Happy Haloween

My favorite pumpkins from when my pup was alive

Have a safe and happy Haloween.

Hank Patterson's Reel Montana Adventure

Hank Patterson's Reel Montana Adventure debuts in Missoula on November, 7th at the Wilma and is presented by Trout Unlimited and Trout Jousters.

Great new video from Joe Cummings

Check out this great new video from A Classic Journey Outfitters.  These are the home waters.   

A cool place to stay in Butte

The next time you find yourself in Butte, America after a long day of chasing the area's huge trout, do yourself a favor and stay at the historic Finlen Hotel.

Finlen Hotel Ballroom

I had some family in town and we went to Butte.  We stayed at the Finlen and it was pretty freaking awesome.  For the same room price as the chain motels in the area, you can stay in this really cool, super kept-up, beautiful old hotel on the hill in uptown butte.

Hotel Finlen Lobby

I should have took this picture at night when the lobby was all lit up by those chandeliers.

1/2 of the two room "double bed"

The rooms were clean and pretty fancy.  When you get 2 beds, you get two rooms, each with there own desk and TV.

The Butte area has great fly fishing.

Blacktail Creek:
You may not guess by looking at it but Blacktail Creek, which runs out of the Highlands and right through town, is full of nice brook trout.  There is a trail along most of the urban stretches with all the access you could want.  I've walked the length of that stream from the mouth all the way up to the top in the Highlands, and I can tell you that there is 5-12" brook trout with the occasional cutthroat in every hole, even under Harrison Ave.

Figure It Out Yourself Creek:
You wouldn't believe me if I told you anyway and I'm not going to be responsible for letting the word out. Spend some time talking to locals or ask around at the local fly shop.  There is a very unassuming creek right under your nose with some unbelievable fishing.  Literally, sniff out the smell of urinal.  That's all the clues I'm giving.

Warm Springs Creek:
This small stream, like the rest, has gone through hell and somehow is still an amazing fishery.  This stream is hard to get on but a day spent exploring this creek can be fun.

Warm Springs Settling Ponds:
These large man made ponds were built to allow metals from Silver Bow Creek to settle out before it is released from the outlet as the Clark Fork.  The ponds grow gigantic freaking fish in this nutrient rich environment.  The fishing here can be epic at times.

The Upper Clark Fork:
This is one of my favorite places to fish.  From the outlet of the settling ponds all the way down to Jens will keep you busy for years.  There is so much to explore.  Brown trout rule supreme in the upper Clark Fork and there are miles and miles of undercut banks and deep holes to mine for copper and gold (all puns intended).  There are also some great tributaries to the Clark Fork up here which can make for good day trips.  Racetrack Cr. and the Little Blackfoot are great options.

The Big Hole:
The Big Hole River is amazing.  From the brook trout and grayling in headwaters in the Big Hole Valley all the way down to the hallowed brown trout water of the lower river, the Big Hole is a must for anyone who's ever dreamed of the Montana experience.

The Beaverhead:
This is a bit down the road, but in Montana, it's not really that far.  The Beav is a small, high elevation tailwater stream.  It is another one of my favorite places to fish.  It's very similar to fishing the upper Clark Fork but with more trout per mile.  There's also more people per trout per mile.  That's a ratio which should always be considered.

Fall on the Missouri River

Christine on the MO

I spent the last couple of days battling the wind over on the MO.  The fall colors over there are outstanding.  The fishing could be better.

Although the wind gave us some extra work during the day, the last hour before dark made up for it big-time because every fish in the river became pissed off and wanted to take it out on my streamer.

Headed up to the mine waste this weekend.  Stay tuned...

Eagle in yellow tree

Saw-whet owl migration

This is a really fun event.  I went last night and they will be back on Sunday night to capture and tag more saw-whets.  Bring your kids and see the cutest owls EVER!

Young saw-whet owl getting measured for study

Join the Owl Research Institute Society for an onsite lecture and discussion on migrating Northern Saw-whet Owls at the Maclay Flats parking lot located on Blue Mountain Road west of Missoula . On Friday October 17th and Sunday October 19th from dark (7:30 until Midnight Denver Holt will talk about Northern Saw-whet Owls in the parking lot while owls are being banded, measured, weighed and released*. The Owl Research Institute located in the Mission Valley is currently trapping and banding migrating Northern Saw-whet Owls during the night at Maclay Flats as part of a long term study. The event is free and open to the public.
Bring warm clothing, flashlights and lawn chairs. Please remain in the parking lot so the trapping operation is not disturbed. For further information call Jessica Larson at 531-1957 after 900AM or email owlresearchinstitute@gmail.com.

Fall 2014 Issue - Montana Fly Fishing Magazine

Montana Fly Fishing Magazine (http://MontanaFlyFishingMagazine.com/) announces their latest issue: Fall 2014.

In this issue:

"Blue-Ribbon Life" photography by Jason Savage

Veteran fly tyer and fly fishing presenter Chuck Stranahan teaches us how to tie Chuck's Sculpin in "Chuck's Fly Tying Bench."

Ehren Wells profiles the unique fly rod cases of KG Woodworks in "Building a Better Fly Rod Case."

Joe Cummings shares scenes from the water's edge in "Spinner Fall."

Connor Tapscott shares recent his recent trip to Montana in "A Journey Westward."

"Madison Views" a photo essay by Justin Edge

"Cold Storage" by John Grassy, DNRC Public Information Officer

Jesse Bussard rounds things out with a little poetry with "The One That Got Away."

Missoula area fishing report - late October

The East Coast does not have a monopoly on fall colors!

So far it has been a busy fall here at RBM headquarters.  Since I've been back I have taken three sets of people out fishing and finally yesterday, I got to fish Rock Creek until it hurt.  I've been waiting until I fished most of our local options before I wrote a report.

The Clark Fork:  The lower river was amazing last week.  It is one of my favorite places to fish in the fall.  We were still in that sunny, hot spell so the hopper dropper was king.  Those huge Clark Fork rainbows and cutbows were all over it.  Watching those big trout come up from the deep swirlys and slow sip your hopper is just too much fun.  Every type of hopper we used worked with the largest fish succumbing to the Unabomber.  Now that fall weather has arrived, it will be back to a mayfly game.  BWOs, mahoganies and the flies that represent them will catch you fish all day down here.  Look for sippers everywhere along the banks, in the scum lines, and the big swirlys.  Throwing streamers on the lower river in the clouds can also be amazing.

This weekend I had the honor of taking an international visitor, a policeman from Japan, out on a short float through town.  It was the last day of hot, sunny weather and the last of the summer hee-haw's were out in force.  We struggled a bit and even though we had an interpreter, the language barrier was tough.  I owe that guy a big long float down the MO or something.  This stretch of water should improve drastically with the clouds and cooler temps.

The Bitterroot:  The lower end of the 'Root was also slow in the sun and heat of last week.  We did get some nice ones on the hopper dropper rig though.  It was rough because right as things started to get good, the wind came up.  For whatever reason, the fish in the root are very sensitive to the wind as compared with the other streams in the area.  That same float on a cloudy day like today would be a whole different story.  The lower root is a great place to throw streamers in the fall as well.

Rock Creek:  I had been playing guide since I got home from CA so yesterday, I took advantage of the incoming storm and went out to Rock Creek for a whole day of intensive fishing all by myself.  The morning was tough.  It was still sunny and there were dudes everywhere.  I mean everywhere!  Then, the storm came through and all of a sudden, I had the place to myself.  Rain, clouds, October, no wind, and some new wading boots; I was in freaking heaven.  I put on a white bunny streamer and moved so many fish it was unreal.  The big boys were out in force.  I caught some great browns and the large cutts also came out to play.  I fished and covered water until it hurt.  I put in a full ten hour day and limped and moaned the whole way back to the truck in the dark.  I'd been waiting two months to do that!  There were fish up on BWOs and mahoganies but the streamer fishing was too good and exciting to even think about throwing a dry.  Nymphing was really slow, even with eggs.

I'll have detailed reports from the Mo and the Blackfoot soon as well as the upper Clark Fork. 

The Big Hole Crawler - Thoro-ly-good

The Big Hole Crawler

The Big Hole Crawler is just bad-ass.  It is basically a dressed up yuk bug.  As you'd imagine, it works great on the Big Hole River here in Montana, especially in the spring time.  It also works in other freestones where large stoneflies are present (ie. the Clark Fork and Rock Creek)

Hook: size 2-6 streamer hook (size 4 is great)
Thread: black 6/0
Weight: medium lead free wire
Tail: squirrel tail
Beads: large 3/16 dia. gold
Legs: white rubber legs
Body: medium grizzly chenille
Hackle: grizzly hackle

Put it on a double streamer rig with a big Thingamabobber on the up or down side of runoff and hold on.

The sky is going to start crying and I think all of us who love the fall mayfly game are pretty happy about it. Is it still an Indian summer if it now happens every year?

Rise Designs

I learned a lot from my time in California this summer.  The best part about the whole trip was the people I met while I was down there.  Of all these great people I was lucky enough to meet, there was one married couple and dog that was just awesome and made the whole trip worth it.  The husband is co-owner of a bad-ass clothing and design business located in Meyers, CA.

Graphic stolen from Rise Designs' Website

"RISE is a clothing company inspired by nature, music, and design."



Red fir from Yosemite graphic

This graphic is on the back of a hoodie I have.  These red firs from Yosemite will always remind me of when I had my ass handed to me there by the Sierras and the California white thorn.

These guys make some cool stuff and they also design business logos and such.  They also have a blog with updates on new designs and what they are up to.

Check out the their website and and their store on Etsy.

One happy guy!

Yesterday, I got to take a fish biologist from Oregon out on one of my favorite stretches of dry fly water on the lower Clark Fork.  She is an avid gear fisherwoman and had never caught a trout on the fly.  I help put an and to that and it was SUPER fun. 

The lower Clark Fork is fishing balls-to-the-wall right now, even in the sun.  We killed it with the hopper-dropper rig, consistantly, all day long.  We didn't see another person/boat all day!

I was too busy having fun to take many pictures and I don't normally post grip and grins but I couldn't help but post this one.  I've been waiting for two months to get out on the ol' red boat and I think you can see the "I'm back in Montna happiness" flowing.

Guest photographer: MW

Hitting the 'Root today!

Back in the Land -o- Trout

After a grueling 2 months of working all over California, I'm back home and in my happy place.  I've got a bunch of fishing trips planned starting tommorow, I've got a brand new rod, and its fall.  I must have died (in California) and went to heaven.

Stay tuned for some fall pics, fishing reports, fall fly recipes, and all the latest happenings in America's Land -o- Trout.