Not One Human Footprint

Today was Granny’s day. She’s been working all week while I’ve been fishing. She crossed Teton Pass twice a day and worked retail in Jackson Hole, Wyoming the last five days. It’s exhausting. I know from over twenty years of my own experience. And I remember that when the days off come around you need to get into something good. That’s why I surprised her and said we are going to one of her favorite fishing spots. I’m not going to tell you where it is. I’m not going to make up a lie or a fake name. It’s Granny’s place and that’s all you need to know.

We left the house early this morning and made the drive. Once we got there it’s a good hike. We loaded some chicken breasts in the backpacks to hold us over throughout the day along with a couple bottles of water and my favorite, dark chocolate. Our weather today was the same as every day lately, partly cloudy with threats of thunderstorms. Luckily we didn’t have any storms. In fact it turned out pretty nice. The day started cold and windy but it warmed up and by 2 pm there was hardly any wind. I was actually hoping for some wind to blow in the grass hoppers.

We wet waded today. I hate packing the extra weight of waders even though the water in this river is freezing cold. We always wear long pants because there’s lots of thistle and wild rose bushes to cut you up and normally the mosquitoes and horse flies eat you alive. Today they weren’t so bad.

Our fishing was excellent. Once we got to the river I kicked back and watched Granny tear up the fish. For the most part the fish are small here but you get the occasional 15 – 16 inchers. After she caught a few she kicked back and I fished a few runs and we switched off all day. It’s a very relaxing way to fish and even though we each brought a rod we only needed one – my 4-weight Ross fly rod.

I couldn’t tell you how many fish we caught today but it was a bunch. We fished one of Granny’s favorite flies, the Parachute Madam X (PMX). She tied it on at the first pool and we never changed it all day. All but one fish we caught were cutthroats that never broke 15”s. But they are the coolest and most peculiar looking Yellowstone Cutthroats you ever saw. The day ended very cool. There was a fish rising in a near impossible to catch place. There literally was no way to get a cast to him due to a rock ledge and a draping willow. However it turns out he was what I refer to as a “suicide fish”. Granny landed her fly about five feet from the feeding trout. He wasn’t even facing the direction to see her fly. But he must have heard it land because he screamed from his home like a speeding bullet and gobbled up the PMX like it was a hot fudge sundae. Granny stuck him good and after several leaps she landed a rainbow. I honestly don’t remember there being rainbows here but now we know – there are.

There are a lot of things to love about this place. There’s a lot of fish and the fish are cooperative. But by far, the best of all is there are no other people. Not even a footprint. And as long as no one writes a book chapter or an article including maps and directions, Granny’s river will stay the same forever.

I couldn’t tell you how many fish we Parachute Madam X (PMX). She tied it on at the first pool and we never changed it all day. All but one fish we caught were cutthroats that never broke 15”s. But they are the coolest and most peculiar looking Yellowstone Cutthroats you ever saw. The day ended very cool. There was a fish rising in a near impossible to catch place. There literally was no way to get a cast to him due to a rock ledge and a draping willow. However it turns out he was what I refer to as a “suicide fish”. Granny landed her fly about five feet from the feeding trout. He wasn’t even facing the direction to see her fly. But he must have heard it land because he screamed from his home like a speeding bullet and gobbled up the PMX like it was a hot fudge sundae.

Jeff Currier Global Fly Fishing web site