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Outdoor Adventure Log

Posts Tagged pathfinder

Pathfinder

Dec 17

Posted by Erik & Michelle in ice fishing | 1 Comment

When we left Casper this morning it was 35º and windy.  As we approached the Sweetwater arm, the tempurature and windspeeds plumeted.  By time we reached the ice it was calm and 3º.  We invited the Hallocks and our friend Ken to join us for some fast tip-up action.  The action wasn’t nearly as fast as we are used to on this reservoir, but we still had a great time catching and releasing more than 2 dozen fish and keeping 4 for the grill (all over 20″).  Tip-up fishing gets crazy becuase the fish will move through in schools and several flags will pop up within a few very short minutes of each other.  Each member of the group runs for the next flag and slides in for the chance at a hookset.  VERY exciting.  Then in between flurries there is time to snack and share stories :) Great trip for friends and socializing!!

On the way home we had a big surprise!  We found 6 antelope horn sheaths as we were driving along a fencline that antelope frequently duck under as they move throughout there range. It was  a really interesting and surprising occurance!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!

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Pathfinder with Kassidy and Tristy

Jul 26

Posted by Erik & Michelle in From the boat | No Comments

We may start sounding redundant when we talk about taking kids out fishing and hunting and the importance of doing so.

“Passion does not arrive on videotape or on a CD; passion is personal. Passion is lifted from the earth itself by the muddy hands of the young, it travels along grass- stained sleeves to the heart. If we are going to save environmentalism and the environment, we must also save an endangered indicator species: the child in nature.— Richard Louv, Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature Deficit Disorder, 2005

It was awesome to see Kassidy and Tristy light up as they reeled in fish after fish and contemplate touching the slimy things.  By the end of the day they were measuring, weighing and discussing fish.  Tristy even picked one up that had been gutted!!

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Toddlers gone fishin’

Jun 27

Posted by Erik & Michelle in From the boat | No Comments

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Pathfinder/Boysen

Jun 23

Posted by Erik & Michelle in From the boat | No Comments

Boysen is as low as we have seen it.  We were fishing new territory this trip.  It is interesting to see the lay of the land under the water we normally fish each year.  ’There is that hump’, ‘I didn’t realize that little hole was right there’.  Makes for a less than dull trip even if the fishing isn’t fast….Which it is was not.  We still were able to pick up several walleye between Wednesday night and Thursday morning, but we decided it would be more fun to get back to Pathfinder, pick up a good friend, and look for trout.  So, we loaded up in time to hit the road with lunch in the cab of the truck.  We drove through Riverton and took Hwy 135.  The views were amazing!  It looked as is it was early May with all the snow in the high country of the Wind Rivers.  We got to Pathfinder and met up with our friend Tyler.  Headed to Bird Island. Picked up three nice Brown’s but not many rainbows.  We then headed back towards the marina and found the feeding rainbows again feeding shallow on top in the evening.  It was one after another of big rainbows!  What a perfect evening of  fishing :)

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Pathfinder fun!

Jun 17

Posted by Erik & Michelle in From the boat | No Comments

We waited until evening to go to Pathfinder hoping the wind would die down enough to have an easier time controlling the boat.  Trolling for trout is one of the funnest ways to catch fish when the action is fast.  It takes teamwork and concentration to play this game!  Using a kicker motor for speed and a bow mount trolling motor to steer, we drop our lines from 50 to 100 feet behind the boat and wait for the action to begin.  Once a fish hits, you must get the pole out of the holder immediately so as not to lose or break off the trout.  Then another person needs to kill the kicker and take over steering to make sure the other lines that are still out do not get tangled.  This person also must get the net ready, these are nice big trout!  Once the fish is on board, kick the motor back in gear and put out the crank bait that just landed a fish.  It gets wild when there are only two people in the boat and 3 or 4 lines out and even more crazy in the wind.

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Pathfinder weekend

May 16

Posted by Erik & Michelle in From the boat | No Comments

If you spent any time outdoors on Saturday you know it was about as miserable a day as you can get in the spring.  We took our friend Shane and his daughter Caitlin out early in the morning.  It was Caitlin’s birthday and we wanted her to catch a big rainbow!  What a day :(  we froze and the fishing was not the best we have had.  Of course being miserable never helps the fishermen make the right decisions about finding our prey.  We did accomplish our goal, however and by 9am, Caitlin had caught a couple fish and we could get the heck out of dodge!!  Sorry it was not the best day, Caitlin!

 

Sunday was a completely different type of day.  It started out windy and cold, but not even as cold as yesterday.  By 9:30 the wind died completely down and the lake was glass.  We caught quite a few fish and Max learned to use the net!  Crazy Wyoming weather…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Pathfinder shore fishing

Apr 25

Posted by Erik & Michelle in fly fishing | 1 Comment

 

 

 

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Ice and bunnies

Feb 27

Posted by Erik & Michelle in hunting, ice fishing | 1 Comment

We haven’t had the best of luck with the ice the last couple weeks.  The weather has not cooperated with us with low pressure two weekends in a row, not to mention that it is getting toward late ice.  The fish are sluggish from lack of oxygen from this long, long winter.  Last weekend as well as yesterday only produced a few fish, albeit nice sized ones.  Our neice, Kylee, experienced her first ice fishing trip this weekend.  We were disappointed she didn’t catch one!

Today, after church, we picked up Max and Chad and went to Pathfinder looking for some cottontails for dinner.  There weren’t a ton of bunnies to be had, but we found enough.  Max shot a rifle for the first time by himself and “bagged” a rabbit of his own!

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Pathfinder ice

Jan 8

Posted by Erik & Michelle in ice fishing | 1 Comment

The Jim Garbutt family and our college live-in, Elizabeth was up for an adventure with us this Saturday.  We headed for big trout country on the sweetwater arm of Pathfinder.  It is always fun to introduce youngsters to the thrills of the outdoors and none is easier to find than on the ice.  We arrived shortly after sun up and set out more than a dozen tip ups.  All the kids were eager to help with the set up and to learn how the process works.  Within a few minutes we had our first flag.  Within 3 hours we landed more than 15 fish and everyone had a chance to pull in a rainbow.  It was a perfectly calm and balmy day on the ice which always makes the experience that much more enjoyable.

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Pathfinder with Max

Dec 26

Posted by Erik & Michelle in ice fishing | No Comments

The only thing more exciting than ice fishing is fishing with a newbie!  Max went with us on his first ice fishing adventure.  We were so very thankful to have a beautiful mostly calm day at Pathfinder.  The sun was shining bright and fishing was consitent.  Max learned to set tip ups, watch for flags and pull in big rainbow trout.  It was a wonderful experience for us and for Max bringing home 15 trout with salmon colored fillets for the smoker!  Watch max catch fish here!!

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