Cutt

"Them Department of Evironment bears don't eat no cows." was the curt answer of Dave, our outfitter, to my question on the wisdom of cattle grazing 7500 feet up in Wyoming's Beartooth Mountains. His horses, sure-footed beyond any reasonable expectation, were hauling us through rugged terrain to the Silver Lakes of our boyhood dreams. There we would catch a few nice rainbows, 18 inches or so. Nothing but blue skies, crystal clear waters, strong headwinds and choppy waves made our quarry annoyingly wary.

170 trout between two fishers
Just a couple of 'bows. Disappointing, if it weren't for the beauty of God's Own Country. The day before on the other side of the valley, after an even worse ride, we had shared 170 (!) trout: Bows, Cuttbows and native Cutthroat, with their distinctive slash, all released into a tiny mountain stream hardly charted on the map.

Down in the main valley, on the Clark's Fork of the Yellowstone River, Ernest Hemingway, the swashbuckling novelist, who mainly told the truth, but occasionally took some liberties, boasted to have hooked 95 fish in a day. All on a McGinty, a wet fly which imitates a yellow jacket, a kind of hornet. We tried it too and it sure caught some trout. But nothing beat the high-riding hoppers, Wulffs and Adams suggested by Dave.

Heading out! On horseback

"What in case of an emergency? An injured horse with a broken leg?" - "Shoot the animal; get back to the ranch for a couple of sticks of dynamite. If scavengers haven't taken care of the carrion when you return..." This gruesome method of disposal left me somewhat speechless.

Grizzly bears and marauding wolves from Yellowstone Park roam the steep slopes and gulches of the Absaroka Range. Obviously Dave felt that federal penpushers overprotected these predators and threatened the livelihoods of ranchers and hunt outfitters.

You never get enough
A mid-August float trip down the Goodnews River in Southwestern Alaska hadn't been tough enough for two crazed anglers like ourselves. So we wanted to check out the best the Lower 48 had on offer. My friend often rambled on about the Yellowstone backcountry. His stories were extraordinary and so were the photos of earlier trips. We settled on a guest ranch doing pack trips up into the high country on horseback. Soon we were pursuing wild mountain trout fitted out with western saddles, high-heeled cowboy boots and Stetsons. After all weren't we displaced souls born too many miles east of this Eden?

Cuttrhroat closeup	A perfect fish
Two cuts	A nugget

Fact File K Bar Z K Bar Z is a family-operated guest ranch that caters to "sane" people that just want to enjoy a stay at a ranch but also to "insane" outdoor people such as fishermen and hunters during the respective seasons. Both the hunting and the fishing truly is world class! Being in rough terrain makes either trip a very special one, especially when you are successful. Visitors come as clients but go as friends and there must be lots of friends as you can see on the map in the dining room. www.agonline.com/KbarZ/default.htm Cody Though a typical tourist trap, Cody offers a few exceptional sights: the Buffalo Bill Historical Center is absolutely stunning; it incorporates Buffalo Bill's Museum, the Plains Indian Museum, Whitney Gallery of Western Art, McCracken Research Library and the very complete Cody Firearms Museum. "Irma's" is the bar and hotel owned by William F. Cody's daughter. The leather upholstery, the massive cherrywood bar, presented to Cody the Showman by Queen Victoria, the impressive trophies of elk, moose, mountain lion and buffalo equal the most exquisite gentlemen's clubs in St. James. There are a few fly shops that carry the essential gear in case of an emergency. The sporting goods stores have what it takes to get along in the woods. Excellent restaurants and bars cater for the hungry and thirsty. Cody is the ideal place to start a vacation in the region because of all the amenities visitors need, places to see and the proximity to Yellowstone Park. www.bbhc.org www.irmahotel.com www.codyenterprise.com The Park Yellowstone Park offers endless opportunities for the outdoor afficionado to enjoy nature: wildlife viewing, hiking, camping and fishing. The scenery is unique and a "must see" for every fly fishing enthusiast. Although many of the world-famous Blue-Ribbon streams see heavy fishing pressure, the fishing remains very good. When you take the burden of hiking into remote places, you will experience fly fishing at its very best. www.nps.gov/yell Gear Since we did a float tip in Alaska just before we went on to Cody, we basically had all we need to camp out, and then some! You need to bring at least two rods, a 2-to 5- weight in lengths up to 8 feet that pack down to 3 or 4 pieces. A softer action is preferred since the fish are not really big. In the lakes a 5-to 6-weight rod in lengths up to 9'6" is perfect. We used leaders in lengths up to 10 feet for dry fly fishing in the lakes. In the creeks a 7-foot 5X leader is just fine. The fly selection is very simple. In August you normally fish terrestrials, hoppers and ants in sizes 8 to 14, Humpies, Wulffs, Trudes, Stimulators, Adams, all produce well since the fish are not wary and literally jump on every fly, especially in the riffles and faster runs. In deeper holes they can be finicky and presentations must be subtle. We used Gore-Tex waders, but did not really need them. Thigh waders are fine for high mountain creeks. Good underwear is a must especially for those that do not have saddle experience. A hat, good sunscreen and polarized glasses need to be packed as well. High heeled boots and Wrangler Jeans with the thick seam on the outside of the leg help staying in the saddle and not get the skin chafed too much. For any information on our trip please contact: Eric Arbogast at bodacious@gmx.net Or Jean-Marc Klees at mccomber_klees@hotmail.com

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