...And some great fish caught as well...
...
I did back-to-back days on the Yellowstone in the new boat; the first was with a coworker from the shop named Allen and the second with a young college couple who frequents our store. These two floats marked my own first two days floating "the jelly" in over 10 years (having been guided on it myself back in 2000) out of the very same shop I now work at - what are the odds...
Day One was all rainbows and white fish and an absolute blast!
The weather changed dramaticly over there both days and we pulled over to seek shelter from heavy rains and lighting under cottonwoods twice; not that the latter would have helped much, but what can you do...
Within 30 minutes it was back to floating, fishing, and catching...
We had floated 'Emigrant to Mallards Rest' and it was a very long trip indeed (9 hours and off at dark). At one point, not very far from Grey Owl Access, we just happened to pull over to change flies and turns at the oars - when I spied this HUGE dude not twenty feet away on the bank. We freaked at the proximity to such a wonderful creature so close!
I took several pics before he nearlly knocked poor Allen from the boat when he'd finally 'had enough' of our staring contest and swooped over our heads at mere inches before disappearing forever downriver...
End of Day 1 Trip and what a beautiful day it was..
....
Day 2 Begins...
(Grey Owl to Mallards)
And right off the bat it was monster browns that took the whooly boogers, mega prince, and anything olive and sculpiny lookin' we threw at them..
I'd not really intended on doing two days back-to-back, but when I woke on the following morning and realized I was so wired from such a good first-day and it was only 7AM instead of 10 as I'd assumed (having wanted to sleep in); I litterally said aloud:" That was too much damned fun.." and stood up walked to the phone and called the young couple to see if they "wanted to float..?"
They did of course, and we had another great day of fly fishing on the Yellowstone...
All nymphing and dead-drifting streamers and zonkers at this point, and no dries or hoppers yet, but flows are still a bit high at 8,000cfs; so wont be long now and we'll be back on the water and doing what 'I now live for..'
Floating the Yellowstone River with good friends and after good fishing..
Moe
