Author: Rick Smith

  • A Letter from the Spoon

    A Letter from the Spoon

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    Rick Smith
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    Rick reports from the Spoon where he is sheltering in place:I want to take a moment to thank those individuals who are potentially risking their own health in order to make ours safer and more tolerable during these difficult times. First and foremost, the medical community who are on the front…

  • Report June 29, 2019

    Report June 29, 2019

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    Rick Smith
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    The other night my wife and I decided to try a little evening fishing at one of our favorite spots in the Last Chance area. We arrived at the river around 7 pm and were surprised that no one else was there. At first, there appeared that nothing was happening on the water, possible explaining…

  • Report June 14, 2019

    Report June 14, 2019

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    Rick Smith
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    This past weekend saw our weather change drastically. Day time high temperatures dropped from the 60’s and 70’s to the 40’s and low 50’s. Nighttime temps were at or near freezing. Along with dropping temperatures came heavy rains in the valleys and upwards of two feet of new snow in the…

  • The Fishing that Never Was

    The Fishing that Never Was

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    Rick Smith
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    I usually start my fishing reports with a story about some fishing experience I had during the prior week. Last week I thought I would drive over to Yellowstone Park for the opener on the Firehole River. I arrived at the west entrance at what I thought was a reasonable time. It took twenty…

  • Spring Creek Getaway

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    Rick Smith
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    This past weekend Minori, Yogi and I headed north to the Paradise Valley just south of Livingston, Montana. We spent a couple of days at Nelson’s Spring Creek Ranch. We stayed at the lodge and fished the creek. I felt it might be one of the last times we would get an opportunity to get…

  • Spring Thaw

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    Rick Smith
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    Fishing around the area over the past couple of weeks could be described as marginal at best. The reason is due to river/water and weather conditions. We have been in the middle of low to mid-level snow melt and spring rain showers. These events have caused water levels to rise, at times added…

  • Report March 19, 2019

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    Rick Smith
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    Spring 2019The official first day of Spring is still a couple of days away, and it cannot come soon enough. We have just experienced one of the most severe February’s on record. I have heard it said that we had the most snowfall over a 30 day period during February since 1995. I don’t know…

  • Report October 31, 2018

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    Rick Smith
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    After weeks of frustration on my home water, the “Ranch” section of the Henry’s Fork, I was finally able to rid myself of that black cloud that was hanging over me. It happened about ten days ago when I suddenly found myself at the right place on the river at exactly the right time. On…

  • Report October 19, 2018

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    Rick Smith
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    Twice over the past two weeks I have found myself driving over to the Firehole River in Yellowstone National Park to prove to myself there are still fish in the rivers around the area and that I can still catch one. It’s not that there are no fish in my home water, the Railroad Ranch…

  • Report September 28, 2018

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    Rick Smith
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    On Friday Doug Winnicky, Trouthunter fly shop manager, and I headed over to Yellowstone National Park in search of some small stream Brook trout fishing. Over the past couple of years Doug has been getting into fishing small streams with light line fiberglass fly rods. Originally from New…