The 2003 Yellowstone Gang Fly Fishing Expedition
to the
Land of the Blackfoot
“Retracing the steps of Merewether Lewis & John Coulter on their return trip from the Pacific Coast thru the Blackfoot River Drainage.”
“The Lewis minus Clark Expedition”
2003 Expeditioners: John Richardson (JR), Mike Shaunessy (MS), Greg Koenig (GK), & Andy Batcho (AB). (YG member, Al Miller (AM), who helped plan this expedition, was unable to attend due to last minute work obligations.)
Our Itinerary:
July 17, Seattle to Spokane & on to Missoula, Montana.
July 18-20, Wade fishing & drift boating the Missouri River & Prickly Pear Creek @ Craig, Montana
July 21-25, Blackfoot River Drainage including the Blackfoot River, Monture Creek, North Fork of the Blackfoot & the Clearwater River near Ovando, Montana
July 26, Return to Seattle
Waters fished:
The Missouri River below Holter Dam @ Craig, MT; the Blackfoot River Drainage (130 miles long) including the Blackfoot River, Mike Horse Creek, Monture Creek, the North Fork of the Blackfoot & the Clearwater River. We also strive to share the flies de’jour used during our travels.
Product evaluations:
Throughout our writings, we use, evaluate, & share our thoughts on all types of fishing & fishing related equipment.
Thursday, July 17, 2003:
AB & GK meet at JR’s in Bellevue. JR has flown to Spokane to meet with MS the night before. JR’s Jeep Cherokee (odometer 6847 miles) was loaded the night before & when GK showed up with his Ford ½ T pickup we hooked up the CB radio and hit I-90 eastward at 12:20 PM.
We seem to have a trip gremlin that always strikes within the first 20 miles of the trip. One year, a wallet left at home, another year a $1000 in cash left on the roof of the van & subsequently found next to a freeway on ramp. This year was no different, but not quite as dramatic.
As AB drove JR’s Jeep on I-90 just past Issaquah, GK called on the radio and asked “Is everything alright, you seem to be dropping back in traffic?” AB “I don’t know what’s wrong, the back window on the Jeep just opened automatically & I can’t close it!” “Pull over & I’ll check it out.” Upon inspection, it’s discovered that one of AB’s fly rod cases has shifted and is pressing on the window switch. Normally, this wouldn’t be worth mentioning, but AB has repeatedly been chastised for bringing too many rods on the Yellowstone Gang (YG) trips & during packing, this trip was no exception. I can’t understand why anyone would think that 8 fly rods are too many for a 10 day trip? In my mind, fly rods are like golf clubs; you can play a round of golf with a 2 iron, but the game’s a lot more fun when you take a full set of clubs!
After a 5 hour uneventful cruise down I-90 we arrived at Mike’s beautiful home east of Spokane, near the Idaho boarder and were greeted by his new Irish Setter puppy.
Two years ago, AM had a great new product he used on the trip. LED Hedz, a tiny LED light that clips on the bill of your cap, great for changing flies & even hiking out at night. There are many LED lights available today, but this unit, with the hat clip proved difficult to find. JR, via extensive web research & several phone calls managed to find a source. He presented each member of the YG with a new LED Hedz. The YG gives the LED Hedz a 2 fins up rating, a great streamside tool. Put LED Hedz in Yahoo search to find sources if you’d like one.
AB had also been busy during the winter, making “water office” lanyards for the YG members. The lanyard made of wooden beads, leather cord & snap swivels allows an angler to “go light” by hanging essential equipment on the lanyard & leaving the vest in the truck. The YG members also gave the “water office” 2 fins up as a handy tool for those really hot days or a quick trip down to the river. (If you’d like a water office lanyard, see www.orvis.com. , or your local fly shop. )
Mike & Dianne had a great burger dinner ready for all as we quickly packed MS’s gear into the pickup. After diner and a quick tour of Mike’s great garden (surrounded by an electric fence to keep the deer, bear, elk & moose out) we saddled up & headed out. With the thermometer at 95 degrees, the air conditioning felt great as we pulled out at 6:30 pm headed east to Missoula, Montana.
The CB radios chattered all the way to Missoula with the YG catching up on the latest fishing stories & making plans for the next 10 days of fly-fishing. Arriving at the Hampton Inn in Missoula, AB, JR & MS walked over to the local Casino for a little “deuces wild” action & a nightcap. The poker gods were good to all & we more than paid for the libations while picking up a few extra bucks that would no doubt be spent on a few new flies.
Friday, July 18th
Up early the next morning, we pulled out of Missoula at 9:30 AM, (last year AB got the group up at 4:30 AM, this year he was relieved of “alarm clock” duties….humm…don’t understand that?) MS was also appointed as trip treasurer and collected the ante from all to start the community pot. (AB was also voted as “never to be treasurer again” apparently based on the previous years performance. The group seems to prefer the treasurer to use an accountants ledger rather than a “oh, that’s close enough format” that took us 4 hours to sort out at the end of last year’s trip…..go figure?)
I-90 was having its standard summer beauty treatment, closing traffic down to one lane & 35 MPH progress for miles on end. Fortunately we only had 20 miles to travel to get coffee at Elkstroms’ Station at Rock Creek.
Some members had taken advantage of the free Hampton Inn breakfast that morning, apparently missing JR’s announcement that breakfast would be; fresh side pork & eggs at Elkstrom’s, but no matter, two breakfasts an hour apart worked out just fine.
We picked up Montana fishing licenses, flies & local G2 (good fishing on the Blackfoot, 18” Cutts on every cast after 8 PM) at the Rock Creek Mercantile & Fly Shop. On the Blackfoot use #16 Green Monster & tiny #20 flashbacks. On Rock Creek use Yellow Hungarian Partridge Soft Hackles, Hoppers, & large Royal Wolf’s with soft hackle droppers.
Heading toward Helena, MT @ 11:00 the CB chatter consisted of discussions of the availability of food in some of the back country areas we were headed, especially since we tend to stay on the river until 10 PM. Our experience has taught us that many small towns close up at 9, leaving us to forage in the back of the pickup’s for crushed potato chips, trail mix, beef jerky & Gatorade for dinner. MS suggested we buy a small portable gas BBQ unit so we’d be prepared to cook dinner if we ran into difficulties. (Cook trail mix & beef jerky?)
A quick stop at the Helena Safeway produced ice, gas, snacks & a portable gas BBQ unit. Temps were nearing 100 degrees at noon & icing drinks became a priority. AB had purchase a new “5 day” cooler & all were anxious to field test the unit under the extreme Montana heat. The smart money said the unit wouldn’t keep ice for more that a day in the back of a pickup in 105 degree temps.
In case you are interested in the fuel performance of a 6 cylinder Jeep Cherokee vs. a V-8 ½ Ton Ford pickup, the Jeep loaded on 13.7 gallons of gas while the pickup needed 18.1 gallons to cover the same distance.
Leaving Helena at 12:45 (602 miles from Seattle), we arrived at Wolf Creek Outfitters (800-800-4350), www.mt-river-outfitters.com , email: craigm@montana.com ) along Prickly Pear Creek & the Missouri River and check in with manager Tim McKnight.
We emptied the vehicles into our one room cabin and headed down to the fly shop for G2 on evening fishing. Flies for the Missouri consisted of a Caddis Emerger behind a dry fly, Parachute Caddis, double wing Trico, Disco Midge, San Juan Worm & tan Hoppers. For Prickly Pear Creek, the Parachute Adams topped the list & Wolf Creek and the Dearborn were flowing too low to fish.
We headed out to do some reconnaissance to find an evening fishing spot. Crossing the Missouri on the Wolf Creek bridge we headed to Craig, looking over several good looking spots along the way. At Craig, we stop at an old favorite, Cross Currents Fly Shop for a few more hot tips & recommendations on places to eat. Coming off the river after dark presents a problem with finding an establishment open for eats. Cross Currents recommends Hookers, a Tavern/Restaurant next door to the fly shop, open until midnight.
Turning south on Main St. in Craig, not hard to find since Craig is made up of less than ten buildings, then headed down the gravel road paralleling the river to the south for several miles. We parked next to a large rock cliff & geared up. It’s 6:15 PM & the Jeep thermometer was reading 105. Thru the gate in the barbwire fence, and a mile & a half walk down the railroad track (some in waders) we reach an island area of the Missouri that looks pretty fishy. Dozens of large rainbows prowling the shoreline, gulping bugs, I think that meets the definition of “pretty fishy”. We’re soon to find out that these fish also have “angler PhD’s” also. MS tries a Caddis & Caddis Emerger, AB works a Hopper & Sparkle Dun dropper, JR a Royal Trude & Flashback and GK a Tent Wing Caddis. Casting to risers is the preferred method, but produced little action.
An hour after sunset, it was quiet enough to hear the mosquito swarms buzzing in the brush along the shoreline so we decided to call it quits. Deer were coming down to the river for an evening drink & beavers were swimming up river with willow branches. Walking out of the water AB spots a movement in the grass along the shoreline. Humm…black & white cat? Noooo! A Skunk!!! As if the mosquito’s weren’t enough incentive to get out of the brush, the black & white cat put AB in high gear climbing the river bank. Back at the car at 10 PM we talked about the fishery & what we planned to do different/better tomorrow. These fish are smart!
Back at Hookers, GK ordered the Hamburger Steak, MS the Chef’s Salad, JR the Chicken-fried Steak (2-1/2 beaks), & AB the Walleye (a 2+ lb. filet!). All was good.
MS struck up a conversation with two anglers at the next table. An older gentleman, a doctor & his fishing partner, a lawyer from Minnesota, both who had been coming to the Missouri for 20 years. They’d each caught 4 nice rainbows that day, all-coming on a green Caddis Emerger that the barrister had tied. He shared one of his flies with GK. We returned to the cabin at 11:30 PM. 85 degrees.
Saturday, July 19
Leaving the Lodge at 7:20 AM with Tim towing one drift boat & GK towing the second. Heading up the Missouri to Holter Dam and the launch ramp.
GK & MS in one boat, JR & AB in the other. Within a block of the ramp there were several pods of trout rising. AB & JR anchor up and the GK/MS team go down river. Both AB & JR have two rods (4,5, & 6 wts.), one rigged with a Trico dry fly, the other with a double nymph (Prince/Pheasant tail) combo. The water was covered with thousands, maybe millions of tricos. We worked the area for 15 minutes and AB picked up a Rainbow & we moved downriver. Working several more active pods of fish as we floated the river, but the PhD Trout syndrome was still on us.
With JR on the oars & AB on the fly rod, we drifted through a fast chute of water. AB had a pickup & a fat trout went airborne. A couple big jumps and a LDR (long distance release). Gathering up the fly line and making another quick cast with the nymphs into the same chute, another immediate strike and we boated a nice Rainbow.
Then JR took his turn on the rod & picked up a nice rainbow on the Prince also.
We stopped at an island in the river for a lunch of bagels, creamed cheese & AB’s smoked salmon. We do eat well on these trips. Temps were 104 & spending time wet wading with a wet bandana around your neck or dunking your hat in the water felt pretty good. We worked several more miles of river, pulling into the ramp at Craig at 4:30. Talking to successful fisherman at the ramp, the formula seemed to be Trico’s in the morning, Caddis mid-day, & Hoppers in the afternoon. We could recommend, the Renegade (imitates a cluster of Tricos), Black w/ white wing Trico’s, double wing Tricos, Missouri River Special Tent wing cinnamon hackle Caddis, Elk Hair Caddis, & small yellow bodied Hoppers for the Missouri.
We tied up the boats at the bridge & left them for Tim to pick up later and headed for Great Falls, Montana to see the “Great Falls of the Missouri”.
There’s a great Lewis & Clark Museum at the uppermost falls of the Missouri. Discovered on June 14th, 1805, “Black Eagle Falls”, was named after an entry in his journals about an eagle nest on an island just below the falls. After viewing the falls & ascending to a high ridge, Lewis wrote, “…in these plains and more particularly in the valley just below me were immence heards of buffaloe…” It took the Corps of Discovery more than a month to portage this series of falls on the Missouri, including many encounters with the “Great White Bear”. According to Lewis, “The men labored so hard to portage around the Great Falls, that they dropped on the trail from sheer exhaustion, while others ignored the pain of prickly pear cactus spines in their feet until they could pull them out around the evening camp fire.” “Great White Bears constantly loomed at the edges of our campfire light.” A tough bunch! It was awesome to be standing at the same place 198 years later, reading Capt. Lewis’s words & looking over the great falls he recorded in his journals.
We asked about a place to have dinner & were told the best place in Great Falls was “Cattleman’s Cut Supper Club”. It took a bit to find the place, some 20 miles, including occasional backtracking, out of town. The restaurant was set off the road on a windy plain with the Western Livestock Auction stockyards as a backdrop. We suspected the steaks would be fresh. All had a great meal, steaks all around, salad bar & complimentary shrimp platter & the wait staff was very friendly. Well worth the drive.
Sunday, July 20th.
Up early, the YG was looking for a new fishing adventure this morning. We decided to fish Prickly Pear Creek. Saddling up, we drove upstream for some 15 miles surveying the small stream for a fishy looking spot. Spotting a small rutted road heading off toward the stream, JR eased the Jeep into 4WD & proceeded with caution. The road was steep & narrow. Both AB & JR were thinking we’d discovered a little known fishing hole & could hardly wait to give it a try. As we arrived at the stream, we were shocked to discover an old pickup & rickety camp trailer parked in the brush. The encampment looked rather permanent with a generator running, a rifle leaned against the fender & cloths drying in the trees. We were absolutely amazed that this rig could make it down the narrow road to this place as we had struggled to get the Jeep down the hill. Maybe he got it down here, couldn’t get it out & has lived here ever since? With much difficulty we turned the Jeep around and left.
Meanwhile MS & GK had proceeded upstream and found a place they wanted to try. JR &AB found a nearby spot flowing under a railroad bridge. The stream looked pretty good with riffles, pools & overhanging brush.
A couple of hours of flicking little Stimulators along the edges of the brush with a 2 wt. Orvis produced only a couple of strikes. The small trout in the stream were concentrated in the deep pools and were easily spooked. Later we learned that, Prickly Pear creek is used by the Missouri River trout as a spawning area. The low water & high temperatures in July had caused most large fish to move back into the main river. Higher flows & cooler temperatures would be more ideal for fishing this stream.
Being about noon & over 100 degrees, the YG figured it was time to get off the river and look for a place to have lunch. We’d never been to Holter Lake, the reservoir on the Missouri behind Holter Dam, so off we went, across the Wolf Creek bridge & up the east side of the Missouri. Arriving at the lake we spy the Holter Lake Resort & Marina, pull into the restaurant/bar and enjoy the burgers & air conditioning!
Being over 100 degrees outside, it’s hard telling how hot it is inside the parked vehicles, AB & JR are having trouble with their CB radio overheating. The radio is so hot when we enter the parked Jeep, touching it burns your hand. MS & GK sound like they’re talking underwater in a rain barrel when they talk to us. AB has to hold the unit against the air conditioner for 15 minutes to get it to work. CB’s are a great tool & the YG uses them constantly to keep our two vehicles’ wanderings coordinated. It may be time to invest in a new unit & retire the 1980’s Royce unit.
After lunch, we head off for a little more exploration looking for an evening fishing spot. Earlier we’d spotted a sign on the west side of the Wolf Creek bridge over the Missouri that said, “$10 Parking” & decided to check it out.
The road led us through an old ranch property to the confluence of Prickly Pear Creek and the Missouri. A couple fellows were camped in the area & they let us know that the old lady that owned the property expected fisherman using the access would come up to the ranch house and pay the parking fee. JR & AB drove up the road past old barns & farm equipment to the old farmhouse. Knocking on the door, there are yapping dog sounds coming from inside. A frail old woman opens the door. Handing her a 20-dollar bill, she asks, “Are there any other cars down there?” “Yes, two guys camping.” “I’ll be down there soon to collect their money.” “Thanks for letting us fish on your property, we appreciate it.” “Have a nice day boys.”
Talking to the campers, we find that they’d been fishing the river together for years & were very successful. Given that we had lots to learn about fishing the Missouri we listened intently to their advice. MS & JR headed downriver to the second railroad bridge, a mile hike. MS had seen the area earlier and was convinced the area held fish. AB & GK fished a riffle at the boat ramp, with AB heading downstream after a half hour.
A half mile downstream AB finds a large pod of fish gulping bugs along the shoreline. MS reports “Fish-on” on the radio, followed shortly by another “Fish-on”. AB casts over the shoulder of risers in the feeding pod of large rainbows with tricos & tent wing caddis, but these fish are having nothing to do with bugs on the end of fluorocarbon leaders. Later AB remembers that all fish he’s caught in the Missouri thus far have been with the fly drifting downstream to the fish…but didn’t try that approach…duh! GK reports a “Fish-on” with a bead-head up in the riffles.
Our next-door neighbors from the Missouri River Lodge drift by on pontoon boats & anchor up on a gravel bar in the middle of the river. Using Elk-hair Caddis, while wading the gravel bar, they start catching large trout immediately & regularly. Talking to them the evening before, they reported having 50 fish days on the Missouri! Favorite flies; Missouri River Special Caddis, Cinnamon Caddis, Elk Hair Caddis, small Yellow Hoppers, Tricos, Renegade, Caddis Emerges, Prince & Pheasant Tail nymphs & San Juan worms. As we were finding out, they reported that it took them several years of fishing the Missouri before they unraveled all the little details that make for successful fishing. The campers at the mouth of Prickly Pear creek had the same advice…it took time to figure out the Missouri Rainbows. Drifting no-drag flies back to feeding fish seems to be more successful than casting over the shoulder of feeding fish. Using light leaders for stealth is definitely compromised by the size of the trout & the weedy bottom of the river, as large fish tend to dive into the weeds during the fight. The YG is still on the learning curve. Headed home that evening at 11:30 PM the temperature is 83 degrees.
Monday, July 21
Today is a travel day & the YG members sleep in after a late night of fishing. Breakfast at the Oasis Café in Wolf Creek and we’re off at 11:15, west on highway 287 to the Continental Divide and the Blackfoot River drainage. On the way to Bowman’s Corner and a left turn on highway 200, there were several herds of Antelope feeding on the slopes of the rolling sagebrush plains. It’s 11:45 when we reach Bowman’s Corners & the temp is a pleasant 78 degrees. We turn west on highway 200 toward Roger’s Pass at the Continental Divide & the town of Lincoln.
Along the way to Roger’s pass we check out Auchard Creek & the Middle Fork of the Dearborn River. Both are extremely low & un-fishable.
Crossing the pass, there are hundreds of bicyclists on the road. Later in Orvando, while talking to some of the bikers we find out the group is riding the back-roads along the entire Continental Divide from Canada to Mexico! They plan 3 months to complete the trip. Most of the bikers are riding heavy-duty mountain bikes, many pulling small trailers. They meet up with support vehicles where the terrain allows & many camp out each night. Riding on, or paralleling the Continental Divide for the entire ride, they cross the Divide some 27 times during the length of the trip! Given the high temperatures, high altitude, gravel roads & elevation changes, this is a tough bunch of bike riders!
Just over the pass we turn off on Mike Horse Creek road, & drive 10 miles of gravel road to the headwaters. We’d heard stories of giant Cutt’s inhabiting beaver ponds in the area. At the end of the road we found an old mining camp of the White Hope Mine. Set in a background of forested mountains with the ridges just above the camp being the Continental Divide, it was obvious by looking at the buildings & equipment that the mining operations had ceased years earlier.
There were dogs barking inside the largest building, so MS knocked on the door. An old miner came to the door and began sharing the history of the area with us. We soon turned the conversation to fishing opportunities in the area & the old man pointed to the tailing pond below the mine camp, saying that Montana Fisheries had planted moss, freshwater shrimp & Cutthroat in the pond a while back. He said a guy fishing the pond last year had caught several Cutts in the 5-6 pound range! Spinning gravel off our tires heading downhill to the pond, the old timer shouted, “Keep an eye out boys, there’s a bunch of Griz in the area!” With the possibility of 5-6 lb. Cutthroat in the pond, I think the YG would have been willing to slug it out with a few Grizzlies’ to get to them. MS chose a fly rod & GK, JR & AB took a spinning rod with Krocodile spoons & Rooster Tails down the trail to the pond. With crystal clear water, stumps & trees in the water & deep drop-offs along the forested edge of the pond, we had high hopes of landing a big Cutt. The habitat looked ideal. Several casts from the dam produced no results. MS & GK worked one side of the 5-acre pond, while AB & JR followed a trail on the opposite side of the lake. There were tracks of elk & deer in the mud edges all around the lake. Anticipation was high with every cast to the middle of the lake & around stumps and trees. Fast retrieve, slow retrieve, counting the lure down into the depths, nothing produced a strike. The call came over the Motorola FRS radios we all carry; “lets head out, I think we’ve given this a fair shot.” Hiking back to the trucks we discussed the possibility of using a float tube on the pond. Likely, if there truly were large Cutts in the pond you’d have more success by working flies off the bottom in the deeper areas. Or, maybe the 5-6 lb. Cutts are just a good story to tell tourists that blunder into the old mans’ camp.
Heading back down the gravel road we pull in to an area of old log cabins & buildings that the old timer said was the lodging area for the men that worked at the mine. As we explored the buildings, we kept a sharp eye out for Rattlers as this looked like prime habitat. Across the road and thru a brushy logged off area ran Mike Horse Creek. The creek was low & clear. Lower in the drainage, beavers had damned the stream causing a series of ponds, flooded lowlands & dense willow growth. We were told to fish these beaver ponds, but given our late start on the day, we had to pass to move our way down the road. This is definitely an area that deserves more exploration.
Headed back down highway 200 toward the west, the highway followed the Blackfoot River. The river in these upper reaches was 30 to 50 feet wide, slow, sinuous, big deep blue-black pools & cut-banks with log jams in all the corners. Our research said the area was populated mainly by Brown Trout living in the big pools & under the cut-banks. Dry fly fishing was tough due to the slow water and the time trout had to examine the fly, a wooly bugger or streamer would be a better choice.
Coming into the town of Lincoln the trip odometer said we’d traveled 950 miles from Seattle. It was 2 PM and the temp was 85 degrees, much better than the mid-day 100 plus temperatures on the east side of the Divide. Lincoln is a nice, modern small town with all the necessary amenities. Food, fuel & lodging.
Our ultimate destination for the day was Orvando, Montana and the Blackfoot Commercial Co. & Inn where we were to check into the Bed & Breakfast, so we moved on.
Driving into Orvando, just off highway 200, the town itself is made up of a half-dozen old western-style buildings with a small residential area on the outskirts.
JR & MS met Peggy owner of the Blackfoot Commercial Co. & Inn and checked us in for the week. The rooms at the B&B were great, the breakfasts we’re awesome and Peggy was a great host. We immediately took a liking to the quiet, western setting of the town, immediately feeling right at home. We plan to make Ovando a stop on future trips to the area. Blackfoot B&B: 406-793-5555
(JR website??) We also met Howie who ran the general store & was the all around handyman.
After moving into our rooms we headed for Trixi’s Saloon for lunch. Trixi who owned the saloon for years, was a famous rodeo queen of the 20’s & 30’s. She passed away in 2001. Large moose heads, antelope, deer & elk were the motif. A couple bottles of Moose Drool beer & big buffalo burgers and the YG were ready for some evening fishing.
Stopping at the Blackfoot Angler Fly Shop ( 406-793-FISH, www.blackfootangler.com, email: angler@blackfoot.net ) for a little G2 we meet owners Kathy Schoendoefer & Travis Thurmond who fill us in on the local hot spots & flies de’jour. Large Red Humpies, Hoppers & Bloody Mary’s (a red bead-head), saying, “fish on the Blackfoot like large flies & red is the current preferred color.” She also says the rivers are hot & dropping fast, as much as 300 cfs per day, and may go to voluntary closures soon due to low flows & high temps stressing the fish. JR buys a pair of Reddington Wading pants, terrific for wet wading as they preclude the brush scratches & mosquito bites while staying cool & drying fast. AB & MS wanted to buy a pair also, but the only sizes left were medium & small. Kathy also warned us of all the Grizzly Bears in the area, but did say that the winters were so cold & long lasting in the Blackfoot drainage that there were no rattlesnakes in the area. (or maybe the bears ate them all during the last long winter??) All picked up a selection of flies and we were on the road.
Choosing from Kathy’s recommendations we end up at the Road 110 access to the Blackfoot at 5:30 PM. AB selects his 5 wt. Orvis & heads downstream, JR, MS head upstream & GK works a nice looking area near the boat ramp.
Selecting a Royal Stimulator with Prince dropper AB hooks up on a nice 18” Cutthroat, followed by 10 nice Rainbows, another Cutthroat, while missing 6 other fish. GK coaxes three trout out of the rocks & riffles while MS & JR find a nice pool upstream that also produce three fish each.
Tuesday, July 22
During a great breakfast of waffles, eggs, thick bacon, coffee, juice & fruit at the B&B we discussed the possibilities for our morning fishing spot. Upper Monture Creek emanating from the Bob Marshall Wilderness was our choice.
Driving west on highway 200 toward the Monture Creek cutoff we noticed many, out of place looking, mounds dotted throughout the sagebrush covered landscape. JR reminded us of a line in Lewis’s journal where he referred to this area as “The Prairie of the Knobs”. Glaciers had progressed to this location, pushing dirt & rock mounds ahead of them. Some 10 to 12,000 years ago, the glacier progress stopped & they began to melt, leaving the “knobs” behind.
Ten miles of dusty gravel road and we arrived at a bridge that crossed Monture Creek. This looked like a good place to access the creek. GK & MS headed downstream, while JR & AB headed upstream. AB selected his 2 wt. Orvis Superfine for this beautiful little stream, while JR chose his L.L. Bean 4 wt. for the task. Fly selection was a small Stimulator with a tiny Pheasant Tail dropper for AB.
This stream is beautiful, an absolute high mountain classic! Crystal clear water flowing over pastel stone gravel with a perfect 50/50 riffle to pool ratio & large woody debris at or beyond the text book, one piece per stream width ideal. During our Trout Unlimited Stream Restoration work, members of the YG lead a stream restoration survey, design & implementation on local Puget Sound salmon streams. Often, while talking about or teaching the subject of stream restoration, AB would say, “It’s an open book test.” “All you need to do is find a stream not altered by man & mother nature will show you how it should look.” “Just follow mother natures designs.” Well, if it’s an open book test, upper Monture Creek is the page that shows a perfect example.
It didn’t take AB long to find a nice Cutthroat in one of the pools that attacked the Stimulator. While working another pool JR & AB spot a huge Cutt rising to a hatch in a deep side pool. All attempts at stealth & fly selection failed with this fish. Progress upstream was blocked by a large logjam, causing JR & AB to cut thru the streamside brush & into the forest canopy to find places clear enough to move upstream. While bushwhacking our way around the obstruction, we get a radio call from MS saying that he and GK are finding parts & pieces of deer & cattle in the forest. Humm….not usually a good sign.
(Later, when we returned to the fly shop to give Kathy a fishing report, she said, “Oh, yes, there are 9 resident Grizzly Bears on that section of stream you boys were fishing!” Nine Grizzly Bears on a 20-mile section of stream! Holy Crap! We were walking bear snacks!)
We were somewhat prepared for fishing in bear country, Bear Bells, radios turned up to max volume, & pepper spray. Making noise in bear country is the most important thing you can do. Surprising a momma bear with cubs is very unwise, as their normal response to surprise is attack. Given notice of people in the woods, bears usually choose to go elsewhere. The pepper spray is a last resort. If attacked by a bear, draw your pepper spray, unlatch the safety, and calmly & accurately point the spray toward the eyes of your fishing partner & run like hell! One precaution, make sure before you do this that you have a previous agreement with his wife that you have “dibs” on his best fly rods if he happens not to return from the trip.
AB & JR made it back to the streambed and proceeded upstream to find more beautiful pools. We’d fished several pools without success and came upon a beautiful deep pool with a large logjam on the far side with a nice chute of water coming in at the top end. We immediately spotted a Cutt rising to a hatch going off in the pool. JR decided to match the hatch, choosing a small tent wing Caddis. Standing on a gravel bar and making the first perfect cast to the fish, it struck! A beautiful Cutthroat! AB took the hint & switched the Stimulator to a small Caddis & we both picked up another Cutty.
Working our way upstream we heard a movement in the bushes….drawing our pepper spray to the ready, we spy an older gentleman working his way downstream thru the brushy shoreline. Whew, we’re not edgy or anything! We stopped and chatted with him for a while, asking, “How’s the fishing?” He said he hadn’t had any luck all morning & asked what kind of flies we were using. We said “Tent-winged Caddis”. He wasn’t familiar with the fly, so AB cast his line into the bushes next to the gent, saying, “take a look at that.” “Oh, great!” said the old timer, “I have something similar to that, Thanks!”
It was getting near noon, so AB & JR began bushwhacking through the woods towards the head of the road. Taking a quick compass reading, AB announces “That way.” Finding the end of the road, we stop for a swig of water & head down the road & soon notice two official looking trucks coming toward us. We stopped the first truck, a forest ranger and asked about the best fishing spots in the area. He said talk with the guy in the next truck he’s the area fish biologist. What luck, a fish biologist! He told us the water in the creek was low & warm making the fishing pretty tough, but the Bull Trout migration was in full swing and they had progressed upstream to an area about 5 miles below us. The trout were in an area of a large private ranch, and we knew that it was illegal to fish for Bull Trout in Montana as they’re on the endangered species list.
Meeting up with MS & GK at the trucks, they reported fishing to be slow in the section they fished, with only a couple hits & a few near misses. It was getting pretty hot at mid-day so we headed back to Orvando for lunch at Trixi’s.
MS had the grilled chicken, GK the Halibut, both very good, AB had another double buffalo burger (excellent), & JR….you guessed it, the Chicken Fried Steak. (4 beaks). AB hit the “dues wild” poker machine for “5 of a kind” while waiting for lunch & paid for his lunch, one of his Montana lunchtime goals, which he’s getting pretty good at. Nowhere near the luck of YG gang member, Chet, who hits these machines for $200 payouts on a regular basis. See YG trip 1999.
After lunch, a nap at the B&B & one more trip thru the fly shop for a few more goodies, the temperature dropped to evening levels & we headed out for lower Monture Creek, which flows into the Blackfoot River.
The Lewis minus Clark Expedition:
On the return trip from the Pacific Ocean, the Corps of Discovery split into two groups near Missoula, Montana. Clark traveled their outbound route up the Bitterroot River while Lewis headed up the Blackfoot. The two Captains agreed to rendezvous at the Missouri River in late August.
Lewis accompanied by 9 mounted soldiers, including John Coulter, 17 horses & his Newfoundland Dog, Seaman camped at the confluence of Monture Creek & the Blackfoot River on July 5, 1806. ( three weeks & 197 years earlier than our visit.) Lewis had named the creek, Seaman Creek, after his dog, but since his journals were late to be published, the stream was re-named Monture Creek after an army scout, George Monture.
Coulter’s Run:
This expedition up the Blackfoot River lead to a famous story that happened several years later; Coulter’s Run.
While exploring the Blackfoot River drainage, the Lewis party ran into a small group of Blackfoot Indian Scouts. Given that President Jefferson had given Lewis orders to meet with &make “friends” of all the tribes he encountered, Lewis asked the young braves to join them in a camp that night. Lewis was concerned though, as he’d heard rumors of the warrior status of the Blackfoot Tribe from the Shoshone & Nez Perce, so he slept lightly that night. Sometime in the early morning, he was awakened by the horses stampeding out of camp, and one of the braves wrestling with Coulter for his rifle. Coulter recaptured his rifle & shot the brave. Lewis also killed one of the braves. After gather their horses, the expedition made hasty tracks to the Missouri to re-join Clark. Lewis knew the surviving braves would head for camp & the entire tribe would be on their trail.
Nearing St. Louis, several weeks later, two trappers were paddling upriver when they came across the Lewis & Clark expedition. The trappers asked Captain Lewis if any of his men would be willing to guide them back into the wilderness. Lewis said up to two of the Corps of Discovery members would be released from duty if they wanted to return to the wilderness. John Coulter & another man volunteered! (I can’t imagine, after spending two tough years & a couple near death experiences that anyone would volunteer to return, at least not without spending a few weeks in St. Louis whooping it up!)
Arriving back in Blackfoot territory, Coulter & the three other men are captured by the Blackfoot. Three of the men were immediately killed, but Coulter was recognized & identified as being part of the earlier episode were the braves were killed. The Chief had something “special” in mind for Coulter.
Having Coulter stripped naked, he gave him a head start, running for his life! Then, all the Blackfoot braves where sent to run him down & kill him. Coulter managed to out distance the braves until he came to a river, where he turned to see a brave with a spear right on him. Coulter wrestled the spear from the brave, ran him thru & dove into the river. Swimming downstream, Coulter hid under a logjam in the river. The braves scoured the river & shoreline, even standing on the logjam looking for Coulter. Finally, believing that no man could survive in the icy water and assuming that he’d drowned, the braves returned to camp.
Coulter was near the headwaters of the Missouri, at the Madison & Jefferson Rivers when this happened. He managed to make his way to the current location of Yellowstone National Park, some 100 plus miles away, in the process, becoming the first white man to see Yellowstone. Reporting what he’d seen, boiling mud pots, steaming pools & geysers, back in St. Louis, Coulter was laughed off as being in the wilderness too long. How John Coulter survived, naked, in this wild country, without a gun or even a knife, is amazing to me.
(given some of the “bad guys” around today, maybe our criminal justice system could learn a few things from the Chief. Seems the Chief wasn’t into to paying $40,000 dollars a year to house, feed & entertain bad guys.)
Back to fishing lower Monture Creek.
JR & MS decided to hike down the ridge and fish the lower half of the creek, while GK & AB started fishing just below the vehicles. The lower stream is a little larger than the upper reaches, but has many similar characteristics. Great riffles & pools, sinuosity, & large amounts of logs & root wads creating excellent trout habitat. AB uses a Red Humpy with a Prince dropper & finds a nice 18” Cutt near a logjam. These fish only allow you one chance. They readily strike a fly, but if you miss the strike, they will not return, even if you change flies. AB finds 5 more nice Cutts & misses 4 others, including two large fish behind a large logjam. Greg catches one & misses a few; MS & JR have similar luck. (More to say here guys, what type of flies did you use?) There are some great fish in this area, but they do show evidence of being well educated.
At 10:25 PM we were chased off the river by darkness & huge swarms of mosquitoes.
Wednesday, July 23
The YG is up at 7AM having another great breakfast at the B&B, then head across the street to the fly shop. Picking up a few Black Beatles w/ red sparkle legs, Bloody Mary Bead-heads, & Red Humpies, we’re headed to fish Monture Creek from the highway to the confluence with the Blackfoot.
MS & JR decide to hike downstream to the confluence and fish upstream while GK & AB start at the trucks and fish downstream. MS & JR hike for over an hour, (JR in hip boots), and come to a ranch house. They walk up to the house and ask permission to cross the ranch property. The rancher grants permission, but warns them, “There’s been a Grizzly hanging out back by the barn” “Be careful!” Arriving at the Blackfoot, nearly 2-1/2 hours later, they find a road & bridge over the river….humm…maybe we could have driven here??
Meanwhile GK & AB work their way downstream. Monture Creek has great pools & log jams and is a great wading stream, but today, it’s fishing slow. GK catches two Cutts with a Hopper/Pheasant-tail bead combo, and misses three others. AB also catches two on a Royal Stimulator/Pheasant-tail combo & misses four, one nearing 20”. JR does an LDR on a beautiful 18-incher that takes a Red Humpy & runs his leader around a large rock. MS catches two on the Bloody Mary’s.
The YG meet up at mid-day & start hiking the ridgeline back, temps are 95+ degrees, and we arrive back at the rigs at 2:40 hot & tired. A round of cold Gatorade’s for all & we head for Trixi’s for lunch. Many deer spotted on the ride back to Orvando. After lunch, MS & GK head back to the B&B for R&R, while JR & AB head out to explore the upper reaches of the North Fork of the Blackfoot.
Finding an interesting looking road on the Gazetteer, that appears to parallel the river and provide access, we decide to check it out. Several miles down the gravel road, we end up in a ranchers’ front yard, the rancher comes out & informs us we’re on private property. We promptly apologize for getting lost and wondering onto his property. We ask directions to the North Fork of the Blackfoot & he points us toward the back exit off the property. A couple gates later & one 4 wheel-drive expedition thru an irrigation ditch, we find the main road again.
Traveling along the North Fork toward the Bob Marshall Wilderness, the river moves into a deep canyon area. Large boulders, azure blue pools, great looking habitat & suicide steep access. Continuing to the end of the road, we park, gear up and hike down into the canyon. The stream is beautiful and we’re expecting to catch trout on every cast. Not to be. Spending only an hour in this spectacular area, the wind came up, black clouds were building and we decided we’d better start climbing out of the canyon.
We did explore the area a bit more & found a trailhead that looked like it provided good access upstream. About then a 6-point buck in velvet flushed out of the undergrowth, followed a few minutes later by a young couple carrying fly rods. They confirmed that the trail did lead to some great areas about 30 minutes ahead.
We also noted that a forest fire had burned the area. It burned in 1988 during the largest forest fire in Montana history. The fire burned from near Missoula to the Dearborn River over the continental divide.
On the way out of the backcountry we came across an irrigation sprinkler watering the road. Since the Jeep was filthy from driving gravel roads, AB suggested a “Montana Car Wash”. It works pretty well, try it sometime.
Thursday, July 24
The YG heads out today for the River Junction area at the confluence of the North Fork Blackfoot & Blackfoot Rivers. 8:15 AM, 61 degrees & overcast. Traveling ten miles of gravel road that is apparently used by the Montana Air Force for bombing practice, we stop to compare notes on our directions. MS puts his fly hat on top of the Jeep & checks the map with JR. Several more miles of gravel road, & a few deer sightings later we arrive at River Junction. Yes, MS’s fly hat is, amazingly, still on top of the Jeep, covered with dust & bugs & wedged under the roof rack!
This section of river is beautiful. Riffles, Pools & Log Jams. GK heads up the Blackfoot, MS & JR downstream while AB crosses & heads up the North Fork. Red Humpies, Royal Trude, Red beads, Adams, Wooly Buggers & Red Ants were used to work the area. AB finds 3 nice Cutts hidden under logjams on the No. Fork. A small yellow hopper w/ sparkle wings did the trick. All the fish were buried deep in the logjams & wouldn’t come to the fly unless it was drifted deep into the wood.
While fishing near a steep cliff along the river AB notes a trickle of gravel falling into the river from a monolith right near where he’s casting. One last cast in the area before moving on draws a tremendous strike, or at least a tremendous splash. A 50-pound boulder fell off a rock pillar on the far shore, right on top of AB’s fly! Well, might as well move on…that hole is probably screwed up for a while!
AB talks to a few anglers on a couple passing drift boats that had worked nine miles of river. They reported little or no luck today.
Black clouds begin to form & a light rain starts to fall.
It’s near mid-day & the YG heads out to explore the upper reaches of the Blackfoot along Hwy. 200. Along the way we head into the town of Helmville & stop for lunch at the Copper Queen Saloon.
JR (3-3/4 beaks) & MS (4 beaks) Chicken Fried Steak, if mashed potatoes, instead of French fries, might have scored closer to a max. 5 beaks, GK fish & chips and AB burger…all good.
1149 miles from Seattle at this point.
Asked for directions back to Orvando & were told to turn left out of the bar. We missed a subtle turn and 30 miles of road & nearly out of gas later; we spot a sign that says I-90. I-90!! Drummond!! We’d gone south instead of northwest! So much for paying for the compass option in our vehicles. And, so much for following sage directional advice from a geologically impaired bar patron.
Gassing up in Drummond, we head back, this time with the Gazetteer open. Saw a fox run across the road in a brushy area, jump up on a fence post & check us out. Trees, fence posts & power poles in the area were plastered with yellow signs that said, “Grizzly Bears in the area!” “Montana Fish & Game”. Went by an Orvis endorsed fly lodge on the North Fork of the Blackfoot, then pulled into Harry Morgan fishing access. Water looks very fishy, but we suspect it’s pounded pretty well by guide boats from the lodge just upstream. Trucks are covered with dust & dirt, when we come across a circle sprinkler depositing vast volumes of water onto the road. Another Montana car wash!! 10 minutes in the deluge & the vehicles are looking much better. So much for careful use of the precious water commodity in this area.
Headed into Orvando (5:40 PM, 76 degrees), we stop at the Blackfoot Angler to find an evening fishing spot. Travis says if he were going fishing tonight, he’d choose the confluence of the Clearwater & Blackfoot rivers. Fish upstream, large boulders, use hoppers. That was good enough for us.
Thirteen miles from Orvando, we arrive at the bridge over the Blackfoot, there are parking spaces for only 4 vehicles, others were encouraged to park at another location some 2 miles away. Signs indicated that this was Montana Fisheries way to limit the number of fishers in the area. We got lucky; we were the only anglers around.
AB & GK go upriver near the bridge while MS & JR hike further upriver. GK catches a nice Cutt on a dropper & misses another. JR gets two good hits on a Royal Trude & Blue Wing Olive as does MS. AB picks up a couple small fish on a Red Humpy & decides to drop back & hike up the opposite side of the river. Difficult access turns him back so he goes down river, picking up a nice Cutt in the Clearwater. Further down the Blackfoot is a large pool fed by oxygen rich riffles. Dry flies draw no strikes, so AB switches to a large double bead black Stonefly with a Pheasant-tail dropper. Casting it upstream, allowing the chute to wash the combination into the pool w/o a strike indicator, he gets a strong pickup. The fish takes drag & fights hard. A golden flash at mid-pool promises a nice Cutthroat, but at the net the fish turns into a Northern Pike Minnow. The politically correct name for what was known as a Squawfish. A great fight, but a bit disappointing.
A couple more casts, and another strong pickup, this time the drag screams off the 5 wt rod. (Orvis Trident, 4 pc. rod & Orvis multiplier reel.) Several runs later, I get my first glimpse of the fish, bigger than the first. I’m thinking another Pike Minnow, but at the net, this fish turns into a 2-1/2 lb. rainbow!
We left the river at 10 PM, 65 degrees, saw several deer on the way to Looney’s Café for dinner. It’s closed. Back at the B&B we make dinner out of smoked salmon, trail mix, crackers, Gin & Brandy.
Friday, July 25
Up at 5:15, a great breakfast prepared early for us by Peggy and we’re off to Sperry Grade on the Blackfoot. Rain, 55 degrees. Saw an elk on the way. AB hikes upstream a mile & fishes downstream. Little action on dry flies, AB catches 4 Cutts on a bead head, a large Cutt on a San Juan Worm & a Whitefish. JR hiked 4 miles upstream and fished down. He ran into some fishy spots and picked up 8 strikes on San Juan Worms & Prince Nymphs. MS hiked a couple miles upstream & worked a Prince, Bloody Mary & San Juan to catch five fish on six strikes. GK went downstream picking up 8 strikes including a 16” Cutt running a SWW & Wooly Bugger.
Back at the truck, AB takes out his spinning gear loaded with 4 lb. IGFA (International Game Fish Association) rated line intent on setting the Montana State record on Rainbow trout on 4 lb test. He came across a large pool earlier & didn’t fish it, thinking it might hold a large rainbow. As he returned to the pool, GK lets AB know that a young man had headed up to the hole with a rod & can of worms. He returned 30 minutes later with 3-26”+ Rainbows on a stick. AB tried the hole anyway, just looking for one fish that large & only wanting an official weight on the scales he carries & picture. AB was right, there was a record fish in the hole, stress the word WAS. The record fish walked out of the hole on a stick. Fishing the hole for nearly an hour produced no strikes. Well, there’s always the next time.
Off the river at 2:15, 81 degrees we try Looney’s for lunch. JR tries the…..Chicken Fried Steak, (2 beaks), then back to the B&B to repack the vehicles for the trip home. Spent a little more time at the Fly Shop chatting with Kathy & thanking her & Travis for their great support to our trip.
Trixi’s for dinner, JR/GK Buffalo Burgers, MS Prime Rib, AB Shrimp all very good.
8:00 PM, 86 degrees, off to the Blackfoot/Clearwater Game Range in the Bob Marshall Wilderness. Many herds of elk, several huge bulls, many deer.
Locals say this is the longest hot spell in the area in memory.
Back at the B&B there are deer feeding in back of the building, Peggy says their regulars. A doe & her yearlings.
Hanging on the wall in the in General Store at the B&B is a huge Grizzly Bear hide. Howie shows us a book with the story of how it got there.
Two local brothers are hunting guides in the area. They have three clients out on an elk hunt. One client shoots a large bull elk late one evening. Since it’s late the guide decides to leave the elk & pick it up the next morning. Riding in the next day with two pack horses, the guide gets into a thick brushy area and decides to tie the horses up & go on foot to scout a trail to the downed elk. The guide was carrying a 25-20 rifle, a small caliber for this area, but in his younger day he’d fired 30-06’s & 7mm mags & the recoil caused him to flinch, causing him to miss the target. He decided carrying a smaller caliber that was more accurate was the way to go for him. Arriving at the spot the elk was shot, the guide only finds parts & pieces of the elk, and a trail where the carcass had been drug off. To say the least he was upset at the Black Bear that drug off his clients’ elk. He decided to track the bear down & kill it. The 700 pound elk carcass was drug uphill through some tough terrain. He began to wonder if this could really be accomplished by a black bear. Coming upon a clump of spruce trees, the guide went down on one knee to see if he could spot the bear. Looking closely, he spots an ear…a big ear….that’s not a black bear, it’s a Grizzly! The next thing he sees is an eye….looking right at him! He quickly backs away & comes up with a plan. He’s still mad that this bear took the elk he’d worked so hard to get for his client, so he decides to shoot the Grizzly!
He drops down hill and circles around the bear, downwind. Now uphill & downwind of the spruce grove, he drops on one knee again to see if he can spot the bear, thinking one well placed shot in the ear will drop the bear. He hears a noise and turns. Twenty feet behind him is the bear, up on it’s hind legs, growling & snapping its teeth. He knows that if he shoots the bear with his light caliber gun, it’ll mall him to death before it realizes it’s even hurt. Between the guide & the bear is a tree that looks climbable. He figures his only chance at survival is to charge the bear, yelling and screaming and climb the tree as fast as possible while the bear is still startled…… hopefully.
He charges the bear, yelling and screaming at the top of his lungs. The bear is taken back by his unorthodox actions, giving him time to hit the tree climbing, dropping his gun in the process. Within seconds the bear realizes he’s been duped and charges the tree full force. After a half-hour the bear returns to the elk carcass, laying on it while watching the guide in the tree. Several attempts to come down the tree to retrieve his gun are met with full force charges by the bear. Finally, with a stick, the guide manages to retrieve his gun. He’s now been in the tree for more than 8 hours. He considers shooting the bear, but knows that he’s been gone long enough that his brother and the hunters will likely be coming out to search for him. If he shoots and wounds the bear, they will be facing a wounded Grizzly, a very bad proposition.
The guide decides to try to come down and make it to another tree, further away from the bear. The bear is 90 feet away; the next tree is 30 feet away. Several attempts to come down the tree are met with fierce charges. Finally the guide drops to the ground running, and makes it up the next tree just before the bear hits the tree!
Now 120 feet from the bear, he decides to repeat the process with a tree even further away. Again, he makes it to the third tree just in time.
This time when he descends the tree, the bear has lost interest in this game & the guide returns to his horses, riding back to camp.
Telling his story at camp draws “bear story” laughs from all at first, but he finally convinces them the story is true.
They decide to go after the bear the next morning. The plan is to position the 3 hunters on the ridge above the bear, then drive him out of the spruce grove. Moving up on the ridge, the hunters had just taken their position, when they found that there would be no need to drive the bear from his lair. He was charging up hill at them full speed. Nine well placed shots from high caliber rifles failed to stop the bear! The guide’s brother takes a well-aimed shot at the bears’ ear. A direct hit drops the bear in it’s tracks….50 feet from the hunters!
So, that’s the story of how the Grizzly Bear hide ended up on the wall in the Orvando General Store.
Saturday, July 26
We said our goodbyes to Peggy & Howie and were on the road to Missoula at 8AM. 70 degrees; I-90 @ 8:40, 69 degrees; Missoula: 1375 miles from trip start; Cour d’ Alene @ 11:00, 83 degrees; Spokane @ 12:40, 90 degrees; JR flies back from Spokane, GK & AB drive back to Seattle; Snoqualmie Pass @ 4:35, 73 degrees; JR’s at 5:30. JR’s Jeep odometer: now 8661, 1814 miles for the trip. The shortest YG trip in history.
Trip reflections:
AB –With 5000 trout per mile, the Missouri River will humble you! My assessment of Missouri river trout fishing is that it’s fraught with subtleties. The angler must learn & practice many small details to be successful. Lessons learned: Fish dry flies downstream to these fish rather than casting over their shoulder. Choose one fish from a pod to cast to; rather, like quail hunting, shooting into the covey rarely produces results. Blind casting dry flies in this slow river seldom produces fish. Nymph fishing the fast water is more productive than the slower water. Fluorocarbon tippets are probably a good idea; you can go with a larger size (needed due to fish size & weeds) and still maintain stealth. Talk to successful anglers, you have a lot to learn here & the SME’s (subject matter experts) have the keys to success.
Blackfoot River drainage, with high temps & dropping flows, I don’t think we’ve seen the best this area has to offer. Big fish in the rivers, but were driven down in the pools due to temps. We need to come back here under cooler conditions. Blackfoot B&B & Blackfoot Fly shop folks are great, would recommend both establishments to friends. Loved the “off-the-beaten-path” feel of Orvando.
JR—Missouri, Hot again, not referring to the fishing. Perhaps the most technically challenging waters we’ve fished so far, will take years to figure it out. Blackfoot, tough with drought & high temps, on normal conditions you could do well I’m sure. Thought the B&B might be too she-she, but home-style, ranch feel was great. Accommodations, Fly Shop & town folk were super.
MS –Missouri, keep practicing….for years. Blackfoot, bad timing, difficult to catch fish in high temps, fish are setting in the bottom of the pools & you have to hit them in the head with your fly to get them to bite. Would like to come back in June or Sept. Preferred B&B to motels.
GK—Missouri, agree with MS comments, disappointed in the lack of “straight talk” at sports shows about the fishing on the Missouri. The Missouri has a huge draw to fisherman from across the country & around the world. Most first timers on the Missouri are going to go for a “boat ride”. Several years are necessary to dial it in, even with guides.
Blackfoot, enjoyed this area more, forested surroundings, scenic. We caught it at the wrong time, but much more activity than the Missouri. The B&B experience was great, use more B&B’s on future trips, even if the cost is higher.
Best Fishing Experience on the trip:
JR, big trout on lower Monture creek, even though it got away.
MS, casting while standing on the rock in the middle of the Blackfoot, ala “River Runs thru It”
GK, Monture creek was beautiful
AB, big Cutts & Rainbows taking drag on the Blackfoot.
Gear Testing:
· Motorola FRS radios; great for safety & group coordination, work well, wouldn’t go without them. Take spare batteries with you.
· Orvis 2 wt. Superfine rod; AB, terrific, great for small streams like upper Monture creek, a dream to fish with.
· Breathable Waders; Hodgeman, Orvis, great, really comfortable in hot weather, have become a must on these trips.
· LED Hedz; battery powered LED light that clips onto your cap. Terrific, a must have tool for tying flies on in the dark & finding your way back to the truck. Note: for safety take a flashlight with spare batteries also.
· Reddington & ExEffico Fly Pants: JR/GK terrific, keeps scratches, ticks off your legs, yet as cool as wearing shorts, dry quickly, a must have.
· Felt soled wading shoes are better than rubber soled wading sandals on slippery rocks, also shoes protect feet better.
· Andy’s Fly-fishing “water office” Lanyard System; works great, light weight, better than a vest on hot days and short trips.
· 5-day Cooler: The 5-day cooler kept ice better than a standard cooler. In 105 degree outside temps & much higher temps in the Jeep, the 5-day unit kept ice for 1-2 days. Reading the cooler label, we had exceeded the testing parameters of the cooler; it probably works fine under reasonable conditions.
· Fluorocarbon Tippet: Produces more strikes. Burns easily, re-learn knots without lots of twists. Is brittle, does not stretch & snaps a little easier than mono. Is expensive. You can go up a tippet size without loosing stealth. Disappears in water.
Favorite fly of the trip:
· JR: Prince nymph
· AB: Royal Stimulator
· GK: anything that caught fish
· MS: Bloody Mary nymph
Ideas for the 2004 trip:
· JR: Glacier National Park area & Canada or Wyoming Cutt Slam
· AB: Wyoming Cutt Slam—maybe fly into Jackson Hole & rent vehicles?
· MS: Wyoming Cutt Slam, Henry’s Fork, Shoshone @ Cody, Glacier & Canada, Babine for Steelhead.
· GK: Canada, rivers & lakes
· All seemed to like the idea of flying into Jackson Hole if we do the Wyoming Cutt slam, ~$300 for a round trip flight, ~$300 each for vehicles.
· Also group interest in horse backpack trip for a couple days to find Golden Trout, & add other areas to this trip. Montana has opportunities to do this, but will take research.
Trip Costs:
· Lodging: $1308
· Gas: $310
· Misc.: $40
· Total: $1658
· Per Angler: $412 + meals, flies & other personally purchased goodies.
Al Miller was sorely missed on our trip this year. Al is a founding member of the YG & this is the first trip he’s missed. His skills at organizing the trip details, recording trip specifics, wit, fishing skills & finding a Starbuck’s in the middle of no-where are a crucial elements to our trips.
