The Worm and Me

3 more days on the Mo just came to an end and I'll hopefully be spending the rest of the summer around Bozeman. Provided that the rivers clear up eventually. The Missouri was running at 18-19,000 cfs while we were up there. 1997 was the last time that flows got that high and I was there then too. The differences are that the fish prefer worms to sowbugs, wire to vernille, and red to orange.

I've long been a fan of the worm, I think the first time I fished it was probably on the Doloros River in SW Colorado around 1992. My family and I were fishing with a couple of guides from Telluride...John something and Frank Smithers (of the rooster fish movie a few years ago). The river was dirty, high, and looked pretty crappy to me at the time. I caught several nice fish that day, but 2 really good fish...one on a disco midge and one on worm.

Is it aquatic worms, earthworms, or just something red that makes the fish want to eat? I don't know and I guess I shouldn't go on as this will end up being a very long rant on finding meaning in life and a river through a worm.

Waters around here are still high and dirty, but I'm hitting the Madison the rest of the week and betting on some favorable water conditions, improving throughout the week. It's going to take  a few rain free days to get things to drop, but I guess we still have plenty of time as it's not even July yet.

The guys we were with on the Mo have been fishing with us for several years now and were great. I think I said something about being lucky to have such great clients a few weeks ago but I'll say it again as I really am lucky. The people and places in life are what makes it all so great...worms too.