Hoop and Smithies

[Cowboypirate]

I don't remember if I have mentioned this before but Cookie and I don't post on social media/BFT/or make videos about every adventure we go on. It's not because we have some secret spots to protect or because we only post when we catch somthing...it is simply because we don't or forget to or did not bring video gear or we were with someone and respect thier privacy or so on and so on....

Which leaves me to a quick update on a couple spots that might be of intrest...( that I forgot to share and had planned to)... no video did not feel the urge to film these trips.

We have been on the hunt for Grayling for a couple weeks. Normally we go to Whiskey Island. It take a bit of shoe leather and some rough off roading but it has been a consistent place to scratch our itch. However it is susceptible to winter kill and intel from a reliable source suggested that it wintered hard. Not a full out kill but a tough hit so we have not laced up our boots for that one.

And considering Cookie has had her MS flare up, longer hikes were also off the table. My notes suggested that our best options might be Smith and Morehouse or Hoop lake. So we explored them both recently. 

I love Smithy but rarely go there except off summer season as it packs a crowd. That was the case this time. The place was loaded with summer crowds. We did not opt to wet a line but even with the crowds we saw fish surface and caught. No grayling mostly Planter bows that were giving younglings a . I do so love that the DWR provides good fishing opportunities for kids who have no issue with the fact that they caught a Planter. Never seen a kid thumb thier nose at a tug.

We also made a long driving route, a differnt day, through sheep creek drainage near spirit lake fishing creeks on the way to our destination of Hoop Lake. I love that area. Very unique geological  formations, big horn sheep, and generally less crowded. Please note the DWR is doing cutthroat rehabilitation in some of those drainage so you can flip a fly for a long time with nothing to show. We did catch fish in the creeks we fished. Photo below of my favorite monster that slammed a little hopper pattern. We got to Hoop late in the afternoon. A lot of surface activity so we were hopeful we might land that grayling but instead we spent our time releasing rainbows. Had a good time letting Cookie practice with a fly rod.

I will be making a post soon about our big plans this next year. We have some big adventures on our mind that we hope to share as we begin our efforts to catch every game fish west of the Rockies, from the bank. That ought to keep us busy.

Cheers