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Monday, April 27, 2015

Quick Jaunt to the Big Hole

Big Hole Brown



My first semester of graduate school is almost over and I'm barely hanging in there.  I had enough time to shoot down to Maiden Rock yesterday afternoon for a quicky just to get my head straight. The Big Hole is flowing great and is the classic tea color.  It looks absolutely perfect for a float!

Pound the banks with leggy nymphs or the dude rig and keep an eye out for rises in any type of slack water.  There was a solid March brown hatch yesterday in the snow and wind and the fish were on it.

Once this semester is over, I'll only have to work 40 hours a week like a normal human being and I've got lots of fishing trips planned and new places to discover.  I can't wait!

Big Hole mule deer






















Thursday, April 23, 2015

Orvis Down the Hatch Festival in Missoula this Saturday



It's going to be a very busy day this Saturday in Missoula, Montana!  First, get up early and head out to Rock Creek for some food, fun, music, and volunteering (see the last post).  After, head down to Caras Park for the 2015 Orvis Down the Hatch Fishing Festival.  There is a bunch of fun stuff and lots of beer.  You may also run into some  cool folks.  Last year I ran into Cameron Mortenson from the Fiberglass Manifesto, Jess McGlothlin from the Chi Wulff family and the Firegirl Photography Blog, Sara and the crew from Headhunters and many more!

At 7pm, the party moves up to the Wilma Theater for the Orvis Film Fest.

All proceeds from the festival benefits TU's Wild Steelheaders United.  Check out my post from last year's event.

Wednesday, April 22, 2015

Fishing for Weeds - U of M Ecological Restoration students asking the public for help!

Artificial pond at the Rock Creek Confluence property 



























The University of Montana's Ecological Restoration Program is holding a big volunteer event this Saturday to benefit the property at the confluence of Rock Creek and the Clark Fork.  Read the history of the property from this old post.

The work will focus on a weed pull and some trial building.  The fun will include:
  • A fly casting competition
  • Food
  • Beverages
  • A live band!
If you were shy about attending a volunteer event in the past, this is not one to be missed!
This event starts at 9:00 am Sat. April 25th.

Those interested in volunteering should RSVP to fishingforweeds2015@gmail.com. Volunteers should bring work attire and a fly rod if they plan to participate in the casting competition.

For more information call Cara Nelson, UM ecological restoration program director, at 406-243-6066 or email cara.nelson@umontana.edu.

Thursday, April 16, 2015

The osprey are back in Montana- Missoula osprey cam





Iris the osprey is back in Missoula and is currently rebuilding her nest.  There was some worry that all the construction on the new Missoula College building may cause Iris not no nest here.  Turns out that is not the case.  You can watch two construction projects at once, the college and the nest.  There is also a little sparrow that keeps stopping by to take little bits of nesting material while Iris is away.

Stanley, the male osprey of the couple should be back in town any day now.

This camera is hosted by the Montana Osprey Project  and the Cornell Ornithology Lab

You can make a donation to help fund the project here.

Monday, April 13, 2015

Escape to Racetrack, Montana

Shadow with trout


























I snuck away yesterday.  I had to.  Plus, I really wanted to explore some new water and check out a pond that George Grant Trout Unlimited has been working on.

Racetrack brown trout

























I came across some of the gnarliest rip rap I had ever seen.  This is utterly disgusting!!  What an absolute horrible hazard.  This whole bank is lined with tons and tons of giant balls of tangled metal wire and a couple cars (Detroit rip-rap).  Rip-rap (stream bank reinforcement) is bad for streams in many ways but this is just ridiculous as it also poses a major safety hazard for people and animals. Gross!

Metal wire balls rip-rap


























Racetrack Pond

























Racetrack Pond is a really large pond/small reservoir in Racetrack Montana.  It is a stocker pond for families and meat fisherpeople.  With some love, this place could be as popular as stupid Beavertail Pond near Missoula.  I'm excited to see what will happen here in the coming years.


Butte headframe at sunset


























Took this shot on my way home from picking up a grocery store rotisserie chicken for dinner.  I was tired and happy.  Now back to the insanity...

Sunday, April 12, 2015

Clark Fork Cleanup next Saturday the 18th

Garbage filled Drift Boats
























Clark Fork Cleanup 2015 is next Saturday, April 18th

Are you a summertime inner-tuber that relentlessly litters your beer cans, flip flops, and everything else imaginable into and onto the banks of the Clark Fork near Missoula?  Here's your chance to redeem yourself as a person.

Are you a college or high school student looking to meet people in the conservation field and network?  Here's your chance to hang out with some cool folks.

Are you just looking for a fun event and some free lunch which, in turn, will clean up your community and build pride for the amazing river that runs through your town?  Well meet up with the Clark Fork Coalition at Caras Park in Missoula at 9am next Saturday, April 18th. 

"The fun also includes gifts and coupons for volunteers, free give-ways, and the launch of a year-long raffle for a fully loaded raft and trailer. Call Liz Murphy at 542-0539 x213 for more info."

Saturday, April 11, 2015

Graduate School is killing me

The Campus of Montana Tech from Big Butte


























I don't have much fishy news to post today.  That is because I've been living in a greenhouse and a graduate office.  I have not touched my fly rod in almost 1 week.  I'm dying!!  I can't even read the fishing reports because they make me crazy.  Tonight is the George Grant Chapter Trout Unlimited Banquet and I don't know if that will help or just hurt more.  Either way, I'm excited about it.  I'll be back on the river soon.

The Original Headframe in Uptown Butte with the Highlands Mountains 



























Until then, Tap 'er light!

Thursday, April 9, 2015

Acclaimed Montana Author Ivan Doig Died Today

Photo Courtesy of Icicle.com





































One of my favorite authors of all time, Ivan Doig died today.  I'm pretty bummed about it.  Doig was born in Montana and wrote about it in ways no one else could.

My favorite of his books were "The Whistling Season," "Work Song," and "Sweet Thunder."  These historical fiction novels are a trilogy about a guy named Morrie Morris who moved to Montana at the turn of the century after a shady past back east,  He soon finds himself a teacher in a one room school out in the northern plains and eventually makes it to Butte in its heyday and becomes involved with the miners union and then, the historic Butte Library.  I fell in love with Butte through these books years before I ever even thought Butte would be such a huge part of my life.  Every day I spend here on the Hill in the old mine yards, in the shadows of the headframes, and in the buildings uptown, I think of the Doig novels and his amazing way of bringing you right back in time.  

I fell in love with Doig's characters and his books and I guarantee you will too if you haven't already. This is a sad day for Montana and the people who love her to lose such a hero of the story.    

Wednesday, April 8, 2015

George Grant Trout Unlimited Banquet this Saturday!


Thank you Steve Luebeck for your generosity in sharing these awesome photos

GEORGE GRANT TROUT UNLIMITED
Recognize this guy?

Yep, it's the wooden bear. Not the same as the one last year but a NEW wooden bear. We have a lot of unique items for the Banquet, not just fishing rods, reels and flies.

Oh boy, your brother in law is going to love this bear when you show up at this cabin with this guy and put him next to the door as a greeter. (the bear, not Chris)
Banquet Tickets ONLINE

Buy Banquet Tickets here
or go to our website
GeorgeGrantTU.org
You can buy tickets there plus some of the great information from past newsletters are posted there.
Tell your friends and/or forward these newsletters.
AND
Check us out on FaceBook for up to date GGTU news
PLEASE >like<>comment<>share
By doing that we can get the word out and then people will come to
the Banquet and bid on all the cool stuff that local merchants give us.
Thank you for your generous donations!!

SAVE THE DATE !!!

THE ANNUAL GEORGE GRANT TROUT UNLIMITED BANQUET WILL BE SATURDAY, APRIL 11th, 5pm
AT THE STARLANES

Would you like to help?

Monday, April 6, 2015

Crown of the Continent and the Greater Yellowstone Magazine - Wow, this is an amazing magazine!




Read this and get a big, heaping head-full of the awesomeness that is Montana, USA.  This publication from the University of Montana gives me serious school pride!  Not a stupid-ass sports team.    

Snow Day

























I was supposed to get a bunch of field work done yesterday but I woke up to snow.  So, I think you know what that means...

Warm Springs Creek, MT

























Warm Springs Creek is an overlooked, sexy, little stream. Fish were caught and I saw the first osprey of the year.  Spring is officially here!

Thursday, April 2, 2015

March Brown - Wire Body - Soft Hackle

Wire body soft hackles



If you haven't yet discovered the magic of fishing soft hackle patterns, this is the year to start!  These flies are easy to tie, durable, incredibly effective, and really really fun to fish.  Think big streamer-style hits crossed with the delicacy and technicality of dry fly fishing.  Furthermore, they work for almost every mayfly and caddis hatch when tied in the appropriate size and color.

Do you consider yourself a classic fly fisherperson?  It doesn't get any more classic than soft hackles. Do consider yourself a new-school, techy, fish anything as long as it catches fish type fisher?  Then, you'll love what new materials like wire bodies and cool dubbing materials have brought to the world of soft hackles.

There are many ways to fish a soft hackle.  The traditional way is to gently drift the fly down stream and then let the current bring it to the surface at the end of the drift, hopefully in the feeding window of that huge trout you see porpoising.  You can grease smaller SH's and fish them as emergers.  You can fish them dead drift under an indicator like a regular nymph.  You can also fish them as a dropper off the back of a dry fly.

This specific soft hackle is great for the march brown hatch which is upon us here in Western Montana. As nymphs, march browns are great swimmers.  This makes the soft hackle the perfect fly for this hatch.

Hook: Size 10-14 nymph hook
Thread: 6/0 dark brown
Body: Small diameter fl. orange and black Ultra Wire (tie these in any color combo you like)
Thorax: Ice Dub golden brown
Wing/legs: 1 partridge feather

Step 1:


























Wrap your hook shank nice and evenly with thread.

Step 2:


























Advance your thread back to the front of the hook and then, tie in two 6 in. (15 cm.) lengths of wire, one for each color along one side of the hook.  Make sure they are tied in nicely and evenly along the shank.

Step 3:

























Wrap the wires forward at the same time, making sure that they lay flat and are wrapped tightly together. You can do a better job than me, I had a light and camera in my way.


Step 4:


























 Cut off the wire tags and apply the Ice Dub to your thread.

Step 5:

























Dub a nice thorax ball.

Step 6:


























Prepare a partridge feather like you would do for any soft hackle.  Pull off the fuzzy fibers near the base, pull back the fibers which will become the wing/legs, and then tie in the tip.  Tie in the feather curved down (as shown) so that when wrapped, the feather fibers will curve backwards.  Then, cut off the tips.

Step 7:
























Wrap your hackle! Sparse is good.

Step 8:


























Tie off the hackle, build a small thread head, and whip finish.  Your done!


Next month I promise a dry fly.  I know I've been a little wet so far.  I just love the soft hackles and wanted to spread the word.  Turns out, I'm not the only one.  Anyone see the article "North Country Spiders - Classic Soft Hackles" by Dave Whitlock which was in the latest issue of TU's Trout Magazine (spring 2015)?  It's a must read!

Missoula rainbow trout eats the Wire Body Soft Hackle