a neon light.

I took the boat out this morning and ran to a shoal that has been producing a decent hatch of sulphurs and midges in the early mornings. The fish were coming up at 7am when I got there and it lasted until the fog burned off around 9ish. I caught around a dozen rainbows, including this 23" male that put up quite a fight with 3 nice jumps. Also caught 1 average size brown and a golden rainbow, all on a size 16 sulphur dry fly. After the bugs quit, I caught a couple more using a Y2K/ruby midge combo under an indicator.

I took the boat to a shoal that has been holding some decent fish lately. Got the waders on and saw a few sulphurs coming up and then some noses coming up and eating the bugs. I put on a size 14 sulphur dry fly and had a take on the second cast. It turned out to be a 22" rainbow. I caught 6 or 7 more on the sulphur and then the bugs and trout just disappeared. I tried some dropper combinations under an indicator and picked up a few more, including another decent rainbow. Best combo was a San Juan Worm with a ruby midge dropper. Off the water by 10 as it was getting pretty hot. Here's a couple of the better ones....

Wade fishing opportunities are pretty limited right now with the high water. They are running all 8 generators 24/7 and I don't see that changing any time soon with the lake being 20 feet over power pool. With that said, you can always wade the area around Wildcat ramp, both upstream and down. White Hole access has some wading downstream of the ramp. There is some wading at Tucker Shoal on the Marion County side, but you will need a boat to get there. There is also some wadeable water on the Baxter County side above and below Cranor's, (boat access). Hope this helps.

I have a friend that I fish with who is a very good fly tier. He showed me his collection of small nymphs and dries he used on the San Juan River in NM. He ties them down to a size 32. I had to use a magnifying glass to see the workmanship and it was amazingly accurate.

Well, it seems the sulphur hatch is getting fewer and far between and coming to a close. I saw very few in the areas where they were hatching so I went looking for new options. The hoppers and other terrestrials are starting to get the attention of the trout. The last couple of days have been challenging but small hopper dries, and foam beetle dries have turned up some decent rainbows. Also caught some on the old standard egg and midge dropper combo. Here's a few from the last couple of days....

The last couple of days have been good sulphur dry fly fishing. Yesterday I took my friend out on an afternoon trip from White Hole access and we had fun with the browns. We drifted down the shoreline and there were pods of browns waiting on the emerging sulphurs but it was challenging fishing with all 8 units running. You only had 1 or 2 chances at each group. We caught some nice browns and my friend bested the day with a 25" on a size 16 sulphur dry. We ended up with a dozen including some nice browns and rainbows. I forgot my camera so pics of that day. I went back early today and anchored up where the rainbows were feeding, put on the waders and was able to cast to the trout coming up. Today it was mostly rainbows and only a couple of average size browns. Here's some of the better rainbows this morning...

Took the boat out this morning and found some nice rainbows. Best fly today was a sulphur crackle back stripped just under the surface. Here's a couple of the better ones.... biggest was 22".

I haven't fished much this week as our friend from Texas was here for a visit. She left yesterday so I went to an area that has some protected water and put on the waders. Turned out to be a pretty good morning. An egg/midge combo under an indicator worked early for a few and then when the fog burned off some sulphurs started coming up. I caught some bigger rainbows on a foam sulphur dry fly. It was a bit challenging to cast as there are lots of trees on the bank, so I was able to make short roll casts and then mend the line downstream to make long drifts over the flooded grass. Ended the morning with a dozen and lost a few more due to quick hooksets. Here's a few of the better rainbows...

They would probably end up as alligator bait.😄

Same high water today, so I went up to White Hole and launched the boat. Anchored above a big weed bed and the trout were wanting a sulphur colored crackleback. Caught 6 nice ones and missed as many more on that. It slowed down a bit and then I went to a tiger tail and caught another 8. Then around 11ish it got really hot, but the sulphurs started popping along the shoreline and I caught more on a sulphur dry fly drifting back down to the ramp. Ended the day with a couple dozen. Overall, a pretty good day. A couple of the better ones.

Interesting story. I launched at Wildcat ramp this morning and had a decent day of fishing. They were running 7 units which is a pretty good flow. So, when I come back to the ramp at Wildcat, I beach my boat on the downstream side of the ramp and there was a Jeep with a Supreme boat submerged on the downstream side of the ramp. Okay no problem, he is probably pulling out. Then I look and nobody in the Jeep or anywhere around. If you know the Wildcat ramp, the downstream side is pretty calm on 7 units and the upstream side is a challenge. Well, I walk to my truck and there is a guy sitting on the picnic table under the trees. So, I ask him if he knows what is going on with the truck blocking the ramp. He says, that's my truck and I am waiting for my friends to come. I say, can you please launch your boat and pull it over the beach like everybody does or simply pull it out until your friends show up? He says he doesn't want to do that and his friends have "walking problems". So I say how in the hell are they going to climb up into your boat sitting on the trailer??? Oh well it went very downhill from there and he got a very "color full" (expletives deleted) piece of my mind. Bottom line.. our boat ramps are not parking lots or fishing piers, launch your boat and move on. Rant over.

I talked to a friend that lives in Hot Springs Village and they got 7" in one day this past week.

The flows are getting a bit too much for wading so I took the boat out this morning. Went to an area that has some protected water, anchored up and had a decent morning. No big numbers, but the size made up for it. I caught 6...2 on a Tiger Tail, 2 on a crackleback and 2 on an elk hair caddis dry. Also missed another 4 or 5 from setting the hook too early. The biggest was 23". No small ones today, all nice size.

If you walk in just below the Dam there is an area called the braids. It is a good wading area with lots of shallow water and channels around some small islands. Be sure to keep a sharp eye out for creepy crawlers on the way in. I almost stepped on a big rattlesnake a couple of years ago. No warning rattle...