Clear Creek, Buffalo Wyoming
April 25th, 2011

by Randy Caillier
(Sugar Hill, GA)

I had the opportunity to finally use my recently purchased Tenkara gear. I was in Wyoming for family business and was able to sneak away for a day of Tenkara Fishing on "Clear Creek" in Buffalo, Wyoming at the base of the Big Horn mountains.

The sun was out, temperature about 50 degrees - excellent considering the day before we had snow on the ground and coming down hard.

I rigged up with a #16 blue wooly bugger on 6x with a traditional line and hit my first hole on the creek. Within about 4 minutes I had my first trout, a small Bow. Now I'm thinking that was just luck!

After releasing the first fish and in the very next pool I hooked a 10" Bow same fly. OK, now I'm pumped. There seems to be something about "not" having a fly line being pulled around in the current as usual. But again, I'm thinking this is just luck.

The very next pool about 15 minutes later I hooked another 10" Bow. OK, "NOW" I'm thinking I have the secret weapon for catching fish.

Clear Creek was skinny water as you can imagine at this time of the year, actually making it easier to position yourself for the cast. I'm sure I had to look pretty weird. After hooking the first fish it dawned on me I didn't know how to land a fish without a reel or line to take up. Good problem to have, I learned fast however.

I can tell you that I'm a "Tenkara" fisherman from now on! It's the very best way to fish simple, be much closer to the fish, and enjoy some great outdoors.

Clear Creek has about 11 miles of public access fishing. You can park in the Buffalo city park and walk up to 11 miles west into the Big Horn mountains. Some of the most beautful country around.

“The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten” - Benjamin Franklin

"Be sure in casting, that your fly fall first into the water, for if the line fall first, it scares or frightens the fish..." -
Col. Robert Venables 1662

As age slows my pace, I will become more like the heron.

We've all had situations where seriously chewed up flies kept catching fish after fish after fish. It is no sin to tie flies that come off the vise looking seriously chewed up.