By Bear Samples
Utah Outdoors - June 2002
Horses, fly rods and cutthroat all in a day's fun at Slough Creek, Cody's Monster Lake
Yellowstone, America's Oldest national park, harbors some of the West's most storied and hallowed fishing. From its earliest discovery by Fun trappers, this region provided voyagers with a plentiful staple, the Yellowstone cutthroat trout. This indigenous species populated the area eons before as the ancient Lake Bonneville birthed many cutthroat strains. The Yellowstone variety is a beautiful specimen with a distinctive orange slash at the throat, buttery yellow color on its sides, and distinctive spots on its back and slides. Targeting this fabulous fish should be a goal for any dedicated fly angler.
In Yellowstone Park, the cutthroat is found predominately in Yellowstone Lake and its tributaries. Besides the lake, most flyfishers ply the easily accessible waters of the Yellowstone River. A 15- to 20-inch rampant native cutt will stoke the fires of any flyfisher, whether a novice or seasoned veteran. They respond well to dry fly, nymph or streamer, so there is hardly a situation where a fish cannot be coaxed to take an offering. The best action is naturally in out-of-the-way streams that require extra effort and work. In the past, I have crossed the 20 miles of Yellowstone Lake then hiked seven miles to fish the virgin reaches of the upper Yellowstone River. The fishing was excellent, but I was ready for a better time, let- and arm-saving approach. Why not horses?
A search of fly-fishing magazines and the Internet proved successful and provided several outfitters. Specifically, I wanted a one-day ride with food fishing. After making several phone calls, I settled on the Big Bear Lodge and Outfitters in Cooke City, Mont. They recommended Slough Creek in the northeast corner of the national park with about a 7-mile ride to the upper second meadow. My ears and attitude peaked when Lisa Sanders, the lodge owner, claimed, "This is an easy ride that wold fit any beginner." I was downright salivating when she added, "You'll be fishing for large cutthroat on hopper patterns." Just my style.
By the time I finished negotiations, our extended family group of nine was booked for an overnight at the lodge with horses and guides for the next day. Prices were extremely reasonable and figured less than a guided day in a drift boat. Fishing is good throughout the summer, but we selected the somewhat less desirable early August time frame to match the Federation of Fly Fishers’ International Show in Livingston, Mont. Oldest son Geoff and I were slated to present programs at the end of the week. By sandwiching our Slough Creek horsepack with days at Monster Lake near Cody, Wyo, for trophy trout, a float trip on the Yellowstone River above Livingston, and a hike trip in Yellowstone to Grebe Lake for grayling, we had the makings of a real fly-fishing adventure. Late summer, low water doldrums would not hold us back.
Preparations for the trip were simple and consisted of bringing a basic selection of flies with a four- to six-weight fly rod strung with a floating line I was on an ultralight binge and packed my Sage "0” (zero)-weight rod, which is the most diminutive on the market. Don’t laugh. I have taken 6-pound pink salmon in Alaska with it, as well as a 5-pound brown. Dancing cutthroat filled my dreams. With a change to shorts for wet wading, this is minimalist flyfishing at is best.
The moniker "equestrian" does not come close to describing me since I've only ridden horses a handful of times in my life. There is no real way to get ready for a pack trip besides riding horses. I made a lame attempt at riding my mountain bike thinking that being in the saddle counted for something. Riding lessons are offered most anywhere and would boost anyone’s confidence level.
Our odyssey began on the high plains at Monster Lake, which lies 10 miles south of Cody, and about 400 miles from Salt Lake City. Equipped with 6- and 7-weight fly rods, we dredged the waters for tackle-busting trout. This private lake is stocked with rainbows, browns, cutthroats and brook trout. A grand slam means catching all four varieties.
As we began our day, the guide Steve told my 9-year-old nephew Mike to cast his hopper pattern into the shallows for a cruising brown. Five minutes and 5 pounds later, beaming Mike and not-so-happy brown trout were posing for photos. An excellent beginning. By the time we left the lake at 5 p.m,, dozens of prizes had come to net. Of my 20 or 50 fish, only one fell below the magic 20- inch mark. Didn’t I say this was a trophy fishery? The 100-degree temperature left us as whipped as fish fighting, and we looked forward to the hour and a half, air-conditioned drive to Big Bear Lodge.
We traveled the scenic Chief Joseph Highway out of Cody heading to Montana, This is an awesome route with incredible vistas. If hunger had not pulled us to keep on the trek, it would have been rewarding to stop for photos and soak up the wonderful mountains and valleys. Sometimes we forget that half of flyfishing is enjoying the beautiful places that fish inhabit.
The Big Bear lodge is owned and operated by Scott and Lisa Sanders. Situated just outside the northeast entrance of Yellowstone Park, the lodge is only a few miles from the state’s highest point, Granite Peak, at 12,789 feet. The Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness provides an excellent backdrop for horse packing and flyfishing. Lisa and Scott greeted us on arrival and escorted us to our log cabin rooms. After settling in and a hearty meal at one of the local favorites, we cornered Scott for a trip to the lodge fly shop and restocking on the next day’s popular patterns. He emphasized that late summer meant hoppers and he supplied several types that were sure to work.
Gearing up, horse pack style
The horse trailers proceeded us from the lodge to get set up at the trailhead the next morning. We made it to a superb breakfast by 7:30 with the highlight being Lisa's blueberry pancakes. By 9 am, we had joined the horses and were saddling up. I am not a horse person. I have always wanted to use horses as a means of transportation to good, out-of-the way fishing spots, so this was my first attempt.
I asked Scott, "So how tame are these horses? I just want to get to the river in one piece."
"They are great," he replied in deadpan. "We haven’t lost one rider yet.”
With that confidence booster, we dug in our heels for the 7-mile ride. I can’t think of a better way to enjoy the scenic beauty of Yellowstone Park than by horse. The sauntering pace allowed for joking, banter and absorbing the wonder-filled views. It sure beats carrying a 30-pound pack and losing river time. Our journey terminated at the end of the second meadow on Slough Creek.
Scott and his other wrangler hobbled the horses and transformed themselves into flyfishing guides. They fish all of the local waters including Pebble Creek, the Lamar River and many mountain lakes. At any time they can take you to the hottest spot or to target a specific species. I asked about a ride to tackle golden trout and they knew just the spot. They assisted with flies, leaders and stream tactics.
Late summer low water was not inviting and we initially only spotted a few fish. The water was slow moving and in severe need of refreshing rains. There were two techniques for this August fishing, one method was to fish the long pools and runs with tiny dries to the sipping cutthroat. This required long leaders at least 10 feet long and pointed out at 7x tippet for the sized 18-22 flies. A parachute Adams or Griffith’s gnat was just the ticket to success. Picking off cruising fish by using a stalking technique was challenging and fun, Polarized sunglasses are a must for this fishing since sporting the fish and its movement is imperative.
As I walked the shore, I spotted a nice-sized fish in only inches of water slowly working its way upstream while slurping adult midges. I made an upstream curve cast with my 0-weight Sage using a Griffith’s with the fly landing in his feeding lane. He gently sucked in the fly with an upward tip of his nose, and I just as softly secured the minuscule offering in the corner of his jaw. Pure bedlam broke loose with this native, wild cutt going totally berserk. As I wheeled it to the net, the Yellowstone cutthroat flashed its beautiful butter-yellow belly and deep orange slash at its throat. Gorgeous, simply gorgeous. A full 18 inches of Yellowstone fury soothed my sore posterior.
What about those foam hoppers that Scott was so high on? Being the roamer that I am, I saw another mile or two of stream that I had to sample. My second approach to the Slough was to search the fast water current at the heads of the pools with a hopper. After the first swirl and miss, I knew I was in for fast action. Boom, fish one. Boom, fish two. I wasn't into some slight tap dance; this was Hard Rock Cafe boogy. From far downstream, Scott witnessed one of the epic battles, which covered his journey of almost a quarter mile. "Just how big is that fish?" he inquired in out-of-breath fashion.
"Oh, I"m guessing he is a full 20 inches," I replied casually. "If I had anything more than this fly swatter, it would have made the net minutes ago. Help me on the net, please."
Oh yes, Mr. Fish Eyes had tagged the largest catch of the day at exactly 20 inches. Sometimes you quit on nice prizes like that, but I was in Jim Bridger explorer mode. Working my way to the third meadow, many other trout got to taste the nasty grasshopper. One super fish broke off my 4x tippet and took my hopper home to hand on the wall.
I was all smirky smiles when I returned to the rest of the group. They had good lurk picking off cruisers and were pretty content themselves. The sun was pushing late afternoon as a return ride laid ahead. Saddling the horses, we were back on the trail for the journey home. Like the old Western flicks, we rode into an awesome Yellowstone sunset. Our heads were filled with the dreamy images of wild trout as the horses rocked us into reverie. This was a trip we would want to repeat.
The Yellowstone Country provides marry scenic distractions with ample lodging, camping and restaurants. For the flyfisher, the Yellowstone River is a noted Montana fishery and worth a day or two. Later in the trip, we returned to the park to hike into Grebe Lake to hunt Arctic grayling. They were small, yet captivating. l have caught grayling throughout Europe and in Alaska, and I consider them a trophy in diminutive form. Another required stop is in the town of Livingston, which hosts the Federation of Fly Fishers museum, the International Fly Fishing Show in August, and the famous Dan Bailey Fly Shop. Many scenes from "A River Runs Through It" were filmed in the turn-of-the-20th century-looking town.
If you are in need of a price-conscious adventure, horse packing has it all. Most companies provide either day or extended trips to many spots of your choice. Besides reaching some excellent out-of-the flyfishing, you can become best of friends with your four-legged transportation.
Contact info
- Monster Lake - (307) 587-5960
- Big Bear Lodge and Outfitters - Scott and Lisa Sanders, (406) 838-2267
