Highcountry Cutts

Decided to head up into the backcountry last weekend as I figured it would be a good way to exhaust my high-strung pup, get myself slightly into hunting shape, co-scout for moose and elk, dust off the old fly rod, and plus, I always feel better about myself when I drink whiskey in the woods vs. on my couch. Lastly, there were tales of 20in cruising cutties. We crested Cameron Pass into the backside of the Rawah's and found our way to the trailhead neither of us had seen before. We were greated by some men on horseback and said hello to an arriving packer with a string of mules---both parties questioned our desire to hike into our destination by foot. Needless to say the scenary was incredible. We had come up on 6 different bull moose on the way to the trailhead, spooked a bull and cow elk, buck muley, and found ourselves in fields of wildlflowers close to tree-line.

The hike was no 'walk in the park'; roughly 7.5 miles straight up. However, the fish tales held up in full. My buddy hooted and hottered on his first cast as a 17in cut came up and ate. I was off to a slow start, missing a few off the bat, and then the action seemed to slow to a halt after a 15min hale storm rolled in and past. I had enough of the refusals and pulled out the leach. Went 3 for 3 on casts and eats. Some of the prettist fish I had seen in a while. Plus, the water was gin clear and you could see the entire eat from start to finish---it was reminiscent of saltwater fishing, casting to cruising fish, watching them turn and gobble. We made our way around the banks, picking fish off. We switched back to drys as the sun came out and continued to giggle like school girls as some fish would come up and straight deny you with their middle fin up at you, while others simply couldn't resist. Another highlight was that every fish looked a little different from the next.

That about sums it up. I shall return again.