September 2018

The Old Man and The River  

As I approach my 70th birthday this winter, I can't help but take stock of myself and my relationship with the river. 
September brings out serious fly fishers. The casual caster has disappeared and bow hunters have taken to the mountains after elk and deer. Today I had breakfast in Ovando with friends, and on my way back I couldn't help notice the numbers of parked cars along the river. Must have been a dozen. Times two it adds up. This is a Thursday. Serious fishermen come when the fishing is at it's best. That's just the state of the Blackfoot River. My personal preference is to fish alone. Lots of bear talk during a conversation at The Blackfoot Angler and during breakfast. One man from Washington had forgotten his bear spray and was actually going to forgo buying a canister. I never spoke up again.
The Missouri River has been part of my fishing fun recently. Lots of vehicles by the late hour we get to the ramp, most drifters have left, leaving a good space of uncrowded water.
The first trout I caught were at the early stages of the trip. Such a fun place when the rainbows are taking! The river has a population of more than 5,000 fish per mile. It seems like an inflated number, but I can say the river has a very healthy number of big rainbows. Anymore and any bigger and my arm would be broken.

What an adventure this fishing season has been.  No doubt as interesting a season it has been for me.

September on the Blackfoot River

The Blackfoot has been great for fishing. After the spring floods, many stretches no longer have holes and log jams, but new ones have emerged to take their place. The mosquitoes have been seriously bad in many areas. wet marshes and in the woods. Deet has been a necessity for this man. 

I took a great trip down the Missouri River

Some log jams stayed put during the floods.

   

Madam X took this Cut Throat

Living in Montana is a blessing as beauty is everywhere. Convenience is a bit short, but most everything can be taken care of right in town. 

Cut Throat trout are an endangered species, harvesting is against the law. Brown trout however may be taken home and cooked up for dinner. The river has many Brown trout.

Brown Trout

Fall colors 

Brown Trout

great catch.

Pretty fish

Madam X

New holes

Going home 

Zebra midge

new post

Montana is a Big Place

I love my life in Montana, a place with long empty roads, and good people. 

I live in Lincoln Montana, and fly fish my favorite waters, some more than others. the choices are actually more than I can to choose from. 

Going fishing will always be just that. It is with good planning and a little luck. Planning is always very important part of my routine. I am older now and am slowing down more and more.

The last twelve months have been extraordinarily difficult. Fishing took a vacation for months, as our region was having constant snowstorms. Staying home, indoors became the norm for many months.

Now, this month and October should be excellent for fly fishing. It is always at this time that the brown trout become a bit larger as they come up to spawn. The cutties are fun to catch as the weather cools down. October Caddis is sometimes a great fly.

Animals are very common to see I shared a few moments with a large cow elk last week. I have fresh bear spray now. Consider yours before hitting the trail.

September is a month of change. The kids are back in school, summer vacations are over. Most fly fishers in Montana, serious fly fishers, head out to get great fishing time before darkness becomes a problem.

                           These pictures

The canyon area

only tell part of the story. More will follow.

Please let your imagination go.

Montana is a big state

Springtime rainbow trout

 

Patrick Owen

Missouri River landscape

Montana Jim

The Blackfoot River

Missouri River beauty

Paradise

Heavy weight

Spring on the Missouri

 Floods on the Blackfoot River

Cut Throat Trout

Smile

Brown Trout

Brown Trout about to go free

Fly Fishing brings good results

A breaktime on the Missouri River

Action with the Cut Throat

Clear water of the Blackfoot River

The Winter of 17-18 Lincoln, Montana

Lincoln Montana

White Tailed Deer

I do love prowling the Blackfoot River for peace, quiet and spiritual healing. Catching trout is the bonus.

The day was cool, I was fishing alone on a stretch of river about 1/2 mile from my truck. Hiking through the woods to the river, picking my path through, its easy to turn and miss the trail. 

I keep my eyes peeled for any animals that also use the trail. 

I have encountered many animals on this stretch of the river, deer, moose and bears.

One afternoon, after fishing for hours, I was standing in the shadows tying on a fly, when I heard splashing just downstream. my hands were busy and my focus was on the fly, when I heard those duck like sounds. I looked up and to my surprise a huge black bear was crossing the river only 20 yards away. I felt some adrenaline, but it quickly turned to enjoyment as the bear only paused to look, then ambled into the woods. I always carry bear spray, the best option in case of conflict.

Black bear tracks are easy to recognize. The toes are marked with an arc, Grizzly bears have a straighter toe curve. 

Westslope Cut Throat Trout 

Clear, clean water

Big girth on this cuttie

Woolie Bugger

Quite the hole...caught many fine trout along this stretch

A summer dry fly

Cut throat spots

Brown trout spots

The spirit of the water

Reflections of 2017

A long fishing season is abruptly ended with ended cold weather and snow. Three days of nearly continuous snowfall with lows in the teens, has made it a time to try and get some work done. Where I live and fish has seen a torrent of forest fires and thick smoke the came with them. Breathing became difficult and as word spread, fishing became much of a dream as a reality. Springtime runoff flooded the Blackfoot, ans I took to the Missouri River to get my itch scratched. It was a good time fishing on a drift boat, using nymphs and with indicators. The Missouri River is home to a huge number of rainbows, often very large fish. The beauty of the countryside softened the slow stretches and attest to the skills of Lewis and Clark, as they explored the Northwest on their way to the Pacific.

         

Rainbow trout, only the first of many

Fish on for my friend Wayne Kennedy

Smiles all around

         The following months in Montana brought a slump in fishing on the Blackfoot.

  The abundant snow pack melted into a surge of water into the Blackfoot River. Fishing was effectively shut down until July. On July 18th the fires began. Stonewall Mountain, just a few miles to the north was hit by lightning, immediately  Shortly after other fires erupted and the summer of fires was beginning. It kept fishermen at bay for months. occasionally a wind would blow and clear out the air around the river, those days were rare. Day after day, only going outside for a short time was not healthy nor conducive to activity that involved breathing.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      The months slowed to a crawl for fishing. Tourists were unable to marvel at the beauty of the state, Montana suffered greatly. The fly shops ran in slow gear, bicycle riders, hikers and campers changed their plans and those that came, left early. Today the state is wrestling with a huge debt incurred with the costs of putting out the fires. From one end of the state to the other, huge, killer fires engulfed paradise I live in. Finally on September 14th, rains came. The damage had been done and a summer was lost.   

                                                     

Thick smoke covered the state from one end to the other.

Fall has been brief, but rewarding. Absence makes the heart grow fonder. I usually enjoy fall fishing and September was no disappointment. Other fly fishers showed up and many spots were busy. I moved to the canyon, further downstream to find seclusion and cut throats. I did have the pleasure of friends on several trips out. Wildlife was exciting to see as were the trout.

                                                        

The river is a retreat for peace of mind

Brown Trout

Fall colored cut throat

 The fishing was good, with many fish to the net! October was even better, as the leaves turn golden and the skies turned blue. Fly selection was not easy, Insect hatches were not as normal. Blue skies abounded as some warmth gave rise to hatches.

A perfect day

 The Westslope Cut throat is a protected species and must be released.

       Now in early November, the weather has brought sub freezing temperatures and snow! It will stay cold for another few days, but the woolies are all ready to go when a good day comes along. Winter has not ever stopped my fishing days, it presents new challenges and techniques. The stretched to fish are only where the snowplows have cleared a place to park, Walking through deep snow is difficult, but I do have my spots that fish well in winter.

Fall colors are rich and fill the woods

October Caddis

Hiking to the river

Green Humpy took this cut throat

Fat trout

Midges worked great

Blue winged olive

Every trout is beautiful

Moose watching for a short time

The blood midge is irresistable

Leaves dissapear in late October 

Spectacular 

Turning away

Left in my files are many other photographs, some extraordinary. Editing them for publication is difficult process. Enjoy what is thought to be some of the best.

Thank you for reading my blog, it is enjoyable to share personal experiences on the river. Fly fishing is an addiction, "The tug is the drug!"

Share this with your friends and may we all find  peace and good health....

For a closer view of any photograph, click it.