I fished the Jefferson yesterday with a couple of buddies. It was the first time in almost 10 years that I wet a line on the Jeff and it might just be another 10 years before I do it again. Just kidding. We floated from Cardwell to Sappington which is a 16 mile float through a tryly remarkable canyon. The water is pretty tame through the whole thing with lots of stretches of dead water which can be rowed through worry-free. I got 9 fish, the largest of which was 19-20 inches and a really healthy Brown. My buddies didn't do so well, but I think that was due to luck more than anything.
This river has probably sufferred more than any other in the area over the last 15 years or so of drought conditions. Irrigators basically suck it dry in the summer, which has resulted in heavy siltation and lots of vegetation. So, the trout numbers aren't what they once were and neither is teh fishing. It's kind of sad that the state and regional conservation groups have pretty much ignored this river over the years. It's reallyt hampered by the fact that the Big Hole, Beaverhead, and Ruby form the Jeff...none of whihc have had any real good water years the last 5 or 6.
Anyway, it was a beautiful float and we caought some fish nymphing. Maybe could have done better throwing streamers, but we weren't in the mood for that junk yesterday. So, we had a great time being alone on a magnificent western river. I hate my job!
Thursday, March 30, 2006
Tuesday, March 28, 2006
A Day in The Fly Shop
So, what happens on a normal day in a fly shop this time of year? Well, besides all the fame and glory, there are some real tasks that have to be meticulously taken care of! For instance, Rick (the manager) tied 8 dozen re San Juan worms in about 3 hours today. I was busy checking for e-mails from my wife (who is in Austria at the time) and looking for a vacation rental around Lumsden in New Zealand. I also put an order together for some tying materials, looked at the sales reports and used that info to get a book order together. We got a new color of Crawbuggers in that didn't jive with the Master Plan, so I had to alter the Master Plan. I planned a float on the Jefferson tomorrow through the canyon above Sappington. I tried to coerce a fromer employee into throwing his dreams of being a financial juggernaut away for a few months to come back to work with us. Booked a trip, answered some e-mails, talked fishing to some customers...another tough day at the office. It's hard to imagine, but life in a fly shop really is kind of like life in a fly shop!
Monday, March 27, 2006
Fishing Today
I had a couple from Minnesota today. They have been fishing for a few years now and were pretty good fly-fishers, compared to many others. The weather the last couple of days has been really crappy, but a high pressure system moved in last night and cleared everything out maing for a great day. We caught some fish, lost some too, missed some as well, but landed a 20 inche brown whihc was just an amazing fish.
The couple was very nice and genuinley enjoyed the day and the experience. People like this just reinfornce why I do what I do. They understand the idea that fly-fishing is fishing and through fishing, comes freedom.
The river bumped up 200 cfs over the last day, so some of the buckets were a bit harder to get to and the fish seemed to be a spread out a bit. We mostly hooked up in water less than 2 feet deep on the San Juan. Saw some good numbers of Baetis early on and got a few fish to eat some small PT's.
The couple was very nice and genuinley enjoyed the day and the experience. People like this just reinfornce why I do what I do. They understand the idea that fly-fishing is fishing and through fishing, comes freedom.
The river bumped up 200 cfs over the last day, so some of the buckets were a bit harder to get to and the fish seemed to be a spread out a bit. We mostly hooked up in water less than 2 feet deep on the San Juan. Saw some good numbers of Baetis early on and got a few fish to eat some small PT's.
Sunday, March 26, 2006
The Wind is Your Friend
Sw Montana is a beautiful place characterized by wide-open valleys surrounded by towering maountain peaks. Unlike other parts of the Rockies, the mountains in this region are considered island chains, so they have sidtinct starting and end points to the ranges. In betwee these ranges are valley floors typically lined with streams and spring creeks that all flow into a larger river somewhere near the center of the valley floor. This is why we have so many miles of great rivers. The downside to these valleys and island mountains is that they can and often are the equivalent to wind-tunnel...and that can really suck if you are a fly-fisher.
I fished the Gallatin yesterday with a friend as the wind on the Madison was in excess of 30 MPH with gusts over 50. It was windy on the Galltin too, but the temps were in the 60's. Needless to say, the catching sucked but fishing was great. Saw several eagles, a muskrat, a couple of trains, it was all good. Noticed that several of my favorite holes were gone and new ones were formed but these will likley change again during the high-water of runoff. These changes are the result of massive ice jamsscouring along the banks as they receeded.
Anyway, it was a nice day, but the fish seemed to be off the bite for the most part. It snowed last night, so my guess would be the impending weather change was probably most responsible for the suckiness of the catching.
I fished the Gallatin yesterday with a friend as the wind on the Madison was in excess of 30 MPH with gusts over 50. It was windy on the Galltin too, but the temps were in the 60's. Needless to say, the catching sucked but fishing was great. Saw several eagles, a muskrat, a couple of trains, it was all good. Noticed that several of my favorite holes were gone and new ones were formed but these will likley change again during the high-water of runoff. These changes are the result of massive ice jamsscouring along the banks as they receeded.
Anyway, it was a nice day, but the fish seemed to be off the bite for the most part. It snowed last night, so my guess would be the impending weather change was probably most responsible for the suckiness of the catching.
Friday, March 24, 2006
That was Fun
Today was day one of who knows how many trips, I usually do 80-100 days guide trips a year, but this year will most likley be over 100. The weather was great, we had 6 fiah in the boat 30 minutes into the day and BAM. It sucked the rest of the day for us. The fish were hitting very suftly and quick, so it was tough to get a good stick on 'em. Plus the wind was blowing pretty hard. Fish seemed to be pretty active, but you definitley needed to be very quick on the hookset today.
My client today is a good guy and a pretty good fisherman too, he usually does alright and I don't think he was to blame today for our lack of success later in the day. The fish were going for the SJ Worm, just like they have been, but eating it very quickly, so I think he was thinking most of the bumps were bottom. He is need of some back surgery and pretty sore, so I just treid to not to let him get too frustrated and have a good time. So, in the end, we did have a good day, just not the great of a catching day.
Quick note to self, next year, put the life jackets in the car the night before along with the fishing licenese and don't forget to leave the keys in the gas tank for the shuttle driver.
My client today is a good guy and a pretty good fisherman too, he usually does alright and I don't think he was to blame today for our lack of success later in the day. The fish were going for the SJ Worm, just like they have been, but eating it very quickly, so I think he was thinking most of the bumps were bottom. He is need of some back surgery and pretty sore, so I just treid to not to let him get too frustrated and have a good time. So, in the end, we did have a good day, just not the great of a catching day.
Quick note to self, next year, put the life jackets in the car the night before along with the fishing licenese and don't forget to leave the keys in the gas tank for the shuttle driver.
Thursday, March 23, 2006
Let the Games Begin
Tomorrow is my first trip of the year. I came home and organized my boat bag...something I satrted in Novemeber! Got the boat drained, license plate put back on, special bugs tied...so I guess it's time. Planning on fishing the Lower Madison and hopefully it will keep fishing the way it has the last couple of weeks. There is so much crap that goes into a guide trip...people have no idea...especially the first one of the year. The truth is though, this is waht I live for! Screw the final four, liatening to someone laugh as a piggy goes screaming downstream is what it's all about!
Tuesday, March 21, 2006
The Slower Lower?
It's officially springtime in the Rockies and that means that fishing is getting good. The local favorite spot this time of year seems to always be the Lower Madsion around the Beartap area. For years, the fish in this piece of water were very successful in eluding my best efforts and the river lived up to its reutation as the "slower lower." Over the last few years, my luck has changed over there to the point that I usually can pick some fish and sometimes can do damn well. Is it me, the river, the fish, the bugs, presentation...? Don't know why, but it has happened.
This strecth of the river, according to FWP reports from a couple of years ago, has about 3000-4000 catchable trout per mile. Rainbows and Browns are evenly represented between Warm Springs and Black's Ford. I tell people this and they think I'm crazy, but it's just what the report said...so don't shoot the messenger.
Anyway, I've been out quite a bit the last week and doing very well. The midge fishing is getting pretty good, actually got a 20 incher on a wee dry last Saturday. The nyphing has been really consistent with San Jauns in any color and good enough that I really haven't tried too much of anything else.
The nymhed fish have been coming out of buckets around the weedbeds and deeper pools in the bends. I've been just wading around next to the highway and poking at the water with pretty good scuccess. Hoping to see some Baetis pretty soon and to start seeing the fish eating more Crayfish as well. It's been good, so hope it keeps up.
This strecth of the river, according to FWP reports from a couple of years ago, has about 3000-4000 catchable trout per mile. Rainbows and Browns are evenly represented between Warm Springs and Black's Ford. I tell people this and they think I'm crazy, but it's just what the report said...so don't shoot the messenger.
Anyway, I've been out quite a bit the last week and doing very well. The midge fishing is getting pretty good, actually got a 20 incher on a wee dry last Saturday. The nyphing has been really consistent with San Jauns in any color and good enough that I really haven't tried too much of anything else.
The nymhed fish have been coming out of buckets around the weedbeds and deeper pools in the bends. I've been just wading around next to the highway and poking at the water with pretty good scuccess. Hoping to see some Baetis pretty soon and to start seeing the fish eating more Crayfish as well. It's been good, so hope it keeps up.
Friday, March 17, 2006
Arkansas
A bit late getting this one out, but I went to Northern Arkansas a couple of weeks ago to fish the White and Norfork rivers. I've always wanted to check these out as they are known for having some hugies in them that are caught occassionally. My uncles go there every year with their club in KC, so this year I met up with them for some Arkansas fishing. My dad was there too, which was nice.
The rivers are like this...they fluctuate by feet and 1000's of CFS in a matter of minutes becuase of generators. The result is that you have to pay more attention to the generating schedule than the bugs, water temps, and general stream ecology/trout behavior BS. So, it was a bit different, even more than I expected.
The area is really beautiful, the water looked great, and the people are nice. The fish are mostly hatchery fish, you can tell this by the nubs where the pectoral fins should be. I don't have a good feel about the fishing there as it was my first time and they were in a drought so they werent' really generating. In low water, we nymphed with a samll weighted fly about 1-1.5 feet under about a third of a white palsa on 6X. It worked.
The best part of the trip for me was spending time with the old man on a river. Growing up, dad and I fished all over east Texas for bass in our Ranger boat (coincidentally originated in Flippin, Arkansas). I rememeber wanting to catch more fish than dad fishing some stupid lure that shouldn't work because he said it wouldn't. What I hold close to me today anout those days is the fact that those were the days when I began to understand life. I turned 35 a month ago and realized that I was 16 when my dad was 35. It's funny how life sneaks up on you and suddenly, like Mark Twain said, my dad got a lot smarter as I grew older.
As I walked across the White with my dad a couple of weeks ago, the sensation came across me that this really is what matters. I wanted a shot at a big fish, but I what I got was a reminder of how lucky I am to have had the privelidge of having such an amazing father. A 20 pounder woiuld have been nice, but a couple of days with dad on a river made me appreciate the opportunity rather than the catch.
The rivers are like this...they fluctuate by feet and 1000's of CFS in a matter of minutes becuase of generators. The result is that you have to pay more attention to the generating schedule than the bugs, water temps, and general stream ecology/trout behavior BS. So, it was a bit different, even more than I expected.
The area is really beautiful, the water looked great, and the people are nice. The fish are mostly hatchery fish, you can tell this by the nubs where the pectoral fins should be. I don't have a good feel about the fishing there as it was my first time and they were in a drought so they werent' really generating. In low water, we nymphed with a samll weighted fly about 1-1.5 feet under about a third of a white palsa on 6X. It worked.
The best part of the trip for me was spending time with the old man on a river. Growing up, dad and I fished all over east Texas for bass in our Ranger boat (coincidentally originated in Flippin, Arkansas). I rememeber wanting to catch more fish than dad fishing some stupid lure that shouldn't work because he said it wouldn't. What I hold close to me today anout those days is the fact that those were the days when I began to understand life. I turned 35 a month ago and realized that I was 16 when my dad was 35. It's funny how life sneaks up on you and suddenly, like Mark Twain said, my dad got a lot smarter as I grew older.
As I walked across the White with my dad a couple of weeks ago, the sensation came across me that this really is what matters. I wanted a shot at a big fish, but I what I got was a reminder of how lucky I am to have had the privelidge of having such an amazing father. A 20 pounder woiuld have been nice, but a couple of days with dad on a river made me appreciate the opportunity rather than the catch.