All is Right Again

I picked myself up from the butt kicking I received earlier this week and got out to one of my favorite freestone rivers for the first time this year.  It was a bit foggy and at times cold but the fish were willing and there were no footprints in the snow.  I had actually erected a marker back in August to remind me where a quality Rainbow was located and the marker was still there.  This fishery is amazing as for whatever reason it gets very little pressure.  In fact the first time I asked about it at one of the fly shops I frequent the response I got from both guys working was, "Never fished it."

We fished for 4 hours or so and saw 30 fish or so brought to hand between the two of us.  Generally fish on this river range 13-16" with Rainbows outnumbering Browns four to one.  True to form that's pretty much what we saw.  That is until the "I just want to get one more fish" hike back to the rig. 

I hit tight to a big boulder mid stream and thought I was hung up on it.  Then the fish moved and the fight was on.  It ended up being the biggest fish I've landed in this river, a thick, heavy, 19" Rainbow.  It was great to see a big Rainbow looking so healthy at the end of winter. 

The one more fish fish

Smelling a Skunk

So yesterday my fellow 40/40 club charter member and I  hit a spot neither one of us had ever fished.  It is an area that gets plenty of pressure and seems to have its share of fans.  The water looked good and we had received solid encouragement from those who know the water that it should be fishing well.

With much excitement we started fishing, chipping ice out of the guides every few casts as it was cold and windy.  Within a few minutes my buddy's reel gave up the ghost causing him to have to hike back up to the rig and grab another reel.  Not exactly a great start but these things happen.  By the time I saw him again I had touched exactly zero fish.  He was releasing a whitefish....cool, at least the skunk is off for him.  I never get skunked so I was glad that this new water wasn't going to skunk us. 

As the day wore on I had a clear failure in the right leg of my borrowed waders (my waders are being repaired at Simms at the moment...$72 for repairs on a $450 pair of waders....WTF).  So my right foot was sloshing around in delightful cold water, my hands were frozen, hadn't touched a fish yet, and really wasn't having any fun. 

Meanwhile my buddy was finding fish here and there, nothing large but at least he was moving some fish.  There is nothing like smelling the skunk while your fishing partner, whom you taught to fish, who on a good day catches 40% of the fish you catch, is doing well.  I was happy he was catching fish as it isn't a zero sum game and if you can't be happy for your fishing buddies you shouldn't have fishing buddies.  However, knowing that it wasn't the water, it wasn't the fish, it was clearly me causing me to smell the skunk was painful. 

We had one hour left before I had to head to a date with my wife and I decided I had better get a fish so at least I wouldn't get skunked.  We hiked down to some water we hadn't fished yet and I was finally able to catch a 10" Brown.  At that point I pretty much phoned in the rest of the time we were there as my foot was frozen, my enthusiasm long ago had left, and I wasn't going to get skunked after all. 

Of course the hot hand decided to fish the water I had just gotten my massive 10" fish out of.  Wouldn't you know it he hooks a 20" Rainbow.  Unfortunately it broke off. 

I'd like to say that it is days like yesterday that make this pursuit enjoyable and keep it interesting.  I'd like to say that, but yesterday sucked and I'd just as soon never have days like that.

Midge March Madness...NOT

I've run into a few different anglers on the water since relocating to Bozeman who've told me the same story about March affording phenomenal midge dry fly fishing.  For those who don't know what I'm referring to, midges are a tiny aquatic insect that are present in virtually all freshwater systems.  Supposedly massive midge hatches happen in March in Southwest Montana that bring up reasonable trout providing the first dry fly opportunities of the year. 
Yesterday we headed out looking once again for the mythical March midge madness.  Upon getting on the water midges were everywhere, literally hundreds of them flying above the water.  We fished nymphs and watched/waited for the fish to start looking up.  The conditions were perfect, at least according to those who swear by midge March madness, with temps in the mid 30s, little wind, overcast skies, and more importantly a solid midge hatch taking place.  I was sure it was our day and the stars had aligned.  My last fish on a dry was in November so I really, really, really wanted to rise some fish.  Ultimately we saw perhaps 5 fish rise the entire day, never the same fish twice.  Needless to say the mythical midge March madness remains just that in my world...mythical. 
The fishing was otherwise solid if unspectacular with somewhere in the neighborhood of 40 Brown trout coming to hand, mostly smallish.  The best went 18".

40/40 club

I can remember back when I first started fishing with the long rod reading an article in one of the flyfishing magazines I was a frequent reader of the Madison River being so productive that some guides were touting being able to put their clients into an elite 20/20 club.  They claimed that their clients were catching 20 or more fish of 20 or more inches in a day.  It sounded incredible and filled my mind with thoughts of big fish and lots of them.  Whether or not this actually ever was the case on the Madison I won't comment on.  I will simply say that generally speaking when someone shows me a picture of a 20" fish it is not a 20" fish.  In addition, I often now read articles written about locations I know quite well and let's just say the stories are often fascinating works of fiction.  Perhaps outdoor writers are novelists at heart..but I digress.

Later in my pursuit I read of yet another 20/20 club.  This club consisted of those who caught 20 inch fish on size 20 or smaller flies.  I don't remember or simply never cared enough to notice if it went a step further and required you to catch 20 such fish in this manner in a day.  Virtual all of us who've fished tailwaters have caught 20" fish on size 20 and smaller flies. 

Fishing the winter of 2010-2011 in Southwest Montana I've now inducted myself and a fishing buddy as charter members of the 40/40 club.  Membership is reserved for an exclusive group of anglers.  Nearly every time the thermometer reads over 40F the winds are blowing over 40mph.  I'd like to call it the 50/50 club but this pursuit is full of enough hyperbole.  It is a rare day I see anyone else out braving the wind on an otherwise beautiful winter day.  Perhaps it's because they have jobs...perhaps it's because they have enough sense to not try and cast into a hurricane. 

Here are a few pics from yesterday's 40/40 club meeting.

The circa 1980 MSU ski cap is optional...but a nice touch.

For those who've seen the movie "Kingpen" this is not a picture of Bill Murray.  Just the combination of 40mph wind and middle age.

Two Types of Fisherman

After spending a week in Arizona I came back to Bozeman itching to get out and fish.  The forecast was for a decent day with some snow likely so I headed to one of my favorite winter haunts.  Arriving mid morning I was relieved to see no vehicles and no anglers.  The day started great with three Browns to hand in the first bucket I fished with a fourth breaking me off.  Nothing real big but all in the 15-16" range. 

As I hiked upstream I could hear a dog barking.  I tried to tell myself that perhaps someone was just walking a dog....but I knew better.  As I turned around a bend I could see no less than six adults, two kids, and two dogs.  I tried my best to convince myself that seeing a multi-generational family enjoying a day on the water was a great thing.  After all, the very water we were fishing is under attack by a bill proposed by the Montana House of Representatives that would keep us commoners off water that runs through the property of rich pricks who've bought enough votes to make a push against Montana's stream access laws.  If families don't get out and use the recreational opportunities then eventually these SOBs will win.  So I tried to tell myself it was great to share the water with this large family. 

I hiked above this group, trying to leave them plenty of quality water to fish before I dropped back in.  As I started fishing again I see a guy hike right past me to find some fresh water.  This time I couldn't really pretend that it was good to have another angler on the water, but hey we all have the right to enjoy this fishery.  Eventually I caught up to him and chatted for a bit.  He seemed like a decent guy and off I went, believing I could finally find some solitude and fish that hadn't been harassed. 

I know this water pretty well and was finding that I really wasn't finding fish where they normally would be, rather I had to fish more technically difficult water to consistently pick up fish.  I didn't want to believe it but I guessed I was still fishing behind someone.  At least this someone wasn't skilled enough to get the difficult fish so I had that going for me.  Eventually my suspicion was proven right as I saw another angler coming downstream towards me.  We chatted for a bit and again I could find nothing to dislike about the guy in those minutes we compared notes. 

As the day wore on it became apparent where this last angler had turned back as the fishing picked up pretty noticeably.  All in all a fine day on the water with a mix of high winds, snow, sunshine, and a nice mix of Browns and Rainbows up to 18" and one sucker (my first fair caught sucker in Montana).  On my hike out you guessed it, yet another angler.  We hiked out together and I gave him a ride to where he was parked.  Another nice enough fellow I suppose....

As I drove home I couldn't help but think two things.  The first is; that as long and cold as winter in Southwest Montana is I thoroughly enjoy the fact that most winter's days I'm the only one on the water.  As we start to see a little warmer days I'm going to see more anglers who've been off the water since November show up to my fishing holes.  The second thing that I couldn't get out of my mind was something I read in a John Gierach book:

 "There are only two types of fishermen: those in your party, and the assholes. -John Gierach