Columbia Gorge Fishing Report 9/30/18

 

ODFW and WDFW released some important closure information the other week regarding the Columbia River for steelhead and salmon. Fishing for either and retention is prohibited effective September 13th until further notice. This effects the main stem Columbia River from Buoy 10 to the OR/WA border upstream of McNary Dam. Night angling upstream to OR/WA border is also closed.

However, this shouldn't effect much of the fly anglers as we typically target the tributaries more for Salmon/Steelhead, it should hopefully make the fishing a little better.

Steelhead: While numbers are indeed low, the fishing hasn't been too bad. In fact, a couple friends have hooked and landed some fairly large summer fish recently and I've hooked/lost a couple nice ones lately as well. The Klickitat still has some fairly low flows over there and with the clear water it begs for much smaller/less obtrusive flies. The salmon push out the steelhead from their typical lies so they are generally found in the shallower water. Water temps have also dropped slightly over there too. I've been seeing a bit of October Caddis flying around and have stuck to the muddler program, either fished as a skater on a light wire hook for surface disruption or on a heavier iron swung in the surface film.

New sword: Burkheimer 6139-4 with an Airflo Delta Spey II 6/7 - A match made in heaven!

The Deschutes is fishing from sun up to sun down. A common misconception is that when the sun is up folks think you must fish down deep with tips. While there is some elemental aspects the sun plays, you certainly can fish floating lines all day on that river providing you're swinging your fly away from the sun rather than into it. Sometimes its more satisfactory to fish your methods of choice until they prevail, as apposed to waiting for prevailing conditions. But, I'm not here to judge as long as you're having fun and treating the fishery with respect. Steelhead are throughout the entire lower Deschutes this time of year, which offers the ability for anglers to spread out some and find a little more solitude.

Trout: I just got back from an annual trip to Montana that I take every year with my Dad. It's always a blast and for some reason we always seem to catch some funky weather. This year it was a bit of wind, mixed with some rain and even hail. Dry fly fishing was just so-so, but the streamer action was a blast. I missed a couple pigs but found plenty of fish in the 18-22" range.

 This guy sure had a neat looking head. I love streamer eating browns!

Our longtime guide/friend, Michael Guerin is always a blast to fish with. He is a wealth of knowledge with a couple fisheries science degrees. After growing up steelhead/salmon fishing in Washington, he's been a premier Florida Key's guide for Permit, Tarpon, Bonefish for the last 30 years. He's guided SE Alaska's Spring Steelhead based off a "mothership" boat and utilizing jetboats to access rivers, and has tackled the Montana trout program for a decade and a half. Have fish a question? He most likely has an answer. On top of that he's also got one of the priestliest boats on the water that only took him a few hundred labor hours to build- a fiberglass/wood stitch low-sider that's perfect for Montana's Missouri River. It's always a pleasure to get on the water with him and hear his stories. Last Christmas he sent me a Russell Chatham book, Dark Waters, which is a great read for those who like essays, stories, and articles that are more based on exploits with friends regarding hunting, fishing, food, and life changes. It diverges a bit from traditional fishing lore, and Chatham is clearly a fan of Rodrick Haig-Brown as his literature reflects it. I highly recommend it to any readers out there.  

Montana is a trout factory. Regardless of the fishing, the trips there never disappoint. 

I don't have a good first hand report for the local trout(ings). But, the Caddis hatches are still going strong on the Deschutes and we're definitely seeing some October Caddis in the mix too. The higher creeks and lakes are slowing down some as the water cools off, but it doesn't mean the fishing has to stop just yet. Lost Lake Resort does close down this October 1st, but you should still be able to access the lake for a little while longer.

Warmwater: Fishing for smallies and carp has also slowed down on the big Columbia some as it too is experiencing some colder water. No longer are we seeing the consistent top water bite for the bass and it's primarily moved back to baitfish patterns that're fished deeper. Over on the John Day water has risen slightly, but the bass fishing should still be good.

As always, we are happy to talk fishing anytime. Give us a call if you have any specific questions on local rivers, gear, and tactics, or if you just want some encouragement to get out of the office.

Local Fishing Information

Bookmark our new link to Weather, Stream Conditions and Fishing Licenses

Cody Booth
Gorge Fly Shop | Product Specialist
541.386.6977  

Destination Fly - Crane Meadow Lodge

Located in the heart of an 8,000-acre ranch on the Ruby River, just outside the town of Twin Bridges in Southwestern Montana, Crane Meadow’s exceptional private water program and home style hospitality make it among our top picks for serious anglers who like to put in long, productive days on the water.

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R. L. Winston Tour

Travis Duddles - Montana Trout Stream

You may have heard the term “It’s a Winston” or “It has that Winston feel” stated like it is something really special. Trust me there is something to this feel! Many anglers put these rods above all others, but why? Winston rods are not always the most powerful, lightest or cutting edge technology so why are they put on such a pedestal? The most common response is it has the Winston feel. Winston just has a feel that is hard to find in other rods. Comfortable and smooth! On a recent trip to Montana I discovered where that feel comes from and so much more!

It all started several months ago when Eric Neufeld our Winston sales representative and good friend called to invite me to the Winston Confluence. The Winston Confluence was something Winston put together to bring a few select sales reps and dealers together in Twin Bridges Montana. This is the home of R. L. Winston Rod Company. The plan was to bring all of us together, give us a inside tour of Winston that they never do. Yes they do tours, but this would be a special one. Winston wanted to let us see all steps of production, even the processes that were top secret! They also wanted to show us the direction they are heading and get all of our feedback good or bad. So after hearing the plan I was quick to say "I'm in!"

I flew into Bozeman, Montana where I met up with Adam and Jeff from Winston along with a couple of other dealers and sales reps from around the country and Canada. We all hopped in Adam’s and Jeff’s trucks heading towards Twin Bridges Montana. It didn’t take long to realize this was going to be fun group of guys and was going to be a great trip. After a hour and half drive we were in the small town of Twin Bridges, a classic little Montana farm town. Our lodging for the next few days was a small apartment building provided to us by 4 Rivers Fly Shop. This apartment building is where they house their clients during the guiding season.

The next morning we walked down the street to the R. L. Winston factory. The Winston factory is in a steel building on the edge of town, not quite as big as I thought it would be. When we walked through the front door into the small entry way slash show room we were greeted by Adam. Adam is the person you generally get when you call Winston. Adam was busy answering the phones as usual. While we waited I took the chance to scan through the complete line up of Winston rods displayed in the front entry. I scanned the rods every once in a while seeing a model that I had not cast or fished yet, which now sparked my interest to fish that rod. With most of my fishing being with two handed rods for Steelhead, I realized I have never fished the Boron III LS 9’ 5 weight. That would change later that day.

Lew Stoner

After a quick breakfast Jeff and Adam were ready to take us on our tour. It started in the Winston museum with the history of how Winston got started. Do you know who R. L. Winston is? There is no R. L. Winston, there were actually two original founders Robert Winther and Lew Stoner. R. L. Winston is a combination of their names; R for Robert, L for Lew, Win for Winther, Ston for Stoner. Put it together and you get R. L. Winston. Adam tells us how every year a few old timers come by and talk about meeting and visiting with Mr. Winston and that they knew him personally. Now we know there was never a Mr. Winston at R. L. Winston.

The Museum was amazing, but the best was about to begin. Annette Mclean who is the rod designer at Winston appeared to take us on our factory tour. We stepped through the door where the entire Winston rod staff was waiting to greet us. It did not take long to tell that these people love working at the R.L Winston factory. Most were smiling ear to ear. From there we went from station to station to see all the steps it takes to build a Winston fly rod. There is so much attention to detail and quality at the Winston factory and that is the difference that makes a Winston fly rod different from the rest. One such example of the attention to detail is the inscription “Barb” has personally been hand inscribing the Winston rods for 15 years. Yes, all of them are hand inscribed!

At this point on the tour I can’t tell you much about what we saw. Let’s just say we got to see lots of cool stuff behind closed doors. Annette talked to us a lot about the design of a Winston rod, the tapers and the materials. I have to say Annette has an amazing amount of knowledge when it comes to rod design and the cool part is she is so humble about it. Annette even let us cast some prototypes that are in the works, can’t tell you anymore, but I can tell you that they are always looking for the next best rod!

Reel Seats

As we all gathered at the end of the tour it all made sense now why Winston fly rods can be in short supply at times. As dealers we tend to get upset when we cannot get a rod for a customer, we need it now but with Winston's attention to detail and quality it takes a little more time to produce a rod. All Winston Employees take great pride and respect in the rods they build and their commitment to the company brings forth a feeling in the Winston factory that resembles family. I guess we have to remember the next time a Winston is on backorder that if you want this type of quality sometimes you just have to wait. We all left that afternoon excited, wanting a new Winston fly rod.

We went back to the lodge and geared up for a couple hours of fishing on the Ruby River. Eric asked “what rod I would like to fish?”. I quickly replied “the BIII LS 9’ 5 Wt.” Once we grabbed our gear we raced to the Ruby, we only had a few hours until we return to the Winston factory for a BBQ.

After a 20 minute drive we ended up at one of Adam and Jeff’s favorite spot on the Ruby River. Eric, Jeff and I headed up river and on the first run I handed the rod to Eric to let him have first cast. Rigged with a dry dropper set up he quickly caught a nice brown trout. It was my turn, I made a few cast, I quickly forgot about fishing. Casting the LS on a small river like this was a dream, it is so smooth, loads easy, very nice! Ok! Snap out of it, time to catch a fish. We worked our way up to the next run, first cast I hooked and landed a nice rainbow. With its deeper flex the LS plays fish very nice also.

Brownie

Eric and I quickly forgot all about the streamer rod we brought with us and took turns casting and catching fish with the LS. This continued for about 2 hours, many cast, many fish, but most of all the enjoyment of casting the LS. The LS was the perfect rod for this size river with plenty of power for the hopper dropper set up yet still very capable of a delicate presentation.

Our time was up and it was time to head back to the Winston factory for a BBQ. When we showed up burgers were all ready grilling. Some of the staff had stayed late to make dinner for us and the gentleman cooking even raided his own freezer supplying the elk burger for our dinner that night. It was an enjoyable evening, great company, great food and cold beer.

After dinner Jeff brought us all back to our lodging where we had a round table about Winston rods. We discussed the pros and cons of Winston rods. What is needed? What trends we see coming and so on. After the discussion was all over Jeff presented to the four of us authorized dealers with a very special, very limited custom R. L. Winston Boron IIIx rod that does not exist on the market, the “Silver Label”. This rod was your standard Boron IIIx, but dressed and finished completely different from your traditional Winston. We were all stunned we did not expect this, it was a very special surprise. Remember this does not exist so don’t ask you cannot get one. In fact we were warned if any of us sold one of these we would be banned from getting personal rods from Winston for life!

The next day we were greeted by guides from the 4 Rivers Fly Shop, this was our last day of fishing before heading back home. Eric and I were off to the Jefferson with our guide Joe Willauer. Joe said that we would be fishing a lot of streamers that day on the Jeff, searching for those big hogs that live in its waters. He had us start off though with nymphs below and indicator where I got to break my Silver Label in on a few nice trout.

We then shifted over to some bigger 6 weight rods and started chucking streamers. The day started off a little slow with streamers, but quickly improved. We caught several nice 14 to 18 browns and rainbows by the end of the day. We both had fish on over 20 inches, but they were never landed. That is why you fish the Jefferson though, not for quantity, but for the chance to land a real pig, maybe even over 30 inches!!! Not that day, but I will fish it again, next time I will have my 11’ 4 weight Winston MicroSpey with me though. That is my favorite streamer rod, no sore shoulder when I am done.

It was sad to see the trip come to an end. The next day we all headed home, back to our families and work. I left this trip with a much more appreciation of Winston and their fly rods. I have always fished Winston’s and enjoyed them but now I really understand that extra mile put into the attention to detail to every Winston fly rod. That gives you that much better of feeling when you pick your rod up. Speaking of that I am going to grab my Winston and go catch a few big Crane Prairie rainbows!

Travis Duddles
Owner and CEO | Gorge Fly Shop
541.386.6977

"Fly Fish the World with Us"

Friends and Fishing

Josh Jablow guides at The Lodge of the Palisades Creek in Irwin Idaho

This is about friends more than it is about fishing. Every fisherman needs a good friend that is there to fish with during good and bad times. Fishermen grow and mature as anglers, and having someone to share that growth with allows them to become better anglers. This is just about the one fishing buddy that has had the most impact on me as an angler.

Josh and I have been fishing together for eight or nine years now. We were once roommates after my first year guiding for trout out in Idaho. I was just getting deep into steelheading before I moved out there, but I can say that Josh had more influence in my maturation as a steelheader than anyone else. Chasing steelhead started as more of a hobby that a lifestyle for me. I didn't think that I would miss it until it was unavailable.

I spent two entire guide seasons attempting to convince Josh to go steelheading “out west” with me. There are a lot of travel/fun options for a guide freshly finished with season, but for me, there was only one. In October of 2008, we made the trek across the great state of Idaho from one border to the other. Driving from one side of Idaho to the other doesn't seem like it should be that difficult or long, but it’s a solid 12+ hours from Driggs, ID (on the Wyoming border) to the Grande Ronde River (on the Washington border). It wouldn't be that bad if it wasn't for the giant wilderness that takes up most of central Idaho and requires a long detour around. Ironically, most of that drive across Idaho is done in Montana.

Josh first ventured out with me more out of curiosity than anything. He had heard of these mythical steelhead (unicorns), but didn’t know much else about them besides the usual; sea-run rainbows, hard to catch, etc… After spending nearly two years in the Rockies, my steelhead fever was overwhelming, like a junkie three days too long since his last fix. Trout are plenty of fun, and there are massive trout in the South Fork of the Snake, but nothing compares to the tug of a steelhead on a spey rod. Unfortunately, two years of trout fishing had really dulled my steelhead skills.

Grande Ronde Hook Up!

That first trip we took to the Ronde involved way too much driving and lots of second-guessing everything from which water to fish to what flies to use. We ended up figuring out a few things and actually catching a few fish. I was ecstatic with our results. I mean, we caught steelhead, even if it was just a handful. Success in steelheading cannot be measured in the quantity of fish caught, but the quality of the time spent on the water with good friends, and the improvement of skills. This is a hard concept for a Colorado trout fisherman to wrap his head around. In trout fishing, the more fish the better; as if you catch 60 trout in a day, you had a good day of fishing.

We did have to resort to nymphing for steelhead on that first trip; as we doubted and second-guessed our abilities to catch them on the swing. It just seemed so unnatural for guys who had just spent 150 days staring at bobbers and hopper/dropper rigs to think a fish would come up and eat a fly that in our minds, was presented so poorly that it was swinging in the current. We did swing a couple of runs unsuccessfully for most of the first day, but caught a couple of fish nearly immediately after setting up a nymph rod (2x trout tippet and a #12 prince nymph on a 6wt, right out of the guide box).

During the next two years, we took several trips out to the Upper Salmon River near Challis, ID during the springtime had satisfied our “fix” of steelhead, although that can hardly be considered true steelheading; its more like shooting fish in a barrel with a fly rod. We had one session where we hooked something like 19 steelhead in an hour and a half, none of which took any line or went airborne. After swimming somewhere around 800 miles and spending up to nine months in the river, there isn’t a whole lot of spunk left in them. They tend to pod up and bite a lot more than their fresher kin. It’s a little sad to compare them to anything we have in Washington and Oregon. They can’t help it; they have to eat a little bit to give them the last bit of energy they need to spawn.


We made another trip out the Grande Ronde two years after our first Ronde excursion. This time, we took my new raft three days from Boggan’s to Heller’s Bar. We nymphed from the boat in between swinging runs, but along the way, we ran into Ed Ward and his crew. They gave us tons of advice and set us up with some good water to work, and casually suggested that we break those nymph rods and never use them again. That was precisely the moment that we gave up the nymph rod as a primary tool; and our mutual addiction to steelhead grew to that point where it became unstoppable. Like when an alcoholic admits that they are powerless to stop it, we harness that feeling and use it to make ourselves better.

Camp Fire Tying

Later that day, we got into a run on the lower river that was stacked with fish. Josh and I each caught a couple of fish on a spey rod and dry lines. Neither of us had ever caught a fish on a scandi line and small, traditional flies. Josh had never caught one on a two-handed rod at all. We ended up camping on an uncomfortable gravel bar, sleeping on large rocks and mud, just because we did not want to leave that run. I knew at that moment that I would have to move closer to these fish.

A few years later and one more trip to the Ronde, I gave in to the power of the steelhead and moved out to Oregon. Josh stayed in Idaho, guiding trout in the summertime. He continues to come out every fall, working his way out from Idaho to California, fishing his way up the coast and then landing in the Gorge to hit the Deschutes, Klickitat and some other little spots around here before heading home (via the Clearwater and Grande Ronde of course).

Our adventure this year was probably the worst as far as fishing goes. Josh showed up right as the nasty weather hit in early November (really, the only nasty weather we’ve had this winter). He was there for the only skunking of the year on the Deschutes. We had east wind, dropping temps, dropping barometer and not a single grab with the river all to ourselves, even with the use of a jet boat to get to all the prime water.

Late Season Klickitat

Then the snow came and we had a couple of the coldest days I have ever had on the Klickitat. Icy guides, frozen lines, deep snow and overall miserable conditions made life difficult for a few days there. We had planned on doing a four day float on the Deschutes while he was here, but deep snow and arctic cold put a stop to that. He ended up leaving a week earlier than planned and went back to the Tetons to catch some powder turns and get a jump on tying flies for the upcoming season.

Even if Josh and I don’t even get to fish together all that much any more, even if we don’t catch any fish when we do see each other, it’s always a great time. Steelheading is just as much about experiencing a day on the river with good friends as it is catching a fish. I would definitely not be where I am if it wasn't for him, and he might have never known the joys and frustrations of this lifestyle we call steelheading if I hadn't dragged him out to the Ronde all those years ago.

Josh Jablow

** Winter 2015 update – Josh has just informed me that he will be coming out here in March for a couple of weeks of spring steelheading (can’t get enough). Expect a follow-up article on our adventures in early April.

Josh Jablow guides at The Lodge at Palisades Creek in Irwin, Idaho (www.tlapc.com) and can be found most of the year either at Grand Targhee Resort or fishing somewhere on the South Fork of the Snake River. If you want to have a great experience fishing for trout on one of the premier rivers of the west, book a trip with Josh.

Andrew Perrault
Gorge Fly Shop | Product Specialist
541.386.6977

"Fly Fish the World with Us"

Winston MicroSpey takes on the Mighty Missouri

As we drive up I-15 through Idaho on our way to Montana it's clear that fall has arrived in these parts of the country. Leaves are turning, the days are growing short and fall smell is in the air. We are on our way to conjoin the Missouri River equipped with the new Winston Boron BIII TH-MS (MicroSpey).

Big Water, Big Sky

I booked this trip way back in January. Little did I know I would have a brand new Trout two hander in my possession. You see on this very river just a year ago I landed my first two hand caught trout swinging a pair of soft hackle flies. From that point forward only one thing was certain about my future of trout fishing. It would be with a Two Hand Rod!

The package arrived about a week before the trip. I didn't even get a chance to go hit water for some line tuning. I just went with my gut and gave myself a plan B if needed. The Winston MicroSpey comes in 3 sizes, 3106-4, 4110-4 and 5116-4. My new rod is the 4110-4. 

There is a way different vibe at Winston and I like it!

From my first cast I knew something was very different about this rod. A little slower than what I was use to so I had to take some casting time to make some adjustments in my stroke. Once I tuned in to the action a feeling of harmony came over me. 

On the Swing

The MicroSpey has a compact lightweight feel much more like a good single hand rod. I think the compact feel comes from the grip. The grip on this rod keeps your casting box in a tight formation. It's so lightweight in hand and balances beautifully. 

I believe that is a Golden Eagle Not sure...I know fish better than birds!

The Boron Responds

For the past year I have been fishing the Sage ONE 4116-4. The Rio Scandi Short has been a perfect marriage with this rod. The faster tip of the ONE really favors this line. I like this line because it gives me the versatility to make a variety of spey casts and also performs overhead and roll casts to perfection. I feel that these casts are an important element to the trout two hand angler for versatility.

For the purpose of comparison and fish-ability I lined the MicroSpey with this Rio line. While I knew the MicroSpey has a slower action what I didn't expect was how the Boron in the butt section would load and respond with such authority. Casts were effortless and as I fine tuned into a relaxed stroke I found myself overcasting my targets. I should also mention that when I say "tuning into the relaxed stoke", doing so took about half dozen casts. The MicroSpey (like its single hand and full size spey siblings) are remarkably intuitive!

So Sweeet!

Battle for lines

For lines I fished a Rio Scandi Short VersiTip in the 320 Grain. That grain weight is nearing the top end of the suggested grain weight window for this rod. I usually like to feel a rod load deep so being at the top end of the scale comes as no surprise to me. I fished this set up with a Lamson Litespeed #3, a Rio ConnectCore 0.026 Shooting line. For soft hackle fishing I used the intermediate and type 3 tips and for streamer fishing I used the type 3 or type 6 tips. If there was one thing I could change with the Rio Scandi Short is I would like to see it fully integrated into a shooting line. Often times I find myself stripping a streamer inside the head loop and this gets really annoying dragging the loop back and forth through the guides. This is not a problem when I'm flat out swinging flies but I want to refer back to versatility. Today's two hand rods are so versatile and the only holding them back is lines.

The race for great switch lines is on and great progress is being made. I want to be quite clear that there will never be one perfect line to do everything. Example; My Rio Scandi Short VersiTip does a lot of things really good but it has a limit to fly size and sink tip size. Bigger and deeper is better suited for a skagit type of line. Nymph/Indicator fisherman could be looking at the best new rod ever for these techniques but you will need to line it out with a indicator line that has a heavy head to casts the cargo and a long rear taper to make the mends

Winston Boron III MicroSpey Specifications -

Line	(Grain Window)	Length	Top Grip	Bottom Grip	Weight (oz)
3wt.	(190-270 grains)	10'6"	11"	3'6"	4
4wt.	(240-330 grains)	11'	11"	3'6"	4 5/8
5wt.	(300-390 grains)	11'6"	11"	3'6"	5

New lines are expected soon from Airflo. Winston Ambassador Tom Larimer worked closely with Airflo to produce lines specifically for the MicroSpey and should breath some new life into your existing switch rods. Airflo Switch Streamer and Airflo Switch Float. Both Airflo lines will feature fully integrated running lines and are designed to be used with polyleaders and T-Series sink tip material.

Bobo!

I get the most satisfaction from new discovery. Discovery comes in many different forms. This stretch of the Missouri river is heavily fished every day for about 9 months of the year. Most are dry fly, indicator or streamer fishing and much of that is done from drift boat. If feels very different to me when I’m swinging flies and wading in a stretch of water others have ignored. I feel like I am presenting something new. The fish respond and I am rewarded with good catches. There are many fishermen on the river but none are doing what I’m doing. While I certainly did not discover the latest greatest new fishery I have in fact still made a discovery.

My conclusion is simple. I'm taking the MicroSpey on tour this year. Rainbows, Browns, Bass, Walleye and anything that swims in front of my fly beware! I have a new tool and I can't remember when I have been this excited!

Catch the story of my first Trout on the Swing in - 
Rio Fishing Trip - Missouri River, Montana

Greg Darling 

Gorge Fly Shop Internet Sales Manager | Product Specialist

"Fly Fish the World with Us"

Exposure - Montana

Fourth of July - Montana Style



Pro Circuit - Livingston Roundup


When Theresa called to get tickets, the lady on the phone said, “Honey, you best be thinkin about tickets a year in advance.”

Really, for a Rodeo?

In that moment it hit me how important is place and tradition and the desire to celebrate such on America’s coveted birthday. In the summer sun…

Growing up in Maine, The Fourth began with a parade through the neighborhood followed by a costume awards ceremony. One year I won a ribbon that said, “Marvelous” because I dressed like a hula girl with a generous chest size amplified by five pairs of socks.

Then there would be games on the Reserve, which was the large patch of grass that perched there above clay cliffs overlooking Casco Bay – the gateway to the north Atlantic. Egg toss, Balloon Toss, 3 legged race, potato sack race and a tug of war, where the losers would be yanked into an actual mud pit.

Then the watermelon hunt, followed by the talent show and then a big bonfire surrounded by barbeques and bottle rockets. We’d all run around while the older folks sat around yapping and getting lose on cool beverages.

Spring in The Valleys of The Beaverhead and Big Hole

Beaverhead Gold

Jed, my scraggly, red-headed angler buddy from way back suggested that we give the Yellowstone a rest and head east to the valley of the Big Hole and the Beaverhead Rivers. Having yet to be acquainted with this little corner of Montana, I was all too happy to oblige. Reports from this neck of the woods were non-descript, non-committal but ripe with an open-endedness that could not be ignored. Like many, I have played the victim to pages of fish-porn in many fly rags over the years depicting trout from these fabled waters. So hell ya, I wanted to go. Who’s drivin?

Jed’s aging F-150 pulled into The Flying J in Bozeman. At the urinal I noticed that mini DVD players were on sale, among other tough to live without items. The puck-sized mint couldn’t cover up the raw scent of piles of deposits made by traveling strangers. I walked out and Jed handed me breakfast. I’d have to work up the courage for this one, but once I got started the rubber-like bacon egg and cheese muffin seemed to disappear without too much protest.

Heading west on I-90 you do your best to fight the gravity of some other rather well-known Montana trout streams. Near the town of Three Forks, the Madison, the Gallatin and the Jefferson taunt as they join to create the headwaters to the mighty Missouri and the historical, Lewis and Clark trail. In all directions, clumps of mountain ranges jut from the otherwise open, burger producing grassland. With so much vastness ahead, one can’t help but feel liberated – each breath taking air seasoned by mountains, rivers and prairie.

Tobacco Root Mountains

Two hours later, we were passing through the small town of Twin Bridges. Home of Winston Fly Rods, this little trout mecca seemed still asleep. Most of the drift boats we saw sat neglected; some covered as if in hibernation, waiting for the mercury to rise. Like Three Forks, Twin Bridges also marks a significant convergence. Here, the Ruby River from the east, the Big Hole from the west and the Beaverhead from the south offer themselves up to the Jefferson River which continues on north through farm country on its way to the Missouri . Witnessing this scene, this converging lifeblood, flow by in the shadow of the Ruby and Tobacco Root mountains made it clear that two days in this country would not be nearly enough. The Ruby pulled me upstream. The Jefferson tugged me down valley. But we continued on, leaving them free of us for this particular go-round.

After buying a few bugs and picking some local brains at the fly shop in Dillon I sat at the put-in on the Big Hole waiting for the “red-headed step child” to return from the take-out downriver. It wasn’t long before an elderly local lady took his thumb bait and toted him back up to the ramp in her Lincoln. But while that was happening, I managed a few casts and hooked a couple trout on an Idlyle Jimmy Legs nymph. One little rainbow came to hand but the other, a behemoth of a fish who could have been her Granddaddy, spit the hook before any sort of tussle ensued.


A Healthy Big Hole Rainbow

We elected to float from Browns Bridge down to Glen which are two access points on the lower third of the river.  Being that it was still March, we figured the fish were still trying to shrug off their winter laziness and we hoped that river temps would be higher in this section, heightening their enthusiasm.  When Jed arrived, I took my turn on the sticks and we pushed out into a float of water, cobble and willows.

The Big Hole

Immediately we were taken by the structure along the outer banks. It looked as if there were little trout homes everywhere tucked into wads of roots, logs and eddy lines. We gravitated to these areas at the start but after many fruitless casts we began to shift our tactics. The outer banks held the brunt of the current and most portions were quite deep. After a while it became clear that if there were any fish on the outer banks, they were holding in the depths and thereby not interested in traveling up to take a fly that wasn’t placed at snout level. Trout do not want to fight the current in cold water temps – especially Brown Trout that actually prefer warmer temps than Rainbows. They will seek out slow flows and often live in the soft, non-descript looking water that doesn’t look as though it flows over much structure. During early spring and late fall, I find the majority of these fish in the same type of flow, regardless of what river I am on. It was the same old story this day on the Big Hole.

A Yellowstone Float

The day before, the valley had wind gusts up to 75 mph. We crossed our fingers that this day would be a little friendlier, especially since it would be our first trout float of the season. The start of the day felt nice enough – little bit of overcast, not quite chilly and just the slightest breeze could be felt meandering down the canyon. Got the boat in and started our float down the Yellowstone.

Felt good to have the 6 wt in hand again, but I soon found that my casting ability did not quite match my attitude. Yeah, I flailed a bit. I wasn’t quite hitting the spots I hoped for, but good times were had in spite of my fledging mediocrity. Was nice that it wasn’t yet blowing but I could have used it as an excuse. Needless to say, my buddy Jed on the oars made fine work of his pity…

Potty Break

After a hundred casts went by without any interest I offered:

“We might have to bust out a nymph at some point today.”

He looked at me, but all I saw was his profile.

“I left that box at home,” was Jed’s reply.

And so there it was… the commitment was spoken in a small, yet very potent chain of words. We were destined to spend the day chucking streamers to a seemingly non-existent community of trout. But that was Ok. That’s the process we chose.

Beneath the Absarokas

It’s just so damn fun. Yes, it’s true that Copper Johns or Pheasant tails may land more fish than Sculpins or your basic minnows, but evidently, that is beside the point. If you put your time in, chances are you will eventually be rewarded to some degree. Whether the reward has fins or not is up to the day at hand. But, if you commit yourself to the streamer there is always that chance that you just might hit the jackpot.

So we tried olive, we tried black, we tried tan and we offered yellow and we casted and drifted and stripped and dredged…

But it wasn’t until we tried one of Jed’s home grown patterns The…(I better not say for fear of offending folks) that we had our first take.  In hand it’s rather messy with a lot of white crystal dubbing, black and olive barred marabou, white marabou and a rainbow array of crystal flash.  In the water, this thing comes alive and looks real edible.  And edible it was...

"Dinner"

At least this brown assumed so... Floating early season out here is a bit of a gamble. The weather can be raw and biting. The wind can howl and the feeding windows are typically much shorter in duration. At this time of year, cooler water temps can leave fish a bit more lethargic so using sink-tip lines and weighted flies is a good way to go. Keeping your sights on the slower flows will be most effective. Often times the outer banks are moving too fast. You might find a few here and there tucked into some little eddy lines, but if it looks like the current is ripping, look to the inside of the bend – on the broad slow seam. In fact, you should always look inside as you drift into a riffle and manage a few casts up into that little cleft – where the slack water meets the fast water. I like to throw back upstream into these areas and kind of troll it down along the softening seam-line.

On this particular day, there was about an hour (between 3:00 pm and 4:00pm) when they seemed most interested. We managed a few to hand, but missed a handful more. I hooked one beautiful brown that was probably in the 18 inch range, but he threw the hook after a nice tail-walking display.

I’m glad we dug the drifty out of the snow bank… Spring and all of her fickle charm has arrived in Paradise Valley. It’s time to get on the water as I can think of no better place to be.

"Paradise"

"The Gorge"

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