November on the Blackfoot River

November and the weather has become cold, and today snow covers the landscape. Always in the back of my mind is how the snow pack will affect the water system and the condition of the river. The weather forecast is for more snow soon, and more on the horizon. Needless to say, getting to the river has been very easy. 

 I did encounter a hunter in his tree stand, rifle in hand. I stood under his watch and caught a great brown trout. I think he was surprised to see me, an old man fishing in silence. 

  The fishing has been slow but consistent. Seeking the best strategy has led me to midges. The wait in my bins at home until this time of year when they become my go to set up. I was interested in my blood midge. So were the trout. Great action.

Sometimes I use streamers and with great success. The big trout love to grab a piece of them as they drift by. I notice during  the retrieve is often when I get a big hit.

My shortcut to the river

       

  I set up my line with a Griffith's gnat, trailing a red midge behind. The trout have been hitting me hard and frequently with this simple set-up. One day the blood midge was very effective. The next time out it was a zebra midge. 

 

I was amazed to see bull moose three different times. I imagine a cow or two may be in heat near by. I know that a good repellent against these beasts is a camera. Every time I take mine out, the animal immediately retreats. Never fails. 

I have caught some beautiful trout this fall. November the fish have been picky and tough to fool. Although the river is higher because of rain and mountain snowfall, it is very clear, and very cold. I have to pay attention to my shadow which is long at noon. 

The most exciting part about November's time on the river has been the feeling of being somehow connected to nature. The solitude is a treasure.The temperature has been invigorating. Not to be taken lightly, a good day means wool, layered, with mittens to spare. My beard has grown quickly, and I know this is close to the end. I do venture out in the snow, but it can become terribly cold. December will be festive and fishing will be fun! Time on the river will be calculated and deliberate. The sun soon will set at 4:30. 

Cut throat with a woolly bugger

 

Not the dominate trout, but the ever present brown trout

The cut throat will often be lightly colored

This trout took a blood midge

Cut throat trout

Late fall

Winter is coming. The snows will soon arrive. Fishing becomes more interesting as cold and snow are the norm. I go to different places to look for trout, always with an eye on the water for slight rises.The trout feed on rising emergers and nymphs. My preference is to see movement first and to present the most likely fly. Sometimes the San Juan worm will do the trick.
Fishing is fishing. Catching is a bonus. Action keeps me going, one never knows when the next fish will be caught. I try to not be surprised. During slow sessions, I know that the next hook up will always come. I should say I have faith.
Do you?

October on the river.

Fishing this time of year is filled with great rewards. The water has cooled, and the trout are feeding actively. I have watched the squirrels and chipmunks staying busy collecting nuts, a reminder of the winter to come. The aspen and cottonwood trees turned orange quickly and have now dropped a carpet of leaves. Few other fly fishers have been out these days, although fishing is still really excellent. The weather has been an obstacle, especially the windy and rainy days. 

 Wild cut throat trout

Ready to feed...

 What are the trout eating has changed up a bit, but on cloudy days, the Blue Winged Olive has been an excellent choice. I have caught some big trout with those little flies. Sunny days I turn to attractors like a large Adams or a Royal Wolff. In between those options, have been the streamers and emerger droppers. The cut throat trout are looking beautiful with their copper colors and the browns are getting more prevalent, getting ready to spawn. The males are aggressive, and it is no surprise to hook up with a fighter. 

This brown trout went for a parachute hair's ear dry fly

It has been a season for bears around my neighborhood.  I always carry bear spray when I leave my truck and head to the river. One afternoon I was a long ways from the road, tying on a fresh fly and I heard a splashing noise just down the river.  First thought was of ducks taking flight. I looked up, my hands full and watched a large black bear cross the river never giving me a glance. The animal was  100' away, but was never a threat. I think it's a better chance to get injured in a car accident, than to be hurt by a bear, but it does happen.  Every year some bear incidents occur where people are hurt or killed. It does happen, but more often I read about car accidents than bear attacks. 

A lighter colored cut throat. The bronze face plate is gorgeous.

I am an older fly fisher, I still wear a vest. It's easy to misplace my memory, so I keep everything in certain defined pockets. 

A quiet stretch, a place that always provides action.
 I will see the dimple on the surface from a distance. 

Cut throats are all catch and release here.

Being in harmony with nature is important for me and other like thinking people. I know people that interact with nature with care and respect. Others drop their trash in the woods or along the river do nothing but harm. I constantly pick up other peoples stuff left carelessly along the river. Having respect for nature is a sign of good character. 

Winter is knocking on the door, the first snowflakes have fallen, and soon my fishing will slow down as I enjoy a much needed rest.

Thank you for your time.

Jim

September Color

The summer is ending with amazing days on the river. My trips out lately have been frequent, the fishing has been so rewarding. The weather has changed and the chipmunks are busy scurrying around gathering their nuts. Hoppers still grace the gravel benches, but the trout have gone on to other foods. The weather has been different everyday. Some warm sun, some cool overcast skies, and some rain. The winds have made casting a challenge, but some very glassy days have been in the mix as well. The river has many sheltered runs, I check the weather report often. 

 The Blackfoot River is running low, with crystal clear water. The deep holes are a gorgeous green, and filled with trout. 

 Bronze, yellow and gold are the colors of Fall

Browns showing up, getting ready to spawn

Wet hackled flies are fun to swing. They work great!

Cut throat trout get sizable after 4-6 years

Here in Montana the mountains have had snowfall in recent days, the temperatures overnight have been below freezing. The willows are yellowed out and are dropping their leaves. 

Cut throat beauty shows sweet color 

                                                  

  

 Anxious to feed, the trout have been hitting white caddis, adams, BWOs, mahoganies, wet flies and orange October caddis. That hatch is only starting, hoping for the hatch to go full bore soon. Bar's emergers have been great trailed behind a BWO cripple.

 Bears have made more appearances as I have been busy fishing. Over my shoulder I heard some splashing, usually ducks or geese, but a large black bear was the visitor. My hands were busy fishing, so I didn't get a picture. Doesn't matter.

The very best part of fly fishing now is the great size of the trout. Longer, heavy and big shouldered is the norm. 

August Fly Fishing

Greetings from Western Montana

These days of August, a few hoppers are still around, but the trout just look at them and smile. Fooled once already, I imagine. The river will be quiet as it recovers from the hopper-dropper season. License plates from many states have been filling all the spots for 6 weeks now, but now only a few smart people are still fishing. Quiet isolation is easy to find.

My best fly selection for the recent past has been a red dot wet fly, trailed off a hair's ear bead head nymph. The swing and the hookup has been really successful. Beetles and ants were performers for a while, but the larger trout were looking for something special. That was the spruce moth! The forest provided an abundance of these moths and the trout lined up each morning to consume as many as possible. Quite a great opportunity to hook a large fish.

The Blackfoot River in August

Westslope Cut Throat Trout

My fishing spots are many and varied, Some are great for catching big trout, others are for isolation from outsiders that flock to the river to fly fish in the summer. I haven't fished some spots since springtime. Montanan's also fly fish and because big named waters are crowded, the Blackfoot becomes attractive. 

The native species of cut throat have many subspecies, defined by isolated pockets living in the Western side of the continental divide. The Blackfoot seems to be a salad bowl of strains and in cross breeding of the "cut-bow". Catching these trout lets me see the variations from green to bright yellow  with silver in between. Added to the mix are the brown trout. The German Brown is a survivor of poor water, but here the fish are smaller than most. Hooking an 18"is possible, but more rare than finding a large Cut throat.

This strain has a lighter body with only a few head spots

A greenback cut throat.

Smiles mean good catch! Fishing with a friend.

Freestone River

Fishing with a friend

More spots on the head

Brown Trout 

Action with a nice wild trout

        

Peace and tranquility                                                                                     

West slope Colors

Pure gold, the cut throat tugged at my fly! Instantly I knew I had a huge fish on my line. The pleasure only becomes euphoria when the net captures the trout. My choice of flies had worked and luck would have this creature in position to strike.

Fishing the Cracks

Fly fishing is a wonderful art. To some , a chance to find peace and comfort within themselves. Others fish for glory and self esteem. The big trout of the west attract anglers from many backgrounds along with multiple mindsets, Big trout, big waters are a goal of many anglers, especially those with a desire to be someone special. Life in the modern world sometimes leaves us with out recognition or satisfaction leading many to hope to be special by catching the big trout in the big name waters.

Along the road of becoming a fly fisher, frustration and anxiety accompany the angler to the water. Vacation times are for many the only opportunity to catch trout and the need to get a "big" one becomes paramount.  Often when  deciding where and when one fishes, The bank account becomes secondary as the need to succeed over powers any rational decisions. Lurking in the mind is a fear of failure, that struggle will ruin a fishing adventure and bring disappointment. I know this from my own evolution and maturation experience,

 During the 90's we lived and worked in the Yellowstone Park area of Montana and Wyoming. Repeatedly heading to the big name waters to catch trophy trout. At a point along the way we discovered that some new fresh perspectives were necessary as some days no big trophies made it to the net. During those years our expectations needed to be adjusted to reality. No matter what we were trying to achieve we learned that all trout were beautiful and worthy of appreciation. Tuning our minds to this exceptional point of view, gave new life and a fresh perspective to the our fly fishing. As we slowed down and began to enjoy the moment, the small things around us as we fished, became the most important part of the day.The mind shifted gears and we looked forward to fishing the cracks. Avoiding big name waters we found trout everywhere that we had always overlooked. The masters of fly fishing know that every trout is a treasure and every moment on the water is a blessing.

I offer this up as a mental path to travel as you head out to be part of the water, know the wild part of our world and the deep pools of our souls. Satisfaction is always present. What was once obscured becomes prominent and curtain of the real world of fly fishing opens. Satisfaction is there for those that open their hearts and give up the need for "big fish". Fish the cracks and enjoying the pleasure of the small unnoticed fragrance of the art of fly fishing. Be joyful and really enjoy yourself. Take the experience and grow. The trophies will still come.

Awesome trout live their lives in many cracks

Satisfaction is peace and serenity

Beautiful brown teout

Wild Westslope cut throat trout

The unexpected will happen given a chance. Never be surprised and always check your knots. The master will use all the 5 senses to become on with the water. Wildlife, insects, birds and other fly fishers will give clues and help find trout. Pay attention to the surroundings, be part of the picture, not just an intruder. Satisfaction and adrenaline may come with any cast,

The always exciting brown trout.

Later I will speak more of technique and approach, but go now to fish the cracks being great places to fish.