Waiting for snow, dreaming of fish

With Winter Storm Yogi supposedly dumping a foot of snow in Laramie over the next three days, my thoughts have turned to fishing during better times.
Two weeks ago, Sam and I headed to a lake that treated us well last spring, and it didn't disappoint this year, either. He had a six-fish day that included two nice browns, while I managed three rainbow trout that included a 21-inch rod bender.  Wooly buggers fished deep were the patterns of choice.
Since then, though, we've had wind, cold and snow, so I haven't returned. But I'm certainly ready to, once I get done shoveling snow.

Long flyfishing season winding down

The 2012 flyfishing season is ending a lot like it started - with brown trout on ice. Back in the spring, my first trout was a brown that I landed while standing on an ice shelf.
Yesterday and today, I landed more brown trout that I skidded up on the ice and snow along the riverbank. Several trout also came out from beneath ice shelves along the shore to attack my woolly bugger.
The prolonged fall has yet to give way to winter here in southern Wyoming, but I know that flyfishing is all on borrowed time as December approaches.

Salmon fishing in Wyoming?

You don't need to travel all the way to Alaska to catch salmon. Kokanee salmon can be caught on the fly in Wyoming lakes. The spawning fish turn bright orange in the fall and school up close to shore within easy casting distance.
I caught at least 20 today on a woolly bugger from shore. They gave a decent fight and are just incredible looking. I wouldn't be surprised if they glow in the dark under tonight's harvest moon.
It's not quite Alaska, but it's a lot shorter trip.

Juneau, Alaska, pink salmon fishing video at last

My Flip camera mysteriously stopped working the one day I wanted to shoot some video of salmon fishing in Alaska back in July. Luckily, Kristina's boyfriend Joey was with me and had a smart phone that could shoot some video.
I told him to get ready because I was fixin' to catch a salmon that cast, and I did. He didn't start  shooting after I hooked up but got most of the fight. The pink salmon turned out to be probably the smallest fish of the trip, but all salmon fight hard. Check it out.

Alaska: Not half-bad salmon fishing

Alaska has fascinated me since I was a kid reading stories in Outdoor Life about hunting and fishing in our 49th state. I finally got to fish there this summer on a weeklong trip to Juneau.
The great thing about Juneau is you don't need to spend thousands of dollars on a guided trip to a wilderness lodge. All I needed was a motel and a rental car. Fishing off the 45-mile Juneau road system provided me all the salmon action I'd ever dreamed of.
My expectations were high for the trip, but in the back of my mind, doubts lingered. Would I be able to find salmon? Would I be able to catch them on a fly rod? Would the 7-weight I bought for the trip be enough rod for these strong fish?
The fishing far exceeded my high expectations. On my first cast in Echo Cove, I had a hard hit and was so surprised I missed the hook-set. For the next hour, it was a fish every cast. The next hour, it slowed down to a fish about every three casts. By then, my arm was sore and I was ready to quit.

A chum salmon caught on an egg pattern.

A male pink salmon, also called a humpy.

A bright female pink salmon.

My one outing for chum salmon was a bit more challenging.  There were so many chums milling around where Sheep Creek entered the bay that you couldn't help foul-hooking them. I caught a few that actually took the egg pattern, but most were snagged in the tail, fins, back, etc. Landing a 15-pound salmon hooked in the tail takes a while. It was crazy fun.
Now that I've been there and done that, another trip to Alaska is on my list. The next time, I want to focus more on fishing egg patterns to the dolly varden that follow the salmon up stream. I caught a couple small dollies in the salt, but know there are bigger ones to be had.
Alaska is the biggest state in more ways than one.

First fish is always one you'll remember

There are a lot of fish in the world, but whenever I catch the first one of a new species for me, it's an event I'll remember, until dementia sets in anyhow.
Northern pike are one of those species. I don't remember ever catching one as a kid (that dementia thing again), so as far as I'm concerned, I'd never caught one before. On a recent fishing trip to Montana, that changed.
Using a Pinnacle Accent CR spin rod with a Shakespeare reel and brand-new Trilene 8-pound test line, I was frustrated by two big northerns that snapped my line as I got them up to the net, taking my last two jointed Shad-Rap lures with them.
I switched to a big, fire-tiger Rapala, set my drag lighter, and the next time I hooked up, that pike was brought to net and boated. It wasn't a big pike by any standards,  but it wasn't exactly a hammer handle, either.
Pike are big, nasty fish that fight hard and taste great. I filleted a few of them after watching this YouTube video.
Now that I've landed my first pike, I'm ready to catch my biggest pike.

A drum that you can't beat

If you've followed the Fishin' Hullabaloo for any length of time, you know that E Dub likes to catch some strange now and then. And, in Wyoming, it doesn't get much stranger than the freshwater drum.
Found in only two lakes in the state, the drum is relatively rare in the Cowboy State. The freshwater drum is a stream-lined fish that looks like it should be in salt water. I've caught them weighing around 2-3 pounds, and the state record is 11 pounds, 14 ounces.
According to a federal fact sheet , drum were accidentally introduced to Wyoming.
I accidentally catch drum while fishing around rocky points and bars for smallmouth bass. I know of no one who actually targets drum, but there would be no shame in such a quest. The drum is a strong fighter that will test ultra-lite gear.
I haven't caught one on a flyrod yet, but that might become a goal in the future.