The homemade air conditioner

I'm over summertime.  The heat, the tubers, everything.  My friend made this homemade air conditioner yesterday and she let me take some pics.

First, you start with a disposable cooler or a cheap old crappy one.

Trace a hole that fits your electric fan.

Trace holes for your vents made out of PVC elbows (or something similar).

Cut out the holes at an angle (like the top of a Jack-o-lantern).

 

Fill cooler with as much ice as possible, insert fan, and turn on.  The air coming out of the vents was around 45-50 degrees Farenhiet.

 

 

 

 

Anything is better than blowing hot air around.

A challenge to wading boot manufacturers

Make a wading boot that will last me longer than a year and I'll be a lifelong costumer and relentlessly plug your product on the blog.

Just over 1 year old Simms Headwater wading boots

I don't care what the hell the soles are made out of, someone needs to figure this out.  These things are expensive!!  Vibram can suck eggs.

"FWP boat inspections have nabbed illegal fish transfers"

Photo copied from http://missoulian.com/news/local/fwp-boat-inspections-have-nabbed-illegal-fish-transfers/article_71e2ab74-15f9-11e4-a639-0019bb2963f4.html

This story just in from The Missoulian, check it out.  Have you been stopping at the mandatory boat inspection stations?  I have and I'm glad they are there.  Don't be a dumb redneck, city slicker, or dude.  Bonk your exotic fish before you transport them around the state.

Rattlesnake Creek

Rattlesnake Creek runs out of the Rattlesnake Wilderness, through the beautiful Rattlesnake Valley, and then dumps into the Clark Fork right in downtown Missoula.

Most people have no idea how important this little creek is for the trout in the Clark Fork.  This is a heavily used spawning tributary for the Clark Fork and a source of cold and clean water which enters the river right in the city.  The creek also has many resident trout and some holdovers from the spawn available for catching throughout the season.

There is some confusion about the Rattlesnake though because there is a closed section in place to protect Missoula's back-up domestic water supply.  Here's the deal: during the regular MT fishing season (3rd Sat. in May - Nov. 30th), you can fish from the mouth all the way to 100 yards below the Mountain Water Co. reservoir.  The next six miles are closed to fishing all the way up to Beeskove Creek.  After Beeskove, the creek is open and there is nobody around except the bears and the trout.

    


































Unless you want to walk the 6 miles (12 miles round trip + at least a couple miles of fishing), you'll want a bike to ride up the old road from the trail head.  You'll know your getting close once you start to see lots of raspberries on the left side of the road at the bottom of a talus slope.

Rubus idaeus - wild raspberry

Rubus parviflorus - thimbleberry

Sexy water on Rattlesnake Creek

There are tons of cutthroat and some rainbows and browns mixed in.  There are also huge bull trout which are illegal to intentionally fish for.  Just watch out for shark attacks.

Wild Montana cutthroat trout going back home

Get out there!!

The "Vagina Kayak"

AFP Photo copied from BBC News Asia http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-28323015

The artist Megumi Igarashi aka Rokudenashiko was arrested in japan for creating a kayak shaped like a vagina.  She is using her cool idea to take exception to Japan's traditional views regarding obscenity. 

Art can only be defined as something that evokes emotion.  She has generated an emotional, large, and far-reaching conversation.  So, I think she is doing a good job.

I only have one question.  Aren't all kayaks shaped like vaginas?  And drift boats too...     

The Hoppers - George, Paul, John, and Ringo

    

It's time for the grasshopper in the American West!  It is why I'm always smiling and arriving late for tea.

Stump monsters

Salmon Lake Stump Monster - Peace

Salmon Lake Stump Monster - Paranoid

Salmon Lake Stump Monster - Domo

You can find art everywhere in Montana, even in the middle of the woods.  Go outside and explore before you die!!

Sunrise on velvet

Young buck

His friend

Here in Missoula, Montana we are smack dab in the Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI - pronounced "woo wee").  Saying we have some human/wildlife conflicts and issues is a gross understatement, it's how our local newspaper stays in business.

One thing we've got going on is a seriously large urban deer population.  These deer are not afraid of people and you can get some great pictures of them.  They are still wild animals so don't do like the old people and feed them.  And don't forget, if he feels the need, a whitetail buck can kick a person or dog's ass.  

Smoke is your friend, wind is not

Smokey Missoula

Smoke from fires in Canada, Idaho, and Washington poured into the Missoula Valley late last week.  Just like on drizzly March days, most people see this as a reason to be negative and bitch about life.  And just like on drizzly March days, the fishing is shit-hot.  Smoke works just like the clouds to block the sun which gives our eyelid-less trout friends some shade.  They get shade, reduced visibility by osprey, lower mid-day water temps, the mayflies love it, and more!!

A solid PMD hatch on the lower Bitterroot lasted all through the day on Friday and the forecasted winds did not.  I'm talking, big browns in 6" deep water and great rainbows and cutts all day long good.  Why do browns like PMDs so much and why do they feed like that?  I think it's because they're European - it's like a trout's version of wearing pointy-toed shoes or something.  

It should also be noted that there are some angry trout in the Root that want to destroy your streamer in the morning.

The wind came yesterday and blew all the smoke away.  It will be back sooner or later, whether you like it or not.  

   

Read Local - Montana Fly Fishing Magazine's latest issue

                                       

Montana Fly Fishing Magazine (http://MontanaFlyFishingMagazine.com/) announces their latest issue: Summer 2014. This volume contains 90 pages of colorful photos and videos, personal stories, helpful advice, fly-tying techniques, homegrown videos and poetry.

In this issue:

"Sunup to Sundown" photography by Toby Swank
"How to Get a Kid Hooked on Fly Fishing" by Robert Prince
"Chuck's Fly Tying Bench" by Chuck Stranahan
"Salmon Bugs" by Western Fly Media
"The 20/20 Club" by Charles Cantella
"YouthFish" by Joe Cummings
"Chasing Summer" photography by Pat Clayton
"Hotspotting on the Yellowstone" by Greg Lewis

"Brown Trout in Bear Trap" by Jesse Bussard, illustrated by Ben Whitehead

Slippin' and Slidin' the Morrish Mouse

Morrish Mouse

Hook:  Size 6-2 3XL nymph or streamer
Thread: Whatever you like to spin deer with in the appropriate colors
Tail: Rabbit strip with the fur cut short except for a little tuft at the end of the tial
Body: Deer hair which is spun and then cut to form a rounded mouse belly and feathery "wings" on both sides
Back: 2 craft foam sheets glued together with contact cement and then cut to shape

You know that you have always wanted to fish the mouse.  Do it!

Prince Nymph rain dance

Bead head Prince Nymph

The old bead head Prince Nymph is as reliable as taxation and death.

Bead:  Match whatever size how you see fit
Hook:  Size 18-6(steelhead)
Tail: Black or Brown goose biots
Body: Peacock herl (I loop dub two herls)
Ribbing: Copper or gold wire (traditionally gold tinsel)
Wing Case or Bubble: White or brown goose biots
Hackle: Brown, black, or whatever cool mix you come up with

And, because we could use some rain here, a song about flooding...

  

Nobody around but the moose and the bears

Guest photographer: T. Willis

Punk's not dead but a legend is

The last Ramone has passed.  Ok, now it is the end times.

Xerophyllum tenax

Xerophyllum tenax - beargrass

I've been seeing lots of bear poop up in the mountains.  Most of it has been full of some kind of plant material and huge amounts of ants.  Also saw lots of rocks turned over.

You know how to tell the difference between black bear shit and grizzly bear shit?
Black bear shit is full of seeds and berries; grizzly bear shit is full of bells and whistles and smells like pepper.
-Dumb old Northwest joke  

Missoula area fishing report - July

They're here 

Clark Fork:  The CF is still big but clear and fishing great!  You'll want a boat and someone who can row or hit your safe high-er water spots.  I saw a lot of summer weekender fishers struggling this weekend with the current conditions.  So, maybe this report will be more effective if I write about what not to do.  First off, it's summer and fishing on a bright sunny day at 3 in the afternoon is about the worst time ever.  Yet, for some reason, it seems that a lot of people wait all year to go fishing and then go at that time.  You need to get up early or get out at dusk.  As you can see from above, the tube hatch is in full swing.  A good rule of thumb: If there's tubes on the water, you should not be.  Also, if you'r not catching fish, move on.  I saw about 10 people fishing the Double Tree hole last night like they were on the Salmon River in NY with a guy skipping stones in between them all.  I mean, give yourself a chance people.  There are tons of rising trout less than 1/4 mile up or downstream and all these people were in the wrong spot and all over each other.  Weird. 

In the early morning there are tons of PMDs and huge Clark Fork trout gorging on them until about 11.  There is some mid-day fishing to be had but it tapers off hard in the afternoon.  Then, at about 7:30 +/-, the PMD spinners and swarms of caddis cover the water, and it is on all over again.  I caught some great fish on caddis dries this last weekend.  Finally!!

The Blackfoot:  I try to stay away from the shit show of guides, dudes, and tubers that take over the best reaches of the Blackfoot for the summer time.  Can anyone say “river permits are on their way?”  However, just like on any other body of water, the Blackfoot has its secrets.  If you actually spend the time to do your homework, you can have the best of the fishing and the whole place to yourself.

For instance, there are miles and miles of Blackfoot and some fantastic tribs up around the Lincoln area.  See my Mike Horse Mine post to understand why the fish numbers are lower up here than on the lower river.  However, when you consider people per fish per mile (something that should always be considered), you’re in the money. Instead of other fisherpeople and tubers, the only thing you’re going to run into up here is bears and moose.

Streamers are great in the morning and there are some great brown trout up here mixed in with the cutthroat. My best brown was caught dipping a Prince Nymph into a root wad hole.  In the evening, there is a massive rusty spinner fall and caddis are everywhere.  These fish don't see a lot of artificial flies and will destroy your Elk Hair Caddis without thinking twice. 

Buy a map, some gas, some bear spray, and some elk hair caddis and get it done!

The Bitterroot:  I can't give a really accurate report here.  I haven’t been on the Root since before runoff.  I imagine it’s shaping up like nobody’s business.  The caddis and PMD spinners on the lower Root are great this time of year.  You’re still going to want a boat for a little while longer with the above average flows.

Rock Creek:  This stream is so much fun this time of year!  An attractor with a dropper is all you usually need unless you get into a specific hatch.  Instead of tubers, you’re going to have to deal with a bunch of dudes.  The thing that you have to remember and keep telling yourself is that the majority of them have no idea what the hell they are doing and they are not catching all the fish, by any means.  The best way to avoid them is to get up early, get off the paved road, cover some miles on foot, and you will catch more awesome fish than you ever thought possible.  Don’t drive up next to the hole, make 1,000 casts in the same lame spot 500 other fisherpeople have pounded on for the past 3 months.  Try to remember Montana’s stay-out-of-sight ethic and try as hard as possible to make it happen.  

For this time of year, I like to fish a smaller golden stone attractor with a short nymph dropper in the daytime. Fish the knee deep riffle water. If you can't get up early to avoid the other fisherpeople, you will get double rewarded right now by staying out late.  As I mentioned earlier, most people want to fish in the heart of the afternoon.  Most of them will go home right before some great evening caddis fishing starts to shape up. In the evening, your favorite caddis pattern or a rusty spinner will nail em. 

Area lakes and ponds:  The trout lakes are fishing great.  For the most part, the summertime rules of early morning and evening still apply here.  I'd love to be up at Georgetown right now as I'm sure the damsels have the big rainbows all worked up.  I'll be fishing the Seeley-Swan region in the coming days and will have an expanded report on that.  The little stocker ponds are not the place to go right now.  They get fished out and hot and filled with swimmers etc.

So in a nutshell, avoid tubers, stale water, the middle of the day, and you'll have some really great, classic Montana, summertime fishing.

Too busy for originality

You know I'm all about as much original content as possible.  However, the past few weeks have been insane!!  I've been climbing huge mountains for work and driving a state owned minivan on roads unsuitable for a decked out jeep.  On my days off I've been sharing the world of fly fishing and boating with everyone possible.  I can't feel my freaking legs and I'm fighting falling in my soup bowl here as I write this. Such is summertime in Montana where the "work hard, play hard" lifestyle is still running strong.

For now, check out A Classic Journey's best video yet!  I'll have a full western Montana fishing report posted by tomorrow.

My name is Mark, and I have a fishing problem.

Do they have meetings for this kind of thing?

Planes and trains in the Clark Fork River

Old Clark Fork train wreck

Yet another train has derailed and dumped its load into the lower Clark Fork.  This train had denatured alcohol and airplane fuselages.  Most of the trains that pass through here carry crude oil and open coal cars.  It is only a matter of time before one of these toxic trains derails into the Clark Fork!!  After everything the Clark Fork has been through and the money and resources spent to clean up historic disasters, here we are again, risking it all.

This picture shows an old derailment downstream from Superior.  A couple of years ago there was another which spilled tons and tons of lumber (again lucky!!).  Last year one derailed upstream of Superior at the first big swirly hole down from Forest Grove.  And now this.

Here is the Missoulian article about the derailment.

Carolina Chocolate Drops in Montana!

Photo by Mark Austin

One of the best musical acts in America is coming for a small, intimate show at the Top Hat Lounge in Missoula!

The show is Monday, July 7th at 8pm at the Top Hat Lounge in downtown Missoula.

 

Spider From Mars - The Royal PMX

The Royal Parachute Madam X

Hook: Size 14-6 (12 is shown)
Thread: 8/0 brown or black
Tail: Deer hair
Butt tag: Peacock
Body: Red floss
Wing: Deer hair
Thorax: Peacock
Legs: Rubber legs
Parachute post: Poly thread
Hackle: Tan, brown, grizzly all work.  Mixing them is best but not shown here.

This is the only fly you'll need for small streams in the summer time.

Building Christine

This is not really a how-to but it does provide some insight into the process.  I built my infamous red boat 5 years ago.  It took over two months with some daily work and was one of my greatest life accomplishments so far.  Enjoy.

My boat was built upside-down on this frame

A scarf joint makes lumber long enough for boats

Best and most beautiful dog that ever lived on planet earth!!

Putting the skin on

Lots of fiberglass and epoxy

Front compartment

Building the rear compartment/platform

Rear compartment

Finished shell

Outer paint, chines, and gunwhales

The inside with the old blue seat

My ex-rower

I cannot describe what it has been like to have built this boat and then have so many great times with it.  Her name is Christine.  She is named after my Grandmother.  The boat was designed by Ken Hankinson and I bought the plans from Glen-L Marine.  This boat is the 14' drifter model.  They have a few drift boat plans and a seemingly endless supply of boat plans in general.

http://www.glen-l.com/

If anyone has any boat building question, email me or write it in the comments