BilletHead

Red Milk snake. Looks dead, please don't tell me it's dead, BilletHead

I will second that Mitch. I have been known to say to such people do ya think you could push that another ten feet to the rack? Pat says someday I will get my clock cleaned for that. On the other hand I have seen others ask if they could take my cart as I emptied it as I have too. From way out in the parking lot where I like to park. Pat no matter where she parks will push the cart all the way to the cart rack at the store entrance. Pet peeve of her too except she won't shoot her mouth off . BilletHead

While you are at it Ronnie be sure and get the model with a good back and left shoulder. May want your smarter quicker thinking brain too . BilletHead

Well lets finish this trip up, You all have been a good audience and thanks for letting us share the trip. I have said this before if anyone wants more info about places we have fished or want to do the Cutt Slam shoot me a PM and I will help get you going. A good nights sleep at Alfred Flats was needed and we got it. Pancakes and coffee were downed, camper cranked and stowed we hot the road for a short trip over a pass to the Salt River. This drainage contained the snake river cutt. A forest service road was taken off the blacktop and than a forest service trail winded down to the river. Misnomer here it is another small creek. Put the truck again in 4WD low to crawl carefully over rocks and through the ruts left from wet weather. A few times the Mrs. got out to direct me around obstacles. Finally at the bottom we got the wading boots on and continued down a slope to the creek. Water was not as clear as other places and I am sure it is due to a different geological formation AND the fact that it is an open range area. The banks are broke down full of bovine prints. Lots of corners, beaver dams all along. Nice tall well made dams with scour holes below. Air was warm it was hopper city. The sparse steep banks above were alive with hoppers of all sorts. Fish were caught. We found the larger ones well below the beaver dams under the edge of the willows with the smaller fish directly behind the dams. The beaver pools gave up a few even smaller ones but the moving water below was what they preferred. We played leap frog over each other as we fished. The tall thick willows were pretty hard to negotiate and we continually shouted out to keep track of each other. How did you get to where you are? I don't really know just ducked and took a willow tunnel. Hey I am taller that isn't fair. All is fair in fishing warfare she responded! Turns were tight in the willow tunnels and it posed a challenge with the long rods . There are two places of the State where a triangle of sorts forms. Three of the four subspecies can be caught in these areas if you know where to go and can get to the spots easily . We are pretty familiar with this one. If you are real mobile like we are the slam can be caught quickly. After this last fishing of the trip we headed around the drinage we were in over the mountain range to Pinedale. We like this town. Hit the brewery , bar/restraint to purchase the local brew for the road. We are all sold out of take out cans. We can fix you up with a growler. No thanks we don't have space for that and only have one beer a day with meals. Next trip maybe? Hit the local fly shop, couple of stores and then to the campground for the only fish dinner of the trip. Kept a couple small ones from Salt River. Good nights rest and a shower. Next morning the long boring trip homeward. Did stop at Sierra trading post and Cabelas in Nebraska. Best part of the trip home was reminiscing about the last two weeks. Not sure what will be in store for next year. That is if the next year goes well and we are blessed to do this again. Many, many places to explore and some asking what don't you try here or there? Allot of these folks stay in one place. Hard to do that for us too much to see around the next bend. Not much into sitting in down time looking into the distance wondering what is out there. Maybe a trip to different states? Maybe North hauling the boat to fly fish for pike and small mouth and other sorts? Would like to hit the far North East for resident BIG brookies? Dream on BilletHead

Beanie Weenies are for kids of all ages. Pat's baked beans with char grilled dogs. BilletHead

That is for sure. I slather the potato in butter, sprinkle on coarse sea salt then wrap in doubled heavy aluminum foil. Sometimes use the gas grill outside. A pretty cheap meal. Not the healthiest but good, BilletHead

Well tater ended up butter, S&P, grated Asiago cheese and some diced jalapenos. Besides our smoked Sharp cheddar I am really liking Asiago cheese on things. The Mrs. was really impressed with my talent for throwing a potato in the oven for her to dine on when she got home . BilletHead

Ruby does have those big brown bedroom eyes, the kind that says I'll fetch a bone for you. Back on subject again. Just a big baked potato tonight. Not sure what will top it just wanted a tater, BilletHead

Don't wait until after the season for reports between us. Lets do a shot by shot report instead of a play by play this season. I never did get the predator engine and tail for it, my bad . Have you let the new little one out of your grasp yet? BilletHead

I will second that since he is not hosting the Smallmouth conference he so graciously agreed to do. BilletHead

Good save buddy let's change the subject . You gonna volunteer to write the OA members cookbook? I mean when you retire, BilletHead

Nice Chris, Looks great. Guess you are thinking flooded timber again this year or are you going to be one of your a river of four buddies? BilletHead

All I know is I hope to never be asked to see the Ness family photo album . HA! BilletHead

From Cottonwood creek we headed to The South West part of the State. There is a narrow Strip that goes up about a third of the state that the Bonneville Cutthroat call home. Just one more subspecies for each of us to call the slam official. We got there pretty late in the afternoon, guess I would really call it evening. Found a pull out along the road, built rods and walked to the water. Salt Creek. As most creeks we fished the trip this was another gem. This one had some kind of water plant under the surface but little flowers broke the top of the water. Lots of damselfly's landing and dancing on the flowers and flowing water. We started throwing a couple sizes of hoppers. Missed so many fish we knew we had to start sizing down our offerings. Then the hook ups started happening. A dozen or so fish later we were done. I really like these cutts. Bright reflective scales that glisten in the remaining sunlight. A local frog. Around the corner was the campground where we had spent the first night on our trip.Alfred Flats, we had come full circle, a big zig zagging loop through Idaho, Montana and Wyoming. When we got set up we were really tired so dinner consisted of a celebration of the Cutt Slam with beanie weenies . Tomorrow morning we would try to save face and catch a few larger Snake River Cutthroat. The ones from Cliff Creek were a bit disappointing. BilletHead

Any mushrooms in the sauce?

You ever see that tall skinny Ham guy? Be more like getting meat off a HAM bone, BilletHead

We actually wait until way into the winter and hard freezes. Spread a sheet under the trees and go to beating the trees up until it rains fruit. Funnel the persimmons into a cardboard box and then to the next tree. As far as paw paws I can eat one raw and that is all I want. We did make cookies out of them before. Not too bad, more like a itty bitty cake. A fluffy green mini cake. BilletHead

Johnsfolly you eating them green? I have been down that trickery road only once. Wait until all chance of a puckery mouth is gone. When I used to trap hard many moons ago I would save critter crap and use it when making sets. My parents called me the poop inspector. Ah the good old days, BilletHead

Good idea Ham! Just like catching species on your life list. See how many critter excrement's you can ID . In all seriousness I have taken many deer in persimmon patches. Cows like em too. They know every time the wind blows the tiny fruits fall. The cows will make a bee line from patch to patch sounding like giant vacuum cleaners cleaning them up. Cows and deer process what they eat better so there are no visible seeds left in their poop. BilletHead

There are some nice deep three to four foot pools on Cottonwood in places. We did catch on droppers too but you know after your last White River post that catching on big hoppers is the bomb. Nothing like a big successful slurp and the hopper is gone, time to lift the rod to set the hook. Yes to the scenery Ham. There was times as we were gazing into the beautiful distance we missed fish not paying attention, BilletHead

The Colorado River Cutt, Well of course up early again but took our time getting ready. Pretty cool out there I thought. The thermometer bouncing around the thirty degree mark. The thermometer probe in the propane tank compartment. Kind of out of the elements so not sure about the real reading. A great breakfast of pancakes and eggs. Lots of hot coffee too. Rods all ready built from the evening before I took them to the front of the truck and placed em on the hood of the truck and let go. Swoosh they slid off the ice on the hood, Waders on this morning and the sweatshirt felt nice. Again in no hurry. We are morning people and love the sunrise but for these trout the later in the day the better. Warm temps get the bugs going. Wish they were on my time line though . South Cottonwood is a pretty creek, Yep that is snow up there and it isn't very far away, There are long straight shallow runs, cut banks with over hanging willows twists and turns. Elements to satisfy all fly fishers. We caught what we wanted to catch. I think the Colorado River cutt would be my favorite color wise. Wish the Mrs. camera didn't have the water spot on the lens. Again we found lower flows and smaller fish than in years past, The plan was executed and with the success we cranked down the camper and headed to the next quarry, BilletHead

You both are good for confessing your transgressions. Now atone for your sins. BilletHead

You aren't living until you have Mrs. BilletHead's persimmon cookies. Wild persimmon. The worst thing is getting the pulp. Pain in the rear. Every wild animal eats persimmons. Just count the seeds in the crap piles, BilletHead

Up early again and on the road. Took a new road we have not been on before heading across towards Jackson Hole.Through Thermopolis along the Bighorn River to Shoshoni. Turned towards Riverton. At Riverton back towards the Northwest to Moran Junction. The Riverton to Dubois you go through the Wind River Indian Reservation. After Dubois started looking pretty except for the fire ravaged mountain range on one side of the road. First this we new before seeing the fire was signs along the road thanking firefighters for their service. Then fire camps along the road, smoke in the distance and scorched earth. This was the lava creek fire. We stopped at a gas station to see people filling bags for firefighters containing snacks and other goodies for personal use. After clearing the pass drainage changed towards the West and soon all waters entered the Snake River. Had a front coming through and the view towards the Grand Tetons was clear.At Moran Junction a turn South to Jackson where every turn out was full of tour buses the occupants aiming cameras towards the rugged peaks The closer to Jackson the more the people we seen. Eccentric folks most are and we shot right through the place. Not our cup of tea. At Hoback junction 189 was taken along the Hoback River until Farm Road 30530 where Cliff Creek enters the Hoback. As we hit that turn off we seen fire ravaged hillsides along the South Side of Cliff Creek. Some of the trees still smoldering. Not a pretty sight again . Low water in the creek we drove aways, parked, rigged up and went to catching smallish Snake River/finespots. Bummed a bit at the size of the fish but the targeted subspecies of Cutthroat wanted. There will be a bit of vengeance for a bit bigger one before we finish the trip. Left there and worked further South. Seen more Fire camps and one named Cliff Creek fire. Then over the Wyoming range to another drainage to South Cottonwood creek to try for the Colorado River cutthroat. Got set up above the creek snapped a couple of photos and walked to the creek without camera. Caught a few brookies and cutts without even getting our feet wet. Hit the sack and dreamed of the next mornings walk up the creek, BilletHead

Dry enough here that we are done with shrooms until the hens appear in October I bet. My buddy that lives in St.Louis has a farm near Herman. They found a big generous gallon of black trumpets this past weekend. First ones he has ever found. BilletHead