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What a crazy train I’ve been on the last month! I’m jacked up to have my life be “normal” once again. By normal, I mean that my work focus is once again back at home and the life aquatic across SW Montana. Salmonflies are out on the upper and the Gallatin; the Yellowstone is not too far away either.

There is nothing like a vacation followed by a vacation to make the world right again.

I spent the previous couple of days hiding from the masses of the upper and hoards on the lower, while shirking some responsibilities with a couple of friends. Per usual, the destination was difficult to find with potentially perilous logistics. The fishing was good, the adventure was smooth for a change, and the batteries are recharged.

There is just something good for the soul that happens after spending a night or two under the stars followed by days of new water. When the fish join us too, it’s hard to imagine a better way to burn through two more days in life.

Day one took us to an old favorite of mine that is difficult to find on a map and even harder to navigate from a raft. The sense of awe from the surroundings and solitude on the water was worth the trip in itself for us, but there were some fish too and they were honestly just the gravy for this trip.

Biggest surprise for me was how cold it gets in the mountains at night this time of year. Chilly. That, along with the experience of watching deep chase down out piss spots for some fresh licking were two aspects of the trip that made them a little different than most.

Day two was new water for us, a long float, lots of mosquitos, some good fish, beautiful weather, slow streamer grab. Still an adventure, but one that found myself exhausted around 3pm. No big issues on the day, solitude, some fish, and good friends on a quiet river in Montana…what could be better?