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.

Flyfisher's Guide to Montana...Upgrade

Talked to Chuck Johnson, Wilderness Adventures Press, yesterday about plans to reprint Flyfisher's Guide to Montana (2nd Edition, 2nd, maybe 3rd printing, I forget) this fall. One big change will be inserting color plates and recipes for specialty flies appropriate to Montana waters. A change I had been hoping for ever since we first talked about doing the book. I don't know about you but black and white renditions of colorful trout flies just do not cut it...Anyway I could not be happier to participate and am open to any and all suggestions...bear in mind we won't be including old standbys such as Elk Hair Caddis, Adams and so forth...Flies we will consider include those guarded secret ties you been spanking 'em even your best buddy is clueless. We will of course give credit where credit is due, contact info should you tie commercially and so on...Let me know ASAP as always your intrepid reporter is on sort of a short leash...

Fished upper, upper Big Hole yesterday amid swarms, I mean SWARMS, tricos...rise was already going strong when we hit river around 9 and fish were still madly slurping when we quit for lunch around one...too skinny to float best plan getting wet...sort of refreshing considering the 90 degree heat of late...

Montana Outdoors: Bannack Days...

Last Saturday, a lull in the guide wars, Gale and I along with our PA friends, Paul and Gretchen Rebarchak, spent the morning at Bannack Days. Bannack, the first Territorial Capital of Montana was a wild place by any stretch as is the annual re-enactment...

 Here's Paul doing his best to charm these, ah, soiled ladies. While looks can be deceiving, sorry pal, I came away thinking the ladies were, ah, dare I say it? Not all that impressed...you don't suppose the gray beard...nah!

As you might expect a gunfight soon ensued, drawing a big crowd, of course. In the end the white hats won but trust me the black hats did not go down easy...as the first shots rang out, a couple youngsters sitting nearby...well, to say they flinched is truly an understatement.

Pannin' fer gold, also drew a crowd, as young and old alike were stricken by 'gold fever'...can't say for sure any struck it rich but as you can see weren't from lack of tryin'...

Paul and I struck it rich as we entered the "Montana Morning Coffee" shack and found this lady roasting coffee beans the "old fashioned way"....old fashioned or not this gal (Dillon) brews a mean
CupAJoe...trust me.

Not long after, we struck gold again with a pair a "Indian Tacos" (Dillon)...what else can I say just about a feast such as this...Anyway next time your in town third weekend in July be sure to check out Bannack Days...not much chance a goin' way disappointed...guarandamnteed!