Native Trout - Gila

What a great week to be off in the wilderness floating a dry fly in search of Gila Trout! My brother and buddy, Steve and I just finished a few days fishing in beautiful Gila country. Sorry, won't name the streams for selfish reasons. We enjoyed some beautiful mid-sixty days on a few mountain creeks. The weather may have been too nice because it wasn't easy fishing due to gin-clear water and bright blue skies. However, we all caught some beautiful Gila trout and had a fun time trekking through the mountains and streams. Actually they did the trekking and I hit the easy access sections of streams(post-surgery caution). And to be honest, I'm sitting here at home typing this post and feeling the outdoor exercise we enjoyed...and I'm thinking Robert and Steve are feeling it somewhat too:)

We didn't have any of the big guys come out from under the cut banks because there just was no hatch going on...a little later in the year and the bigger ones will come out for some fun. However, we were very happy catching the "leetle fellers" between six and nine inches...which is pretty normal for these creeks, anyway. They sure make a big splash when attacking a dry fly and with lots of fighting spunk!

I used a couple of Winston rods on this trip: custom Winston IM6 376 rod (bottom photo) with a Bauer SST3 reel; and a Winston WT 280 (top) with a Bauer SST3 reel. And of note, I over loaded the 280 rod with a WF3F Rio Lightline due to a bit of a stiff breeze and it handled the heavier line just beautifully. That's what I like about classic fly rods. They are pretty darn versatile with various fly lines, which comes in handy in changing conditions on a fishing trip.

I must say, it's been a couple of decades since the last time I was in a cowboy bar, but we had a fun evening in this bar for a cold one and a bite to eat. This was the only place open to get some food on one of the nights we were late getting back into town. That's Steve at the bar placing his order with the bartender (note the pistols on ceiling).

We were in a restaurant one night and noticed some cowboys at a table that looked like they came in straight from the ranch...they had boots with spurs. When's the last time you've seen an authentic cowboy with spurs? We met some of the nicest people on this trip and that's what's so much fun about visiting new places, meeting new friends, and seeing new horizons!

Some random photos in no particular order...note, click on a photo for a larger view:

Nice catch, Bro!