Hey families,
Hello from Yellowstone! Today we are celebrating this country's 250th birthday — and what better way to do it than in the first ever national park. We traded fireworks for a visit to Old Faithful and we'll gear up tonight for our first backcountry tomorrow after spending the rest of the day sightseeing and fishing at Ice Lake!
Yesterday was our first day of fishing, and it served as a great introduction to Yellowstone, fish handling etiquette, and learning how to approach water. With the west end of the park having an abnormal amount of geothermal activity, many of our favorite spots were simply too hot to fish. However, we found some cooler water on the upper Gibbon and managed to wrangle some beautiful native fish. We had lots of dry fly action and even some opportunities to sight fish, which was super fun! Importantly, before leaving base camp, we watched some River Monsters to really set the mood and get the boys excited to chase some sweet fish!
The views have been incredible — we got to drive past Virginia Cascade, the Gibbon Falls, Tuff Cliff, and Grand Prismatic! This is definitely where the west side of the park thrives and is a perfect introduction to the beautiful place we get to call home for the next two weeks!
The backcountry trip will consist of two nights where we will split up and fish some remote lakes for big cutthroat trout and even arctic grayling. Our campsites are awesome — we will be able to fish essentially right next to camp, where we will surely see and hear rising fish all day. Both Grebe and Cascade lakes are the perfect place to dial in our hooksets, fly presentation, and fighting of sizable fish, which will serve the boys well as we inch closer to the Lamar Valley and Slough Creek, especially with the promise of big stonefly hatches on the horizon.
Setting up tents, leave no trace, and bear safety have been the name of the game when it comes to prepping the boys for the backcountry. Before dinner every night, the boys also practice tying different knots and rigging up their rods. In the backcountry their newly learned skills will be put to the test as they will be hiking and backpacking as well as fishing. Their cooking skills will be challenged as we attempt to perfect the Lillard staple, buffalo mac — something the kids are already raving about! On the next update, you can expect to see big trout and even bigger smiles!
Until then, happy Fourth of July! Talk soon!
Jackson, Harper, Oliver, and the gang
