Our rig
Red-headed woodpecker
6/17/16
Camping at Bull Shoals State Park
In anticipation of a longer trip this summer, took a long week-end trial run in our travel trailer. The Casita is small, but it suits us perfectly. Enjoyed a few days of pure relaxation. It was fun watching so many matched pairs of red-headed woodpeckers tending to their nests.
Family Visit to Northwest Arkansas: Grandpa Charley and Papaw Merrill
Charlcie and I are blessed to still have our Dads - Ben has his Grandfathers, and Charlie and Tucker have their Great-grandfathers. We made it to Siloam Springs and Ft. Smith, so the four generations of us could spend some time together. Very special times!
Grandpa Charley
Comparing their little wooden cars
Wheelbarrow ride at Papaw's
Papaw showing Ben and the boys how to hoe weeds
Family trip to Northwest Arkansas: Crystal Bridges Museum
We joined Ben and Myka and the twins in Northwest Arkansas for a long week-end to visit Crystal Bridges Museum, Amazeum, Wild Animal Safari,Hotel 21C, and points in between. Capped off by taking the boys to visit both of their great-grandfathers - four generations together for sweet family time.
Water feature at the Doubletree Hotel
They love everything about a hotel stay
Happy family
5/9/16
Final Green River Pics
Cold and windy, but tolerable! All things considered, better that we might have expected for this time of year. Never miserable, hated to see the take-out each day (except one :)).
Approaching Little Hole Access - River View
My best catch: 20" Brown
Red Creek Rapids: Mark and I walked while guide ran the rapids. This creek muddied up the last half of Section B of the river, making it unfishable - due to recent rains and run-off from mountain snows.
Approaching Little Hole access from Observation platform above river
Looking down from Little Hole at beginning of Section B: canyon widens at this point
More Green River pictures
Shore lunch
Time-out for lunch
My first Green River fish on this trip: 17" brown trout
Bo unhooking another quality fish
Bo tying on another fly: it's nice to be pampered from time to time
Green River fishing
I have been looking forward to this for some time and it was worth the wait. Thanks to Mark for agreeing to make the trip with me! We witnessed the most fascinating bug hatch I've ever seen. The hatch of blue-winged olive mayflies went on day after day and was incredible to see the millions of tiny sailboats floating across the water, perched on every shore rock, and mats of them lining the shore line. The fish were quite agreeable and eager to consume flies that represented these bugs most of the time, and our guide for all three days, Bo Johnson, put us in position to be very successful. Quality wild fish on an iconic fly-fishing river.
Two Rocky Mountain Sheep coming down the canyon wall
Blue Winged Olives covering every shore rock
Mats of blue wing olives along the shoreline
Amazing canyon setting for quality fly-fishing for trout
What a place to spend a few days!
Montrose, Colorado to Dutch John, Utah
Our ultimate destination of Green River for 3 days of guided fishing from drift boats was reached after another stressful drive over mountain passes with a surprising snowfall that resulted in over 40 miles of 4-wheel drive, 2nd and 3rd gear, 20-30 mph driving on a snow-covered highway. We made it although the challenge was unexpected and happened after it was too late to turn back. But it was all worth it in the end!
Headed over the pass
Little did we realize this peak is where we were headed
Home for 4 nights: Flaming Gorge Lodge, Dutch John, UT
Montrose Country Inn
Keeping with the quaint Mom/Pop motel circa 1950s, we came across this retro lodging in Montrose, on our way to Dutch John, Utah. This had so many neat features, that I just had to share. After a very pucker-worthy trip over mountain passes from Durango to Montrose, we were relieved to find this little jewel to relax for a few hours before moving on. The weight scales in the hideaway wall space was a first! The pink tile harkened us back a few decades. And the stone wall was a warm, cozy feature. Fun!
What's behind this door?
Truly unique!
What decade are we in? Too cool!
Nice surprises in each direction.
The exterior and neatness drew us in.
San Juan River, New Mexico (Tailwater of Navajo Dam)
We had an ominous approach to the San Juan as we crossed dam - wind gusts of 60 mph winds sweeping up the face of the dam gave us concern as the truck was whipped around on the narrow road with precipitous drops (and no guard rails). After we settled in at Abe's (we were in a new section and the room was very nice), we geared up for some fantastic fishing. We had two days of large rainbows (of all the fish caught, only two were less than 12" - all the others were 15"-20"). The big hatch of black midges helped the cause - they covered our waders, fly lines, etc. and the fish were definitely keyed in to these bugs - all subsurface, with not many surface takes witnessed. The Upper Flats section that we found very productive is reached by a pretty demanding switchback trail. A great two days of fishing!
Cutbow trout
Rainbow trout
Another fat rainbow
Looking upstream towards dam: swallows overhead indicating a big midge hatch
Mark with his 20" rainbow: swallows taking bugs all around him
Switchback trail: easy on the way down, pretty rough on the way out - focus on your footing!
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