The Billethead's Adventure 2014

[BilletHead]

You bet Ralph!

[Greasy B]

Thanks for the report, I ever realized how much I miss Wyoming. I love your menu.

[BilletHead]

Please bear with me as time out there is winding down. This will be a quickee and the two more to follow. After the cool 39 degree morning in the Bighorns it was time to move again. We packed up to leave and head West towards Cody again. Did make a side trip off the highway to fish the North Fork of the Tongue, 30 or so minutes worth. There is a spot that has a couple of man made plunge pools where they put branchless log across the creek and stake it in there. A nice aerated pool is the result. These are a fisherman's magnet but the fish in these are wary and pounded to death. We both picked one and tried. We both had takes and a couple of refusals. So it was back in the truck and on the road. Stopped in Cody to grab a dairy queen blizzard. There went the healthy diet! Back up the North Fork for a night before a two day fish trip with out friend in Cody. We were hoping the North Fork had settled down and cleared a bit. We were greeted with higher than normal water and off colored but this is the picked place and we would deal with it. For the locals it was bad but for us used to Midwest off color water we would take it. Got set up and then geared up. Hit the river and could not get but a couple of hopper lookers. Started dropping a nymph deep as a dropper. Then we started picking up a fish or two. Smaller but fish none the less. Just upstream of Rex Hale there is a bridge. A huge flotilla of wood had been deposited at the bridge pier. So thick and tight you could climb it and walk right on the top,

On the other side a rocky cut bank that is deep. I lengthened my dropper deeper with a large hopper for flotation. A pitch in here and there and a take. Set the hook and up came one of the biggest fish hooked, then just as fast as hooked off it came. Some smaller fish landed,

Crossed over the bridge and fished the inside bend. I hooked four in a row but only landed one that was a whitefish. We had caught many nice whiteys on the trip and they were not only a nice break between trout but a good healthy sign the river was in great shape. Getting hungry it was time to go back to camp and eat again. Huevos rancheros was on the menu,

Man they are good. We do ours with a flour tortilla and then topper with refried beans, homemade red pork chili, smoked cheddar cheese and a couple of fried eggs. A couple of cold brews resulted in another couple of happy campers. Of course Sadie got to do pre wash again,

I fished the river right by camp landing more smaller fish. A couple of hatches happening. Little caddis flys and yellow sallies. Most fish out of reach on the other side. Too deep to cross. up the next morning and more fish caught. Small again and the Mrs. out fished me. Then time to pack up for the trip to town for a three night stay. Man I was dreading this. Three nights in town and people, many people. Camping but like sardines in a can I felt,

BilletHead

[BilletHead]

We made our trip to Cody. Then to a Bed and Biscuit to make arrangements to board Sadie for a couple of nights. Have to do this because gone early and back late for our two final trips. We had never left her here before but after the tour we were happy this was our pick. The girls there just loved our dog, The Mrs. cried as we left her there. We then touched base with Tim our friend at his fly shop the North Fork Anglers. Actually some of you might know Tim. Those that prowl here on OA and belong to The Ozark Fly Fishers in St. Louis might of heard him speak. We go back a few years with Tim. He had volunteered a few years for Casting for Recovery and the year Mrs. BilletHead attended he was her "River Helper". We struck up a friendship. We have fished several times with him now. Yes we pay a guide fee of sorts. First couple of years it was a day trip which has now grown to a play day or two added. Friends and family discount rate applies for us. I would say we might just be paying for gas as the miles we put on his rig is unreal. We love him like a Brother. Back to the task at hand. Greetings, hugs and kisses. I got a man hug, Pat the kisses Plans were made for the following morning and then to the campground. Much needed showers and laundry was done. Then off to the hustle and bustle of downtown Cody for stuff for the Grandkids. Oh how I hate town and tourists. Am I a tourist? I hope not. Then an order of a pizza our first bought meal of the trip. We had done a subway on the way out and back home but that doesn't count does it? Walked to the dairy queen for a treat before shut eye, kind of shut eye. Did I mention how I hate town? Loud cycles all night even though we were running the AC full blast to drown out the noise. Just a couple of more posts and more fishing will follow,

BilletHead

[mic]

That is a lot of beans for that little camper

Please bear with me as time out there is winding down. This will be a quickee and the two more to follow. After the cool 39 degree morning in the Bighorns it was time to move again. We packed up to leave and head West towards Cody again. Did make a side trip off the highway to fish the North Fork of the Tongue, 30 or so minutes worth. There is a spot that has a couple of man made plunge pools where they put branchless log across the creek and stake it in there. A nice aerated pool is the result. These are a fisherman's magnet but the fish in these are wary and pounded to death. We both picked one and tried. We both had takes and a couple of refusals. So it was back in the truck and on the road. Stopped in Cody to grab a dairy queen blizzard. There went the healthy diet! Back up the North Fork for a night before a two day fish trip with out friend in Cody. We were hoping the North Fork had settled down and cleared a bit. We were greeted with higher than normal water and off colored but this is the picked place and we would deal with it. For the locals it was bad but for us used to Midwest off color water we would take it. Got set up and then geared up. Hit the river and could not get but a couple of hopper lookers. Started dropping a nymph deep as a dropper. Then we started picking up a fish or two. Smaller but fish none the less. Just upstream of Rex Hale there is a bridge. A huge flotilla of wood had been deposited at the bridge pier. So thick and tight you could climb it and walk right on the top,
DSCF0349 - Copy.JPG
On the other side a rocky cut bank that is deep. I lengthened my dropper deeper with a large hopper for flotation. A pitch in here and there and a take. Set the hook and up came one of the biggest fish hooked, then just as fast as hooked off it came. Some smaller fish landed,
DSCF0346 - Copy.JPG
Crossed over the bridge and fished the inside bend. I hooked four in a row but only landed one that was a whitefish. We had caught many nice whiteys on the trip and they were not only a nice break between trout but a good healthy sign the river was in great shape. Getting hungry it was time to go back to camp and eat again. Huevos rancheros was on the menu,
DSCF0347 - Copy.JPG
Man they are good. We do ours with a flour tortilla and then topper with refried beans, homemade red pork chili, smoked cheddar cheese and a couple of fried eggs. A couple of cold brews resulted in another couple of happy campers. Of course Sadie got to do pre wash again,
DSCF0348 - Copy.JPG
I fished the river right by camp landing more smaller fish. A couple of hatches happening. Little caddis flys and yellow sallies. Most fish out of reach on the other side. Too deep to cross. up the next morning and more fish caught. Small again and the Mrs. out fished me. Then time to pack up for the trip to town for a three night stay. Man I was dreading this. Three nights in town and people, many people. Camping but like sardines in a can I felt,
BilletHead

[BilletHead]

Up the next morning to a sleep on and off night. Made coffee and filled the to go mugs. Cranked down and headed to the Cody Park for breakfast. Like I said the "Sardine effect" had gotten to me so the open spaces of the park felt good. Then we headed to the shop and walked in the back door. Pretty cool kind of like you would imaging an air traffic control room. A huge dry erase board had a couple of weeks worth of trips on there. Tim has many guides work out of his shop. The buzz of people getting instructions for the day as clients began to show up. Tim said get your gear and load up as rain began to fall lightly. Wet wading for the day. A lot of walking. Tim says he likes to see us as one thing we do well is walk and explore. Most people want fish handed to them, not go far and want to be rowed around. Not us as we want to keep what youth we have in good shape. With the rain the night before some of the creeks were dirty again. So off to Crandall and the Clarks Fork of the Yellowstone we go. Drive , drive, nothing close and up in elevation we climb. Turn off at Crandall and dirty water, back to the min road and up the Clarks Fork we go until clear beautiful water. We found road construction and Cattle crossings being installed on the highway. Tim says the guys installing are a crew of Indians off the Wind River Reservation. Soon we were stopped by a gruff faced flagman. The dark wrinkled face gave him a character face not to be forgotten. He motions to me to roll down the passenger window. He then in the voice to match the look grunts, now get this. Getting ready to close the road, GO SLOW BUT HURRY. We looked at each other and slowly hurried off down the road We all laughed and discussed would this be the ultimate oxymoron? Soon we found a parking place. We had driven way up and not too far from Montana and the North East entrance to the park. Out we piled as the sun began to shine through the clouds. The creek was clear with deep rocky pockets. We had decided to follow the creek until Rock creek dumps in and then go up rock. We started fishing landing many small rainbows and brookies. We all were spread out fishing, yes we all fish. We insist Tim fishes too. It took him a couple of trips to get used to this, most folks insist on being baby sit. He works with the Mrs. some on casting giving her tips. He tells me do your thing you don't need any help, what a guy he is. Then I seen a bear shoot across a gravel bar only the back exposed heading away. Tim says lets tighten up the group as he checks his bear spray in the holster. Remember a few years back when the grizzly went into a tent out of the park and killed? We were within four or five miles from there. More fish were caught and rock creek never showed up. We filled our water bottle filters, ate some granola bars and fished on.

Getting pretty late we worked back to the Honda Pilot. Broke out food. Although Tim usually provides grub and he has on other trips we do now. On the menu was smoked duck with a spread of Cream cheese and jalapeno's, lemon juice added to the spread. Also fried wild turkey. Ice cold Cubanells from the garden. They crunch like a crisp apple when a bite is taken. Hungry we sound like hogs as we scarf it down. Sun sinking lower we side trip back up Crandall where the water has cleared some. Get out and fish landing brookies and small cutthroat. Rain starts and big rain coming down the valley. Good idea to pick up and head back down the hill. Everyone caught many fish. Where are the photos? Too darned busy to take photos. Back to the camper and the sardine can campground to a BLT and a cold bottle of blue moon. So fricking tired maybe I'll sleep tonight,

Just one more report coming, thanks for your patience,

BilletHead

[BilletHead]

Another fishing day, up and at it. Breakfast away from the sardine can again. This time in an Albertsons market parking lot. Wide open. Back to the fly shop and the buzz going on there. Load up and up the South Fork of the Shoshone this time. As we wind up the road through private land in the valley Tim tell us of what it looked like when he first moved there. What millionaire or billionaire owned what parcel and how they made there money. The original Buffalo Bill Ranch too. Beautiful. A long ride to public ground. We stop here and there and fish small sections of public,

No good he says a lot of water and cloudy too. Man I thought it was pretty clear. Up farther to a trail head. I think it was close to 70 miles we traveled up the valley. Got out where Cabin Creek dumps into the Southfork. Four huge horse trailers there unloading. Packing the pack train with everything imaginable. Getting ready for early seasons like high country sheep and other seasons. Big outfitters for big clients.

we jump into Cabin creek and work up. A bit cloudy too. First ting we all notice is all the bear crap and tracks. Tim adjusts the bear spray holster. Up we fish leap frogging the best spots. If you all want to know Mrs. BilletHead has always had her pick. On the whole trip. It has always been that way and it will always be that way. First of all for what she has been through in her cancer treatment, second for what she does for me and third for putting up with me and my crap. Oh yea for being the best hunting and fishing partner you could ever ask for.

Browns and brookies. Here a discussion of fly's needed or to try. I could overhear I want to try this pink one! Ha! True!

We dropped out of Cabin creek and on the way I grabbed a handful of choke cherries to munch on. We rounded a bend in the trail to find a fresh pile of bear crap full of the same choke cherries. I poked around in it with a stick looking for those annoying tinkle bells the hikers wear:) Got back to the road and drove a short run to the deer creek campground and a picnic table. There crawling around is this big beetle, Tim promptly smashes it and tells us it is a one of the pine beetles that is killing the trees,

We then feast on smoked chicken thighs, potato salad and more Missouri tomatoes. I had smoked some cheese curds before we went and they were an added treat. Redd's apple ale washed it all down and fig newtons were a dessert. After that we Fished the South Fork that had cleared a bot more. We looked for places that had braids of water. Now many braids but a few. Fish were caught, Cutthroats but mostly browns. Tim explained a lot of browns run up this river from Shoshone lake. Whitefish too. Hoppers and droppers working mostly deep water. At one time I had a huge hopper to float a dropper, dropper dredging holes. Again some of the fish caught,

Of course rain began to form and follow us down the valley, lightning and thunder shook the mountains,

We fished one more access as it began to really rain. Caught more there and then packed it up. Kind of a quiet trip back to town. Seen Pat tear up some. Got off and back to the camp ground and had a bowl of cereal for dinner. Next morning breakfast while driving to pick up Sadie at the bed and biscuit. Got settled with them and as Sadie seen us she went berserk. she was so horse from barking she could only get a squeak out. The young lady said she and Sadie had a lot of snuggle time. Pat cried again. Then back to the fly shop to say goodbyes. Got to see Steve and Bob from the Ozarks Flyfishers getting ready to fish with Tim. They had bid on a trip and split the cost. I gave them a ration of Crap of what to expect from their trip. We than left and talked about our options. We really had one more day and night. As tired as we were we decided to head home slowly getting a real nights sleep on the way home. Took our time and topped often for a rest breaks. Spent the night in Ogallala Nebraska. Big thunderstorm that night. Next day started hitting hot and humidity. Sadie slept mot of the way home, even standing up? Never seen her do that before,

Good trip, hated to come home but reality sometimes bite. Next year good Lord willing maybe a bit of exploring. Maybe a visit to Utah again? Remember trips are not made by big fish, Pat will beg to differ as she kicked my rear in that category. On PINK none the less. It's all about where you fish, how you lay that fly down and fooling them. The company you keep too,

BilletHead

[lee G.]

Really nice, Thanks for sharing with us

[mic]

That was awesome. Thanks so much for sharing.

[ness]

Pink may work, but I don't do pink.