The Wally World "Fly By" Adventure ~ Sunday Tippets, Damsel Style

A two day fly fishing trip in RD's world usually is crammed with as much as you can get in.  Not a relaxing five day trip, that's for sure.  But, we still get plenty of fishing in and see a few side attractions as well.    This trip will go down as the Wally World "Fly By" Adventure...  I met up with Ross Slayton, who is one of the 5 flyfishers in the IF4 movie, "A Deliberate Life".  He has been a FB friend for awhile now and I have bought some really nice flies from him in the past.  He lives close to the South Fork of the Snake and I have wanted to have someone acquaint me to that river... So, I thank Ross for sharing some river time with me!







First, we had lunch in Idaho Falls.  At Pachanga's...my favorite chicken enchiladas with lobster sauce and my favorite cheesecake anywhere!  Yes, it's true. So creamy...

Ok...moving on.   The South Fork of the Snake.  Outside of Idaho Falls, ID.

 It was a fun afternoon as Ross, Bobo the river dog,

and I walked the river bank to find us some trout!

Then, it was time to land a nice, big brown trout!!

As I worried that he would break off as my rod did a nose dive, Ross just sat on a rock behind me exclaiming, "you got him, you got him..." 

After a couple short hours, I had to head to my next desination...

The Walmart "Fly Fishing Shop"

Ross was nice enough to take RD there for a post worthy report!

 Yes, it's true.  There are only a few of them.  The "Big Box" store gets it's tentacles into fly fishing.  I will always be an advocate for the small and personal fly shops, but I thought that it would be interesting for you to see what's in the "Box". 

Well, I do have a couple of questions about what is on this board.  I just have something about "wets" not being called "nymphs".   To each their own.  And "pick your favorite" under the "dries"!!  Ok...

Do you think that if they had Walmart river guides, that they might wear their

blue vests with a smile???  Maybe not, but I'm sure their thingamabobber indicators have those smiley faces on them!

Blue Damsels ~ Not well made, but still Damsels!

Yup, cheap enough flies.  Just remember you get what you pay for, usually.  A few fish might go after them.  You never know.  No, Ross.  Those don't look like your ties!

Rods and Reels.  Not names like Sage, Winston or Redington.  But, they do carry South Bend, Shakespeare and Eagle Claw to name a few.   Brands that appeal to those starting the sport or that are on a budget.  They did carry the Ross starter combo sets.  And a few bigger items, like pontoons!

Now we take you to the "tippet wall".  Hey, it's RD with some Cortland Fair Play tippet...  A decent enough tippet to make your outing successful.  I have tried three different brands of tippet and still go back to Rio.  But, in a pinch...this could very well work.  I have heard some decent reviews.

Now, wait a minute!  Ross...get your hand out of the bait fridge!!  What are worms doing in the fly fishing shop anyway?  And at the entrance no less.  Hmmmm...

I don't put live ones on the end of my line!  The "Big Box" is a bit confused here.

We must go back to the display case for a minute... Check out the plastic figures.

They must have had to fill an empty spot, so they placed a camping/fishing map complete with elk, wolves and bears.  And even a fly fisherman to boot!  I'm wondering if that came from the toy department.  = )

   

Sunday Tippet:  Yes, I can now say that I have seen a Walmart Fly Fishing Shop.  Will I be back?  Probably not.  But, I have 5 or 6 fly shops nearby that meet my needs and offer the most excellent customer service that you could ask for.  And that goes a long way in my book!  They know who RD is and the special needs like boot spikes, wading sticks, and magnifiers that I am in need of!  And I can always get an up to date fishing report along with what bugs are working.  Bonus!  But, if you are a bait fisherman, you can get your supplies along with worms (oh, you might have to check in the fly fishing section for that one), powerbait, and licenses in the separate Fishing Department.

Oh, I almost forgot... There was one more day.  It was a gorgeous, sunny day at the Warm River and the South Fork of the Teton River.  It was a perfect way to send me home with a smile.   = )  Yes, Yellowstone Country still has the white stuff stacked up!

Gorgeous, huh?  That's why I continue to find an "adventure in every riffle".

And Walmart, you will still continue to be the place that I buy my Black Forest candy.

Yes, I eat bugs.
But, only juicy ones.