Three Generations on the River

Dad, Brady, and I floated the South Fork Canyon earlier this week.  We started the float at Conant.  While waiting for Dad to do the shuttle, Brady and I walked through the fly shop, made lunch on the boat, and practiced casting off the dock.  On the water, we beat the bank with yellow stimulators and yellow sallies while floating between riffles.  On the riffles, we'd anchor and fish the drop offs with PMD's.  A thunder storm  during the middle of the afternoon unfortunately put down the hatch and made the fishing tough.

We floated into our campsite, Dry Canyon #3, around 6 p.m. and got the red carpet treatment in the form of a nice flat gravel bar.  After setting up the tent in the trees, we decided to set up our kitchen on the gravel bar.  After a hot dog dinner, the stars came out, Brady whittled a few sticks with his pocket
knife, and we watched the stars come out.

The second day started with a leisurely breakfast of bagels and cream cheese, yogurt, and fruit. We got on the water about 10 a.m. and were promptly greeted by a calf moose. Around noon we floated by the boat ramp on Cottonwood Flats and into a PMD hatch. We stopped and waded for awhile and all had success. Dad caught a few, I caught a few, and Brady turned a few. The picture of the cutthroat was caught just under the log behind us in 6 inches of water. Brady was my "net guy". He skillfully netted each fish with the boat net.

After leaving this riffle, we found another 50 yards downstream.  This time the fish were stacked in two spots; along the drop off and in the deep water at the end of  a run.  Brady and I both watch as we hooked fish at the end of the deep run, but due to the position of the boat and current both fish escaped our hands.

Time was not on our side as we were trying to get back to Driggs by 6 p.m. for Brady to attend 4-H.  After floating past the Fullmer Access, we turned on the motor and Brady took the helm all the way to the take out at Bynington.

We pulled into our driveway at 5:30 p.m., just in time for 4-H.  It was a trip to remember for all three of us.