4th Of July At The Green

This year we decided to create a different kind of firework show. In the spirit of Independence Day we decided to leave all friends and family behind and explore the wild side of the Flaming Gorge wilderness. Liz and I left Friday morning about an hour behind schedule, but that was just fine. This was more of a vacation than a rushed fishing trip. We reached the river at 11 am and right away. I started hooking up with all the little planter Bows they had planted the week before. We left the launch and started floating to the best holes that I wanted to explore this trip. I used a Cicada most of the day with a few fish that wanted to play, but the majority of them would swim right up to it and laugh, then swim away. One of the coolest experiences I have ever seen happened was on this float. Right as we were about to enter a rapid my rod that was just sitting in the back of the boat with its flies dangling 5 feet behind, started screaming as the line zinged out. I quickly looked back thinking I had a snag, but to my amazement there was a huge Rainbow fighting for its life on the other end. I grabbed the rod and horsed him into the net. It was the big fish of the trip and one I will soon not forget. (it hit my big PMX) The rest of the float was highlighted with Liz's amazing rowing job. She was a natural. She took over the oars for the last 2 miles and let me fish. Which was so much fun considering this was the most I have ever been able to fish out of my own boat. With the weather turning overcast and a little windy I tied on the crystal and ginger buggers and had fish hitting it right away. I hooked up a few times, but the bigger browns would hit it and I was having a heck of a time trying to keep them on. I must have missed 20 or so good hits. But that was all right...It was just fun to be out with Liz and having a good time together. After the float it was about 5 pm so we got the bikes unloaded and hit a 3 mile trail that takes you to an awesome lookout point of Flaming Gorge Res. With our hearts pumping and our legs tired we decided it was time now to find a camp and hangout of the night. We found a dirt road right off the main highway drove up it about 500 yards and had our own private campground that rocked. It was tons of fun to set up the tent, blow up the mattress, gather firewood and make a killer fire to cook our dinner on. This made me think how much I enjoy and miss real camping. Its funny now a days there so many ways to camp like cabins, timeshares, condos, and hotels that people forget what it is really all about. Too bad for them they are really missing out. The menu for the night was Liz's special Chicken Tin Foil dinners with delicious smores for dessert. The only bad weather we had all trip was later that night when it decided to blow really hard for about ten minutes and give us a light summer shower. Liz woke me up while she and I quickly zipped up the windows of the tent. The next morning we were charged and ready for another great day out on the river. I was full of anticipation of rising trout and lots of hook ups. Where Liz was glad to see we had another sunny day in front of us. The float started out a lot like the first day with lot of little bows right by the launch with a few larger ones mixed in the bunch this time. Liz ended up rowing most of the day and did a great job navigating a couple large rapids, while letting me try and catch some beautiful trout. We stopped and hung out right below roller coaster rapid and like the day before were surprised with another unexpected Bow that hit right as we ready to stop. I fished the hole pretty hard, but when I switched to two ginger buggers. I had 3 hard hits and finally landed a nice male brown on my new streamer rod. (9 foot, 8 wt) The highlight to the fishing was definitely when I stopped right below mother-in-law rapid. I hooked up my first two casts and ended up catching 6 fish in about 30 minutes. It was awesome and a needed confidence boost. I noticed that the fish in the last 3 miles were a lot more active with the light hatch of PMDS coming off. I fished the hole with about a 14 foot leader, San Juan and PTs right down on the bottom. The rest of the float I tried hucking the meat again (buggers) but the smart browns would chase, but weren't to hungry or it wasn't really the right conditions for them. Little sunny and early in the day. Both days I hitched rides back to the dam with fellow fishermen, instead of paying $84 bucks witch I personally think is totally rapping people. In all it was an awesome experience that Liz and I will never forget. I love going on trips with her where we can both be ourselves and let our love for nature and the great outdoors roam free like the wild trout we were catching. I am so lucky to have such a cool wife that loves the outdoors as much as I do, because there it nothing better that sharing experiences together that last in your memories forever.