The Last Time I Went Fishing



Photo Essay.
 
Went to my spring cutthroat Shangri-La on the Northfork of the Not Telling You Anything River, a couple weeks ago with my friend Alec of the blog Where the Water Leads.  Alec happened to remember the camera, I did not.  Thanks go out to him for the pictures.  To make a long story short, we did well. 
 
Here in Western Montana runoff is in full swing. However it looks like we are now on the backside of high water which means Salmonflies, Goldenstones, and the sweet dry fly days of summer are almost here. 
 
The creeks are open, I'm unearthing my Tenkara rod as soon as I find it.  Now where did I put it?  It will be game on very shortly...  Until then.  Enjoy the pics. 



Parr Marks

Colored Up



One of Many

Native

Got Cutt?

I Can Never Get Enough

Springsanity

 

Wow.  I just realized it's been over 40 days since my last fishing post.  What the heck have I been doing?

Well anyways, here comes a very belated spring break (and then some, a lot of then some) roundup.  I guess some things fall to the wayside when you're buying a house (more on that later), moving, and trying to keep up with your professional and academic duties.  The blog is one of those such things.  Never fear. Moving done. Semester over. The bum is back in the game. 

Missouri River Gold

I've still been fishing during this blogging drought.  I'd have to be in the hospital, or jail, not to get out on the river.  So here we go, as I poorly attempt to try to cram a month and a half's fishing into a few paragraphs. 

Let us go back to the beginning of April and start our recap there.  Fortunately our spring break falls yearly around the first week of April which usually coincides with some of the best fishing of the year.  BWO's midges, skwalas, western march browns, and plenty of nice fat pre-spawn fish highlight this annual weekly fishing marathon.

Fellow Bitterooter Jay with a solid dry fly cuttbow

The first several days of break focused on my home river, the Bitterroot, and the action was steady with solid fish regularly eating the dry.  Most skwala seasons are so-so, with maybe a handful of days when it's really on.  By on, I mean multiple eats on every bank, multiple doubles, and the like.  This year however, thanks in large part to good flows, the hatch seemed to last longer and was more consistent than in most years.  Believe me, the skwala hatch on the Bitterroot is one of the most over-hyped and over-fished hatches out there.  but even so, when it's good, it's good.  But I digress... 

Doubled up on the Mo'

The latter half of spring break's events turned eastward, over the continental divide to the mighty Missouri.  The nymphing was off the charts, and once you got the boat online, the action was steady to say the least.

I actually didn't fish much to tell you the truth, just enough to satisfy my desire to play tug of war with those hot Missouri fish and tag a few on dries.  The rest of the time was spent rowing and de-facto guiding some friends who were new to the river.  To tell you the truth I had just as much fun watching them hookup and land fish as I would have been catching them.

This was the first trip of the year for the Fly Fisher's of the Bitterroot Crew.  Lots, and lots of big fish were caught by all those in attendance.  For several of our members this was their first trip to the mighty Mo.  I love the reaction of those who hook up with their first big Missouri 'bow, and soon follow that up with a 30+ fish day.  Welcome to Disneyland folks!  You'll never look at trout fishing quite the same way again.

What a great week.  Only 11 (yeah, that's how late this post is) 10 months to go before spring break 2014!  

Club Member Doug with a Mo' Two Hander

My last great dry fly day of the season occurred a few weeks ago.  Alec and I set sail in the gray whale under threats of possible blizzard conditions.  The snow held off for most of the day (good for us), and apparently the forecast had everyone other angler in the valley spooked (also good for us), as we never saw another boat all day.  The action was consistent all day long with the fish eating exactly how they're supposed to, crushing big dries.  All we needed was a single Skwala dry.  It would turn out that this would be my last Skwala day of 2013.  What a great way to say goodbye to the spring dry fly season.

Love Those Colors

Saturday Scenery

Heart of the Valley Edition.



Bitterroot Mountains and spring showers viewed from the Teller Refuge.

Friday Films - It Lives!

Never fear, We are still here.  Friday Films returns from spring break for another hopefully better than lackluster installment.  

Featured this week in no particular order and for no particular reason, other than they are sweet films are:  Baetis Train by PA Undercurrent Outfitters.  It's Hardly Ever Like That courtesy of the fishing musicians over at Jazz and Fly Fishing.  And last but certainly not least, an awesome Patagonia experience from HOOKE.  Enjoy.

Baetis Train from PA Undercurrent Outfitters on Vimeo.

It´s Hardly Ever Like That from Jazz & Fly Fishing on Vimeo.

Fly Fishing Vibes with Hooké in Patagonia from HOOKÉ on Vimeo.

Mr. Bullock, We Need a Veto

If you haven't been keeping up with all the fun in Helena this year I can't blame you.  Thank goodness the legislation only meets every other year, less of a chance to destroy things.  Every year are certain representatives and senators who are bent on wrecking Montana as much as possible.  They love to introduce legislation that only serves to make a few (very few) folks a lot of money at the cost of the longer-term health of our watersheds.

This session has had it's host of bad bills per usual, below is one that desperately needs a veto.  Please consider writing a quick letter to Governor Bullock, we could use all the help we can get.  

Tell Governor Bullock to veto SB 347, which allows the mining industry to dry up streams, harm fish and rob from existing water rights with little accountability.

 

Background 

SB 347, sponsored by Sen. Chas Vincent (R-Libby) recently passed the Montana Senate and House. This awful bill exempts the massive groundwater pumping performed by mining companies from being reviewed under the "nondegradation" policy in Montana's Water Quality Act. Pumping for mining can significantly reduce important groundwater recharge to streams. Nondegradation review and standards are the only legal backstop available for protecting existing water right holders from losing water to groundwater pumping that they have a legal right to. 

 

Take Action!

Contact Governor Steve Bullock NOW and tell him in your own words to veto SB 347!  Here is why:

• Besides threatening water rights of irrigators, cities and hydro producers, this bill threatens flows for fish. Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks holds instream flow rights for fisheries on blue ribbon trout streams, such as the Blackfoot, Big Hole and Smith Rivers,  all which could be threatened by massive groundwater pumping for proposed mines next to key tributaries. Other streams threatened by mining related pumping of groundwater include the Bull River and Jefferson River, as well as Basin Creek in the upper Clark Fork watershed and Otter Creek in the Tongue River basin. 

• Studies for one proposed mine in the Cabinet Mountains indicates it will significantly deplete flows in a key bull trout spawning reach of the East Fork of the Bull River - a reach of river that is inside a designated wilderness. The effect could last for decades after the mine closes. 

• The bill allows the mining industry to harm water rights, which are a private property right, without requiring mitigation or compensation.

• An amendment added to the bill ostensibly to protect fish is wishy-washy, unclear and will invite lawsuits. 

Tell Governor Bullock not to give the mining industry this special gift. Tell him the mining industry should get a water right for pumping large amounts of groundwater - just like every other large user of groundwater in Montana -- so that existing owners of water rights, including FWP, can formally object if they will be harmed. Remind him of the promises he made to protect the interests of anglers, other recreationists and agriculture. TELL HIM TO VETO SB 347.    

Contact Governor Bullock at governor@mt.gov.

 

or 

call the Governor's office at 406-444-3111. 

For more information on the legislation, contact:

Mark Aagenes at mark@montanatu.org.

Stay Informed! Get involved! Check www.montanatu.org for important updates.

Thank you for doing your part to make a difference.

The Newest Member of the Family

My new best friend, and fishing buddy.

He's got four legs, is a year old, and so far his favorite pastimes include; chomping on rawhide bones, destroying stuffed animals and going on walks.

He's a rescue dog from the Humane Society, my wife and I wouldn't have it any other way.  There's far too many great dogs out there that deserve homes.  We decided to name this guy Fisher.  Haven't taken him out on the river to see how the name suits him, but I have no doubt he'll love it. 

Saturday Scenery on Sunday

From where the rivers run east.

Headed home on Highway 434.

Big Sky