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...

Fly Fishing: Beaverhead R&D Trip

Al Lefor, Great Divide Outfitters and your reporter did a R&D trip on the upper Beaverhead River today...while I would like to report gangbuster fishing truth is was sort of slow...Clark Canyon Creek had things mudded up again, not terrible but not so hot either...hey you know all us pro's can come up with a fine line of BS at the drop of a hat so...Anyway we worked hard, had a good time, enjoyed the nice day probably did not learn a whole lot but what the hell, tis after all fishin' OK  perhaps more to the point wishin'...whatever. (click on photos to enlarge)

 

Yes, I know both trout are sportin'  San Whammys...what can I say other than we did try a bunch of other stuff including dries after Al thought he saw/heard a riser...true story, hallucination, too much sun who knows, who cares...