Flurry Of Flakes

Flurry Of Flakes

After slipping through the canyon on my way home from work yesterday I had to stop and run a few errands. These tedious tasks took me to the local Smith's so I could pick up a few grocery items that some how made it off the "big shopping day list." Funny how that always seems to happen. The buzz about the upcoming snow storm was apparent as soon as I stepped foot into the store. "Dude....gonna get that mallow tomorrow!" "Yo....you heading up to Bridger in the am? Gonna score that freshy freshy brah!" You know....things you hear on a regular basis living in a Western Mountain Town. I would guess that 80% of the local community feels extraordinary excitement when these storms roll into town. I'm one of them, and typically that excitement leads me up to one of the local hills to get my SHRED on. This morning was a little different. I had to get some work done and by the time I looked at the clock after some conference calls it was already 1pm. A quick shovel of the driveway and I opted to fish local and enjoy the Flurry Of Flakes that was happening at about 1.5 inches per hour.


I booted up in the garage and drove the 20 minutes to one of my favorite winter time access points.  As anticipated the parking lot was empty with no fresh tires tracks evident. I typically opt to by pass the water close to the bridge, but today I had no competition so elected to start quickly. The lower section of this river really is a great example of how fish change their habits in the winter. Slow moving water is where 95% of these fish lay, and many times they lay in pods. When you get into one fish... look out you may have found half the trout population in the river laying right in front of you. As I've done many times before in this section, I dialed in the appropriate drift and got to the bottom. It didn't take long for the sighter to hesitate and my first 8-9 inch fish came to hand. I really hammered that first pool until I felt confident there were no survivors.

I started up the river by passing the fast riffles looking for those sweet WINTER SPOTS. I located a few and did some damage before post holing through the 2-3 feet of snow took a toll on  me. I sat down to gain my breathe and listened to the silence that a winter storm brings. There was no wind, just the rushing of water and countless snowflakes accumulating on the bank. The spot I picked to rest usually has a bald eagle in the vicinity but even he was finding shelter in the storm. The snow never stopped, and the fishing never slowed down.


I gathered my self together and plowed around a bend that I never fished before. A really nice WINTER SPOT showcased itself to me once I gained sight of what laid ahead. It was about a 75 yard run with good depth and slower current.....a Winter Magic spot. Sure enough after a few drifts I got into fish immediately, and they were striking like they haven't eaten in months. I worked up the left bank got to the top and decided to cross and fish the other side. This didn't disappoint either. With reckless abandon trout came to hand left and right. It was one of those days you would never forget. The Flurry Of Flakes, the zinging of line off the reel,  the aerial assault of the rainbows on full display as the snow accumulated quickly. I got caught up in the moment and looked at the watch, it was time to head back and shovel my driveway......I followed my steps back to the truck and took in the winter storm and the Flurry Of Flakes that was coming down on me...….