Over the years I have found that the anticipation of an upcoming fishing trip usually is better than the actual experience. As I was planning my latest trip to the greater Yellowstone area I went through the normal planning process where to stay, what rivers to fish, what tackle to take with me, etc. During this planning I decided that I needed a longer 5 weight rod that would cover the rivers of the area and determined that it should be a 3 piece for ease of packing. I wanted something with some power, but capable of delicate presentations. After some though I ended up developing an 8’9″ 3 piece hollow built hex rod for a 5 weight line with fiberglass ferrules. Casting this rod on the lawn, with the usual stares from the neighbors, I felt that I had delivered against my goals. Time on the stream is always the biggest factor though and I looked forward to giving the rod a real test.
Sondra mentioned that she wanted to spend some time in Mammoth Hot Springs and I instantly was excited to take her there as the Lamar Valley is a short drive away. After dutifully looking at the springs, the general store, and the hotel I mentioned that perhaps we should drive out the Lamar Valley to view wildlife. I wasn’t fooling Sondra as she quickly replied that I just wanted to fish out there. She knows me well. After receiving a tip from a friend on access points at Slough Creek to avoid the crowds I was eager to get underway.
I hiked about a mile or so downstream to a nice pool and quickly discovered some nice trout rising in the relatively placid waters. After attaching a new 12 foot 4x leader to my line and selecting a small Madame X dry fly I started to cast towards the rise forms. After 2 casts I had my first fish on and it was a gorgeous golden 18″ cutthroat. I fished for about an hour and a half and caught 4 more fish that looked like they were essentially clones of the first. My time to meet Sondra back at the truck was fast approaching and I decided to make one last cast to a small riffle that fed into a deep pool. As the fly left the riffle and came into the slower water below I watched a trout rise about 3 feet through the water column and slowly suck in my fly. I was fortunate that I was surprised by the encounter as it delayed my reaction time just enough for a perfect hook set. After a short but vigorous battle the Cutthroat succumbed to the fly rods resistance and I found my self staring at 21″ of native beauty. A quick photo and the fish returned to the pool he came from. I would say the fishing trip this time outperformed the hopes and planning and am still satiated with the time in Slough Creek.
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