072315

The morning sighting of a guide wearing a Patagonia Nano-Puff hoody gave the morning a different kind of feel. That, along with half a dozen rain coats going out the door by 7:30, made me stop and give pause to the idea of summer fishing doom and gloom talk. I've really only had one crappy outing this season and it was Ruby to Varney a couple of weeks ago. I could feel it coming the night before as I felt like I was just due a burner.
So, as the rain came down this morning and I talked to another person about the fact that Montana is not on fire, there is water in the rivers, they are fishing well, and we always fish early in the summer because it's better, I thought to myself many things. I thought that one thing I really want to say - but just can't as it's pushing the PC limits of even me - to the next person that complains about Hoot Owl restrictions and how are we going to find any water with having to stop fishing the Jefferson at 2…get over it. Maybe the fishing sucked for you because you are a sucky fisher person? Ever consider that in your mental masturbations on the impact of summer water conditions and your success?
I am all for Hoot Owl and river closures when they are appropriate. I think FWP has a done a great job of monitoring and protecting things to date in 2015. However, there is a small niche of a niche of fly anglers that embrace the Hoot Owl for the wrong reasons. Nowhere in any FWP documentation will one find reference to the fact that poor catching is related to Hoot Owl restrictions. The point is that all those crappy anglers out there that complain about not catching fish…it is not the Hoot Owl's fault! Quit blaming the Hoot Owl for your poor fishing and face the fact that a dead drift can not be bought, fish do prefer certain flies, depth and current matter, and you can't read water on an app. Too many poorly skilled anglers are using the Hoot Owl as an excuse for not catching fish…and they aren't even fishing the waters where Hoot Owl restrictions are in place…Chances are, if you aren't catching fish, you are probably fishing poorly and wrong…but fishing does suck sometimes…just not now.
I'm feeling surly