"Alaska Style"

Tim "Henry" Woodard Photo - West Corner Studio

The boats leap frog one another along the bank or one will occasionally cross over to the opposite side as two boats holding five guys and two mutts push on down the South Fork. Both Taylor and Henry guide this reach regularly, and as a result know most if it’s intimate parts. The banks are, by far, the most productive, but there are those sections that fashion a “barb” where quitter water holds on the inside of the shank, extending to the gravelly bank that often holds nice fish. The seam between this water and the faster flowing part at the top of the run tails out as it settles down a bit, this is where many a fly fisher experience the  fruits of a good cast, the appropriate imitation and a timely set of the hook.

While camaraderie and friendship abound, all the same, that does not preclude certain competition between pals. Fly fishing prowess aside, the advantage goes to the X-13, with Taylor at the helm. The smaller profile skiff, with only Taylor and me, a cooler and gear was agile and lithe against Henry’s full load consisting of three bodies, two dogs, a couple of coolers and his fully pimped out Clacka beauty, full to the hilt with all the options. Having made that comparison, Henry was blessed with large stature, guns like Arnold and a certain finesse that belies his prominent silhouette.

It’s later in the morning and traffic on this fabled river is noticeable as we progress further down stream. There are several launch sites along the way. Boats streamed into the river like cars merging onto I-15 from the Spaghetti Bowl at I-80. A bit of an overstatement, perhaps, but suffice it to say, there were a lot of boats. All thoughts of casually drifting down river to fish multiple runs later in the day at the lower section, where the most productive runs are, were dashed. Every experienced fly fisher knows that evening is prime time down there, as various hatches came off during the season in these prized runs that braid through the channels just above the take-out at the bridge.

Looking across river, Tanner's rod shot high into the air, rod tip arching toward the bank, left hand also reaching high to strip line in a down and back motion, in an effort to control the pissed off splashing tireless trout. As Taylor rowed us closer, they had just netted the thing and by the time we came along side Tanner thumped the fish in the head with an object that did the trick. In his typical fashion he stood there with a 22” + Rainbow hanging from two fingers inserted behind the gill slits, “Alaska Style”.

An Awesome Photo by Tim Woodard

Impressive as the fish was, I have to say, I don’t generally hang with those who kill fish. Not to be too high fallutin, but the catch and release ethic goes way back with me. For better or worse, Fish and Game are attempting a heroic effort to manage the South Fork for the benefit of native Yellowstone Cutthroat, therefore, Bows and Hybrids are to be taken.

As expected, the mad dash to the channels was on and it was evident that we were not part of the vanguard, although there was a nice rifflely run close to the falls where Taylor hooked a couple of nice fish and, in the end, was broken off by another South Fork Rainbow.