Montana Matters!

Gang:

 

I am freshly back (actually exhaustedly so!) from the annual meeting of the Montana Wildlife Federation held this past weekend in Helena, MT.  While there, I had the absolute pleasure to commune with not only the plethora of new and old friends who have joined my life as a result of that association but also to see a new section of Montana’s beauty as I flew into and out of her capitol, Helena—not my normal route to/fro.  I also had a chance to hook up with my equally beautiful daughter Trina “Boots” Clausen who, while working within the scope of her new employment with the National Wildlife Federation, presented me with the photo below taken just before as she traveled to Bigfork, MT to put together our joint MWF-NWF Montana Matters upcoming June 29^th Flathead Lake concert featuring MM spokesperson, and world-renowned animalist, Jack Hanna.

 

Take a minute to ingest all that Trina was able to capture with her camera as she stopped, roadside, to enjoy a quiet lunch by herself—in doing so, you will see that she did not dine alone, as she was joined by Mother Nature in her special Montanaesque attire. 

 

Indeed, gang, Montana matters— just as y’all will see for yourself inside of 60 days now!!

 

RCR----<’///><

 

E-12: "And Now a Word from Our Outfitter..."!!

 

Greetings E12'rs, Old and New!!!

 

John Gould here, your friendly neighborhood outfitter and guide. Well gang, it's that time of year again we are truly excited about this coming Extravaganza on our end!

 

After so much traveling, planning and "motor -coaching" everybody to beautiful Craig Montana last year, we are looking forward to an incredible extravaganza again on our home waters here on the Bitterroot, Blackfoot and Clark fork rivers.

 

This year's snow pack is incredibly average, as opposed to the "apocalypse of high water" that we experienced last year... yes, we pulled it off without a hitch, fishing the mighty Missouri, but one can only look at those little orange bobbers for so long. This years fly menu should contain multiple different dry fly meals for our fishing fun, and opportunities of seeing of wild trout take a surface fly as opposed to the twelve foot depth charges we needed last year! The difference in fishing a indicator next to the boat and seeing your fish rise to a well placed dry fly is really night and day.
High water came early this year and we've been over on the Missouri for the past week and a half already, but if things stand as is, and our snow pack holds true we should be throwing dry flies here by the end of May, and still have plenty of water for each of the 3 groups in the Extravaganza this season. For any of those to fish for their first time last year with us, this year will be an eye opening experience, fishing wise and scenery wise. You'll see all new things and learn entirely different fishing techniques on and in surroundings that are entirely different from last years! More scenery changes, different rivers and no three hour bus ride, (twice a day)!
This years predicted water conditions should allow us to fish at least all at least two of the three rivers in our area. The Bitterroot river is our first to come in the shape after high water in late May/ early June-to even mid June depending on rain amounts.The Bitterroot offers eighty miles of main stem, with another twenty miles of the west fork. If one were to add up all the channels, back waters and springs, not to mention the countless tributaries that hold trout at their mouths, they would find that there is more fly fish-able trout water in this valley, than most people could fish in a lifetime.

The Blackfoot river is next, In June and July, you will see Salmonflies and Golden Stoneflies that rival the size of many fisherman's bass poppers! The pace is fast and furious this time of year, but at all levels, this river rewards the angler. On the Blackfoot, be it with dries, nymphs or streamers, this river offers every fishing challenge one would picture on a Montana river. The water changes character quickly, from long glides peppered with Green Drakes, to frothy plunge pools where anxious rainbows hammer anglers’ imitations with abandon.

Also possibly group 2 & 3 may enjoy some time on our larger river the Clark fork! This river is named for Captain William Clark, of the famous Lewis & Clark expedition. It’s the "largest water" we have in the immediate Missoula are, and it boasts some amazing mayfly, stonefly and terrestrial fishing! Hopefully, with not to much rain, we can spread some more boats onto this incredible Montana river. The rainbows are bigger this year, and have more fight than almost any other trout in our state! Time will tell on this one, but with an average water year/ snow pack, our expectations are running high!

With that being said, we will once again prepare for day one of each group being Hawaiian shirt day!!! That's right kids, prepare to dig through your closets and boxes in the attic to find your most horrendous Hawaiian shirt you can find! We have found over the last 10 years that the ugliest shirt you can wear attracts some of the largest trout, small honey bees, hummingbirds and causes any digital cameras in the immediate vicinity to go off multiple times! (just kidding on the bee's)

 

 Really looking forward to having you all arrive! This year will be one for the books in many, many ways, and we cant wait for the fun to begin!!! Travel safe, bring clothing for all conditions and we will be afloat on some of the best water western Montana has to offer here very, very soon! Best to all...and...

Fish On,

John Gould
Double Up Outfitters LLC

E-12: "F" is for my Montana Man

 

 

 A fabulous further-on from famously furtive Fawn Lady Lori Ware, an equally famous female follower of fortuitous Group Tattoo fame:

 

 

    Feeling fortunate to be fervently looking forth to the fabulous far and wide views of Montanas fields and forests filled with fantastic flora and fauna. Furthermore, I find myself forever dreaming of floating famous rivers filled with fish jumping for our fancy fake flies.

    Fly fishing is in our near future folks as well as our favorite funny time of evening fish reports while filling our faces with fabulous food from our fantabulous hostess Kathy.

    Fun fisher folk, fantastic guides and friends soon feel as familiar as family.
Our hearts will be filled forever from Extravaganza 2012 feelings.

Fondly, Fawn Lori

 

Bless you equally fondly, Fawn Lady!!

 

RCR---<’///><

E-12: "E" is for " Entomology"

Fellow Flyfishing Enthusiasts:

 

Many of you Extravagant rookies out there have been asking, "Just what kind of flies are we going to be using and how big are they?"  Well, remembering the adage that a picture is worth a thousand words, attached is a photo depicting some of the flies that we will be using this year together with a hand-drawn (accurate) measuring stick right beneath to give you perspective.

 

In general, we will be primarily be using two kind of flies:  (a) dry flies to replicate the adult form of the bugs that the fish are feeding on and (b) wet flies, or nymphs, to replicate the immature form of the bugs. 

 

Since these bugs are in their nymphal stage for 95+% of their life, guess what, that form gets eaten 90% of the time.  When the bugs transform into adulthood (much like a butterfly emerging from a cocoon), all hell breaks loose, however, because free eats have just shown up in the air and on the water and the fish can get a bigger bite with less effort. 

 

There are literally hundreds of different types and sizes of bugs that "hatch" (i.e. come out of their cocoon) on the Montana waters.  Thus, you will see that your guide has, literally, hundreds of different flies with him on your boat.  The time of day, the time of year, the heat or coolness of the day, and the river that you are on will drive the appropriate menu selection.  Simply stated, what is good for fishing in the morning often is not in the afternoon; what is good one day on a river is often not the next; and what is good at a particular time of day on one river will be totally different than on another river.  Hence, a guide.

 

The attached photo gives you an idea of the range of bugs that we will be using (you got it, depending on the time of day, the weather and the river) (for you of inquisitive minds, yes, I tied each of these flies for your viewing enjoyment). 

 

Here's a summary:

 

The fly at the top is a streamer, used when all else fails or to go after big fish.  It is 3" long, weighted heavily with lead, has a tungsten cone, and made of rabbit fur (affectionately known as a "double bunny" with two different strips glued together on a size 4 (i.e. huge) hook.  I show this to you for comparison purposes, as, most likely, these will stay in the fly box--they hurt when they hit you (or the guide) in the head, and the hooks (even when unbarbed) are a nasty date.

 

The large fly on the left is an imitation of an adult salmon fly--the first hatch that will occur post runoff.  There are actually two salmon flies--I gave you a top and side view of this "battleship fly" which floats on top of the water enticing fish of all sizes to rise to the surface and dine.  The salmon fly hatch starts in early June and may still be going on for those of you in Group One and, perhaps, Group Two.  This bug lives under the water for 2 1/2 years and, right about now, as a stone fly, literally crawls out of the river, attaches to a nearby stone and then sheds its shuck to emerge as the flying battleship that it is.  Like most of these bugs, since it only lives a few days in its adult form (to mate, deposit eggs back into or on the river and expire), the bugs have no mouths, do not feed and, therefore, do not bite--nice, huh?!?

 

The medium sized fly on the right is another stone fly, the Yellow Stone.  This will be our "go to fly" for each of the groups, as the Yellow Stone hatch will be in full bloom (along with the Green Drake hatch)--these bugs are about 1 1/2" in length and still constitute a substantial meal for a hungry trout.  Trout need to have enough "meat" to merit a trip from below to the surface to chomp, and this fly has that--if they use more energy than they ingest, they will eventually expire. As such, you can expect explosive "takes" on these floating flies, as the trout claim their bounty.  Hence, polarized sunglasses so that you can see both your fly and the takes.

 

The smaller dry fly in the middle of the page is a caddisfly which hatch in profusive numbers in the heat of the day and during the evening hours.  In good years, like this one, driving through a caddisfly hatch often requires turning on windshield wipers to see your way through.  The mess left behind on the car is truly impressive, as are the swarming of trout when these bugs are on the water.

 

The smallest of the dry flies (right below the streamer on top) are mayflies.  These are bugs that, unlike the stone flies which crawl out of the water, rise to the surface from the bottom as they hatch.  As such, during the rise and while they are on the surface removing their shuck and spreading and drying their wings, they are sitting ducks and the trout will often line up in feeding lanes and stay on the surface slurping these little guys in.  Try finding that floating fly in foamy or choppy water without polarized glasses twenty feet away!

 

The bottom two rows are nymphs of different sizes, shapes and colors.  You can see that size does not matter at this level, as some of the more effective of these are under one half inch in length.  These are fished under the water underneath either a colored floating indicator (so you can see if you have a take by the indicator submerging or just stopping) or as a "dropper" attached by monofilament tied to the hook of a floating dry fly.  Under this latter approach, which is employed once you have your casting under control, you can get two shots at feeding fish and the best of both worlds--shots at both the fish feeding on the surface and those munching on nymphs below. (The bottom row are flies that I have developed after several years of fishing Rock Creek and they have proved to be extraordinarily deadly on not only the Creek, but also on all of the rivers that we fish.)

 

So there you have it, Entomology 1A.

 

Best,

 

Rock Creek Ron

 

   

FW: How I almost lost my finger to a 20" trout!

 

A great observation from Shreveport, LA Group Three rookie Dick “Andros” Seale:

 

 

Nice fish. Rod tip high, too !!!

 

Cheers,

Dick

FW: RCR: How I almost lost my finger to a 20" trout!

A (very) nice note from veteran Group Tattooer Lori "Fawn Lady" Ware:

 

 Beautiful vid and fish from my mentor Montana Man.   Can't wait to see you, all of your fingers and Gods country oh so very soon!

Love from Fawn Lori

Together We're Better!

 

RCR: How I almost lost my finger to a 20" trout!

 

Check this out, gang:  Hot video from E-11 on the Missouri River where (a) (y)our Double Up Outfitter John “The Great But Propaneless” Gould strums his fishing net and (b) yours truly lands a 20” rainbow for all to see which (c) then proceeds to lunge out at and ingest my index finger [fortunately, it was “catch and release”]!!

 

Thanks, E-11’s Seattle-based AIA Mike Gentry, for both the great footage and the fond memories!!

 

RCR---<’///><

 

 Check out this video on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7E0pbBSX4ZU&feature=youtube_gdata_player


 

 

E-12: "D" is for "Drift Boat" and "DFD"!!

Fellow E-12ers: 

 

Romping through the alphabet as we close in on Extravaganza 2012 (Group One is now 57 days out, but who’s counting?!?), “D” is for (a) your E-12 preferred mode of transportation, a McKenzie-style drift boat, and (b) your preferred style of fishing, a drag free drift (or “DFD”).

 

The former is the most pleasant of experiences for your rookies out there.  Imagine 8 uninterrupted hours on one of Montana’s most famous fly fishing rivers [choose from the Clark Fork of the Columbia River, the majestic Bitterroot River or the Big (“A River Runs Through It”) Blackfoot River] and put yourselves in the capable hands of your E-12 guide as, two per boat, you silently glide downstream up to 14 miles each day stealthily approaching rising rainbow, cutthroat and brown trout just as natural as a log quietly making its way downstream. 

 

To turn a phrase, “the silence is deafening” when you travel via drift boat:  (y)our chosen mode of transportation making way for the incoming sounds of screeching eagles and ospreys, for the quietude of wind blowing through the passing cottonwoods and aspens and for the slurping sounds of trout ingesting the bounty of your hatch-matching offerings.  No chirping of phones, no chiming of missed messages, no pinging of quickly irrelevant incoming emails and no duties or responsibilities other than to seamlessly become apart of your surroundings, to blend into the naturalness of it all and to quickly become at peace with yourselves, knowing that all that you thought “important” has soon become irrelevant as you enter the time and warp zone of nature’s bounty.

 

For, while aboard, you sole task is to place your fly in a propitious position for ingest and to allow it to meander downstream in a “drag free drift” such that, like your drift boat, your carefully placed fly on the water becomes as one with its surroundings, communes with nature just as you have and becomes at one with the surrounding, ever-changing environment.  To accomplish this task, your guide will teach you the art of “mending”—the process by which you lift your fly line and carefully place it upstream of your fly so that it can obtain its desired mission…a DFD.  It is the ability to properly place your fly on the water and then to allow it to drift as one with its companion water-based trout food fare that yields the bounty of fly fishing;  it is the job of your guide to properly place his drift boat and it is your job as his charge to then properly develop a drag free drift, the combination of which is one fine day on the water (regardless of the day’s fish count, btw)!

 

Fish on, gang!!

 

Best to all in eager anticipation of it all,

 

Rock Creek Ron

     ---<’///><

 

p.s. Stay tuned for our episode where “E” is for “Entomology”!!  RCR

 

 

 

Another Fine Pic You Got Me In, Ollie!!

Group Two’s Mardi “CT” Rodgers with our Double Up Outfitter with a truly fine April cutthroat in hand (for which CT got her “CT” name!).

 

RCR----<’///><

 

  

Two Months and Counting!!!

Fellow E-12ers:

 

Today is “D-Day (as in THE Day) minus 60” for all of the Wonderful Ones who will grace their presence here in Missoula, Montana, in two months on June 16^th—yes, gang, we are that close!!!  In fact, your Hostess With The Mostess, Kookin’ Kathy, is headed back to Headquarters right now on her last E-12 prep run into town, with our next appearance here on the scene being in 45 days, right after Memorial Day, at which point in time final preparations will be truly in their final stages!!  Let’s see, wine, liquor & beer; sides of beef; (multiple) pigs; signs; and bling, bling, & more E-12 bling…yep, the list is a long one but now a nearly completed one!

 

And, yes, Mabel, there ARE fish in “them thar rivers”, as shown in the attached pics featuring a father-daughter fishing day on the Bitterroot two days ago.  Shown is “Boots” Trina holding first a healthy brown, next her father and finally a Westslope Cutthroat—one of Montana’s native and state fish, btw.  Also shown in the last picture is our Double Up Outfitter John “The Great But Propaneless” Gould “shooting the gap” (sans passengers) at the diversion dam mid-way down the Bitterroot (you veterans know where that is!)—demonstrating that waters are already flowing at a brisk pace, pre-runoff.

 

Skwala fishing was tough over the weekend, as the mid-week high temperatures caused a major boost in water flows (and a major decline in water visibility) demonstrating first hand why we fish beginning the third week of June (prime-time here in Montana), as, then, we have better predictability on both the volume and clarity of our fishing ground waters, as well as increasing post snow runoff water temperatures that spur a constant stream of “hatches” among the rivers’ teeming bug life.  Witness by contrast what Kathy and I experienced while on the water Friday:  rising waters, increased discoloration and a massive injection of cold(er) water from the dam above the Westfork of the Bitterroot all of which took the fish population by storm (literally), sending the otherwise teeming multitude to the bottom in a major pouting and fasting mood.  Typical of fishing, Propaneless emailed me just a bit ago saying, “You should have been on the water yesterday [Sun], as the dry fly action was amazing.”  Better odds, gang, is to stick with the Extravaganza fishing dates where the risk of deviant rivers is lower and the reward of responding pescadors is higher.  

 

But, then again, look back one week to the great shots of Brian “Moraine” Shepard and his “wingman” son “Tsar Nicholas” and their bevy of twenty plus inch beauties!

 

And, then again, it is called “fishing” not “catching”; but, then, re-again, Kathy and I had a spectacular day on the water watching Propaneless sweat bullets as he bounty hunted for just one finned beauty!!

 

Best to all from the glorious scene of it all nearing the final preparation stage of the immensity of it all,

 

Rock Creek Ron

    ---<’///><

  

FW: Spring Fling Rockies' Style!

One fired up Group Two veteran Doug “Popeye” Hamilton:

 

 I can smell the trees already.

 

P.

 

President

 

 

   

FW: Spring Fling Rockies' Style!

A blinding comment from Group Three veteran (so he knows a snow job when he sees one!) Ladd “Da Litigator” Bedford:

 

 Trying to snow us again?  Ladd

 

  

FW: Spring Fling Rockies' Style!

Sage advice from an dearly beloved aged sage, Group Three’s Tim “Da [MWF] Pres” Aldrich:

 

 As we all learn sooner or later, there is only one aspect of Montana weather that is predictable!  UNPREDICATBILITY!  My personal response is always keep a good book on your reading table and don't move your snow shovel from its much deserved place next to the door!  tim--the Old Montanan  

Spring Fling Rockies' Style!

Well, gang, it is the eve of springtime here in Montana, as witnessed by the pics above depicting the snow storm that we had early yesterday morn, right on the heels of three prior days in the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s, respectively. Never a dull moment in Extravaganzaland, all!!

 

RCR----<’///><

 

  

FW: 'Tween Time in Montana

As only veteran Group Threer Ladd “Da Litigator” could put it:

 

            You appear to be a budding photographer!  Ladd

 

   

FW: 'Tween Time in Montana

…and a(n always) nice note from Group Two veteran Lori “Fawn Lady” Ware:

 

 

And the NEST, oh my!

Thank you for the tweener, I usually just love Mondays!

L  

FW: 'Tween Time in Montana

A nice note from Montana Wildlife Federation president Tim Aldrich, who, along with his beautiful bride Carol, will be joining us for E-12’s Group Three (as he has for the past several years):

 

I was expecting to see pictures of a 26 inch brown trout, not a vacant bird nest in a budding western larch.  Oh well, as you note, the next chapter of 2012 is now being written.  Things are looking good for a very "normal" spring with all the remaining snowpack well up in the mountains and the rivers taking on just a hint of color as the spring runoff season begins.  Dream of what tomorrow may bring, but live every today of every season to the fullest!  I hope you and Kathy are enjoying our lovely Montana spring weather.  tim    

'Tween Time in Montana

 

Greetings all from Montana, where, as you can see from the attached photos, it is fully ‘Tween Time here—neither winter nor spring, but the budding of the larch pines gives hope that ‘tween ‘twill be soon b’gone!

 

RCR----<’///><

 

  

E-12: "C" is for "Closer" and "Clark Fork"!!

Greetings all, this Easter Sunday; I hope that Der Bunny hopped your way and brought “y’all” eggsactly what you hoped he would!

 

On the planning end for E-12, “C” is, indeed, for “closer”, as we are now inside just 70 days [count ‘em!] until the Wonderful Ones alight upon the fishing bounty of the blessed waters that surround Missoula, Montana.  As for me, things are even a big closer as I just completed tying a gaggle of flies that are going to tantalize fish on the Bitterroot River this coming week—Friday the 13^th will find your Hostess With The Mostess and me on the water with our Double Up Outfitter John Gould;  on Saturday, daughter Trina “Boots” Clausen (who is now resident in Missoula as her internship with the National Wildlife Federation buds into eventual full time environmental employment) will join me on the water along with Group Two’s Tim “Squawfish” [yes, there is a story there!] Rodgers and his beautiful daughter Mardi “CT” Rodgers; and Sunday will find me on the water for the third day in a row during the skwala hatch, putting me 10% towards my annual business plan goal to fish 30 days each year.  So, for Boots, Squawfish, CT and me “closer” indeed has a shorter term reality to it.

 

“C” is also for the Clark Fork of the Columbia River, one of the three rivers that, over the years, we fish during the Extravaganza.  This river, in my lexicon, is “the freeway river”—it is the river into which all other rivers that we will fish flow; it’s headwaters are over 75 miles upstream from Missoula (those of you E-11 veterans saw its swollen banks to/for the Missouri River last year), and, as it courses itself westward into Canada and eventually becoming a part of the Columbia River that reaches the ocean in Portland, it follows the path of Highway 90 (or, more appropriately, I should say that the freeway follows the highway for it was there first—just reach out to Lewis & Clark who came down the Clark Fork [from whence it got its name, btw] for the first time two hundred plus years ago).

 

In recent years the Clark Fork has been a troubled river for us.  During the early years of the Extravaganza, a full 25% of our annual boats floated this river, but not so for the past four years.  In the early 1900’s, the Milltown Dam was built across the Clark Fork, right where our Blackfoot River merges into the Clark Fork.  Shortly after its construction, on of the most massive floods in it history occurred, washing down from upstream Anaconda (the site of a copper smelter and heavy metal gold distillation site) millions of cubic feet of tainted earth that came to rest right at the dam’s base.  For a hundred years that environmental disaster of heavy metals accumulation continued to mount to the point when the groundwater near the dam’s closest town, Bonner, became tainted.  This ecological disaster then matured into the largest Superfund Site in the Western United States, resulting in the decision (after over a decade of wrangling at the local, state and federal levels) to remove Milltown Dam and mine its accumulated toxic bounty (appropriately transporting the spoilage via a specially constructed rail line back upstream to an Anaconda toxic waste dump).

 

The Milltown Dam was removed three years ago and, while the removal will be a boon for the flora and fauna of its adjacent banks and riverbed over the long haul, the Clark Fork became filled with fines and silt that (a) killed off the aquatic plant life, (b) with that departure came the departure of its aquatic insect life and (c) guess what, its fish population was thereafter virtually eliminated.  Good things will happen in the long run, however, as the dam is no longer a barrier to migrating fish, the siltation issue is dissipating with each year’s runoff flushing and, particularly after last year’s legendary high waters, the river is slowly making its anticipated recovery.  That being said, for the past three years we have put virtually none of our Extravaganza boats on the Clark Fork, but, each year, I spend a day or two sampling its fishing fare in the hopes that, possibly as soon as this year, the Clark Fork will again become one of our “Go To” rivers.  The decision in that regard rests in the hands of your guides, as I fully expect that, during E-12, we will set boats out on this wonderful fishery in search of its world famous rainbow and cutthroat trout. 

 

We will just have to wait and “C”!!

 

Just north of two months and counting, gang…you next report from me (with photos) will be from the Bitterroot River…yep, we are that close!!

 

Best to all on this blessed day,

 

Rock Creek Ron

    ---<’///><

 

 

 

E-12 Fishing Muse

 

 

 

 

A Fisherman’s Prayer

(Unknown author)

 

God grant that I may fish

until my dying day.

And when it comes to my last cast,

I then most humbly pray,

When in the Lord’s safe landing net,

I’m peacefully asleep,

That in His Mercy I be judged as

big enough to keep.

 

RCR---<’///><

 

 

 

FW: The Eagle: An E-12 life message

A self-effacing message from Sweetgrass Rods’ Dave Delisi:

 

 Daggone it.  I need to remove my beak.

 

D

 

 

The Eagle: An E-12 life message

 

…from Group Two’s Fred “The Guitar” Johnson; may you each emotionally soar like an eagle and physically thrive during an equally extended life.

 

RCR

 

 

 

The Eagle - I never knew this This is Amazing. It is no wonder there are Scriptural references to the eagle! I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did. And there is no wonder the bald eagle has such a significant symbolism to our country. When it rains, most birds head for shelter. The eagle is the only bird that, in order to avoid the rain, starts flying above the clouds. An amazing tidbit about the Eagle's eyesight: The eagle can probably identify a rabbit moving almost a mile away. Meaning, an eagle flying at an altitude of 1000 feet over open country could spot prey over an area of almost 3 square miles from a fixed position.

 

--

 

 

 

 

Phine Pectoral Pics!

These are what we are talkin' about, gang--GREAT job Brian & Nicholas!!!

RCR