Beaverhead National Forest: Whilst Poking About...

...the forest a couple days last week hoping perhaps we might find a spot to cast a fly or two and not risk being swept away didn't pan out we did the next best thing and went exploring...

...last spring Gale shot a sow with two tiny cubs in tow in almost the exact spot I shot this bear a couple days ago...grazing the lush green grass it (I think a sow) it eyed me suspiciously turned and walked to a nearby tree, climbed up and...

...walked out a limb, turned around and lay down...While I hopped about below trying to find a spot to continue shooting it closed eyes for a moment as if to snooze then apparently thought the better idea was instead to keep eyes peeled on this strange acting dude...same bear? Who knows....A nifty encounter just the same...

A short time later Gale spied this moose. At first we thought it a cow and probably with calf in-tow. Since I've had all the run-ins with Mama Moose this ol' boy can stand I grabbed the camera and vowing to watch my ass this time around crept over the hill real slow and cautious like...Low and behold I soon stumbled upon not Mama Moose mind you but a rather strange looking Bullwinkle...sort looks a first glance like somehow a 2X4 drove twixt the ears, eh?

Exploring up a roaring crick we hadn't tramped before revealed a ton of unidentified mushrooms of several different varieties and this one lone morel...too bad since this baby I know to be dee-lish-ous but of course one shroom...well you know.

Roaring cricks are one thing you don't have to look far this spring to find; just lend an ear most anywhere and chances are you'll hear the music loud and clear

Fly Fishing: R&D Day 2...Upper Big Hole

Al Lefor, Great Divide Outfitters, pondering what to do with all that water...or just enjoying the view...or contemplating just how high the river might rise should all that snow in the mountains suddenly turn to...well, you know what....(click on the photos to enlarge)

We put in at Squaw Creek Bridge and floated to East Bank under mostly cloudy skies with a cool northwest breeze...right out the gate sort of I had three hits on a streamer, one I'm pretty sure was a nice brookie...Anyway a few PMDs and BWOs started coming off, a sparse hatch but...low and behold we found a few fish...most, if not all, grayling...rising. I rigged up with what both Al and I agreed was a suitable imitation and several dozen casts into it landed a fat grayling. Obviously what seemed to us "suitable" didn't exactly suit the risers...oh well.

Both of us pretty much decided beforehand it would be streamers or dries or more to the point dry/dropper; in other words no damn "bobbers" come hell, high water, even at the risk of eating skunk...

And to be fair we both did stick to our guns...well sort of anyway....

I did notice Al starting to slip a bit toward the end and in the interest of honest photojournalism felt obligated to snap this, ah shall we say "telling" photo...

Was it worth it, I mean risking an old man's stellar reputation? You be the judge...

Montana Fly Fishing: How High Will the Big Hole Rise?

Looking east through the Notch to the Tobacco Roots (click to enlarge)

Is always a hot topic and a big question this time of year. It got even hotter a few days ago when the Big Hole suddenly spiked up several hundred cfs almost overnight. Not at all unusual this time of year but since just about everybody I've talked to seems to agree we are still very much in the grips of either a prolonged winter or a real chilly spring...Since most days either start out damn chilly (12 on the porch yesterday) or end up that way no matter what the mid-day highs are I'd call it a toss up...

With that in mind we have been trying our best to just ignore the endless chill and do just that...Been fishing twice on the Big Hole, both admittedly somewhat aborted ventures, with similar though not unexpected rather grim results. Ditto the lake sort of...Yesterday being three strikes and out that's all I have to say.

How high the Big Hole will rise is of course more than I (or anyone else for that matter) know. I checked the Jeff snow pack info this morning and the snow water is 123% of normal; the snow pack a bit less. So assuming we get the usual dumpings over the next 10 weeks or so my bet is pretty damn high. If not well, who the hell knows given what's out there could come off pretty damn quickly or not depending of course on that other impossible to predict long range (with any accuracy) variable e.g. how hot?

So there you have it, a cop out I know, sorry...over and out...

Upper Big Hole Wildflower Walk

What a difference a week makes. Last week wildflowers in the upper Big Hole valley were hard to find, to non-existent. A week later the entire valley seems to be in bloom. Lupine (blue and yellow and even a few whites), paint brush, blue camas, penstemon (sp.), elephant head, rocky mountain iris, oregon grape, sticky geranium, mariposa lily, and several more I can't recall at the moment.

Creeks are still brim full but some are starting to drop to more normal early July levels...notably Bull and West Fork Fish Trap creeks. More whitetails sighted than any other single day in the valley and everywhere we went were antelope and a ton of babies...

Big Hole River Continues to Foil the Forecasters

Be sure to duck that is if you're foolish enough to find yourself in a boat about to pass under Browne's Bridge spanning the Big Hole River anytime soon. Contrary to any and all predictions just when the river would peak and how high yesterday it topped 10,000 cfs. And if anybody out there thought it would reach 5-figures they sure weren't shoutin' it out. This morning it has dropped slightly but it did so too night before last only to start back up as the day warmed. What will happen today is of course more than I know...like don't expect any prognosticatin' here.

Anyway with guide trips cancelled we decided to head up into the nearby high country perhaps fish a favorite lake we haven't tried in several years. WRONG!

Our hopes soared as we gained elevation on a surprisingly dry road, smooth too, no doubt the usual ruts washed out in the deluge of a couple days ago. But the last 5 miles are always the worst and this time was no exception. Then after bumping and grinding up the steepest part wouldn't you know it... Yes, snow blocked the way and of course I did not think to bring snowshoes so, like the aborted guide trip two days ago this one too ended in skunk, though naturally a different flavor since we didn't actually fish.

The crick we followed was, as expected, raging, ripping or roaring, take your pick. Wildlife sign was nearly non-existent up high as the snowpack is far from melted. Lower down we did see a few mule deer and I photographed a skinny little rattler. Up high in the wet places marsh marigolds lent an air of optimism spring is indeed just around the corner...albeit the corner this time around might very well be a ways down the road...even still, despite than June is well along and July really is just around the bend.