I woke up early and got to the trailhead at 10:30 AM. My plan was to use up all my energy getting over the mountain and to the Rio Grande Cutthroat Trout waters, fish, and get back in one piece. I packed my gear and could not find my shoulder pack with all of my…
Day 22: Made It To West Fork of the Conejos River, Sort Of.
It took more than 3 hours to get to the closed Lake Fork Campground. There is a 15 mile gravel road to get to the campground, and it takes an hour of van rattling on a washboard road to get there. There is no Wifi in the area, so I was left with whatever I…
Day 21: 8 Hours Driving. Should Have Been 7
I had a wonderful four days in Salt Lake City visiting my granddaughter, and somewhat her parents. Babies are a lot of work and need 24/7 monitoring. I don’t know how humans have continued to exist. Certainly not with help from me. Of course baby Gwen is gorgeous, certainly from 25% of her DNA coming…
Day 20: Fishing Close to Salt Lake City
Today I drove up Mill Canyon checking out Mill Creek. Mill Creek was treated with Rotenone to kill all the trout years ago, and then restocked with Bonneville Cutthroat Trout to restore the creek with its original native fish. Mill Creek is a small, brushy creek with lots of downed trees in it to provide…
DAY 19: Heading Out To The West Fork Duchesne River
After driving a couple of hours I finally made it to the above information sign for fishing, in part, for the West Fork of the Duchesne River. Several rain bursts threatened the day during the drive. I guessed that I was supposed to go up the dirt road adjacent to this sign, so I headed…
Day 18: Quest for an Idaho Bonneville Cutthroat Trout
Being confused with the WNTC maps, I decided that the Cub River, just over the border in Idaho, was the best area for me to catch a Bonneville Cutthroat Trout in Idaho. I drove up the Cub River Road looking for river access. I turned into the Albert Moser Campground and found this pool /…
Day 17: Onemile Creek
A two hour drive to Onemile Creek in Utah and I was ready to crawl on my belly to catch a Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout. I arrived fresh around 3:00, ready to catch a fish and move on. I have to thank the people at roamandreel.com for having a blog post on fishing here, giving me…
Day 16: Back To Jarbidge AARRGGHH
If I had taken a picture of the first fish I caught on this trip, a Redband Trout from the Nevada portion of the Jarbidge River, I would have saved a day and a lot of driving. So, I had to drive 2 hours to Jackpot, then two and a half hours to Jarbidge to…
Day 15: Nevada IS a Big Problem. Even Misery Can Bring Happiness
There are three Lahontan Cutthroat Trout waters that qualify for the Western Native Trout Challenge within 100 miles of Elko Nevada. The closest is Pearl Creek, about 40 miles away. The middle target is Gance Creek, about 50 miles away, and the furthest “close” creek is Mary’s River, about 90 miles away. Gance Creek ends…
Day 14: A Different Kind of Fishing
I got the wheels of my van rotated and had the alignment readjusted to specs. Something about 1000 miles on pot-holed dirt roads causing problems, and losing $1000+ on my last two sets of tires because of poor alignment, made this matter one of utmost importance. My plan was to drive to Elko and then…