Fly Fishing: My Fly Box

Lakes are an under-fished alternative to blown out rivers...

Like most fly addicts I carry way too many flies, way too many patterns and like most of us each winter I vow to pare down the outfit to something more manageable but...What to part with, what to keep is a dilemma I've never yet been able to quite come to grips with. While I firmly believe I believe presentation is at least 90 % of the battle. Somehow when they aren't eating my offerings, no matter how close to perfect the toss and drift I can't quite shake the nagging little voice in my head. The one keeps pounding out that old familiar tune "c'mon, admit ya foolish ol' bastard, it's the fly stupid." And so my fly box remains bloated way beyond reasonable. So over the top, the hardest part is locating the damn fly I now think might at last turn the tide in my favor.

So there you have it, the list below is yet another stab at creating order from a long chaotic career and yes, it is one a those "do as I say not as I do." Knowing full well not one of you will give the list anything more than a once over anyway here goes...

My Montana Fly Box (The Mythical Pared Down Version)

Parachute Adams/Hare's Ear; Purple Haze/Wulffs, Stimulators, etc. # 8-18
Pat’s Rubber-legs # 8 – 4

Hare’s Ear nymphs/BH/FB #8-18
Prince nymphs/BH/Psycho/ various colors # 8-14
Copper John/various colors/#14-18
San Juan Worms # 10-12.
Buggers ‘n Bunnies, green, yellow, white, orange, grey, black/yellow J.J's  # 4
Caddis dries/ various styles, Olive, Brown, #14, 16, 18
Soft Hackles/emergers, amber olive, pink, orange, peacock, red, black, PT, #14,16,18
Midges, zebra, wd40, etc. #18,20
P.Ts/BH/FB Olive, Pink, brown  #14, 16,18,20
Scuds/sow bugs pink, orange, gray # 14,16, 18

BWO split back #18, 20
Micro mayflies, green, brown #16,18
Ants/black/black, orange/orange/wet/dry/winged/ #10-18
Beetles/foam/deer hair/black/brown/green #14-20
Hoppers 

PS, OK I no doubt missed a few but you get the idea...Right?

Fly Fishing: I Got Good News and Some Not So Hot...

The good news, after a couple not so good years, thanks to heavy silt laden runoff, the Beav below High Bridge is once again cookin, as brim full a trout...lots a trout...lots a fat trout...good as good news gets. Scenes such as these are once again a dime a dozen...

Fat, healthy rainbows...

Rods bent to the max...

Heavyweight browns at every bend...

With all signs pointing to a great year now's the time...like you never know what tomorrow might bring until tomorrow and by then it might be too late.

The "not so hot" news is the Big Hole continues to yo-yo up and down, gripped in a holding pattern so to speak. The big rain we were supposed to get this weekend which might have started the high country snow melt didn't happen. So the river is once again falling...good news in the short term, since it will no doubt start fishing again soon. But with all that snow still sitting up there should it ever warm up and warm up fast...look out. Scenes such as these are no doubt nothing compared to what the river and its many tribs might look like...

Big Hole last year at about 9000 cfs...better duck.

Wise River above Lacy Creek, two days ago...runnin pretty good but like I said we ain't seen nothin yet...

Wyman Creek this time last year...obviously barely beginning to runoff....

Should the big event hold off for the time being, the Mother's Day caddis should start popping on the Big Hole any day now; look for fish to stack on the soft side of the river, the eddies and back waters.

Montana Gone Wild...

Montana got grizz...

...apparently hell-bent on savagin our hunters in retaliation for past abuses wreaked upon cousin blacky...

http://fwp.mt.gov/news/newsReleases/fishAndWildlife/nr_0267.html

...And black bears dashin about the runways of our International Airports...

http://www.greatfallstribune.com/article/20110524/NEWS01/105240312/Black-bear-removed-from-airport

...and mountain lions lazin about the front porch terorizin innocent capitol city housewives...

http://helenair.com/news/article_dfbab480-86db-11e0-945a-001cc4c002e0.html

...and wolves invadin our backyard hell bent on killin our huntin dogs...

http://www.ravallirepublic.com/news/local/article_f1a4e83a-85a7-11e0-8565-001cc4c002e0.html

...and illegal alien, disease-ridden bison spewin outta Wyomin threatenin to wipe out our cows...

http://billingsgazette.com/news/state-and-regional/montana/article_a50d1bba-81cd-11e0-81de-001cc4c03286.html

...and grizz beaten the crap outta horrified hikers evidently for no better reason than to prove a point...

 http://www.bozemandailychronicle.com/news/article_ff41c2c8-8012-11e0-9d06-001cc4c002e0.html

...that bein you tread on my turf you gonna find yore sorry ass a painin somethin awful...

The title says it all, eh?...I rest my case.

Fly Fishing: A Simple Fly That....

....gits 'er done. The life and times of the so-called "soft-hackle fly.

Soft-hackles are simple to tie and deadly...

 

Soft hackles are beautiful, lively, simple, spare, traditional and deadly. Well-known and wildly popular for many hundreds years the other side the big pond soft hackles in this neck of woods are near and dear to but a relative handful addicts. Also known as hackle flies, north country flies, stewart spiders, Yorkshire spiders and probably countless other handles I’m unaware. Most reporters seem to agree first-mention honors go to Dame Juliana Berners’ in the 1496 edition Treatise of Fishing with an Angle, but its origins are no doubt centuries older.

Back in the dark ages when I first started chuckin’ flies wets were extremely popular—both the winged and wingless models. The first time I recall hearing the term “hackle fly” was, I think, in an Outdoor Life article by the late, great Ray Bergman (sorry I don’t recall the date, circa 1950s probably, or the title, actually I might have read it in "Trout...oh well). The first I recall hearing the term “soft hackle” was later, perhaps not until Sylvester Nemes’ landmark book, The Soft-Hackled Fly hit the streets in the mid-70s. At any rate, the book created quite a stir for a short time and a lot of us (I, of course) who had drifted to “more sophisticated methods” were quick to jump back on the wagon. In my case, I’ve been on it more or less ever since.

I began tying flies as a young teenager. Self-schooled my first attempts were truly sorry affairs. The Old Man took one look, said something like “nice son, but for now I think I’ll continue shoppin’ Dewey’s” (the local hardware/sporting goods store). Later I heard him tell an uncle, “Looked a lot like a crippled bird but don’t say I said so.” But Bergman’s piece on “hackle flies” not only turned my sorry fly tying on its ear; the flies upped my fly caught catch rate at least ten fold.

Early favorites were the Brown and Gray Hackle/Peacock, the Whickam’s Fancy-- wicked to tie but a real killer once I got the hang of palmering the hackle. But it was the Orange Fish Hawk really got ‘er done. Indeed hackle flies were just what the doctor ordered for both a struggling fly-tyer and budding fly-fisher-boy. Interesting to note I read recently Jack Gartside, one of the all-time innovative fly tyers took an eerily similiar path--learned from reading Bergman, early favorites gray hackle peacock, orange fish hawk, strange indeed; although obviously he took his start an ran to a much higher level, than I. 

I caught a lot of trout on those flies and I enjoyed tying them. But, perhaps because I read too much, put too much stock in what the so-called “experts” were serving up at the moment, at some point I drifted away from “hackle flies.” Instead fell head over heels for charms of the dry fly and nymph—you know the hoity-toity side of the fly-fishing-life.

As with most things, what goes around eventually comes back around and thankfully “hackle flies” fit the bill.

PS The Big Hole river at Maiden Rock has risen above 7000 cfs; it is supposed to dry out today but more rain "moderate to heavy in spots" is forecast for tomorrow so...

Fly Fishing: Dodging the Opening Day Circus...

Road over the mountain might be bare but off the blacktop you are indeed in deep do-do...

To my way of thinking having a crick such as this all to ourselves trumps participating in the Opening Day Circus every single time; no matter how many or how big the trout...Not a single soul did we see the entire day...can't beat it.

In deference to Kate who would really like to get in the crick but can't anymore, at least not safely, I did not wade. Not being able to at least get in the crick to get around obstructions calls for a bit of ingenuity, to say nothing of perseverance...actually getting to a spot like this and making the cast is, to put it mildly, damn hard work...

Thanks to the fishing gods it ain't all a jungle...

Runs such as this are, if not to die for, certainly highlight the dream-reel and sometimes even serve up a pretty nifty trout...and if you're really on your game maybe two or three even...imagine!

Solitude, pretty spot, pretty trout, lots a critters...to my way of thinkin sure beats the crap out a rubbin' elbows on , say, the Beav or (fill in your favorite blue ribbon trout water)...I rest my case...

Fishing: Mighty MO Cats

Greg Gibbons shows off a Missouri River cat...

Ditto Ray Gross (right) and fishin' buddy...



Little bigger version.... (Greg Gibbons photos)



No not noodled (see previous post) and not quite as large as the Texas version just your typical Missouri River channel cats these guys hauled on a recent week-long float from Coal Banks Landing to Fred Robinson Bridge, the Wild and Scenic River section. Ray said, "we also caught a couple (few?) walleye but the river was really too muddy for good walleye fishing." So far as I know all were taken on "bait." What sort is more than I know?

Fly Fishing: Catching Fish is But a Small Part of It...

Gale caught a good one. Me? Well, what can I say? (chuckngalerobbins.com photo)

Yesterday I got skunked--again. So no real news there since more times than not this spring Clark Canyon has kicked my sorry butt...While I would like to know what the hell I don't intend to lose sleep over it. Baffling to me is not so much not catching fish except for one afternoon I'm not seeing fish.

Normally, as in every other spring, just about anyplace on the west side fish are cruising the banks, not this spring. At least not on my watches. Actually I haven't heard or seen anyone else knocking 'em dead either. So obviously there is something going on...What? I have not a clue. I have heard several excuses: too much water (yes the res is brimmin'); numbers way down (hard to argue although I can't for life of me come up with a reason why; when last spring seemed trout numbers in the lake were off the wall); too cold (hard to argue early on but of late? well it sure hasn't been balmy often but it really hasn't been all that cold); ice fishermen beaning way too many trout (seem like there were ice fishermen beaning trout forever so)...

So there you have it...if you got any startling revelations feel free I'm all ears...

Noodling Fever On The Rise... Fishin' Sort Of...

Brady Knowlton photo from Wall Street Journal...hefting a well-noodled 60 pound cat...

By Ana Campoy for the Wall Street Journal…



DALLAS—Brady Knowlton believes it's his inalienable right as a Texan to shove his bare hand into the mouth of a 60-pound catfish and yank it out of a river. But wrestling a flapping, whiskered giant as it latches onto your arm with its jaws isn't among Texas's accepted methods of capturing fish. It is, rather, a class C misdemeanor, with fines of up to $500.

Knowlton is trying to change all that and currently pandering a bill through the state legislature would make noodling legal, just another fishing method. Some angler groups are of course opposed to the idea, calling noodling unfair to the fish (no surprise there, eh? This last paragraph is of course the prose of none other but your brilliant correspondent...but you knew that, eh?


How to Noodle (again pilferred from the Wall Street Journal)


The hunt

Noodlers explore the banks and rocky areas of lakes and rivers for catfish lairs, using their hands or a branch to poke around in the murky water. They look for clues such as smooth, packed dirt (catfish will clean the area around their nests of debris and plants).

The bite

Once a hole is located, noodlers insert their arms, with elbows slightly bent. As the fish lunges forward to bite, a noodler tries to get both hands into the fish's mouth and grab the bone in the lower jaw shaped like a suitcase handle. The fish can also be grabbed through the gills.

The catch

The noodler brings the fish to his or her chest, elbows facing straight out of the body for strength, and wraps his or her legs around the fish's tail to immobilize it. Helpers pull fish and fisher to the surface.

The fry

Skin, clean, fry, munch…yummy good eats

PS...Be careful what you noodle cats ain't the only critters dwellin' in underwater holes...true story...over and out...Chuck

Fly Fishing: Kids Day on the Big Hole

Yesterday, Meriwether Ranch hosted the annual Kids Day on the Big Hole sponsored by the Big Hole River Foundation. From what I saw a fun and informative time was had by all. Thanks to the many guides and outfitters, FWP personnel and volunteers the kids not only had a good time they learned a lot. River safety, fish and wildlife of Montana, fly casting, aquatic entomology, fly tying, and even got to kick back and enjoy a short float on the river. Butte Walmart provided lunch: hot dogs, hamburgers, cookies, chips and drinks.

FWP wardens taught river safety, dangers of cold water and rescue techniques

Fly tying as you might expect was a big hit with the even the little kids

But for most it seemed fly casting was the highlight...like the entire bunch really got into it...

While most fascinating in show probably went to the bugs...

The high water added to the excitement and judging the comments a bit of fear...not that many would admit it.

Spring Has At Last Sprung, the Wildflowers Tell Me So...

A walk in the sage a couple weeks ago the only wildflowers we saw were a few patches of Hood's flox--one the tiniest blooms I know of perhaps 3/16" wide and nearly flat to the ground....

Hood's flox

 But yesterday right out the truck Gale spied several bunches much larger, about the size of a half dollar, daisy-like flowers, Hood's Townsendia

Hood's townsendia

From that point on we were never out of sight of one flower or another such as the pretty mountain bluebells; a bit larger and standing taller than Hood's flox, against the gray/brown sagebrush and brown grass bluebells are difficult to miss...

Mountain bluebell

Not much drab about the few seeded draba and while these too fall into the really tiny class the yellow stands out like a beacon in the night sky might...

Few-seeded draba

Moss campanion is another tiny flower but the bright pink stands out and in some places rivals Hood's flox in abundance, like everywhere you look...

Moss campanion

Many think of sagebrush as wasteland, lifeless, empty and worthless but nothing could be further from the truth. Take a hike most anytime and chances are you will bump into all sorts of wildlife: elk, moose, antelope, mule and whitetail deer, songbirds, sage hens. pygmy, cottontail and jack rabbits, badger, coyote, golden eagles, you name it. Obviously spring is one of the best times, don't buy it? Take a hike and see for your ownself...over and out...Chuck

Fly Fishing: Random Shots

Raining, article all but finished, no pencils left to sharpen, nothing much else I wanted to do why not surf the photo files says I to self? Whereupon I found these old gems hiding in a corner the computer apparently I haven't visited in awhile, that is while I do remember them now that I've seen 'em did forget somehow where the hell I might a filed 'em...Anyway here goes: Above of course is a blizzard, green as it is obviously a summer blizzard...No not snow flakes but a zillion tricos all caught up in a mating dance...one those funnel cloud-like swarms, actually.

Paul Antolosky battling, from the looks of it, a pretty hefty trout (brown, rainbow? sorry, done slipped the ol' agin' mind.



Lamar Underwood, long time pal, best editor, mentor ever, casting the Mighty Mo near Wolf Creek.  



If only a teeny-weeny bit of Kate's fishing intensity would rub off, I'm here to tell you the Boss would be a damn tough hombre to beat.

 

While it sure doesn't look good in the short term I remain optimistic the cricks will indeed once again flow normal-like, the bugs will hatch and actually be warm enough for lift off and the trout will once again rise...true story.

Meantime, might as well tie a few ugly flies shoot a few pretty shots, kick back and wail away..."How high's the river Mama?" Well you know...

And of course there is always the greeny to go to fixin'...seein' as she's in dry dock as we speak, her bottom all torn to pieces and expectin' the next shipment fixins any minute...might best shove her to the front burner, eh?

Happy States

Well the cat is now out the bag; you wanna be happy (happiest) then if you haven't already best drag your butts to...drum roll please....

1. Hawaii: 71.0***
2. Wyoming: 69.2
3. North Dakota: 68.4
4. Alaska: 68.3
5. Colorado: 68.0
6. Minnesota: 68.0
7. South Dakota: 68.0
8. Utah: 67.9
9. Connecticut: 67.9
10. Massachusetts: 67.8
(***percent the population way happy/happy happy or something of like magnitude)

And yes, from atop my curmudgeons-pulpit I view this missile as way good news, e.g., thanks to the polling gods ol' montany failed for once to make a favorite-spot-to-hang-your- hat list...Whew!

On another irksome/tiresome/too familiar (take your pick) track:

Big Bad Wolf Delisted in Idaho, Montana but NOT Wyoming...Or Here we go AGAIN...
Admittedly to have not heard this breaking news item already you are either out of planet or in hiding/out of touch, say, 'neath one of the few rocks on Earth lack cell/internet, perish the thought. Depending on your viewpoint I guess this one falls as either good news or bad news but by golly tis news...actually sort of stale news at this point in time...Anyway case you missed it click on the links below to catch up or...to paraphrase that tired ol' Montana fickle weather sayin' "don't suit ya? hold your corn in a minute is sure to change"...as I say just like our weather, eh?...over and out...Chuck
http://www.mtexpress.com/index2.php?ID=2005136524

http://www.greatfallstribune.com/article/20110506/NEWS01/105060327

http://www.magicvalley.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/article_75b6423e-a3b2-5f68-8a37-2388224c9cea.html

http://helenair.com/news/article_1f472d2e-76e0-11e0-be61-001cc4c002e0.html

Fly Fishing: Mighty Mo Monster--Poindexter Circus

In late March a guy name of Kevin Cumley nymphed up a giant rainbow in the Missouri River between Hauser and Holter reservoirs...check it out by clicking the link below.
http://www.mtstandard.com/lifestyles/recreation/article_e3d7382c-76c3-11e0-ad5b-001cc4c03286.html

Yesterday after sending off some photos for an upcoming article I decided to take advantage of the warm weather--60+ if you can believe it--and go fishing. Poindexter's been on my list of to dos now for awhile so...

Balmy, cloud cover, no wind to speak of for a change seemed almost too good to be true, perfect me thinks for a heavy olive hatch for which the little spring crick just happens to famous this time a year but...

The bad news, time I get rigged the GD wind is now howling, (found out later gusting to around 40)...yikes! But the good news the olives are indeed hatching, not thick mind you still trout are up grabbing what they can before the howling wind blows the diminutive buggers to oblivion or wherever...The baddest news making anywhere near the sort of accurate pitch necessary flat out the question...drag free?..laughable... 

You might think I'm hooked up here but alas you would be wrong...

...actually the wind hooked my cast about 4 feet off target and into the grass and since by this time I've managed to spook hell of all but one the risers in this pool I'm trying desperately to yank it free and perhaps give it one more shot...did not happen...oh well...

Like I said "desperate" here I've switched to an ugly bug...

Fast forward 50 or so shots and behold wet  "ugly bug"

With the wind if anything blowing harder than when this travesty began, the trout showing only slightly more interest in "wet ugly bug" than the weird acting way off target olives earlier...well hell, says I to Gale...might as
well go to...

....DRINKIN'....

...As Willie says "tis 5 o'clock somewhere" and by God if ain't 5 o'clock here...over and out....

Morels, wild gobbler chases and more...

photo by Shawn Nicewonger (click to enlarge)

Quite the haul, eh? Something on the order of 1200 plus to be exact gathered one evening and next morning by my PA pal Shawn Nicewonger and his two boys (ages 6 & 7 in case you wondered). Way to go you guys. Keep up the good work and should you run outta space you do know my address...right?

Spring gobbler hunting, Montana style (click to enlarge) photo by Greg Gibbons

Thanks to the snow gods Greg and Ray (that's Ray in the hat) and the dogs survived (barely) one those extreme spring gobbler hunts we've all experienced but nonetheless dread happening. Depending on who's telling it took 1 1/2 or 2 1/2 hours to drive the 35 miles from Ekalaka to Baker during the escape. Rumor has the pair spent one day in Greg's camper watching WWII videos but as I say just rumor...over and out...

(click to enlarge) copyright chuckngalerobbins.com

Went off to Bozangeles to rectify our defunct cell phone thanks Alltel for allowing AT&T to buy you out. Anyway on the way we decided to stop at Headwaters SP one of the many sites in our upcoming book "Birding Trails Montana" just in case you wondered...Anyway I got lucky for a change and came away with a couple keepers...to whit this chippy and the white pelican below...

White pelican/veil indicating breeding mode (click to enlarge) chuckngalerobbins.com photo

Paul Rebarchak photo/PA gobbler

(click to enlarge)

As you all know or should Montana gobblers are dunces compared to the mighty, wily ol' PA Toms one thing hard to argue when it come to extreme hunts...well, I rest my case.

Fontinalis Fin tied by Don Bastion, photo copyright The Complete Flyfisher

You all knew this, right? Just one of many, many traditonal wets popularized by the late great Ray Bergman believe it or not way back when this and many other traditional ties were our (my) go toos...Honest Injun!!!! over and out...

Chuck