Big Hole 1960cfs temp 54
I drove up to Divide on Friday after work from Salt Lake City and got in around midnight. Al had clients to guide on Saturday so I hung out at the fly shop with Art and set up a new computer system that I’d brought up for him to use for journal entries when he comes in off the river. Around 4:30 in the afternoon I and the three newfy’s spent about two hours on the Big Hole just above the Pumphouse and picked up two nice rainbow and an Arctic Grayling on a #16 Bh-Pheasant Tail. That night Al made his famous Greek Chicken and we spent the rest of the evening listening to David Allen Coe and The Outlaws while we sat on the deck with the newfy’s.
We didn’t get onto the river until just after noon today. With the cooler temperatures and eastern wind, it’s worth saving your energy for the mid-to-late afternoon when the fish start to turn on. I caught two brown trout on a San Juan Worm and then rowed the boat for a while so Al could show me the finer points of how to catch big browns on Olive & Black Wooly Buggers. Unfortunately that initiated an hour’s worth of yammering about how, “The guide is always right”. For the last mile or so we had one hell of a headwind to row against. Al got a good upper-body workout and we made it back in one piece.
According to Al it wasn’t the most productive day on the Big Hole, but to be honest, I didn’t really notice. I’m just glad to be here. I drive back to Salt Lake in the morning, but I’m already thinking about when to plan my next trip up to see Al, Art and the newfies. Thanks to Al and Art for a great time.