Big Hole Cast 'N Blast....

was, well, a blast. First cast in No Name Creek a real lunker brookie ate the Orange Stimulator I had tied on in deference to Gale--like the Orange beauty has been a favorite, actually her go-to fly for decades--who was herself tied up at the moment tending to Kate who was at the moment engaged in ferreting out yet another interesting scent...Anyway no boots, no camera handy, standing on a high bank, no way to get down to land the beast (in one piece anyhow) I did the next best thing and tried to lead it downstream--no dice, no witnesses except for Annie of course so there you have it. How big? Well pretty big especially considering the crick's rather tight living quarters but in actuality...like the man often points out this one we will just never know. I know, I know the beeg ones always somehow get away...what can I say.

Here are a few keepers of another sort...hope you enjoy 'em even half as much as we enjoyed living 'em...

24 chilly degrees this mornin'...

Nothin' I know gets the blood runnin' quicker than crawlin' into frozen wading socks and boots...

Not a bad way to end a long day of adventurin, eh?

Mule Ranch/Pintlar  Range is perhaps our favorite Montana vista...

Big wind set the Stewart Mountain Fire (a few days ago officially declared DIW) to smokin' big time...so much for 100% contained, eh?

A Castin' and A Blastin'...Not necessarily in that order...

Off track sort of is this update of an earlier post dealing with the whacky fisher folk better known as "noodlers"...shouldn't surprise to find the activity alive and well in Okie country, eh?

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2011/09/04/magazine/LOOKcatfish.html?ref=magazine

Gale reminded me today how remiss of late my rantings and ravings so...My excuse being free at last (sort of) from the trials and tribulations of the guide wars we taken advantage to instead kick start the bird season and of course get a little castin' in too. Admittedly the castin' has taken a backseat to the blastin' but hey, been quite a lull in the action for both us and the dogs so like what do you expect. Anyways here are a few shots should serve as proof we ain't exactly been settin' around twiddlin' our you know whats...

Kate might be blind as a proverbial bat but don't think for a moment her nose don't still work...Notice the lead Gale used to get her in the ballpark of this Hun covey...pretty damn nifty I say...

Annie I think approves of sharin' the bird findin' with sister but just to make sure no one gets the wrong idea she is quick to take credit if given the slightest opening...sort of a dog thing, eh?

Annie and your reporter cooling their heels on a really too hot afternoon for chasing Huns...actually we decided enough already upon running into a rattler whilst chasing Huns...nuff said on that nasty subject...

On yet another track there seems to be more "nice" (no this is not a trophy size muley, not by a long shot) bucks (whitetails especially) around than usual so in the interest of honest photojournalism been trying to capture a few as proof...alas most mornings while no problem to see bucks the majority are far beyond range but I'll keep trying and you never know might even get lucky...