Catching Fish on Our Terms

I was casually checking the Headhunter Fly Shop blog the other day a few months back, mulling through one of Scumliner's recent articles "News Flash.  Not All Anglers Want to be Dry Fly Anglers." that got me thinking about this topic in earnest.  Clicking the link will take you to the article.  After that you can come back here, or not.  It's up to you.  You just might get swallowed by the Headhunters website after all.

Do You Like Sneaky Stuff?

Back?  What does catching fish on our terms mean?  Simply, catching fish how and when we want to.  In my humble opinion there's a prevailing sense in our sport that dry fishing is the ultimate, high art way to catch trout.  Many folks would agree with that statement but it's when you start dissing on the other disciplines I think there's a problem there.  True, personally I would rather catch fish on dries or streamers than on nymphs but that's just me.  There's nothing wrong with indicator nymphing or anything else for that matter.  It's my opinion that fly fishing is fly fishing, plain and simple, and as long as you're not San Juan shuffling, chumming, or snagging fish I could care less which method you prefer to use.    

Throwing the Big Bugs?

This brings up an interview I recently heard on an Ask About Fly Fishing Internet Radio podcast with steelhead guru Dec Hogan.  He was discussing why in the heck we choose to swing for steelhead when we could nymph them up a lot better.  Or for that matter, why not just chuck bait and catch every fish in the river?  I guess the answer lies in the fact that many anglers reach a point where it's not important how many or how many big fish we catch.  It's that we want to catch those fish the way we want to, on OUR TERMS.  We just want to do what makes up happiest.

The Big Nasty Stuff?

Thinking back to steelhead again.  Why swing?  There's a lot of reasons out there to justify it.  Purists might argue that a floating line and wet fly combination is the only method fitting of such an amazing creature.  Plain and simply though, it comes from a mindset that you're going to catch that fish the way you want to catch it.  Most hardcore steelheaders that only swing, I believe, would agree with the notion that when you catch a fish it's because you deserved it, you worked hard for it, you earned it.  For some, that one fish and the consequential feeling of achievement and satisfaction it brings, means more than anything, more than twenty gear or nymph caught fish.  I get it.

The Junk?

After many years involved in this sport, I've come to the conclusion that there's almost no wrong way to fly fish.  This craft of ours accommodates every style, every method, every age, and (almost) every personality type.  The fact of the matter is that you should do whatever brings you joy.  If fishing a double nymph rig under an indicator brings you joy, then do that.  If ripping six inch long streamers on a sink tip brings you joy, then do that.  If throwing a size 24 trico spinner on a 3 weight with a 20ft. leader brings you joy, then do that too.  Fly fishing should bring you joy, whatever that may look like.  There's no better way, no worse way.  There may be the more technical and challenging way (think dry or die and/or streamer junkie guy) but it's not better.  Hey, but if it makes (dry or die and/or streamer junkie guy) happy then that's what he should do, plain and simple.

Do What Makes You Happy.  Get out and Fish.

There's a hatch, a run, a technique, a fish, a spot in the world for everyone and everything.  So go do what makes you happy.  Catch those fish on your terms, how you want to.

And if you really just like to catch a lot of fish, use bait learn every discipline, technique, method, fly, and rigging combination you can, and figure out when and where to use it.  Oh, and swing soft hackles occasionally, you just might catch every fish in the river.

Feel free to leave comments and tell me how I'm totally wrong about all this. 

New Boat Smell

A month or so I sent my old Riken Dodger raft affectionately known as the "Gray Whale" down the road.  The "whale" was a good old boat for me and logged literally hundreds of days on the water over the last few years.  A lot of good memories were made, and a lot of great fish were caught out of that old raft.  For being twenty years old it only ever had one tiny leak, that's right, one. 

All things come to an end however and it was the right time to sell her.  I'm happy to say that the whale has found a good home and I hope the new owners get as much enjoyment out of that old boat as I did.

On the flip side I recently got a brand new ride, a 13' NRS Otter.  Needless to say I am excited to get it out on the water.  In the meantime I'm enjoying the new boat smell in my garage, kind of a chemical smell however.  I think it's probably killing some of my brain cells...  Oh well.  I don't need many anyways.    

Goodbye Gray Whale

The Finished Product

I'm Still Here

I am alive. 

Blogs tend to go through a hibernation period every once and a while.  However just like the grizzly bears here in Montana, after the long slumber I'm once again up and running, and ready to spread more nonsensical misinformation about fly fishing through the intellectual wasteland known as the inter-web.

Just like the proverbial phoenix in Igor Stravinky's Firebird, Bum Trout will too rise from it's own ashes and once again take it's place as one of the most preeminent  mediocre fly fishing blogs on the planet.  Self-aggrandizing aside, it feels good to be back, to have time to be back.  Teaching, school, coaching a high school sport, tying flies, and teaching saxophone lessons has left the blog feeling thoroughly neglected.  I did however have one or two of you out there ask where the heck I was and when, if ever, I was ever going to post again.  To those folks, thank you for caring.

Anyways, two months later here I am.  I promise to post some more this summer.  Some new stuff is in the works.  Promise.

Big Bitterroot Brown From a Few Weeks Back

    

Small Fish Are Cool Too.

I think a large part of many an angler's life is spent in search of the next "big" thing.  The next "big" hatch, secret Shangri-La stretch of water, or next big fish.  It's true, fly fishing folk are the kind of people with their heads always in the clouds, daydreaming about that next big steelhead, tarpon, salmon, or kyped out slob of a brown trout. 

We regale to each other, stories of that time on River X where we "slayed them," all on dries, and they were all big fish.  We are always in search of that next adventure or new piece of water.  We make big proclamations every year such as; "I'm definitely going to go to Silver Creek this summer" or "I'm not missing the Salmonfly hatch on the Big Hole this June."  Sometimes these prophecies come true, sometimes they don't, but at any rate, we never stop dreaming.

I digress.  The point I was out to make when I started writing this was that small fish in small water are cool too.  I mean, what if that next "big" thing happens to be that beautiful meadow on a tiny mountain stream a few miles up that bumpy dirt road?  

 

Often I find myself plotting on how, when, and where I'm going to catch more and bigger fish.  I spend money I don't have on food, gas, licenses, flies, and fixing flat tires in order to get to big famous rivers with their (if you read all those fly fishing magazine articles) supposedly never ending supply of big fish.  Don't get me wrong, I love a good adventure, and I REALLY love to catch large trout. Who doesn't after all? 

However no matter how many big fish I catch, and all the big rivers I fish, my first love will always be for throwing dry flies on small streams for beautiful, clean, and (mostly) small fish.  I can't really even explain why I love this kind of fishing so much.  All I know is that by the middle of July, all I want to do on my days off is grab my Tenkara rod, and run up the nearest trail into the mountains.  Small mountain stream fishing for me is like coming home, I feel like a kid again, it washes the dust of life away.  Plainly and simply,  I can never get enough of it. 

The small fish that are found in these mountain streams never cease to amaze me.  From the fiery red of a pure blooded cutthroat's slash, to the shocking Technicolor shades of a wild brookie, to the leopard spots of a wild rainbow, these fish are simply gorgeous.  Pure and wild.  Missing are the shredded fins, washed out colors, and beaten down bodies of a hatchery trout, or the ripped lipped, missing mandible, hooked-scarred-been-caught-100-times tailwater fish.  These small stream trout are fresh, bright, clean and 100 percent wild.  I'd rather catch one of these six inch fish than a 20 inch trout that looks like it's been through World War II any day.   

Folks that claim to be above catching small trout are okay with me.  Less competition for me, less pressure on the fish I love, I'm cool with that.  You can have your drift boats and big rivers when it's one hundred degrees outside at 2pm during those dog days of summer.  I'd rather be standing in an icy mountain stream catching six inch cutthroats, alone, unbothered and unencumbered. 

If your goal is to have your face up on the Slab of the Month page on Moldy Chum this may not be your kind of fishing.  If however you want to be alone and feel like a nine year old all day, this may be your thing.  Small fish are cool, and as I would argue, the most amazing of all.         

  

Montana Fly Fishing Magazine - February/March 2014 Edition

 

The latest issue of the Montana Fly Fishing magazine in now live.  I'm proud and happy to say that this month's cover shot happens to be one of mine!  You can also read some of my thoughts on nymph fishing in this month's issue.  I'd like to once again thank the good folks at Three Forks Publishing for giving me this great opportunity.

 

My half-baked theories and ramblings aside, there is a bunch of stellar content in this issue featuring:  The Bozeman Reel Company, Austin Trayser, Matt Guymon, Korey Kruitbosch, and Taylor Todd to name a few.     

 

 Clicking on the link will take you there, and as always, it's free to all.  Montana Fly Fishing Magazine

 

Mind Blowing Friday Film

Quite possibly the most amazing footage of feeding fish I have ever seen.

What Gives Me Hope

Chock up another victory for the masses.  Clink the link to read the whole story.

 www.krtv.com. Montana Supreme Court Affirms Stream Access

The Montana Supreme Court once again did the right thing and upheld our right to access OUR rivers and streams.  Hopefully this decision will put to put the kibosh on any future challenges.  We'll have to see.  You can sure of one thing however, if there is something good out there that everyone loves, someone will try to ruin it.  As long as there stands to be a boat load of money to be made (by the select few) by privatizing water in this state we will have to remain vigilant.

Until then, we can celebrate this victory and thank the folks at The Public Land and Water Access Association  for defending our right to access rivers and streams such as the Ruby River.  Something that Montanans have been doing since we were a territory.  I think we should also applaud the Montana Supreme Court for seeing through the shabby arguments of James Cox Kennedy and his"we'll do anything for a buck" band of lawyers.  Sorry for the soapbox diatribe, I just get fired up about this stuff.    

It's great when the good guys win one.  I guess there is hope for the world after all.

It belongs to everyone.

2013 - A Year in Pictures

2013 was a mighty fine year.  My wife and I bought a house, adopted a dog, I fulfilled the dream of becoming a fly fishing guide, and of course had some wonderful days on the water with friends and caught some beautiful fish. 

Here's looking to 2014 and another great year.  Below is my best an attempt at an end of year post.  I didn't feel like writing much so here is my year in pictures.



Spent many days exploring my home river.  The Bitterroot.

Did not let a broken finger keep me down.

Experienced some great hatches

Had some amazing days on the Mo' with friends

Floated the one and only Smith River.

Had a few stellar days of carp fishing.

Experienced many amazing Montana summer days.

Caught my first Steelhead on a fly.

Got to experience the incredible scenery and fishing in Hell's Canyon.

Looking forward to what 2014 has to offer.