He was very successful on the South Tongue River so it was time to try the North. The river goes through a fairly flat area that is heavily riparian but the place is a caddis factory, serving up gobs of bugs for trout to feast on. There are numerous hefty trout, over 20 inches in length and weighing 2.5 to 3.5 lbs.
After a an hour or so of trying various caddis imitations but not getting any of the bigs we could plainly see, I handed Brian a magic fly. He proceeded to catch 7 huge trout that first night and another 4 or 5 the next. Many of them would have been worthy of taking to a taxidermist but the river was strictly catch and release.
These trout (cutthroat and rainbows) were beasts, monsters. Brian's clever and delicate presentations of the magic fly plus quickly learned fish fighting skills were a wonder to behold.
For my part I caught 2 beasts last night: rainbow and cuttie. Far exceeded any expectations I had when planning this trip and made a spectacular grand finale to a summer of beautiful rivers and creeks.
Strange to pack up my fishing gear but Colorado duskies and pronghorn antelope await. Brian and I pulled up stakes this morning leaving the Bighorns behind. I'm now in Kremmling, CO in a favorite campsite on Spring Creek Rd. Brian will join me tomorrow.
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