Montana Fly Fishing: Big Hole is pretty skinny...

...With the Big Hole river at Maiden Rock running 259 cfs enjoying anything like a leisurely float is of course out the question. Should you choose to embark anyway plan on lots of dragging and good luck not getting downright stuck. I did a few days ago and with two guys in the boat uncapable of getting out to help thought I might be a goner...obviously (luckily) I survived but...

I understand the Big Hole Watershed Committee is about to ask MTFWP to restrict angling to mornings only and ask farmers, ranchers and Silver Bow Water Authority to restrict water useage. Personally with water temps in the high 60s to low 70s most afternoons the fishing all but dies and unless you play in the few trout you might catch quickly and release immediately chances of survival are slim to none anyway.

Al and I were talking yesterday and we both agree what with the low snowpack, hotter than Hades July (hottest ever, by the way) and an early August that has not been much better the Ol' River held up pretty much as well as could be expected.

The morning fishing has held up pretty damn good as well; currently tricos are the main morning event and the trout continue to grab an assortment of big flies: purple haze, para adams, elk hair caddis, small hoppers and even large attractors such as chubbies, gypsy kings and so forth...



Birding Trails Montana: Five down...

...one (Custer Country) to go and my new book Birding Trails Montana will be ready for publishing. With over 200 birding sites described and directions how to get there I'm hoping the book will prove a valuable reference for prospecting birders hoping to check-off the 400 plus birds found in Montana. The book is scheduled for publishing in early 2013; prepublished orders can be had by contacting Wilderness Adventures Press, books@wildadvpress.com or phone 1-866-400-2012

Fly Fishing: Summer Fish Camp...

Early morning on the upper Big Hole and a frosty one at that especially considering was only 3rd dahy of August. First morning we fished the trico hatch was just getting revved when a big wind blew up and swatted down the tiny (#24s in case you wondered) bugs. With the wind howling and trillions of dead and dying corpses littering the river surface the trout, grayling and whitefish went nuts. Alas acheiving the neccessary spot on accuracy...well not so easy, adding to the puzzle the wind was blowing down and the biggest fish were rising tight against the left bank (above) which meant having to cast cross body to keep from hooking one in the ear...pretty tough duty to say the least. I think about a hundred shots netted something like four fishes...Oh well, twas fun and after all that is precisely what we came for so...

Into the mountains and hoping the timber (what's left of it anyway, the beetle kill in this area is beyond devastating) would kill the wind or at least make casting tolerable...And it did, in fact the wind was hardly noticable and we enjoyed several hours of non-stop hook-ups...Pretty creek, pretty  wild trouts, pretty wildflowers, good company, can't beat it...

Bluebells

Fringed Parnussus

Despite the black background both flowers were shot with available light (as opposed to a strobe) apparently the creek in the background rendered it black...I normally do not like flowers and black background but hard to argue the flowers sure do pop off the page...just in case you wondered.