Old skool

Bear Creek Schoolhouse - Cameron, Montana

Yes litteraly, an old school.  It is the final stretch of my academic run.  All I can say is that there is going to be some serious fishing real soon.  Over it!

Sometimes the fishing blows...

Whitecaps on the Three Forks golf course pond

Yesterday's forecast called for 75 degrees and 8-15 mph winds.  I forgot to do the Central Montana add 10.  Along the Rocky Mountain Front, from Clark Canyon Reservoir up to the Canadian border, you have to add 10 mph to the forecast wind speeds to get the actual wind speed. For instance, say you're going to float the Missouri River and the NOAA forecast calls for 7-10 mph wind with gusts to 15.  Well, in reality, it's probably going to be 17-20 mph with gusts to 25. Yesterday, I was so optimistic to go fishing and needed it so bad, that I neglected to do that.  In this case, I should have added 20 mph as the sustained gusts were enough to halt my plans for fishing altogether.  Anyway, I heard Georgetown Lake had 2 ft. swells yesterday.  I can't imagine what it was like on the Missouri!  Ha!

My other boat

Dragonfly Boatworks Dragonfly 12 paddle skiff

In the south, I'm known as Blue Boat Mark.  Not really.  But when I'm there, I do rock this badass paddle skiff from Dragonfly Boatworks. 

My Dragonfly 12 is an earlier model of the "Techie" and was specifically designed for fly fishing.  It has a clean hull with little to nothing to get your line caught on.  There is an insane amount of storage in a huge water-resistant compartment which is insulated and can be used as a cooler. There is also an insulated circular rear compartment that can be used for storage or a live well. The deck has grippy foam for your feet and 3 tracks for attaching the cooler and an endless amount of accessories. 

Dragonfly Boatworks is a flats skiff company and you can see the style reflected in the hull of their paddle boards/skiffs.  The seafoam color screams Florida to me but you can order them in a variety of colors. 

Fly fishing from a paddleboard is amazing.  It takes some practice but once you get it, there is no sneakier way to cruise the flats, canals, and lakes of Southwest Florida or wherever you are.  You see some crazy stuff that you'd never see in a larger craft. Some of what you see in FL will scare the shit out of you. I would love to have one for carping in Montana!!

I also want to give a shout out to West Wall Outfitters in Port Charlotte, FL for hooking me up with the boat and giving me way too much fishing information.  These guys are one of the only real fly shops for miles (so weird to me) but I'd drive past others to go to West Wall.  They have a great selection of kayaks for any type of fishing or recreation, fly tying materials, flies, leaders etc., groups and classes, and friendly staff that wants to see you happy and catching fish.

I can't wait to go buy some redfish flies from West Wall and fish on the blue boat in the Florida sun!

My pet carp

My Three Sons of Bitches

My girlfriend and I rescued these guys from a dismal end this summer.  Fishstick, the largest is about 5 inches long.  After a couple weeks of recovery, these fish are in great shape and are a ton of fun to watch.  Goldfish (Carassius auratus) is one of the smallest members of the carp/minnow family (Cyprinidae) and they have very similar looks and behaviors. They are always tailing around the tank and they cloop like crazy when we feed them.  The cat likes them too!

Peep the cat stalks Sanchez the mini carp 

I'm having a nasty case of fishing withdrawal as I've been too busy birding in the Berkeley Pit. Yep, I said that and yep, it's true.  Unless there is a major emergency, I will be out on the boat in some new water this weekend.  Stay tuned for some autumn beauty in Montana and more fishy nonsense... 

A little brown sugar

Ye olde brown trout face

I had some work training at the Warm Springs Ponds today.  Checked in on the Upper Clark Fork afterward. The brown trout are not quite in the insane zone yet, but they are definitely starting to get excited to eat meat.  My carp leech to be exact.  Also, above the ponds, the cutts are eating streamers.  Yup.  I have been told a million times that cutthroat are not piscivorous by a bunch of fisheries biologists.  I guess I'm a science denier on this one but I do have tangible proof.  On the other side of the continental divide, the carp bite is still on.  However, the calm clear days are few and far between.  It's trout time in Montana.   

Another legend gone...

America has lost another music legend. This week is not starting out so hot. 

The end of September 2nd, 2017 can't come soon enough!

Today sucked.  It sucked more for so many people.  On so many levels, in so many places, and in so many ways.  Today sucked.  I look forward to tomorrow.

Helena area stream restoration volunteer event - this Saturday!!

Mine waste in the Telegraph Creek floodplain (image source unknown) 

The Pat Barns Chapter of Trout Unlimited, Trout Unlimited-National, and the Little Blackfoot River (near Helena) need you!!

"The Pat Barnes Chapter of Trout Unlimited and TU’s Clark Fork River Project invite you to join us in our efforts to revegetate the restored section of Telegraph Creek at the Lilly Orphan Boy Mine site. In 2016, TU and Montana DEQ removed 9,000 cubic yards of mine waste from Telegraph Creek and restored 350 feet of stream channel in the headwaters of the Little Blackfoot River.

The day will begin with a tour of the restored stretch of Telegraph Creek. Rob Roberts, TU Project Manager, will explain the techniques TU and partners used to reclaim the mine site and reconstruct Telegraph Creek. Following the tour, we will plant native trees and shrubs in the restored area.

Revegetation of this area will protect the stream bank and hillslope, promote native plant growth, and add shade to Telegraph Creek.  Please meet at 8:00 AM at the Van’s Thriftway parking lot on Saturday, September 30th. From there we will drive an hour to the site. Please bring appropriate clothing, footwear, and work gloves. Lunch will be provided.  We will finish the volunteer event around 2pm.

To RSVP please contact Max Lewis ASAP via phone or email at mlewis@tu.org or 207-701-1683. "

Gary Lafontaine wrote of the Little Blackfoot River, "There is no stream more special to me than the Little Blackfoot River. Let me completely protect one drainage in the state, from ranching, mining, logging, and even over fishing, and this would be the one."

If you have not yet explored the Little Blackfoot River or its tributaries, do it.  This fall.  I worked in the valley a few years back doing a fish passage/entrainment project from the mouth all the way up every trib.  I went places and met people in that valley that I will probably never see again.  And, I can tell you one thing, this fishery is about as resilient as one can get.

The Little Blackfoot River is heavily degraded and is heavily relied upon for irrigation. Many of its banks have been hoof sheered right out of existence, and there are fish-eating canals and irrigation dams galore!  Meanwhile, just about every one of the tributaries (Telegraph Creek, Dog, Ontario) have major impacts from historic mining. Yet, the fishery lives on.  The lower river has medium-sized (6-16'') brown trout galore.  In the fall, you might find some bigger ones that come in from the Clark Fork.  This area of the river is hard to get on as the entire valley floor is private cattle ranches but there are many locations to exercise legal MT stream access and there is one FWP access site.  The middle reaches have a mix of browns and westslope cutts and the upper (above Elliston) turns into more of a cutthroat fishery.

The Little Blackfoot is a major and vital tributary to the Upper Clark Fork River, a river that has gone through ecological disasters on an unimaginable scale.  The Upper Clark Fork is currently undergoing a major, and I mean MAJOR, restoration project to remove millions of yards of heavily contaminated mine wastes from the good ol' days in Butte and Anaconda.   Likewise, the tributaries of the Little Blackfoot are receiving some love from TU National and stream restoration badass, Rob Roberts.  Be a part of it and get off your ass to do something good.

Are you a TU member like me that can't just write checks or make donations because you are a broke ass who is following your dreams instead of following the money train?  Well here's your chance to give your "in-kind" donation.  I have always been disappointed in the fly fishing community when it comes to volunteer events.  Fly fishers like to talk but they rarely walk the walk.  Prove me wrong!!

How to wash your nasty fishing shirts (performance wear)

Polyester performance fishing shirts AKA sun shirts

No matter what you call them, sun shirts, Florida shirts, tropical-wear, or performance shirt, polyester fishing shirts are awesome and I love them.  They are like wearing a silk sheet which keeps you cool anytime there is even the slightest breeze.  In sunny, hot, and dry Southwest Montana, these shirts give great SPF protection and will dry minutes after getting wet, cooling you to the bone even on the hottest day. In the humid south, the fabric dries more slowly and works like a swamp cooler in the wind making even the hottest day on the flats bearable.  Hell, I even wear sun shirts under my hoodie in the winter here in Montana because they are so comfortable and they make me think of Florida and summer carping when it's -25F and blowing.

Not only are they practical but they can also be beautiful.  They take printing and hold images way better than cotton and have been used for years to display fishy art that is super fun to wear.

However, anyone who has ever owned one of these shirts knows that there are a couple of downsides. They hold BO smell and they stain, badly! For a while, I had given up on some of my favorite shirts because they became so stained that I could no longer wear them in public.  I had a couple of white ones that looked like I had worn them as a line cook in a Greek diner on a Friday night! Not everyone will get that reference but just picture a lot of food and fish fry grease.

We tried everything to get the stains out including using chlorine bleach.  I googled "fishing shirt staining" and saw that a lot of folks were having the same issue.  Many people said that they just don't buy the more expensive printed ones and just throw them out after a while.  Others had concoctions they mixed up which sounded like a lot of work without great results.  I didn't find all the info in one place but I did come to a conclusion that works.  Here it is:

DONT: 

• Use bleach
• Throw your nasty stained/smelly fishing shirts out

Using bleach actually, destroys the fabric and causes it to stain more! 

DO:

• Spot treat mega-bad stains with stain remover like you'd do with any type of clothing
• SOAK THEM IN OXY CLEAN!!

Yes, Oxy Clean is the ticket.  And you don't even need to remember anything.  Follow the instructions on the back for "tough laundry stains."  The longer you soak the shirts, the better.  The first time I tried this, I soaked all of my nasty-ass shirts for 12 hours.  I drained the washer and then ran a normal load.  I was absolutely blown away by the results!  I had little faith and this was really the last shot.  They looked brand new!!  The soaking took out 98% of the stains including gnarly ones around the neck from sunscreen and huge globs from the ribs and pulled pork nachos at Izzaks in Craig.  By soaking them, you're not only totally dissolving the greasy stains but you're also dissolving the disgusting human grease, sweat, and carp slime that causes them to get so stinky.  It was a total restoration. 

Now, I only have to soak them every once in a while when they get bad.  The shirts have actually gotten brighter and cleaner after each subsequent soaking. It's easy and cheap and I get to have my awesome shirts back!

Montana's Ringing Rocks

Montana's Ringing Rocks under smokey skies

Next time you are in the Butte/Whitehall area and have some extra time or are looking for a way to burn a few hours in the mountains with your family, check out the Ringing Rocks. For whatever reason, the rocks ring like a metal bell when hit with a hammer.  They only work when they are still solidly attached to the outcrop.  If you hit the loose ones or try to bring one home, it will not ring.  It's definitely weird and cool.

Here's a video I took. Turn the sound on!:

To get to there, get off Interstate 90 at the Pipestone exit and head to the dirt turnaround on the north side of the highway.  There is a couple of dirt roads that branch from this location.  Take the road that seems to head east.  It is marked with a skinny brown sign that says "Ringing Rocks."  Follow these skinny brown signs up into the mountains with your high clearance vehicle for 4 or 5 miles.  My girlfriend got us all the way up there in her Subaru but that is not advised.  It was fun to watch though. You can also go part way and walk the rest (about 1.5 miles) if you drive until the road gets crazy and pull off on the side.

A clear day at Ringing Rocks

Ivan Doig Symposium going on now!

Ivan Doig is certainly one of my favorite authors of all time.  If you aren't familiar with his work, become familiar ASAP. Doig was born in Montana and has written about this wonderful state in much of his works.  My favorites are the trilogy revolving around Morrie Morgan and his tumultuous time in Butte, Montana during its heyday (The Whistling Season, Work Song, Sweet Thunder).

This symposium over in Bozeman is already underway and will continue through Saturday.

For more information, click here.

Stay safe Florida!!

Fuck you, Irma!

A hopper in the cloop hole

Hopper-eating carp of Montana

Catching carp on dries is about as fun as it gets.  And, it is possible in more places than you'd think!

Steelhead in the Standard?

Idaho will implement catch-and-release only steelhead regulations. We've got our hands full with environmental issues here in Butte, Montana.  So, you know it's a big deal when our local paper runs a story about steelhead in Idaho.  The article comes from the Lewiston Tribune.  Read it here.

Slow-mo carp release: some fun with your iPhone

A friend recently showed me how to take really cool slo-mo release shots with my iPhone.  The videos start at normal speed, slows down, and then go back to normal at the end.  It creates a really cool effect that is perfect for releasing fish.

On your iPhone, open the camera, select the slo-mo option and have fun!

(updated 10 minutes later):

Ok, so when you export the slo-mo movie you took on your iPhone it will not play in slo-mo like it did on your phone.  I researched why and it has to do with the way the iPhone records these videos.  They are not actually filmed in slow motion, the phone's app just makes it look that way. Don't fret, there are a variety of ways to get around this.  Here are some links which helped me out:

Stack Exchange Forum

Mac World

I ended up just downloading the free iMovie app, adding a filter which didn't change the video much, and then saving it.  Now, it will export with the slow-mo effect!!  You have to add the filter or do something to it in the app, but that's it.

A Broadwater County Almanac: And Sketches Here and There

Montana Mirror Carp Scales

It has been another very busy summer for me.  Between finishing my degree, making enough money to live, and fishing my ass off, I've had my hands full.  I have slept in my house just a handful of times in the past few months and have been happily far away from the internet.

Montana's hot, dry summer has caused me to go all in on carping for the most part.  There is some ok trout fishing to be had, but why the hell would anyone pass up great technical fishing to large, hard-fighting fish for mediocre trout fishing?  The trout will be back soon.

The mirror carp above was caught on a Stalcup's Cluster Midge.  Yep, a dry fly.  And no, not a hopper.  It was my last fish of the day and it ran all the way across the river and took me deep into my backing.  It was one of many carp caught on the surface that day.  It was also my first mirror on a dry. I'd bet that even the old carp guard folks have never caught a mirror on a dry!! Cool.

Upper Missouri River Elk

When you have the river to yourself, the big animals come out to hang out with you.  This mother elk and her 2 babies came out to spook up some of my carp.

Missouri River Moose

I was happy that this guy (gal?) was on the other side of the river!!  To date, the only animal that has ever chased me and scared the shit out of me is a moose.

Don't fear Montana's mussel decontamination stations

Photo courtesy of MTFWP at montana.gov

I went up to Canyon Ferry Reservoir yesterday to chase some mirror carp, cool off, and also check out the mandatory mussel decontamination stations.  I had been reluctant to launch the boat on Canyon Ferry because I didn't know what the decontamination at the end of the day would entail. At first, the idea of power washing my newly refinished wooden boat with hot water made me a little panicky.

To be clear, decontamination stations are at the boat launches on Cayon Ferry and Tibor Reservoirs (water bodies with detected zebra/quagga mussels).  There are boat checkpoints all over the state that have the ability to decontaminate a vessel but these decontamination stations are a bit more comprehensive.  My plan was to fish all day and then take a few pictures or a video of the decontamination process to share with folks that may be apprehensive or just curious.

So why then, is there a picture from Montana.gov and not a bunch from me?  It's because it went so fast that I didn't even have a chance to ask if it was ok to film!!

Here's why it went so fast.  At the launch, while taking my boat out, I made sure to:

• Drain the boat 
• Removed all my flooring mats  
• I left the oars in place and my trolling motor attached.  
• I took out all my fishing stuff and pulled the gear out of my storage compartments
• I used my Montana FWP sponge (free at checkpoints) to quickly wipe up any water that did not drain

I then drove up to the decontamination station and turned off the truck to ready myself for a hot wash and some picture taking.  By the time I got out of the truck and walked over to talk to the inspector that was filling out the inspection form he said, "ok, you're good to go!"  In that time, 2 other inspectors had checked the entire boat (it's a drift boat so, not much to inspect) and I passed inspection. It was just as fast as the checkpoints and because I made sure to show up with a totally dry boat, it honestly took about 3 minutes and I didn't have to be decontaminated.  I essentially did it myself when I dried the boat at the launch.

So there you have it.  Go to Canyon Ferry and have fun.  It's no big deal.  There is a mandatory engine flush for larger gas powered boats which will take a couple more minutes, but still.

Sedges have edges

Photo of traveling sedge

The annual and usually predictable traveling sedge hatch on Georgetown Lake, Montana has been anemic this year, to say the least.  After 3 weeks of heartbreak, I think it's time to move on the some of the year's best carping.

To be fair, the fishing is still good up at the lake.  There are daily spinnerfalls of callibaetis and the damsels get going around noon.  The fish will eat a damselfly nymph slow stripped or fished below a dry or bobber.  The sight fishing on sunny days in the shallow flats has been really fun and many of these fish are eating dries as well as your perfectly cast damsel nymph or small leech.  I did see the sedges.  Each day I saw more and more.  Right at dusk, you will see quite a few and if you've never seen the hatch at full bore, you might think it looks ok.  But, it's not.  There should be more bugs, the fish should be so keyed in on them that they eat the dry all day, and it should definitely be going strong by now.  The lake has been full and we had a nice normal wet spring.  Maybe it's still coming; I don't know.

Anyway, it's hot in Montana and so is the fishing.  It's also prime time for giving the trout a break from the summer crowds and exploring all over Montana's carp country.

The dog days of summer

Lexi the figurehead

The scorching-hot dog days of summer have taken hold across the great state of Montana.  However, unlike the last few years, there is still lots of water and the fishing is shit hot.

Still water carping in the reservoirs is about as good as it gets right now.  The fish are post-spawn and hungry.  Early morning into early afternoon is the best time as they start to fade off when it gets mega-hot.  You'll find them but they won't eat like they did earlier in the day.

We've been hitting Georgetown every weekend for the past couple in order to hit the traveling sedge hatch.  These huge caddis are awesome and this is one of my favorite hatches.  Due to the high lake level and the cool spring, the water temps were just not warm enough yet to get them to pop on a grand scale.  We saw a couple here and there and had some surface eats on our not-so secret pattern but the hatch had yet to materialize.  Since last weekend, it has been hotter than 2 hamsters farting in a wool sock.  I would bet the dog that they're going off tonight!

The damselflies are a major factor for the G-town trout and the still water carp now.  Putting a damselfly nymph a couple feet below your high riding "caddis" pattern will get you into fish at G-town all day long.  Additionlly, dropping one in the action zone of a large, slow-cruizing carp may result in excitement and hilarity.

Stay tuned for Georgetown updates and some summer carp action!

Mish mosh SW Montana fishing report - Late June

Carp flies now sold at Sportsman's Warehouse in Helena 

The huge variety of fishing options in Southwest Montana makes it much harder to write coherent fishing reports like I could do in Missoula.  I write reports every once in a while so that there is a non-biased, transaction-free source of information out there for anyone who cares.  I also use this blog as a personal fishing log which comes in handy sometimes for my own pursuits.  So here it is:

Big Hole River:
It was huge and the salmonflies have come and gone.  Usually, the fishing sucks for a couple weeks after the hatch.  It's called the "salmonfly hangover" and it can really suck.  I avoided the party this year due to my trip to Florida and the shitty conditions.  The river is dropping in nicely now and summer on the Big Hole should be the best it has been in years.  It would be awesome to be able to fish hoppers in the afternoon this year!

Upper Clark Fork:
As the river drops and clears, the caddis fishing will get insane.  The Upper is a caddis stream through and through.

Silver Bow Creek:
I haven't been out there yet this year but things usually get going right about now.  You'd be surprised by what may eat your larger attractor dry or simple streamer...

Missouri River (Craig reach):
I have to distinguish what area now because my Missouri River Range has grown so much over the last few years.  The dry fly bite is on big-time.  There are pods of snotty MO trout all over the river. You need to bring your A game.  Perfectly placed casts and drag free drifts are crucial.  Fly selection comes second in importance.  They will eat PMD spinners, caddis, and buzzballs like candy if you can present them properly.

Holter Lake Carping: 
I'm embarrassed to say that it was my first time on the boat up at Holter recently.  It is such a beautiful place!  I didn't have much info on carp fishing up there but I knew that they had to be there. They are, and they get big like in Clark Canyon.  The carp were tough and I got my ass handed to me. There is still a bunch that are spawning but I was able to find some over on the rockier eastern shore that were willing to eat.  I even landed one of the largest carp yet to date. I can't wait to get back up there again.  There are also some great trout in Holter!

Three Forks Ponds Carping:
The carping in the Three Forks Ponds is outstanding right now!  There are still some spawners but the ones that aren't are tailing in groups in the flats.  Throw a small black wooly bugger or small leech pattern for all-day action.

Clark Canyon Carping:
I haven't been down there since I've been back but I imagine it is the same as Holter.  They were in full spawn mode before I left and the fishing was hit or miss picking on the wallflowers. The carping should get better and better here by the day.  It's time to start thinking about callabaetis, damsels, and dragonfly nymphs perfectly cast and timed to be in the hot zone of a slowly cruising, golden submarine.

Georgetown Lake:
I will be checking in on Montana's finest brook and rainbow trout lake very soon.  The traveling sedge caddis should be underway as we speak and intensifying over the next few weeks.  Also, callabaetis, damsels, and dragonflies in nymph and adult form will play out as well.  The traveling sedge hatch on G-town is one of the finest of any hatch you will ever encounter.  Big bugs and big willing fish are what it is all about.  Have you ever had a 100+ fish dry fly day?


Thats all I got for now.