2023 Fish-Pic-O-Rama

[plugboots]

[BobMc]

Jesus popped that briefcase with a butter knife!

Context incoming. Boblandia birthday bash was a success again. (Ongoing)

[swimmy]

Just spent 5 days in the backcountry. I always forget how fun these trips can be. We all get caught up with life stuff and unplugging for a couple days is a nice mental reset.



The hiking took us through some spectacular country. Dramatic landscapes around just about every turn.



Still lots of wildflowers at the higher elevations



I didn't realize but the Perceids shower was happening at the same time we were out. I'd wake up around 1:30 each night to mess around with astro photography and the sky would be lit up with meteors. It was really cool and wasn't until I got back that I heard this was happening. Nice coincidence.



Camped on this lake night 2, around 10,000'.





Next day we climbed. No trail, just a ton of boulder hopping. Crazy landscape.



Destination was another high lake above tree line.



I got a nice sky that night



We chose these lakes as I had heard there were large cutties. It is always a gamble as there are no fishing "reports." You just have to go check it out. While we did catch fish, it was a tough. And the average size was much smaller than I had heard. But it is all about perspective and catching fish in places like this is a bonus, much less doing it at over 10,000'.





After high camp, we made the turn and started heading back. Winds were light that morning and light was cool. I thought this made for a nice black and white.



All in all, it was a great trip. I will say Backpacker Pantry Pad Thai is by far my favorite meal. I might just eat this every night from here on out. Also, while it is total rocket fuel, Starbucks French Roast instant coffee is fantastic.

I'm already planning my next one.

[Rasputin]

This one belongs in Nat Geo. Strong work swimmy!


I got a good night sleep, then went to the river. The sun was out when I left the house, then mercifully (it hit 102 degrees yesterday), cloud cover came in, and it took quite a while to heat up; I was wearing a sweat shirt until 11am. As a consequence of the overcast, fish were rising all morning, including this stout fellow who took a tan chubby.





I caught a number of small rainbows on a purple haze, as well as this little cutbow:





Once the sun was high, I decided to try out a beetle, as I read they were doing well these days, and as soon as it hit the water, it got gobbled. Though it was a thick fish, unfortunately it was not a trout, but rather this beast that didn't know he's supposed to be a bottom feeder.





It was a good day out; seven fish in six hours and plenty of action (in addition to the fish I caught, a fish broke off a purple haze on my first cast at the confluence).

[Underoos]

unfortunately it was not a trout, but rather this beast that didn't know he's supposed to be a bottom feeder.

In addition to not being whitefish, northern pikeminnows are not "bottom feeders".

They are native to the watersheds that you are fishing, and it's too bad that you can't find any value in a fish that's "unfortunately not a trout" while it was the biggest thing you caught all day.

Also, dry rocks are bad for fish. But who cares because it's not a trout, right?

[BobMc]

Still haven’t caught one, eh?

[plugboots]

[Underoos]

Still haven’t caught one, eh?

I have. The Colorado pikeminnow is a different species. Give Willow a scratch for me.

[Rasputin]

In addition to not being whitefish, northern pikeminnows are not "bottom feeders".

They are native to the watersheds that you are fishing, and it's too bad that you can't find any value in a fish that's "unfortunately not a trout" while it was the biggest thing you caught all day.

Also, dry rocks are bad for fish. But who cares because it's not a trout, right?

Sorry to upset your delicate sensibilities kid.

Earlier in this thread someone else told me that I was certainly on the bottom because I caught one, which along with the fact that all the others I've caught have been near the bottom, lead me to think they usually fed at the bottom. Bottom feeder is actually a denotative term for fish that feed primarily on the bottom.

I never said I didn't find any value in catching them, actually I'd very much prefer catching them to not catching anything, but excuse me, if I have a preference for trout, I like the way they fight better, the way they look better, and the way they smell better. Sorry I didn't screen my preferences with you before forming them, since you are of a certainty the arbiter of all appropriate fish species appreciation.

As for the rocks, well maybe he flopped there on his own while I was getting the camera out. Also, after I put him in eight inches of water on the Clark Fork side of the confluence, that delicate fish turned and swam himself in an inch of water, and across dry rocks to get back into the Bitterroot.

By the way, handling fish with dry hands is bad for fish too, but I don't see you pitching a hissy fit when others post pictures dry-handing them. Incidentally, I have seen you in videos, pitching fish over the side of your boat, without any effort to run water through their gills while they recover, and waiting until they swim away on their own, but I guess that's OK if they are non-native brown trout (which you have in your trash fish video), and as long as you give them a funny name, right?

[Underoos]

This reeks of ignorance and lack of education. Thanks for watching!

[Talisman]

Gentlemen, gentlemen please let's remember all in this thread are interested in fishing and seeing pictures of fish and keep the level of discourse civil. I enjoy both of your many posts featuring fish and trips to the streams.

We all need reminders on occaision about fish species and proper handling of caught fish. I got a lesson a year or two ago about a picture I posted of a large mouth bass that I was holding "Sports Afield" style 1971. I appreciated getting schooled on the jaw mechanics.

This reeks of ignorance and lack of education. Thanks for watching!

[neckdeep]

From now on I'm going to call rainbows "bottom feeders".

It's TRUE! Those lazy fucks would rather sit around and stuff their face with stone fly nymphs than get off their fat ass and look for a hopper.

[Self Jupiter]

[Percy Rideout]

I have. The Colorado pikeminnow is a different species. Give Willow a scratch for me.

Wait, this legend is on TGR?

Love your content as a fellow CO beerdrinker/flyfisher, in that order.

That Black Canyon overnight camp fishing vid was awesome.

[GiantManta]

Back to fishing - got out on Monday to a little tail water as my home water is a bit warm. Water releases were high and surprised by the number of people on a Monday but fun to explore some new water. Fish were on the smaller side but a good time. Will be back with lower flows and an an earlier start.

[mud]

Baby flounder too small to take, love the camouflage.

[romeo tango]

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if you eat seafood,
wild or farmed,
I recommend you read this,

It's disturbing ....

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[plugboots]

[::: :::]

++++!!!!

[lifelinksplit]

[QUOTE=swimmy;6909551]Just spent 5 days in the backcountry. I always forget how fun these trips can be.



We chose these lakes as I had heard there were large cutties. It is always a gamble as there are no fishing "reports." [/Qoute]


When we used to make annual pilgrimages to the high country in the beartooths, my wife went on the state website and compiled a stocking report for almost every alpine lake in the range. We would make a formula based on last time stocked, avg size and multiple other factors(she printed out a book when she was bored at Simms). We had lots of good trips and great cutties/grizzly bears and no people. Always enjoy your pics Swimmy.

Sent from my SM-S236DL using Tapatalk

[CazMan26]

This reeks of ignorance and lack of education. Thanks for watching!

Ben, Keep up the good work ! Huge fan of yours and a "HUGE FLYFISHERMAN" !

Thanks

[PB]

I have. The Colorado pikeminnow is a different species. Give Willow a scratch for me.

Very enjoyable!
Minor nit: koi carp (Cyprus rubrofuscus) are not the same as common/eurasian carp (Cyprus carpio).

[PB]

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sturgeon pickles

Attachment 467278
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Sturgeon?!?!?

[plugboots]

Bottom feeder.

[romeo tango]

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Sturgeon?!?!?

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for sturgeon,
not of sturgeon

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