2009 Day on the Lamar Final

That day on the Lamar was one of those days you always hope you have.  It was the kind that keeps you going.  Motivates.  Inspires.  Just being in creation; in the middle of it all.  It's kind of like feeling for a moment that you are right where you need to be...  right where you were meant to be.  That was this day.

Normal folks, non-fishin' folk, I think struggle with this...  They ask, "How can you go fishing so much?  Don't you get tired of it?"  It's never so much the fish for me on any given day.  Although, I will admit, lots of fish makes for a nice day!  It's more than the fish though; isn't it?  I think it's the whole experience.  Trees, rocks, rivers, weather, friends, critters...  the take, the fight, the release, the near misses, the close calls.  Every experience is unique.  Everyone absolutely different than all the others.  This is why we go fishing.  This is why we love it.

This day was no exception.  A unique experience.  Many fish were caught and all of them came on this one fly.  It's been dubbed, in some circles, the foam bug.  It comes in many different shapes, sizes, and colors.  Sometimes finding the right combination can be tricky.  But this one is the one that was working on this day.

Most Delicious Foam Bug

I can't remember how many we caught that day.  What I do remember is that if a fish should have been in a spot; there was a fish in the spot.  Textbook.  Behind the rock!  In the seam!  Hold on!  Under the riffle!  Next to the down log!  It was great.  I wish I could of taken my daughter fishing on this day.  Mostly cuts live in this part of the river and they are gorgeous.  This picture doesn't do em' any justice.

After I released this fish we had our second rare sighting on the Lamar River.  The wolves earlier in the day were great.  Sometimes though, small things can be just as cool.  Walking along the bank we noticed some movement in the rocks.  Looking a little closer we discovered a friendly toad.  Little did we know at the time but it's the rarest amphibian in Yellowstone.  A Boreal Toad.  How cool!

I'm grateful for trips like these.  Days like these.  I'm hoping and patiently waiting for this summer to experience some more like them.  Hang in there!  Winter will be taking a rest here before we know it.  Until then, if we get a warm one, I hope to see you below the green boxes.

-Link