The author, Nate Schweber, is a freelance reporter formerly from Missoula, Montana, and currently he residing in Brooklyn, New York. His book, Fly fishing Yellowstone National Park is a compilation of short stories about 50 places to fly fish in the world's first National Park. Some of the contributors are well-known; Tom McGuane, Bob Jacklin, Craig Matthews, former President Jimmy Carter, and former Vice President Dick Cheney, to name just a few.

It was another day off and time to head to a pond. We had heavy rain two days in a row so it was not very good for driving into any ponds with the canoe. The rain keeps the water from being very clear, so I am going to fish from the shore at pond that is fairly easy to get into.

Slipping quietly out the cabin door, I was careful not to wake the family as they slept. I pulled my waders from the hook where they had hung overnight. Cold against my legs, they seemed stiff and cumbersome as I bent to tie my boots. Though it sounds uncomfortable, it's a feeling I relish that takes me back to cold waders with my dad as a kid every time. Standing straight I adjusted my vest, checked for my forceps, floatant and nippers. All were in place.

Some guys on the bulletin board asked me to send this fly, tied step by step. This pattern is not my creation, I saw it many years ago in a fly fishing magazine, but I can't remember which one was. Perhaps I made some variation of this fly along the years of fly tying, but this one works excellent for me.

Of course I was inspired in the well-known Matuka, the New Zealand's fly. Instead of 2 or 4 horizontal feathers as in the original, we use 4-6 binds (is it the correct word?) of marabou.

July 6th, today I spent the day photographing insects and trout along the spring creek. Some trout were caught and their stomach sampled and I spent some time photographing the trout in their natural underwater world which is really neat. I also photograph the stomach samples. I would like to tell you about what I believe are some of the most important tools in the angler's vest that can be used for problem solving.

Foam poppers are not new. Foam poppers made from scratch are not new. After years of experimentation with failures too grotesque to explain, this method for a Dremel popper fly emerged around Y2K. Of course, it is possible to make a foam popper very quickly, if a rough finish is all you need. Any novice tyer can do this. I'll explain how later. Rough poppers catch fish, but, maybe not as many or maybe you'll feel less bona fide.

Most of the fishermen that I know hate the hot summer doldrums, and as the air and water temperatures rise, the trout big and small retreat to their haunts in the deeper pools. Those that don't tuck themselves into the undercut banks, and refuse to expend energy by moving to take modest insects or fly offerings. The cooler temperatures of night provide for a little more feeding activity but for the dry fly fisherman, few opportunities are available except for 'Hoppers'!

During most of my growing up years he was always just Grandpa. He was my mother's father, and as a kid I always thought of him as an old man when in fact he was only in his early 50's when I was born. Grandpa had a rather stern demeanor but a heart of gold. Grandpa was a farmer; a dairy farmer to be exact, a man whose life revolved around milking twice each day, putting up hay in the summer and feeding it to the cows in the winter.