Fishing the San Juan

I FINALLY got to go the San Juan! My dad has been talking about for years! A tiny window opened up and my Dad and I left Thursday morning around 5 am. It was soooo early. I slept for a little while (not a good car sleeper) and drove for a little while but mostly enjoyed the conversation and scenery. We arrived at the motel, purchased our temporary licenses and headed out.

The weather was perfect (my Dad usually goes in December when it's snowing) and we weren't even wearing jackets. The river is super slick though and I did fall in once. Luckily I caught myself with my hand and I dried out pretty quickly.

And we fished...

Big fish...

Lots of fish...

So much fun...

It got dark around 5:15 and got REALLY cold. We got out of our gear and headed back to the room to get warm. We had a long night ahead of us so we drove 20 miles into a little town and had dinner in a little cafe. There were about 10 tables seated and 1 waitress. It took an hour to get our food. Good thing we weren't in a hurry. During this drive I was trying to charge my phone which for some reason hadn't charged during our 7 hour drive and realized something was broken. It finally died and we drove around to find a signal on my dad's phone so I could call Afton to say goodnight. After that we only had my dad's video camera.
Also on our drive we stopped at a grocery store to buy some nasal spray. Have you ever tried it??? I hadn't. I had been sick though and couldn't breathe and decongestants weren't helping at all. I tried this spray before bed and I stayed completely clear all night. I couldn't believe it. I'm a believer!!

The next morning we got up and hit the river around 8:30. It was pretty cold and I ended up in about 5 layers. I couldn't believe the fish and was so excited catching one after the other. We got a few video clips and were able to catch some still shots from those.

My dad was worried that the fish wouldn't act the way they normally do because we were there a month early and he'd driven me all the way out here but he didn't need to worry.

We caught fish after fish after fish.

I loved standing in the water, watching the fish, casting to them, hooking them. They are tough fish and I fought quite a few that ended up getting off the hook on their own. I'm sure they've had a lot of practice (poor things)!

I got very few shots of my dad. He said he'd been there enough and only wanted pictures of me. I did snap a few before my phone died but none of the fish. He said they all look the same after a while.

My waders sure keep me nice and warm!!

We left Friday afternoon around 3:30 (we actually left around 2 but couldn't do it) ( I said turn around, my dad said I love you and flipped the car around) We were back in the water and another hour and a half flew by catching fish after fish.

We had a long drive home in the dark but enjoyed this rainbow...it was a double until it was too dark to see. We worried about deer and got slowed down by the rain but luckily didn't hit snow until we came over Spanish Fork Canyon. The roads were horrible in Spanish Fork and we almost got taken out by a FedEx truck but overall we were fine. It took us about 8 hours to get home.

Videos to come....

Fishing with Dad

Six in the morning came really early today. I actually woke up around 5 and couldn't fall back asleep. Ugh

Needless to say I was ready to go when my Dad pulled into the driveway. I grabbed my gear and headed out. I will say I haven't been up that early in a long time. Thanks to Brett I am not getting up for work and if I am up that early I can always go back to sleep.

Anyway, we took off and spent the next 3 1/2 hours driving, drinking Coke, eating breakfast sandwiches and bagels, and luckily buying new sunglasses for me. I was really overdue and finally remembered and forked over the $15!

We drove into the middle of nowhere and I had my eyes open for Mountain Lions the whole time. We didn't have any service and hunting season had already begun so we wore orange and headed out!

The drive was beautiful, the river was small and fun and we had a really great time catching fish!

Afton's fish

The other day while Brett and Afton were on a bike ride they came across some girls fishing in the Jordan River. Afton was excited and wanted a turn so they gave her the pole. This was what she pulled in!

 Not sure who's more excited!

Fishing with Dad

It's not about the fish...


It's about so much more.


It's time with dad


driving in the jeep
walking on a trail
talking about nothing
finding good spots
learning about flies
watching my line
feeling my fly
breathing fresh air
spotting a deer
seeing what's flying
having a laugh
missing a bite
mending my line
mimicking dad
learning the tricks
being a student
telling stories


and sometimes


catching fish!

St. George

This weekend my Dad and I went to St. George to spend some much needed time with Zane and Ivy.

We left around 11:30 and it felt great to be in the car, on the road, heading out of town. The drive is so familiar to me after living in St. George and Cedar but it's been a while since I've gone anywhere. I was excited. I drove for a while as my dad snoozed. Every now and then he would ask if I was ok. Are you kidding? I am wide awake and loving this!

We grabbed Zane and Ivy around 4. We only got a few minutes with Rach before she left for work. Once we left Zane took us to this great hiking spot. We spent about 2 hours hiking and climbing. It was beautiful. Dad was in shorts, the rest of us in t-shirts. I've missed the warm sun and loved every minute!

The temperature dropped significantly when the sun went down and we went to Subway for some yummy sandwiches.

After Subway we headed to a little fun center and played a round of miniature golf. The set up was really cool and everything glowed in the dark. Zane doesn't know his own strength and Ivy kept us giggling. These two kids are so much fun!

The next morning my dad and I met Matt and we drove to Zion National Park. It was beautiful and we couldn't wait to get down to the river. It was pretty warm but the breeze kept the air cool. I stayed in full gear all day and was just fine.
We had so much fun walking through the river, feeling the sun on our faces. We didn't have a lot of luck with the fish. We assumed the recent flood might have impacted the flow of the river.
Regardless, we had a great time and Dad and I felt a little bad leaving Matt to enjoy the weather without us.

Brett called during the drive to let me know Afton had reached her limit without her mommy. I was excited to get home. During the drive we saw 2 bald eagles, a few hawks and hundreds of deer.

Once we got home Grandpa walked me in and Afton went right to him and hugged him over and over. It was cute and I'm glad she loves my dad so much!

My dad is a great person to hang out with! We always have fun together and like the same adventures. He likes to joke around saying that I am fun as long as I am fed and warm! So true!

The night before I left there was an earthquake (2.8) and while I was gone there were 2 more. I was a little nervous coming home wondering if (when) it might happen again. Luckily we haven't had any since then.

Fall fishing with Dad!

Today was so much fun. I met my dad at a parking lot at 8:30 in the morning. We put on our waders and boots and hit the road. Once we found a good spot we put on more gear. Jackets, hats, another coat, glasses, and a fishing vest to be exact. I love the feeling of my waders when I first step into the water. I can feel the water pushing down on my feet and everything tightens.

As we moved through the water we would hit pockets of air that seemed almost warm with no wind and a few minutes later I would be freezing. It stayed like that the entire time we were gone and we kept thinking a storm was rolling in but nothing hit.

As we were taking off our gear and packing up our poles a gust of wind came through and almost blew me over. I stumbled and had to grab the jeep. We ended up driving a little further around a bend so my dad could get out and get his waders off. Whew!

We stayed for a couple of hours, moved to a couple of different spots and picked up 12 or so fish each. My big one got away...doesn't it always? Dangit

Strawberry River

Fishing with dad on the Strawberry River.

I LOVE the drive,
I LOVE talking,
I LOVE walking through sagebrush,
I LOVE the pressure of the water
on my waders as I step into the river,
I LOVE concentrating on my line,
I LOVE the smells,
I LOVE landing a big fish,
I LOVE eating junk food and drinking soda
I LOVE hanging out with my dad!