I can hear the cheers in the background. I'm/we're back from "Like No Place On Earth". Three weeks of fantastic fishing,fun, friends, food, fdrinking and frolic. My only regret is that I wasn't able to visit the gang at the Idaho Fish In. We were SOO close and yet SOOO far. It would have been fun to finally put faces on the Western contingent of the FAOL folks and sample some of that great sounding dutch oven fare. I would have loved for LF to teach me the form she demonstrates on the home page pic.Talk about "Keepeth thine,,,,,,,". Thankfully, form wasn't needed to fool all the cutts that ate my( and several of fenom's) presentations . NO,I didn't have the best fishing days of my life THIS trip but in Grand Teton NP, THAT's not an issue. Just being there is enough for me. Had a Grizz "encounter" from about 1000 yards (close enough). He was sitting atop a buried elk carcass mound and caused us to "rethink" our planned route. We were already about 4 miles into that route and it was just too late to "run" for the car so we added about 2 miles in circumventing this "obstacle". We do carry the larger canisters of UDAP just in case . The fishing in this case was well worth the extra mileage. Too many cutts and browns to count, but, at least one or two were in the 20+" range. This incident was on the Snake just North of Jackson Lake. We fished the Salt, the Greys, Hoback , Lewis River, Lamar, Falt Creek , Gros Venter(sp) and a few unnamed waters we happened to cross while driving to a destination. Soda Lake, a trophy water, just outside GTNP was frustrating. HUGE browns were eating #26's all around us and all we had were #16's. Came THIS close to wishin I had a huge treble hook to teach em a lesson.
Probably the most picturesque fishing experience was on the Cascade Canyon trail behind Jenny Lake in GTNP. We've done this trek for years and have caught 3'-6" brookies. Well THIS time those same brookies were 10"-16" and their numbers were many. Unfortunately, many peta ( lower case intended) types frequent this well worn route and comment audibly on the inhumanity of fishing. A well displayed finger is usually enough to level the field of opinion.
But all this had to come to an end and as heartbreakoing as driving home may be, we have a book " Eat Your Way Across the US" by the Stearns, that dampens the pain. Everything from truck stops to goooormay restaurants. From SPAM and Pork Tenderloin sands to Beef Wellington and rack of lamb (ech!) under silver "toupes"( if you're so inclined).
We're home now and the "grind" continues. I remember how I just couldn't wait till our next Wyoming trip. It seemed to be soooo far off in time. Now, however, time seems to fly and were packing up for that trip again. So help me, someone MUST be rushing the clock or is it that I'm closer to the end than to the beginning.
Yes, "be it ever so humble............", I still would rather be in Wyoming. Byron, I envy you.

Mark
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