Wolf Flat Camp

Friday we only had 8 miles to float to our destination, the Wolf Flat camp.  There is also a boat ramp at Wolf Flat.  I looked at the map to see if this would work as a takeout spot but this would be a long drive for a shuttle to get to the nearest bridge to cross the river and then to get to the ramp. 

The day started out calm, bright and clear.  Looking around the camp it looked like the skunk hadn’t done any damage.  We floated around the next bend in the river were the river forked.  Where the two forks came back together there was some deep, slack water next to fast water flowing by. 

Using Pale Morning Dun dry flies again, we cast right next to the fast water and ended up catching ten or so cutthroats. 

These weren’t big fish but they were sure fun to catch and it was a nice way to start the day.

Another fun spot was a mile or so down the river across from a cabin.  Again there was some deep water right where another fork entered the main river.  This is where we had lunch.  By now we had finished all our yummy pastrami, roast beef and cheese sandwiches and only had peanut butter and honey sandwiches left.  I fished downstream where there was turbulence caused by the other fork while Nick fished upstream where the river became deep and fast.  I didn’t even get a bite.  Meanwhile Nick had a strike from a large trout and he kept fishing in the same spot, hoping it would strike again or if one big trout likes a certain spot, chances are another one will too.

There are a few cliffs along this stretch.  Each time we would pass another section near cliffs it would seem like déjà vu because they all look the same.  We kept taking turns rowing and fishing.  We kept catching a few here and there. 

We were fortunate in seeing another moose and another golden eagle. 

As the day wore on, the wind kept picking up. 

By the time we got near the camp spot at mid-afternoon, the wind was really making it difficult to cast.  We kept our eyes open for the Wolf Flat ramp or camp spot.  We even stopped were we thought it should be. 

I walked back along the shore to ask another couple of fisherman if that was the camp.  They said Wolf Flat was still around the next bend.  Around the next bend there was still no ramp.  Nick and I discussed our options.  By this point it was too windy to fish and didn’t show any signs of letting up.

We decided to just row the additional four miles to our takeout point at Byington Poplar since we weren’t going to be fishing the next day anyway.  We would be in a hurry to get home for the party celebrating Porter’s, Brooke’s, Janessa’s and Nick’s birthday’s which all occur during the month of October.

I started rowing hard toward our destination.  It felt like I was rowing uphill against the wind.  Nick then volunteered to row.  We did pass a couple other campgrounds through this section that we were unaware of.  These were called Rattlesnake Point and Clark Hill.  If we hadn’t decided to just go home for the night these would have worked out well.  In fact, I marked these sites on my map and we will keep them in mind for future trips.

At the take out at Byington, there is a metal box where you can place your rainbow trout heads to participate in an incentive program.  The aim of this program is to reduce the number of rainbow trout in the river.  The cutthroat trout are the native trout of the river.  The rainbows compete with them and also breed with them, diluting the gene pool. 

After a long day of rowing, 12 miles, Nick and I were anxious to hit the Golden Corral again.  We ended up getting home at 1:00 in the morning.  In the end, it was a good thing we came home Friday night.  This gave us time to unpack, do laundry and put everything away before the party.  It also gave Nick time to get packed and head for the airport at 5:30 Sunday morning.  Unloading the cooler in the morning we were pleased to find that there were still big chunks of ice left and that the milk was nice and cold.

What was my favorite part of the trip?  The first thing that comes to mind is Nick having so much success with dry flies that he tied himself.  The biggest trout of the trip were caught on Nick’s dry flies.

Lufkin Bottom - Day 3

Thursday we only had five miles to float to our camp spot called Lufkin Bottom.  This stretch of water has some good cliffs, islands, gravel bars and deep holes.  We took our time at each stop. 

Around the first bend in the river we were met by two eagles sitting on a branch next to each other. The weather was perfect with little wind. We stopped on the other side of the river were it braided near some cliffs. 

We caught a few white fish here but not the numbers of trout we were hoping for.  I tried my luck with big streamers and had one hit with a rust colored Dungeon (the type my wife wears as earrings) but that was it. 

While fishing, Nick discovered a moose nearby.  This was a good start for the day.

Right after pushing off again, through the stretch we had just fished, Nick quickly caught another whitefish and then a nice cutthroat.

Nick tied on another dry fly, and he caught the fish we were after – a big brown. 

Catching a brown of this size on a dry just adds another level of excitement. 

Try it again.  Sure enough, Nick caught another good brown. 

Not as big as the previous one, but still good size.  Nick continued to catch a few more. 

Maybe it’s his turn to row now.  Just kidding, I think I caught a little cutthroat somewhere in there.

The Lufkin Bottom camp was just past another Eagle Reserve.  This seemed to be the most used camp of any we had camped in.  This is also the camp were we had a sandwich-stealing raccoon visit us last time we were there.  This time we made sure all containers were secure and even placed the totes on top of the cooler. 

Nick and I woke up the same exact instant to a sound right outside the tent.  I grabbed my camera, certain to get pictures of the raccoon this time.  I shined my flashlight out the tent’s mesh window.  It wasn’t a raccoon.  It was a skunk!  I took a picture but the reflection of the flash on the mesh made it so nothing could be seen. 

The skunk, seeing all the lights, quickly scampered back into the woods.  Thankfully never to be heard of again.  He knew we had a clean, secure camp. 

Now Andrew, Nick’s son who love’s animals can say “guess what, dad saw a beaver, a bald eagle, a golden eagle, a moose and a skunk!” Oh yeah, I also caught a garter snake earlier in the day.  I love wildlife too.  I think that’s a major part of fishing, all the wildlife you see.

Nick's Blue Winged Olives - Day 2

There was frost in the morning and the water still on the tent was frozen.  The water in the boat, however, was not frozen.  I was hoping we could just pick it up as ice and throw it out of the boat.  Instead we used one of our buckets to bail the water. 

As the first couple of fishermen floated by through the fog, one yelled out “the fish are still asleep, don’t worry about hurrying onto the water. “  It reminded me of Pirates of the Caribbean, boats floating by in the fog. 

As the sun came over the mountains it burned away the fog.  The cows started mooing and we could see them on the other side of the river.  They all seemed to start mooing at the sight of the sun. 

We sat our wading boots in the sun to thaw out. 

We only had 6 or 7 miles to float to our next camp site so it left plenty of time for fishing.  We pulled over at every good looking gravel bar or feature of the river. 

By the end of the second day float, we had each caught cutthroats, rainbows, browns and tons of white fish. 

Up until now we were using stone fly nymphs that we had so much success with on previous trips.

Nick noticed fish rising near the shore in front of the eagle preserve and started using a Blue Winged Olive dry fly.  He started catching quite a few cutthroat and even caught a large brown. 

These were caught on flies he tied himself and he gave me one to use.  Further attempts with a dry proved successful.  This tipped the scale to finally catching more trout than white fish.   Also, dry fly fishing is “real” fly fishing.  When dry fly fishing is successful, this is the way to fish.  Dry fly fishing is very visual.  You get to see the fish rise and take the fly.  If you miss the strike, it is still fun to see the rise.

Our next camp site, Dry Canyon #3, was just past the eagle preserve.  Again we set up the tent to dry.  There was still daylight to burn so we fished some more.  In front of the camp site there was a deep hole. 

The trout thus far were all medium-sized so I put on a streamer to try for one a little more substantial.  I caught an even smaller trout at this attempt.  Nick caught quite a few more trout before it started getting dark and was time to start warming up supper. 

We traded sleeping bags every night.  The Cabela’s Alaskan Guide sleeping bag was rectangular and therefore more roomy and comfortable.  It is rated 0 degrees.  It did take longer for feet to get warm and each time you repositioned yourself your feet would feel cold again.  The North Face Dark Star sleeping bag is mummy style and my feet were warm immediately.