December Cold and Snow...

Merry Christmas

Happy Winter Solstice

Holiday Joy to All!

 The beauty found in nature is perfect, The hand of man seldom matches the wonders of our natural world. Human beings, often the unwitted destroyers of our most valuable resources, will soon learn the pain of losing that source of life!

Fly fishing for me is the juice that connects to the source of life. 

Cutthroat Trout eat year round. With patience and determination the reward, comes to the net. They are not easily fooled, making this a matching of wits. Nature and man, briefly westling one another, opening the door to the soul. As I carefully release every trout, I can feel the sigh of relief from the river.   

My soul mate, the river gives me endless times of joy. We are together as one, we flow during the most difficult of times. This is a gift for man to touch. We may live close by, but we cannot own nature. Man plows, paves, diverts and dams up the flow, but nature prevails. Hidden in the minds of men is nature itself. There to salvage it self from the drain.

 

 
The wonders of winter have descended upon the landscape
Montana is like other Rocky Mountain states. It is just clearly a beautiful place. The worst of weather comes in the winter, but it is not show stopper. Life just changes,slows down while  beauty continues to surround.

Snow now is starting to fall....

The long, never ending days of summer and fall have all moved along with the river. Time slips by faster with every everyday, I have been looking over my shoulder as the sun begins its early descent behind the mountain, knowing how quickly the light will fade. The days become colder now. The seasons dependably change along with fly fishing. Somewhat like going home from vacation. Soon the snows have come and everything changes. Love fly fishing, a bit of peace on earth.

A very interesting season on the Blackfoot River

I have to date caught and released more than 500 trout this season. Some rainbows, brown trout,and many westslope cutthroat trout.

I broke my fly rods three times

I wore out a pair of Glacier fishing gloves

  the studs on my boots.

Found a full  fly box, nice forceps and a lanyard full of tippets. I haven't seen a bear, however...

 moose, muskrat, beavers, mink, white tailed and mule deer,elk, bald eagles, osprey, dippers and herons, frogs and snakes.
Fishing meant dealing with low flows and "Hoot Owl" restrictions, and for a month, very smoky air.

I took a vacation from Montana and fly fishing for 8 days in the beginning of September. I traveled to California for my mother's 90th birthday celebration. It was relaxing and very exciting to be with family. It was good for my arm as well.

I would like to share some great trout and wildlife photos going back several months. Some have appeared on Facebook, but some haven't. For those that fly fish, they may be fun to see.  I know the internet is drowning in these sort of subjects, but mine are peculiar to me and what I personally experience.

Tiny midge takes a big cut!

Fly fishers love to spot these trout

The river id healthy, many trout are thriving in grand style...
 

  

Westslope cutthroat trout, common in the Blackfoot River

Rainbow trout caught and released in the Missouri Rive

Westslope cutthroat trout

Brown trout 

Heavy weight fighter...

August

The month of August has been some of the best fishing I could ever want. The Blackfoot River along with others, was on a shortened schedule, days ending at 2pm. Fishing restrictions have been lifted. Because of wildfires in the west,the skies have been thick with smoke, but finally today a front is pushing the smoke elsewhere.  I can only hope it lasts. I took off this morning stopped for breakfast at the Stray Bullet in Ovando, next door to the Blackfoot Anglers fly shop. Fished this afternoon in a thick smoke storm. I took a break, came home and grabbed my sweat shirt, and headed back to the river. The wind was blowing strong, so I opted for a protected stretch, a place I haven't fished in 2 months. I knew my way to the water and exactly how I wanted to fish it. I took a game trail through the woods, going to the end of the run first. I like to work back upstream, one hole in particular had my focus. I had caught some nice fish earlier in the day, but this evening time was great. The air cleared, blue sky appeared along with the mountains. It felt great to a day of fresh air.

I caught a huge cut throat, a fish I have caught before. He loves a yellow, PMD cripple fly. Drifted into the hole from the edge of the river, he sprang from down deep to take the hook! I was thrilled to know he had survived countless fly fishers all season long.

 Yesterday, at the end of August, the call of the river was strong. I went to possum run, a favorite spot to fish. Beginning around 11:00 am, I tied on an emerger pattern and started catching trout. Quickly I brought in my first fish and the day continued to be spectacular.

Mature cut throat trout sport excellent colors, their bodies are works of art. Lots of spots, head, tail and fins coupled with a bronze gill plate, They play hard and do not give up their fight easily. Spitting the hook is seemingly part of their genetics.

During the last days of August, smokey conditions have limited time on the water. Fishing has been spectacular. Wonderful large cut throats and browns are pleasing every outing.  The time for hoppers, ants and beetles is such a fun time. Perhaps the easiest time to find a lunker is at the end of August.  Summer fades, the wildflowers have started going to seed and the cottonwood trees are turning colors. It's been a great fly fishing season , with two months to go...Love fall fishing on the Blackfoot River!

Wild cut throat

Sunset in the smokey Northern Rockies

 

 The beetle I would love to find again

Bull moose munching along the edge of the river

I leave you with this. It is difficult to share my personal time with the river, only because my words will never do it justice.  The immensely powerful force of the river is endless and will forever be...

July Hoot Owl

Happy Summer Time 

I am having a great summer so far. The drought conditions have changed my internal clock so that getting up early is okay again. Hoot owl restrictions on the Blackfoot River have been in effect for several weeks, a necessity for the survival of the awesome trout population.  I admit that being a clock watcher is affecting my strategy for fishing. As the hours slip quickly by, I find myself sketching out each section of river I want to fish and budgeting my time. It's for health of the fish, otherwise I don't usually wear a watch. The pressure is on, I want to make the most of any hatches  going off! 2PM will not wait for one more cast!

Fishing has been tremendous! The terrestrials aren't happening yet, but the trout have not been shy about going for a variety of imitations. I haven't removed any nymphs from my boxed yet, but I should thin out my selection, as I have no need to cast a nymph right now

My very favorite target

. Yes, the trout eat nymphs  all year, but during the summer I indulge myself and make them come up so I can see them. 

 Use "DRY FLIES"

Guaranteed to be your best catch! 

The trout rush to this attracter, and compete for it!

A cow moose and her calf watch me pass by

Spending such good hours, moving around the river ,

Turning a trout and returning for the hook up.

Sweet spots...

Westslope Cut Throat, champion fighters...

I often take some time to dial in the right fly, and when I am lucky it happens sooner than later. When I discovered emergers, I was able to take fish during pre hatch moments.

I am waiting for terrestrials, my friend has told me of some action close by. I have turned and caught many cuts with the Madam X. Better with the red.

Down river, beyond most visitors knowledge.

One leg of the path

Hoot Owl Hours have modified my fishing habits for the time being. Early to bed, early to rise and early to fish. Early morning holds a special fascination, everything is cool and fresh.  Dew drops reflect the light as I head to the river.  A whitetail jumps from the woods and bounds through the woods. The grass has hidden the game trail, making the power of observation so important. The deer, elk and moose are pretty good about sticking to certain routes. Their roads are my roads. Birds are being a big part of my short days, the woodpecker is always cool.  When the hatch is on, the groups of swallows tell everyone. I love it when I approach the water and see them jetting along the river. They are the first to get their share.

A wristwatch is now part of the checklist. 

July on the Blackfoot: a low running river.

Take heart.  Fly fishing is not an easy sport. Patience and perseverance will catch more fish than any special equipment or clothing. Now that summer is here, many people have been out fly fishing, some thrilled by the experience and planning their next trip, others may be feeling disappointed, not what they were looking for. Sometimes it is an elusive quest, where no satisfaction is to be had. I do feel for the guy down the way that doesn't catch a fish,

A brown trout with a scud in his gullet 

The west has been upset with low water flow issues with hot days and some streams and rivers in Montana have had fishing hours reduced for the health and the survival of the wild trout. The Hoot Owl hours came along from FWP after 10 days of great fishing, I personally enjoyed the evening hatches, the moon and the setting sun adding a rich flavor to the night air..In compliance, I made it to the river on Monday morning, and quickly ran into fish. The cut throats and browns were slamming my stimulators, caddis and pmds.
I read something about gearing up in parking lots. The writer was trying to point out that an angler could not possibly know what to tie on without being on the river. I don't agree, but really I don't care. Fly fishing has nothing to do with the habits of others. I had an adams pattern already tied on from the evening before when I left my truck. We all have issues, but for me I just try to make sure my truck keys are safely stowed.        

 Daisies along the Blackfoot River

      At any rate, fly fishing offers many experiences, everyone has a different perception and also a responsibility to no one but themselves. You never know when nature will jump out of the bushes either. I love it when wild life appears and puts the right perspective back into my time on the river.

An adams fly is one of the great innoventions
 the old school brings to the table. It represents so many different aquatic insects, it works great as searcher pattern for just getting the feel of the river. Always look to the time of year figure what sort of insect activity will occur, checking on-line and asking any locals might just get you a fish when least expect it. Patience and perseverance will, in the end be your sharpest hook. Enjoy summer...I hope your waters run clear and clean.
JIM

Always something to enjoy while moving along the river.

What a wonderful catch.