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3. A Swede in the Wild West

Yes 'The Movie' had quite an impact on a boy, just eight years old.
Men in cowboy hats catching huge rainbows, on dries, in beautiful waters should effect a boy when he's making his first casts with a fly rod.

Last year me and a couple of friends made the long flight to Denver and started out on the Frying Pan. It was a strange feeling hooking fish in a river one has read about so many times but never really thought of having the chance of fishing.
I found myself on the bank staring at red rocks and waiting for Zeb Macahan to make his way down the slope. At least the eight-year old in me did.

On we went up to Yellowstone.
We stayed in the charming tourist trap West Yellowstone.
Firehole was as strange as I had imagined it. Or possibly even stranger, fishing was great. An epic caddis hatch made me sit down and just watch the spectacle with fish rising literally everywhere. Of course, we went to Henrys Fork, a place well written about in swedish fly fishing magazines. More than one time I've read about the impossible, over-educated fish who roam these waters. They were tough, real tough, yet we managed to fool some of them. The pancakes at Trouthunter felt well-earned.
Five nights in Yellowstone did'nt feel nearly enough. And I'm going back this year.

Twin Bridges followed.
Here I had my first float-trip ever, if you don't count the times I've floated through rapids doing my best to keep my head over waters edge. This time it all took place in a comfortable boat with a guide doing all the knots and pointing for me, and serving me the occasional beer.
Twin Bridges, I could see myself living here. I want to see Ruby again, I want another Prarie Fire at Blue Anchor.

Craig on the Missouri.
Somewhere I read it was named trout bum-capitol of the world. I don't know but it sure felt like home. A lot like home.
I was told the fishing was good, it was better. Wonderful days.

We rounded up our three weeks of fishing with a couple of days on the Big Horn at Fort Smith.
I bragged about my rowing skills as we rented a drift boat. Well on the water I found the oars was'nt fixed as I was used too at home.
It was comic, awful and downright dangerous for a while. But we managed to stay alive and catching fish.

Boarding the plane back home felt stupid. Sometimes home is not where all your stuff is. Yet, my girlfriend would argue.
The ticket back already bought. September come Yellowstone.
Ticket home that is.

Looks like you guys had a wonderful time! Hit some very famous places etc. Thanks for sharing the photos...It has been 7 years since I last made the trip west and I can hardly believe this much time has slid by.

In 1995 on a visit I swore I'd return every year thereafter...Not always possible, but like you I still have the memories...

Too bad you don't skate! :) I'm in Detroit and our Red Wings could actually be called the Swedish Elite League West! :)

Spence

It was great.
Did'nt really plan to go this year, until I was asked the question "-So youre going back this year?" I said "-No", then had a creepy feeling of doing something wrong.
That same week I bought a ticket to West Yellowstone.
Aint got no money for a fancy motel yet, either that works out or I'll invest in a proper amount of bearspray instead.
Let's meet up at Blue Ribbon, september 4th. ;)

I actually played some hockey when was younger, but you're more right than you think, too bad I did'nt skate (was not exactly Niklas Lidström). My team Färjestad is on TV right now. They're loosing.

I have followed/played hockey all my life, but quit playing in 2003 due to bad back.

I had season tickets up until this season. I was splitting them with a cousin and two others. 13 rows from the glass straight across from the players bench. Everytime I took someone to a game I would point at Nick and say..."Hockey Hall of Fame! You are watching a future Hall of Famer!"

Last year Nick was debating on where or not he was going to hang them up or not...We had to put my brother-in-law on suicide watch...:)



Hmmmm....This sounds interesting! :)

Spence

I had a pretty good, but short soccer-career. Injuries stopped it for me too.

Lidström is one of our greatest ever. Great guy.

About the meeting up part. I'll be in the park 3rd-17th of september, don't have any drivers license so I'll be hiking around. Perhaps staying some nights at a cheap place in West Y.
Madison, Firehole, Slough, Soda Butte, crazy city folks approaching bisons with cameras believing they're in a zoo.. You know you can't resist it.. :)

That's funny! The first time I visited the park I wanted to close the gates and not let anyone in anymore...I couldn't believe they actually had gas stations in there. It was so beautiful I wanted to herd everyone to the exits, "Come on now folks! Speed it up. Nothing to see in here...;)"

I stopped to fish the Madison in the park and had a boxed lunch from the deli in town and I decided to sit at a picnic table and eat my lunch. I could hear the traffic going by...All of a sudden it seemed strangly quiet and I looked up from my lunch to see a bison in the middle of the road crossing and holding up traffic...He walked right by the end of my table like he was going to stop for a beer and some potato salad..."Hey mister. Could you spare a bite of that sandwich there for an old bison?" :)

In 2004 I took Madison River Fishing Co's horseback trip up to the third meadow for a few days. I had real back issues and lied on the paperwork that I was in great health and rode a horse nearly every day of my life since I was 8...I'm from Detroit! :) Not much horseback riding going on here. When I climbed up on that horse, Colter was his name after John Colter who travelled with Lewis & Clark, I wasn't sure if I was going to make it our not.

I had a wonderful fishing trip and less than a year later I was on the operating table...I've always wondered what they would of done if my back finally quit in Yellowstone...At the Third Meadow...Helicopter? Strap me to one of their pack mules and drag my ass out, or feed me to the bears? :)

You should of seen the $3.00 Bridge in 1995! My very first Madison River fish in 1995 was a 20"+ Bow that let me know I wasn't in Kansas any more...:) That fish kicked my butt! I was carrying a tiny, by western standards, Au Sable net and he took one look at it and shook his head, and I swear he paused to look at me laughing, and was giving me the monster Bow equivalent of the finger, as he turned to swim away...I looked around praying that there wasn't anyone around to see that fish hand me my bee-hind!

They had a marketing slogan for Montana tourism back in 1995. They called it, "The Last Best Place"...and I bought it hook, line, and sinker...

I was staying in Ennis...I was in a gas station one night when some girl drove up in her pick-up, barefooted and it was apparent she had been doing some hard drinking that night. When I went in to pay for my gas she was swearing at the clerk there who wasn't going to let her buy anymore beer...She reminded me of that "cow-girl" in "A River Runs Through It". You know, "Buster wants ta fish."...I thought of offering her some of mine but she scared the shit out of me! :)

I first saw the state in 1973...Maybe someone can pull up Matt's post for you with pictures of him at Armstrong's wearing his bell-bottom-waders from the 70's...:)

Spence

Thanks for the memories, Shanti. The Firehole is really strange, especially in a near blizzard with fish rising to olives and PMD's everywhere. Stopped to warm my feet in a hot spring (after testing it to make sure it wouldn't melt my soles). Fished the Henry's Fork with Travis, a Trouthunter guide who knew exactly when and where the big bows would rise, even on the snowy, windy day we had, and who had just the right fly, now one of my secret weapons here in PA. If he's still there, give him my best when you get back over that way. Good times.

Shanti,

Do you know a fellow named Joakim Karlsson? He is one of my Facebook friends and we sometimes chat about Montana. I told him how good the Missouri was and how I go out every year.

Oldredbarn, thanks for those stories!
Last september there were quite a bit of traffic and people.
But the crowds does'nt seem to go very far from they main roads. A hike up along Nez Perce in september would probably sooth the solitary mind. And I'm planning to do just that. And as I said, you're welcome on the trail with me.
No horses though. If there is such a thing as reincarnation, and I was a native american in the old west, then I was that guy they called Man-Afraid-Of-his-Horses.

Martinlf, yep, Firehole is as strange as it is fantastic. If I take a guided trip (if I can afford it) and the guides name happen to be Travis, I'll tell him you said Hi! And that you put his secret killerpattern online, so he might as well give me a copy.. ;)

Wbranch, Well Matt, I am that very fellow. It's just that I have not posted in this forum for a long time. But now I'm back!
And yes, I love the Missouri too. I wanted to go back there this year as well, but without a car it's kinda hard. Many waters within a short distance, no private land and so on suits me better.

Shanti wrote;

"Wbranch, Well Matt, I am that very fellow. It's just that I have not posted in this forum for a long time. But now I'm back!
And yes, I love the Missouri too. I wanted to go back there this year as well, but without a car it's kinda hard."

So let me make sure I understand - Shanti is the same person as Joakim Karlsson???

I don't understand what you mean "but without a car it's kinda hard". Does this mean when you fly in you don't rent a vehicle? How do you get around with all your gear?

If in fact you don't have a car then I can see wht Yellowstone NP is where you want to be due to the close proximity of so many waters, Madison, Nez Perce, Gibbon, Firehole, Slough Creek, Lamar, Gallatin, Yellowstone and many others.

Matt...Take your cursor and place it on Shanti's name and it will take you to his actual profile and you will see his real name there and yes...He is one and the same.

"So let me make sure I understand - Shanti is the same person as Joakim Karlsson???"

Yep, thats me. :)

"I don't understand what you mean "but without a car it's kinda hard". Does this mean when you fly in you don't rent a vehicle? How do you get around with all your gear?

If in fact you don't have a car then I can see wht Yellowstone NP is where you want to be due to the close proximity of so many waters, Madison, Nez Perce, Gibbon, Firehole, Slough Creek, Lamar, Gallatin, Yellowstone and many others."

I don't have a drivers license. YNP is perfect because of all the waters beeing so close and reachable by foot/bike. There's a bike rental in West Yellowstone.
"All my gear", I don't bring more than I can carry around.

"I don't bring more than I can carry around"

Well there is something to be said for going light I guess. When I go for my annual ten day trip my roller duffle usually tips the scales at between 47 & 49 pounds. My carry-on bag no less than 15#. But then we stay at a nice bungalow with two rooms, full kitchen, twin beds, sleeper sofa, coffee maker, full porch, all the amenities that I enjoy. I enjoy getting on the river by dawn, getting into my pontoon boat with a cup of coffee and just being the first guy out on that huge river every morning. Float down to one of my favorite runs and wade fish for a couple of hours. Ultimately float down river about four miles and take out around 1:00 in the afternoon. Go back and have a nice platter of bacon and eggs, take a nice afternoon nap to get out of the heat. Wake around 4:00, have a cocktail, an early dinner and be back fishing by 5:00. Get off the river by 10:00 and get a good nights rest and do it all over again the next morning.

That sounds like what life should be all about, Matt!

Wherever go for fishing, Spain or Montana, the bag seem to weigh in at around 20 pounds.
I'll see how much "luxury" I can afford on this trip, it all depends on how much I'm willing to work here at home, in other words, how many hatches I can stand to miss while beeing at work.
The aim is to rent a room in West Y and then beeing able to leave some stuff there and also getting a couple of nights sleep in a comfy bed, well away from bears.
I've been adviced not to camp out alone, yet I'm not known for following sensible advices.

"I've been adviced not to camp out alone, yet I'm not known for following sensible advices."

Sleeping alone in YNP can be dangerous.

Sleeping with the wrong companion could be even more dangerous I suppose..

"Sleeping with the wrong companion could be even more dangerous I suppose.."

Yes, that is a good point! I've seen some photos of you with a very pretty gal - she might not want you sharing your tent with anyone else.

"Yes, that is a good point! I've seen some photos of you with a very pretty gal - she might not want you sharing your tent with anyone else."

And not bears either, I guess.
She sure is pretty, I'll tell her you said so. :)

It truly is a special place the west, just amazing!

Yes Jesse, I think I'll be back every year from now on.

In a couple of weeks they will be rising in my rivers here at home too.