The Leader Challenge

During the winter I'm lucky to be invited to Wiemerslage's Salon, a gathering of really bright folks called together by the host (Weimerslage) to discuss a fishing topic of his choice. Last year's topic was leaders and was chosen because the host spent a lot of time in the off-season reading about and digesting leader theories and advice. The guests get together to discuss the topic and verify for the host whether the theories and advice have merit or are bogus. During last year's discussion one enlightened individual opined that one could probably fish an entire trout season with a 7 1/2' 4X leader and a few tippet spools to adjust the leader for various flies, tactics and conditions. As you might imagine, the poor soul was soundly derided for his visionary pronouncement.

 But wait! When I started fly fishing back in ’73 that’s exactly what I did. I had read several books on the subject and discovered that most of the flies in the 12-16 range could be fished with a 4X leader. So I bought a 7 ½’ 4X leader and a spool of 4X tippet material and got after it. Candor moves me to admit that I didn’t do a lot of catching in those days but I can assure you that was due to a lack of skill rather than a faulty leader concept. Eventually I acquired more leader material and my leader IQ improved. I still carry several different leaders for different purposes but the concept proposed at the salon, that a single leader could be adjusted to meet a variety of conditions was, while not earth-shattering, a captivating idea. I resolved to test the suggestion.

The idea of fishing a single leader is not original, having been conceptualized right after the introduction of horsehair as a leader material. Along with changing flies, adjusting the tip of the leader is what one does while fishing. The key word in the preceding sentence is adjusting. Your leader should do two things: turn over your fly and hide your presence from the trout. Failure to do either of those things demands that you adjust it until it does. I usually fish for trout 30 or 40 times a season and this year I fished the whole season with a 7 ½’ 4X leader. I added 4X tippet to rebuild it and 5X tippet to fish a smaller fly and occasionally added a 6X tippet when the drift was critical. I cut back the tippet extensions to fish nymphs and droppers. I missed fish but I caught fish everywhere I went. I put on a new leader in August because the original was badly damaged.

Here’s one final thought on the topic of leaders. In August I fished the Yellowstone with Mark Bolton and found that my leaders were breaking on those big Yellowstone trout. When I returned home I threw all my old leaders away and replaced them with new ones. I don’t know if the leaders broke because of age or bad knots but my considered opinion is that compared to your time on the water leaders are cheap. Buy fresh leaders and tippet.

Better Living Through Chemicals 

Several years ago I started getting irregular visits here at The Shop by an affable fellow I gradually came to know as Bob Hume. Bob would buy a few things, ask a few questions and upon paying would always leave his change on the counter. No amount of coaxing would get him to accept the change and his response was always the same, “Mike, I just want to make sure you stay in business.” Over the next couple of years I learned that Bob is a serious angler, having grown up in Maine at the end of the road where fishing and hunting provide part of your livelihood. Being a serious angler, Bob has always been confronted by the same vexing problems that all of us confront from time to time.

When confronted with one of these conundrums most of us waddle off to the fly shop to buy a smaller hook, a longer leader or a different fly. But Bob, being a creative sort with thirty-three years as a research chemist behind him, isn’t satisfied with another product; he wants a solution. Now as the owner of a fly fishing shop you tend to hear a lot of dubious claims: waders that breathe, rods that cast themselves, reels that can’t break, fly lines that practically levitate. So when Bob brought me some samples of a new floatant he was working on I was a little reserved in my enthusiasm. Does the world really need another fly floatant? Well, it turns out the world does, primarily because the ones that are out there, while good, aren’t quite as good as this product…Super Float.

Bob overcame my skepticism by handing me samples of his product and encouraging me to be aggressive in my testing. So we treated some flies, put them in a bottle of water and periodically shook the bottle. The flies treated with Super Float popped right back to the surface oriented perfectly, just like they did when freshly treated. (They finally sank after eight days.) The field tests are equally encouraging and the ease of use is outstanding; just dab a small amount directly on the fly and rub it in.

Since last year’s Great Waters Fly Fishing Expo Bob has continued to bring solutions to our little corner of fly fishing heaven. As an example, Super Slick is a line treatment that was designed to spray on your line while it’s on the reel. The object is to make your line slick and therefore shoot farther with less effort. The beauty of it is that you don’t need a special tool to apply it, it doesn’t need to cure and it doesn’t need buffing, which is quite unlike most of the other products out there. Do you really want to spend time polishing your line? Wouldn’t you rather go fishing? And if you want to use it as a cleaner just spray a little on a paper towel and run your line through it.

We have a bunch of Bob’s solutions and I’m encouraging you to drop by and cast your skeptical gaze upon them. Do you get irritated by shot that slides down the leader instead of by-god-staying-put? Try a sample of our Super Shot, a product that's still in development. Looking for something to keep your CDC fly floating all day? Our Super CDC is the only floatant we know off specifically designed for flie made of CDC. Tired of losing flies in your foam patch or not being able to get them out of your fleece patch? We have solutions to those problems I’m confident you’ll like.

FISHING IN SEPTEMBER

September is the time most anglers should be trout fishing. This is the month with the most pleasant weather and the time of year when the streams are least crowded. True, the hatches aren't as predictable and when they occur the insects are very small. Gone are the prolific hatches and larger insects of May and June.

But this paucity of insect activity has a silver lining. Instead of fishing an expected hatch you're free to fish the water, experiment with different rigs and tactics. Fish downstream with a wet fly or soft hackle. If nothing comes to the fly attach a split shot and try it again. Sometimes the fly just needs to be a little deeper. Naturally September is a good time to be fishing hoppers, but if their size offends you try a small beetle or an ant.

Try fishing a little later in the morning. Tricos usually begin their spinner fall when the air temp warms up to 67 or 68 degrees. Try fishing on a cool, drizzly day. That's Baetis weather and there's a better than even chance that the hatch will last all afternoon. Try fishing a streamer or big wet fly after dark. Lots of times this will move larger fish, even on streams that don't have a big fish reputation. Shorten the leader and fish the undercut banks. When it gets too dark to change flies it'll still be early enough to go home and get a good nights rest, unlike June when it stays light until 10:00 pm.

Good anglers are still fishing: They didn't get to be good anglers by not fishing. They're also catching fish: That's what makes them good anglers. Go wet a line, have some fun, explore, use your brain, play. September is a great month to go fishing. The fishing can be difficult but when you solve the problem and catch the fish the rewards are immense.

ON HIRING A GUIDE

My friend John, a very responsible and ethical guide, recently had a disappointing experience with a client he was guiding on a local stream. When he stopped in to see me and vent some steam he had already come to terms with the client but he was still upset because he's a responsible and ethical guide. Our conversation made me dwell on the practice of hiring a guide and the process of guiding itself. For what it's worth....

First, I never recommend hiring a guide and I don't take fees from guides for referrals. A responsible fly shop ought to be able to offer advice, guidance, a few of the right flies and a couple of access points on any local stream to any angler who wants help. Second, the only guides I refer customers to are people with whom I have a personal relationship. These are people I trust and I know that they're more interested in teaching than they are in using the resource for their personal gain. Third, I don't think anyone really needs a guide. The streams around here aren't so complicated that an average angler can't learn to fish them without assistance.

I just finished reading a captivating book entitled, MY STORY AS TOLD BY WATER, by David James Duncan. This is a book that EVERY angler ought to read and some ought to re-read. Duncan is a brilliant and colorful writer. If you fail to get the drift of his message he'll bludgeon you until you do. Witness Duncan on guides:

“...There are better than average guides. There are way better than average guides. There are gourmet scholar/artists of the river whose lives I respect, whose intelligences I envy, whose senses of humor create a market for Kleenex and whose company I cherish. But I still reject the basic service. The unavoidable problem is this:

Fly fishing guides accept payment in order to help clients circumvent their own ignorance. But ignorance is one of the most crucial pieces of equipment any fly fisher will ever own. Ignorance is a fertile but unplanted interior field. Solitary fly fishing isolates us in this field and leaves us no choice but to cultivate and plant and grow things in it. A guide on the other hand, is like a hired farmer who, for a price, drives his tractor into your interior and plants your field for you. When the two of you are finished, he may know what's growing inside you. But you sure as hell won't. Fly-fishing guides turn clients into the absentee landlords of their own interiors.

...Consider the osprey, the heron, the kingfisher. How much verbiage and instruction do these fish-catching geniuses bestow on their unschooled young? None. These prodigies pass on the primordial art by feeding their young vomited-up trout, which naturally makes the young yearn for nonvomited trout, which in turn makes the young sit up in the nest and observe their folks more closely, til it hits them: Eureka! I don't have to squat in this shithole eating puked-up fish all day! Look at Mom and Dad out there catching fish! Look at my wings, my beak, my talons! I've got everything they've got! What the hell have I been thinking! I CAN GO FISHING MYSELF!

Anglers! Look at your guides on their days off, unguidedly catching fish after fish! Look at your arms, your rod! Feel the heft and synaptic whir of your big cerebrum! You've got everything they've got! What the hell have you been thinking! YOU CAN GO FISHING YOURSELF!...

(c) 2001 David James Duncan

MY STORY AS TOLD BY WATER

Sierra Club Books, Crown Publishing Group
 
Damn! I wish I'd written that. 
 

ANIMAL PARTS

Yep, we've got a million of em. Folks. It's a funny business if you look at it the right way. Macabre, even: We sell animal parts. Tails, hides, faces, wings and plumage of every kind.

Most of the stuff I buy comes from wholesalers who specialize in dead animal parts and know how to preserve them to eliminate insect infestation. Even they make mistakes once in awhile and the results can be disastrous. I've had my personal fly tying materials invaded by pests that had infected the Fly Shop. Once they ate a whole calf tail right down to the hide, damn near. People who know what they're doing are very valuable in this trade. One of my fly suppliers keeps moth balls in his bulk flies and I can tell whose flies they are just by smelling them. Listen, it took me two whole years to debug this place, consequently I'm very fussy about the materials I buy.

Bob used to accept hides and capes from people for processing into fly tying material either for classes or for resale. What he couldn't get to right away he'd store in a box under the stairs...."Store" is perhaps too generous...tossed is more like it. That box became a bug factory and I threw it the hell out. It might not have been so bad if the folks who were donating the animal parts had cared for them better, and that's the reason for this diatribe.

If you want to preserve animal parts to augment your tying supplies here are some suggestions for you. Almost any part, a hide, neck, skin, tail or wing, can be bug-proofed by following some simple procedures. First, remove the fat. This means scraping the hide with a table knife, taper's knife or a deburred piece of sheet metal. Don't cut the hide, just get the fat off of it. Don't get the fat on the hair or feathers or you'll have to wash it before going on to the next step. Second, dry it thoroughly. The best way to do this is to pin it skin side up on a piece of cardboard and cover it with borax, which you can find in the laundry department of any grocery store. Pour the borax on it and let it sit for a few weeks until the hide is dry, dry, dry. Now brush the excess off and brush the feathers or fur with a toothbrush to clean 'em up a little and put the animal part in a ziplock bag. Add a couple of mothballs for added protection. 

WINTER ICE

Somebody asked me recently if the mild winter we've has thus far was going to make things easier for the trout. The questioner was interested in the effects of ultra cold water on trout eggs and fry and that got me to thinking about trout survival again.

We all know that trout streams are special places because of the copius groundwater that keeps them cool. Ironically, the same groundwater keeps the stream relatively warm in winter: Cold is just a relative absence of heat. Good trout streams are usually free of ice in winter. You might see some shelf ice along the edges when it gets really cold but it won't be frozen over like a warm water stream or a marginal trout stream will be. Temperatures in a marginal trout are too warm in summer and too cold in winter. Water that is too cold will not incubate trout eggs. Too warm is lethal for trout, too cold is lethal for trout eggs...a double whammy.

There are two kinds of ice that can form in a trout stream, frazile ice and anchor ice. Frazile ice is formed when the water super cools on very cold nights. Ice crystals actually form in the water column, further cooling the water. Even good trout streams can cool off at night under these conditions and a marginal trout stream has a lower buffering capacity because of its lack of groundwater. Anchor ice is formed on the bottom of the stream during these same very cold periods. I can't remember if it's a separate kind of ice or whether it was frazile ice that anchors to the bottom. In any event the effect is the same...it covers the bottom and every living organism on it, from invertibrate larva to trout eggs. If they freeze, they die.

So, the mild winter we've been having will have some positive effects, although you might not be able to measure them. First, trout survival will be relatively high because water temps were improved and bottom-dwelling invertibrates didn't die off. Second, trout eggs didn't get frozen either and they might actually hatch a day or two earlier than normal if the water temps were higher than normal. We'll probably never notice these results, although we'll all admire the condition of the first trout we catch this season. We should, because while it's a pastime for us, a pleasant diversion, for a trout it's a life and death struggle.

A PRIMER ON WINTER FISHING

You need two things to increase your success during our two states' (WI & MN) winter trout seasons. First, you need some basic knowledge about trout behavior and insect populations. Second, you need to employ a certain flexibility in applying your craft at this time of year.

While mountain streams are sparkling clear and postcard perfect our local streams usually have some color. Let's explore the reasons for this difference. Mountain streams are high gradient streams which have eroded their stream course to bedrock and the bedrock is usually igneous.

Local streams are lower gradient, flowing through valleys rich with alluvial soil and sedimentary bedrock. In addition, mountain streams are not very fertile because they lack nutrients and a mineral content. Our local spring creeks have both, receiving their nutrients from watershed run-off and spring seeps and their mineral content from the calcium carbonate leached from the limestone.

OK, the next question is why are our local streams clearer in winter than in summer? Those of you who have fished the winter season will recognize this phenomenon: When you see the lower Kinni in March it's almost as clear as a mountain stream. The answer is that all those nutrients in our local streams foster algae growth and when the algae dies back in winter the stream clears.

Therefore, in winter you are more likely to find trout in deep water than shallow water. Because the water is clearer they'll seek deeper water to assure their safety. The successful angers in the winter season will be seeking out the deeper holes and fishing their nymph or scud as close to the bottom as possible.

Most trout stream insects are herbivores. They're specifically adapted to foraging leafy material or algae and the excrement of other organisms. Yes, you read that correctly. Thus does a stream cleanse itself. The materials these insects forage are either called coarse or fine organic particulate matter (COPM or FOPM). All of these materials are found on the stream bottom, which is why you find the insects there. Since the water is colder in winter these invertebrates will be less active. As the water warms the insects become more active and more available to the trout based on their particular biology.

Even in the dead of winter insects will be available for the trout's dinner. Probably the earliest of these will be the winter stoneflies. I've seen these insects struggling on the water's surface in late January and various species will hatch through April. On good spring creeks scud populations are abundant and, relative to other insects at this time of year, one of the more important trout foods. Though it's possible to find a Baetis dun on the snow on Valentines Day, the Baetis nymphs really begin to grow and become more active in March preparatory to their emergence in April. And some time in April the Ephemerella nymphs will undergo the same behavioral changes prior to their emergence in May. So, now you have a general idea of what to expect and when.

Now for flexible, a relative term if ever there was one. If the trout are in the deeper holes you'll need to adjust your depth. If you tie you should either tie with tungsten beads, wrap heavier lead wire on your hook shank or add lead beads or split shot to your leader. You'll need to move your indicator incrementally farther away from the fly until you start hooking fish. You'll also have to carry some flies that aren't as heavily weighted because...guess what?...this year my informants tell me they're finding fish in shallower runs and riffles.  And,as the water warms with Spring's arrival, more and more fish will move into the riffles to feed. Be prepared.

As a final note, you will occasionally find fish rising to midges, winter stones and the sporadic Baetis in the middle of winter in even flows. These fish are usually small. The larger fish are in the deeper water. But, if catching four inch tiddlers is your idea of trout fishing heaven, by all means tie on a dry fly leader and go crazy.
 

CASTING SCHOOLS

At Bob Mitchell' s Fly Shop we believe in casting. Our three-level casting course is a complete school from which any angler of any level can benefit. Our Sport Casting league was designed to foster an interest in accuracy. Our Lake Elmo Fly Casting Championships were conceived as an entertaining cap to a successful season and a chance to tip our caps to the competitors.

Our Beginning Casting Class is designed for rank novices and folks who have fished a while but are still struggling. Bill Hinton, our casting instructor, lays the groundwork for this class by doing two things. First, Bill makes sure that everyone understands how the rod, line and leader work to complete the cast. Second, he leads the students through guided activities that put the concepts into practice.

The Intermediate and Advanced classes are handled a little differently: Both are conducted exclusively through guided classroom activity. In the Intermediate Class Bill focuses on loop control, aerial mending and the single and double haul. In the Advanced Class he concentrates on casting for distance.

I've always said that successful fly fishing relies on three hallmarks: approach, presentation and imitation. You can walk into any fly shop and get the right fly and everyone quickly learns how to walk quietly on the bank. But everyone can benefit from a good casting lesson and I really believe ours are the best around. I'm extremely pleased with the classes Bill puts on and I'm really proud to be offering classes of this caliber at the Shop. If you want to improve your casting skills call us and we'll fit you in to the right class for your needs.

CHEAP HOOKS!

Jeff Dahl was the co-owner of Superior Fly Angler in Superior, Wisconsin, a great little shop that opened up a few years ago.  One of the things Jeff used to do is to buy his hooks in bulk and repackage them. That way he can keep his cost down and offer better deals to his customers. 

Repackaging hooks is something I resisted for two whole years despite Jeff's entreaties.  It sounded like a lot of extra work.  But eventually Jeff's cold, hard logic wore me down and I started buying hooks in bulk and repackaging them.  

Consequently, our prices on Tiemco and Daiichi hooks are 10-15% below the list price.  We've always priced hooks a little lower than other places, but now I really think we're unbeatable.  And guess what?  We're selling record numbers of these high quality hooks, so if you're buying your Tiemco or Daiichi hooks someplace else you're probably paying too much.

RANDOM NOTES ON THE HEX HATCH

Hexigenia is a big mayfly, with the duns measuring approximately 30 millimeters. This is one of those hatches that causes fish to strap on the feed bag. Please note that I said "fish" and not just trout, because lots of other fish will eat these insects if they've got the chance. When walleye anglers start complaining about the walleyes being off the feed you can pretty much be assured that it's because the fish have switched over to these large and succulent insects. Which of course gives walleye anglers fits because they can't break out of the leech-on-the-bottom mentality. In fact, walleyes will even feed on these insects on the surface like bass or trout!

Generally speaking this hatch progresses from the west to the east and from the south to the north. It usually starts showing up around Park Rapids about the 10th of June, starts around Grand Rapids a few days later and Ely a week or so later. It's usually reliable on the North Shore by the 4th of July. Old Timers swear that you can count on it on the Brule or the White by June 15th but it doesn't seem to really rock n roll until a week or so later. The Clam has a fishable emergence about the same time.

In most areas the emergence lasts two or three weeks, but I've found Hex on the Kinni as late as August 8th. The Kinni used to have a massive Hex hatch but for some reason the numbers have dwindled. The last time I saw a fishable hatch on the Power Line Pool was in the mid 80's. Today your best bets for fishing this emergence will be on wilder rivers or lakes farther from home. Naturally we carry Hex patterns, some of which are unique to our shop, but if all you do is carry a

# 8 White Wulff you'll be in business. Fish it with some action as the Hex makes quite a commotion on the surface when emerging.

Strike Indicators and Fishing Deep

Have you ever fished Hay Creek near Red Wing? If you have you know it ranges in width from 6-15 feet. How deep is it? If you've fished often you know that it's loaded with fish, yet most winter anglers are happy if they catch three or four trout there on any given outing. How about a nice big rhetorical "Why?"

Gordy fished it two days in succession the week before. He picked up a fish here and there before reaching a pool he had anticipated fishing. He told me that no matter how carefully he drifted his nymph through the pool, he didn't start picking up fish until he'd raised his strike indicator to eight feet! He caught about a dozen fish from that hole and finished the two days with over fifty fish.

So the answer to the rhetorical querie posed earlier is that you're not fishing deep enough. In winter when the water temperatures plummet south of 40 degrees F, trout really need to conserve energy and will not move far for food. Even though the invertebrate larvae are active, grazing and growing through a number of instars, they are only available to the trout on the bottom. OK, occasionally you might see a winter stonefly or some midge activity, but for the most part, insects don't hatch in the middle of winter, or hadn't you noticed? Ergo, you must fish your nymph on the bottom, adding or subtracting weight and raising or lowering your strike indicator as conditions dictate. The key to this winter fishing is to adapt. So, take a reality pill and do what Gordy says: Adjust to conditions.

I first encountered the concept of changing conditions and the need to adjust to meet those conditions in the 1981 book, JOE HUMPHREYS' TROUT TACTICS. Humphrey is bombastic, but he hammered home the point until even I got it. Without belaboring the point. Let me just offer you two concepts. First, in dry fly fishing what matters most is the diameter and length of the tippet. It's these two factors that allow you to best compensate for surface currents in order to get a drag free float. Second, in nymph fishing what matters most is getting the fly down to the fishes level. To do that you have to adjust the amount of weight on the leader as well as adjust the strike indicator to the correct depth.

There are other factors of course, like fly selection, leader design, casting ability and approach. But, other than casting ability, the two factors I mentioned earlier are supreme. If you're not willing to adjust your tippet when fishing dry or adjust your depth when nymphing, you'll be missing fish. Reread TROUT TACTICS if you need a refresher...it belongs on every serious anglers book shelf.

The Tungsten Debate

I fished in the Black Hills in August of '97. To get licensed I stopped off at Dakota Angler and Outfitter, a neat little shop in Rapid City. While rummaging through their fly bins I found some Orvis Prince Nymphs tied with a tungsten bead so I bought a couple to fish Rapid Creek. Even though the Creek had a lot of water in it and the holes were really deep, that Prince Nymph went to the bottom so quickly I was amazed by its performance. Those two flies caught a bunch of fish for me there and also later in the week when I visited Bob and Jean and Bob and I fished the upper end of the Smith River.

That experience caused me to add a couple of new products that Falll. We now try to stock tungsten beads in a couple of different sizes and colors, and we offer seven different nymph patterns, mayflies and caddis, and all tied with tungsten beads. If you want to get your nymph down where it matters, this bead might be what you're looking for. Gordy is using them on his stonefly pattern and swears by 'em.

What To Do In The Off-Season

I've never felt bad because the trout season was over. I've always believed that the fish needed a break. I know that my opinion is in the minority camp, because many of you are still whining because the season's over. But of course, you have choices. Some of you will go south to hit the salt or west to fish the desert streams. Iowa's trout season is open year 'round, so that's another possibility. The more civilized among us like to sip a little port and re-read our notes from the season just ended. What do you mean, you don't keep notes? You should, because it helps you track critical information like weather, emergences and effective imitations. We've got a dandy little notebook in the shop that'll help make it easy for you.

Most people could profit from watching a couple of casting videos or reading a good book on nymph fishing. And everybody needs to do some equipment maintenance. This process includes inspecting, cleaning, repairing or replacing where necessary. Let's start by looking at your rods. The first thing you should do is look for nicks in the finish. If the rod is in good shape you can polish it with a soft cloth (a little lemon oil is a nice touch) and then scrub the cork with a Comet or Soft Scrub. Rinse the grip thoroughly before recasing it. If the rod had nicks in the finish there's a possibility it will fold sometime in the future, so don't be surprised when it does. Now run a nylon stocking through each guide, including the tip top. If you find one with a nick you can polish it out with .0000 steel wool. Your rod is now ready for the coming season.

Before you tackle your reel, let's clean and inspect your fly line. Peel the front end of your fly line off the reel and look at it under a magnifier. Examine the junction between the leader and the line. Chances are the line is cracked at that point, so cut the leader off and continue examining the rest of the line for cracks. If the line is cracked all the way into the forward taper, take the line off and throw it away if it's a weight forward. If it's a double taper you could turn it around if you haven't already used the other end. If there aren't any other cracks, all you'll have to do is clean the line and possibly redress it. To clean a fly line, dump the front end into the sink with some warm water and a little dishwashing liquid. Scrub the front end with a soft cloth, rinse it and let it dry before rewinding it. If it's still dirty, stop by for a cleaning pad. Use the mildly abrasive side to clean off the remaining dirt by gently rubbing the line with it. Dress it with a line dressing, let the wax harden over night, then buff it with a soft cloth and put it back on your reel.

Now how about your reel? Take the spool off and look at the inside. If it's not dirty just put it back together. If it's dirty (most of 'em are) use a soft, lint free cloth to clean off the dirt and grease. Don't use a paper towel, it'll shred. And don't use a degreaser. Put a little mineral spirits on the cloth to do a better job. You can wash it under under running water too, but you'll have to use a toothbrush to do a really thorough job. After the reel is dry lube the spindle with a good reel oil or a light machine oil and put a tiny amount of light grease on the gear teeth and you're done.

Baetis

While most anglers in the early season are searching for the big Dark Hendrickson, around here the most predictable hatch in the spring is the Baetis or Blue Wing Olive. It seems to be true that the emergence of the larger (size 12) Hendrickson dun will draw lots of trout to the surface, particularly large ones. However, the little Baetis seems to be the bread and butter of the trout's feed bag.

The only real problem with this mayfly is that you don't always get what you expect. You might have great fishing to duns for three days and then they just don't appear on the fourth day. Or maybe the pattern that worked so well on Tuesday and Wednesday won't work at all on Thursday. In order to fish the Baetis successfully, i.e. be prepared for any contingency, you need to carry half a dozen patterns and be prepared to change strategies in order to cover all the bases.

First, you need to carry a nymph. Baetis nymphs are rather slim, so carry a pheasant tail or a sparsely dubbed hare's ear. Baetis is classified by taxonomists (biologists who don't have enough to do) as a small minnow mayfly, meaning that it's a damn good swimmer. If you use a weighted fly, you might want to jig the fly slightly to produce some movement. If you use an unweighted fly, put a split shot on the leader and fish the fly just off the bottom.

Second, carry an emerger. To mimic an actively swimming Baetis, fish our Blue Dun Emerger downstream and across. Remember, Baetis are good swimmers. To mimic a Baetis that's struck in the film, fish a floating nymph or Tracy's CDC Baetis. They get stuck there because they're so small they have a hard time breaking through the surface tension. It's one of the reasons they seem to emerge from riffles - the surface tension there is already broken.

Third, carry a couple of different dun patterns. Why, you ask. The answer is that every pattern produces a different profile or behavioral characteristic. Some days they'll prefer one profile to another. Other times it will seem as through each fish will want a different pattern. If you tie your own keep your patterns slim to better mimic the naturals. A quill or biot body will accomplish this but if you prefer dubbing, a good color can be obtained by mixing brown, grey and olive in equal amounts. If you purchase your flies the Comparadun or Sparkledun are beautiful frauds.

Fourth, carry two spinner patterns, one wet and one dry. While some species of Baetis lay their eggs on the surface, some crawl or swim to the bottom to lay theirs. The spinner fall usually occurs in the evening or late afternoon, but can also occur in the morning. Most of us have had the experience of being in the stream after the hatch has shut down while the fish continued to rise. We couldn't see anything so we assumed the fish were eating midges. They were probably eating spinners, which is why you didn't catch anything. If you carry a few you'll be catching fish when no one else is. That'll make you feel like an expert.

Two Roads to Heaven

Lou Lavoie

There are two roads to heaven and they both begin at Bob Mitchell’s Fly Shop. The north road takes you first to the Bighorn; the south takes you by the Black Hills and over the Bighorn plateau. They are roads to fly fishing heaven, and that is what I am going to share with you.

First steps: Interstate 90 and 94 split in Tomah, Wisconsin. I-94 swings north to Fargo passing through the Twin Cities on the way. It then shoots straight as an arrow 320 miles across North Dakota and another 30 miles into Montana where it comes upon Glendive and the Yellowstone River. (Forget about fishing for trout on the warmed Yellowstone waters below Billings.) From there it follows the river southwesterly to Billings where it rejoins I-90. An exit 50 miles before Billings (Exit 49) takes you south 30 miles on route 47 to Hardin, which is at the entrance of the valley of the Bighorn river. Those interested in fishing for big trout will continue south out of Hardin 40 miles on route 313 till they reach beautiful downtown Ft. Smith.

Meanwhile, I-90 has proceeded westward from Tomah across southern Minnesota and almost all the way across South Dakota, roughly 200 miles south of I-94, before it encounters the Black Hills where it briefly sails north and over the top of the Hills before heading west again through Wyoming. The Black Hills have some nice trout streams, but they are much like what we have around here and thus may or may not interest the passing fly fisherman. The passage through eastern Wyoming is about as exciting as the passage through western North Dakota on I-94 - bleak. It is bleak for the better part of 200 miles till the imposing front of the Bighorn mountains forces the highway to turn almost due north through Sheridan and eventually rejoin I-94 at Billings 130 miles later. Once again, for those interested in real trout fishing, this time for smaller fish (< 14") but in an absolutely idyllic setting, exit the Interstate north of Sheridan at Ranchester on west bound US-14. The drive to the top of the Bighorn plateau will bring you to the North Fork of the Tongue river.

From here on, whether on the north road or the south, you are in heaven.

The South Road

The North Fork of the Tongue is nearly heaven in reality and metaphorically. The reality is that it originates on the 8,000 foot Bighorn Plateau which sits comfortably among the surrounding 10,000 foot peaks of the Bighorn mountains. The drive west from  I 90 at Ranchester on US 14 very quickly brings one to a long steep grade rising 4,000 feet. No white knuckle driving here, just spectacular views of the plains stretching back east 120 miles to the Black Hills. The plateau itself has always struck me as almost garden-like with forests and gentle grassy slopes cradling the wonderful North Tongue. On top the road continues west to Burgess Junction where it splits into 14 and Alt 14, each making its way 20 or 30 miles across the plateau, down the other side, and across the Bighorn Basin to rejoin at Cody. There is camping virtually on the water near Burgess Junction, talk to Mike at the fly shop for more information as he has camped and fished there. You can also stay at the motel there. The motel also has a place to eat and get gas for your car. In addition there are a couple of lodges that provide food and shelter within five miles of the junction, and that’s it! Just to give you some idea of how isolated the Bighorn Plateau is, I stayed at one of the lodges one September and needed to use a phone. The manager told me there were only three phones on the whole of the plateau and that they often times were not well connected to the outside world. He was right about the poor connection as I had great difficulty getting my message through the static. So who should be using a phone in heaven anyway!? Let’s fish.

The North Tongue meanders within less than 100 yards north of Alt 14. The state of Wyoming, bless their hearts, has provided several nice parking places for your fishing convenience. Look carefully for them as they are not well marked. Just pick a spot, park, suit up, and enjoy. The only animal life I’ve seen there is the cattle which are free roaming. I’ve seen an occasional moose up close as well. Came back to my car one evening to find a couple of dozen cattle standing around it looking oh so innocent. Then I noticed something had been licking the dust off the windows and hood leaving broad ‘mud-licks’ I had to wash off before I could see out. Was the dust salty? When I questioned the cattle they feigned dumbness. The stream is for the most part bordered by eight to ten foot high shrubbery on an otherwise small grassy plane. Eventually it enters the woods near Burgess Junction but is easily accessible until it begins its way down off the plateau. I haven’t fished there, but again, ask Mike. It is typically 10 to 20 feet wide and less than a foot deep except in the pools separating the riffles. Given the bushes, one must cast directly up or down stream except in the occasional wide bend pool. This stream is full of cutthroats, rainbows, and cutbow  hybrids, some quite large. My best however is but 14 inches; my log shows the average at 10 inches. Uncharacteristically for me, I’ve taken these fish for the most part on dry flies: # 10 and 12 Royal Wolfe, # 12 Green Drake, # 10 Royal Humpy and Light Cahill, # 14 Adams, and only twice did I resort to my old reliable nymphing with a small Prince or Hare’s Ear.

The metaphoric heaven of the North Tongue is manifest in my feeling of utter peace when fishing it. Few streams provide that level of experience for me.

Succumbing to the urge for new waters one will chose either US 14 or its Alternate. It really doesn’t make much difference except for the scenery; either way you’ll end up in Cody. US 14 heads briefly south from Burgess Junction and eventually winds down through some interesting geologic formations to Greybull. Then it’s 54 miles across some very empty space to Cody. Alt 14 is another story. I recommend it for its wonderful view atop the 12 mile 11% grade down to the Bighorn Basin. There is a nice symmetry going up the east side of the Bighorns, looking back east, then crossing the plateau, looking west and taking in the view of the world, then down the west side and across the basin to Lovell, Powell and Cody. Don’t rely on Lovell. It’s the sorriest place imaginable with the only non-decrepit building being the Mormon Church. Clearly the folks in that town prefer to shoot 22 miles down the road to Powell, a much nicer place with all the amenities necessary for the weary traveler as well.

Cody is an interesting little city with its absolutely amazing Buffalo Bill Historical Center comprised of several connected museums, as well as the Irma Hotel built by Buffalo Bill Cody and named for his daughter, the rodeos held every night on the road west out of town, and the gateway to the East Gate of Yellowstone Park. The Irma is fun to stay at and enjoy the feeling that you’ve entered the old west as you stand in the bar and enjoy a beer elbow to elbow with the local cowboys (and a few tourists.) And of course there is a ‘shoot out’ in the street outside enacted for the tourists in the evenings with a Buffalo Bill look-alike who often hangs out in the bar. However, warning, warning, warning; don’t go near this town between about July 20 and August 20 because the Harley bikers take it over on there way to and from the monster Harley rally in Sturgis, South Dakota. The roar of the bikes is constant and so loud one has difficulty carrying on an ordinary conversation on the town’s sidewalks, and it completely destroys any pleasure one might otherwise find in the town. If you are fascinated by fireworks there is the largest retail sales store I’ve ever seen, about a mile before you reach the rodeo grounds, selling a prodigious variety of really good stuff - not the silly little bottle rockets sold around here. Cody has several fly shops, a not surprising feature since one need travel north but 30 miles to reach the Clarks Fork of the Yellowstone, west 10 miles to the North Fork of the Shoshone River, and 50 miles beyond these points to Yellowstone Park itself. The Clarks Fork can also be reached coming down from Billings, Montana, so I’ll touch on that as I do the “North Road” later.

 The North Fork of the Shoshone is an easy river to access and fish for almost the entire 50 miles between the Buffalo Bill Reservoir and the east entrance to the Park, because the road parallels it very closely. One has to exercise some care to use public access sites for the first 10 miles, but it’s wide open thereafter in the Shoshone National Forest. While you are scouting out a nice place to fish you will notice numerous geologic formations that make the drive satisfying in itself. In checking my fishing log I was surprised just now to find that the average size trout caught in this water was so large, 13 inches. If I exclude the third that are small, 6 to 8 inches, the average size is 16 inches, most of which are bows! The native cutthroats accounted for only a third, and I’ve landed only one brown. The fish in this water seem to prefer big rubber legged nymphs and Wolly  Buggers, though I’ve tricked a few to take a # 10 Royal Wolfe.

I have explored 40 miles up the South Fork of the Shoshone and found it completely uninviting. Never did throw in a line. At the end, after several miles of gravel road and shortly before giving up the hunt, I encountered a sign warning of Grizzlies. With the low water and high Griz count I decided to try elsewhere. Some trout guides, however, say there are good fish in the South Fork; personally I don’t believe it.

After doing the North Fork one can enter Yellowstone Park and continues through heaven. Let us, however, return east to Minnesota and start for heaven and the Park via the North Road. 

enjoy 20 miles, more or less, of gravel. Do slow down when you come to the rare home so that they don’t have to breathe your dust. And dust you’ll make!  The road isn’t bad, but it is 20 miles of gravel. For my part I saw the traffic in the distance on US 310 at Edgar with a hint of relief. On the other hand, I was driving a Geo Metro, so who wouldn’t be relieved. The North Road

One can drive from Minneapolis to Ft. Smith on the Bighorn River in 13 hours elapsed time including two stops for gas/food. It is Interstate 94 all the way except for two short legs in Montana, and even there the roads are excellent and have 75 mph posted speed limits. In my younger days, before I was 65, I have many times left the Twin Cities at 4 a.m. and was fishing at Three Mile put-in by 4 in the afternoon (remember, you gain an hour clock time going west.) On the other hand, in my geezerhood I now start later and stop over night exactly half way at the Motel 6 in Bismark. The rates there are about $30/night. Relax and enjoy.

There are lots of places to stay on the Horn, but most tend to be a bit more expensive than the Bismark Motel 6. If you want to stay in Hardin and maybe scoot 14 miles over to the Little Bighorn Battlefield just for fun (plan three or four hours minimum for the battlefield visit) the most reasonable place I’ve found in town is the Lariat Motel. Coming into town from the north on route 47 take the first left after crossing over the Interstate and in less than a mile you’ll see it on the left. Immediately on your right after crossing the Interstate is a good fly shop way back behind the gas station. You can stay in Hardin, but it is a little inefficient to go back and forth to the good fishing 30 or 40 miles upstream.

A very very important thing to know at this point in your journey; buy your booze, beer, wine, etc., in Hardin, because the rest of the way is on the Crow Indian Reservation, and alcohol sales are forbidden!!!

Of secondary importance, don’t worry about passing up the fly shop in Hardin; there are several in beautiful downtown Ft. Smith.

For the hardy, adventuresome, and/or budget conscious there are two campgrounds in Ft. Smith that I know of. I’ve tried and liked both. One is just a short distance beyond town, less than a mile, on government property. For a small fee you can tent or trailer camp. Water, picnic tables, and pit toilets are provided for your camping pleasure. All 20 or so sites are on gravel. It is less than a mile from the Afterbay put-in, or if you want to try ‘still water’ fishing you can walk a couple of hundred feet to the edge of the Afterbay itself.  I’ve fished it only a few times with no luck, however guides tell me there are trout in there.

Don’t miss the short drive up to Yellowtail Dam which is two miles up-stream from Afterbay. At 525 feet it is not all that much smaller than Hoover Dam, and when the visitor’s place is open there is a wonderful view of its face. On the way down you also get a very nice view of Afterbay and the river below it.

The other camp is three miles before you reach beautiful downtown Ft. Smith. Cottonwood Camp is a private campground on the same side road that leads to Three Mile put-in. I rather prefer it for its grass and large cottonwood shade trees. There are tables, water, fire circles, and toilet facilities; just like heaven. One may also rent small cabins there. The folks that run the place are almost as nice as their wonderful dog. By the way, it is within long walking distance of Three Mile about which more shortly.

Several of the fly shops in town rent rooms, and some even provide meals - all pretty basic, and in my view a tad over-priced. There is also a grocery store, also pretty basic. As for a café or the like it is rather problematic at the moment (Autumn 03). Everyone knew Polly’s Place as a nice, completely unpretentious café to get breakfast or supper at a reasonable price, but, alas, Polly died of cancer last year and her heirs are asking so much for the property that it has remained closed and unsold. Great chance for someone to bargain and buy the name and live on the Horn. Have I already said ‘just like heaven.’ Other places in town open and close from time to time, so you’ll just have to wait and see.

Carol’s Café  is back off the west side of the road about 5 or 6 or 7 miles north of town. It’s easy to see from the road if you’re looking for it, but I haven’t tried it yet. I’m told it’s okay.

There are several fishing/hunting lodges in the area, some very pricy. The only one I’ve stayed at is the Kingfisher Lodge at the Bighorn Country Outfitters. It’s twice as close to Three Mile as Cottonwood Camp and a sinfully short walk to the water, well, a quarter mile. It is on the same side road as the Camp and the put-in. A nice place, but still more than a hundred a night. Does include breakfast and supper. Supper great fun in the lodge sharing the table with other fishermen. Of course you can get a guide at any lodge or fly shop. The Horn is the only river I’ve hired a guide on more than once (I lie, I’ve also repeated on the Frying Pan.) My fishing log shows I do better with a guide, but I think that is only because he has a boat. As for tubes, boats, etc., the Horn is normally so docile you wont have a worry - just do your homework before you launch.

Oh yes, fishing.

When not indulging in the luxury of a guide I merely walk the edge of the river starting at the boat ramp at Afterbay or at the ramp at Three Mile. In recent years the Horn’s flow has been about 1500 cfs.  Normal is more like 3,000 or even 4,000 cfs. Above 3000 cfs the wading is doable but it gets tricky to get to some of the islands where the pigs hang out. Indeed, there is a spot just off the downstream end of First Island, about 3/4 mile from Afterbay on the west side of the river called the Pig Hole (or something like that). Great fishing if you can push aside another fisherman. On the other hand if you get there at 8 a.m. you’ll usually have it to yourself. Try it; you’ll like it.

At the Afterbay ramp there is a nice parking lot that will cost you a couple of bucks a day (unless you are old and have a Golden Age Passport; then it’s free. That’s the up side of geezerhood. Don’t ask me about the down side.) Now all the serious fisherman start down stream from the ramp and bushwhack several hundred yards before throwing out a line. However, smart fisherman walk straight down from their car and toss a streamer into the turbulent waters at the foot of the dam. Guides tell me there are 30 inch Bows lurking in there, at least at the present low flows. Alas, my personal experience can’t verify this, yet I haven’t really given it a serious try either.

I like to work my way down river from the ramp offering the finny critters almost any nymph, scud, sow bug, or midge as long as it is a #16, 18, or 20. A pheasant tail or pink scud seems particularly effective, and of course a #10 or 12 San Juan worm will do the job as well. Ask the guys in the local fly shops what the critters are eating.  They tell me the fish on the Horn like red too. I like to fish two nymphs, one on an 18 inch dropper. Almost any time of the year you’ll be plagued by weeds fouling your hook. Learn to live with it. Check your hooks often guys. My technique (no guarantees) is to cast and dead drift about 10 times working from  5 or 10 feet out to perhaps 30 feet out. Then move 30 feet down stream and do the same thing. That way I give every fish a chance to make me happy. On the Horn the bigger fish have figured out that diving down into the weeds increases their odds of getting away. Damn them! If I have a 4X tippet on I’ll try to discourage them from staying down. I like to use a 4X or 5X tippet on the Horn.

I fish the west side of the river this way for a distance of about 2 miles. The east side looks a bit tougher to wade, but I’ve never tried it. Go for it.

The other place where you can expect to get some nice fish wade-fishing is at Three Mile. The parking lot there has the same fee requirements as at Afterbay. There are several islands 50 feet or so off the concrete ramp that have fish all about. The wade across is easy at 1500 to 2400 cfs, but I get a bit uncomfortable at 3000 to 4000 cfs. If you like solitude, wading at Three Mile is probably not going to be your cup of tea unless you get there 7 or 8 a.m. or after 6 p.m..

There are several well marked access points further down river almost into Hardin, but the really trout productive, cooler water, doesn’t go that far. I have seldom wade-fished these, so you’ll have to learn on your own.

When you get tired of the Horn there is a little bit of Montana to the west you can explore. A nice cross country drive and short cut to some of the rivers further west begins at St Xavier without going all the way back to Hardin and the Interstate. You will have passed through beautiful downtown St. Xavier on your way to Ft. Smith. Now, on your return, you will go due west out of town instead of east. This gets you headed to Pryor about 40 miles away over a fine paved road. At Pryor you don’t turn north on the fine road to Billings, you keep westward on a fine paved road out of town - - - paved for about 500 feet! Next you

Maps. It never hurts to have maps. In addition to my trusty old Rand McNally Road Atlas I carry a DeLorme Atlas for whatever state I’m in. But I’m preaching to the choir.

Choices choices choices. Did I mention heaven? Here we are at Edgar; should we go south on US 310 and Montana 72 and fish along the Clarks Fork of the Yellowstone? We can follow the river south into Wyoming where the highway becomes Wyoming 120, then abruptly exit west on WY 296 and over Dead Indian Pass. Eventually we’ll connect with US 212 (remember it began in Eden Prairie.) There are lots of spots to fish the whole way, but I haven’t tried them. After getting on US212 there are some convenient pull-offs I’ve fished at. Even with my marginal dry fly skills I have tricked dozens of little brookies to take a #14 Parachute Adams along here. Elsewhere, locals showed me a parking lot just where US 212 returns to Montana. There one can follow a path a few hundred yards to the upper reaches of the Clarks Fork and fish for millions of brookies in an environment that appears, but for the path, to have never seen another human. Be vigilant here for two reasons; one, the path passes over some flat rocks for a short distance (100 - 200 feet?) and is easy to lose. Two, did I mention Grizzly bears? I almost encountered one here, but I must have smelled foul for he crashed off away from me through the dense pine undergrowth sounding like a freight train. Heads up, this is Grizzly country. As for the fish, they were taking a #12 Royal Wolfe and a #10 Adams. Don’t ask me about hatches.

Before getting into Yellowstone Park, which is eight miles down the road, let’s backtrack to Edgar and chose different waters. Six miles north on US 310 and we pick up US 212 at Rockvale. Turn south from here and go 32 miles to Red Lodge. You’re feeling it’s a long trip, so why not relax and throw a line in Rock Creek at any one of a half dozen pull-offs or road crossings before town. The stream is fun to fish and is always good for some modest size bows. For the most part it is 20 to 40 feet wide and in these dry years easily wadeable everywhere. I fish this stream with # 14 to 16 nymphs; Hares Ear or Prince seem to work. Have not tried drys here, though there is lots of room to cast. (By the way, this Rock Creek is not to be confused with the Rock Creek up by Missoula.) Or perhaps you like ‘city’ fishing, rather like fishing the Kinni behind Main Street in River Falls; then stop for a night or two at the Yodeler Motel on the west side of the south end of Main Street. The rates are about as low as anything in town, yet the accommodations are nice, and it is just two blocks to the stream. Not my kind of fishing, but, hey, when you need it, you need it. I like Red Lodge; it has a fly shop and several nice restaurants and is the gateway to the Beartooth Plateau and the Northeast Gate of Yellowstone via US 212.

Now comes the moment of truth. Beartooth Pass!! Charles Karault has called this drive over the 10,940 foot pass the most scenic in the United States. I can’t argue that. However, the first time I drove it in 1982 there were no guardrails though it was paved, and at one place one of the two lanes had caved away into space! No problem, it was more or less marked with one of those little red cones. White knuckles all the way. The mid July snow fields on top were very refreshing. The highway is closed for seven or eight months of the year since it snows a lot up there. The drive made enough of an impression on me that I avoided it for the next 16 years. However, sometime during my absence they not only put in guardrails but created a very nice pull-off and overlook about half way up. Stop and enjoy this even if you’re in a hurry. Once beyond the summit a few miles you will come upon “The Top of the World Store.” It sells the usual souvenirs, but sadly, no longer has a lunch counter. Back in 82 that lunch counter was an awfully good sight. In recent years I have driven the Beartooth often. With its guardrails it is an easy, pleasant drive, and an absolute must see.

Once over the top and on the down side start looking for some small lakes. Beartooth Lake is right on the road. I’m not a still water fisherman, but for those of you who are, bring your tube. These high mountain lakes are reputed to be fine little fisheries. Note that I said, “...on the down side.” There are some lakes on top that look great, but you would have to slide down a 500 foot scree slope to get to them. And besides, how could there be any fish there anyway? Several miles beyond the Top of the World Store US 212 joins WY 269 described previously, and it’s more or less down hill from there to Cooke City. It’s worth noting that there are many primitive campgrounds along 212, and a few on 269 if you are on a tight budget or like to rough it.

Cooke City is four miles east of Yellowstone’s Northeast Gate. Up until a couple of years ago you had to ease down the main drag because someone’s big black Lab preferred to stretch out and snooze right in the middle of the road. He did it for years. Alas, haven’t seen him lately, possibly died of old age, or.... (SUV.) The town’s thousand foot main street (US 212) has several motels, lots of eating places, a couple of gas stations, and two grocery stores, one of which is the sorriest thing you can imagine, the other, on the National Historic Register, and more like a general store that stocks everything you might want up there. However, this store closes for the winter sometime in September, so if you’re there late in the season resupply will be more of a challenge. There is an outfitter at the east end of town that claims to run a fly shop, but I’ve never seen it open, and what I can see squinting through the windows doesn’t look very encouraging. The general store has a few flies though. There are some side streets in town but they’re short and without commercial establishments. If you camp more than a few days at Pebble Creek in the Park I guarantee you’ll revisit Cooke City.

It is along here that Soda Butte Creek originates and begins its way down to the Lamar in the Park. I’ve not fished it here, but it is easily accessible.

Three miles further west and you come to beautiful downtown Silver Gate. It consists of three motels and a charming and popular little log place to get breakfast when you are tired of cooking at Pebble Creek.

A mile more and you arrive at the end of US 212 and the Northeast Gate of Yellowstone Park. There follows a nine mile drive through a heavy forest where one can occasionally see magnificent mountains above and catch glimpses of Soda Butte Creek through the woods. Fish it for modest Cutthroats anywhere you like along here, and the chances are that you’ll not see another fisherman all day. There are also several pull-outs provided. My luck on this water has been mostly with a #14 Elk Hair Caddis. The experts in the area tell me they do alright with small PMDs. Can’t prove it by me. You break out into a nice valley in the area of Pebble Creek.

Pebble Creek Campground is comfortably tucked into the foot of the hills on the right and sits on the edge of the Creek itself as the stream issues from a quite narrow canyon. The campground has only a couple more sites than Slough Creek Campground, the smallest in the Park, so plan to get there no later than 10 a.m. if you hope to find a site. Each camp site is provided with a fire ring and a picnic table. There are also two or three pumps for water and three pit toilets for your camping pleasure. The creek itself has a few small cutts in it, but I’m told it is much nicer way upstream. Forget about walking very far upstream beyond the campground, it is virtually impassible. But you can get to the upper reaches by walking about two miles from a trail-head just a mile inside the Northeast Gate. I’m told it is very nice, but I’ve never done it.

As with all campgrounds in the Park the Rangers are very zealous in enforcing good camping discipline so that big furry critters aren’t attracted in. This is especially so at Pebble, because you are in really good Grizzly country. I’ve twice had a Ranger wake me at midnight to lock up some item I’d overlooked. Once he made me put away a can of 5W30 motor oil!? Perhaps the bears were constipated that year.

One more word about fishing in Grizzly country. I almost always fish alone, and I never sing, carry noise-makers or give an occasional shout as so many tell one to do. I’m out there to enjoy the wilderness as wilderness. That means being quiet and letting nature do the talking. On the rare occasion when I find myself starting to look over my shoulder too often I ask myself, ‘Are you here to fish or worry about bears?’ Myself answers back, ‘Lets’s get on with fishing.’ I also don’t carry firearms or pepper spray, since there is no clear evidence that they do any good as far as preventing injury is concerned. A gun is stupid unless you are actually hunting Grizzly, and pepper spray is quite expensive and may be no more effective than simply turning your gaze from the charging animal and trying to appear nonthreatening. I’ve talked to three people who have actually done that, and the bear didn’t touch them - scared the crap out of them, but didn’t touch them. (If you need pepper spray to feel more comfortable while you bushwhack and fish, then what the heck, why not.) But I do keep my wits about me, and I look around now and then. I watch for bear scat or prints in the sand. (I’ve never seen any scat and only once saw a single right forepaw print of a Griz, but the print was obviously a very old print.) I will never never never approach an animal carcass unless I’m prepared to unexpectedly wrestle a Griz for the best cut. And if I do see a bear of any kind I will give it a very wide birth. If cubs are around I will go home. I highly recommend the following for their educational and entertainment value on this matter. Great Montana Bear Stories by Ben Long, and Mark of the Grizzly by Scott McMillion.

It’s also worth mentioning that there are far more black bears than Grizzlies in the Park, and if you spend more than a few hours in the Lamar Valley and along Soda Butte Creek you’ll almost certainly encounter one. They are for the most part innocuous, but prudence suggests giving them their space. They will from time to time explore the campgrounds, and that’s a major reason why the Rangers demand you keep a clean camp. Also, if you put food in your car don’t leave a window open even a crack for ventilation. I’ve seen a black bear rip the window clean out of a pickup truck in a campsite next to mine at Slough Creek. Fortunately, secure steel boxes are provided for food storage at all of the campgrounds.

One can fish Pebble Creek down stream from the campground for the half mile it wanders till emptying into Soda Butte Creek. I’m told there are some decent fish there but with the past four relatively dry years the stream has been discouragingly low and I’ve not had much luck.

Soda Butte Creek continues out of the woods and into a broadening valley for several miles until it encounters the Lamar River. It is pleasant fishing the whole way and easily accessible. However, the further one goes down stream the more fishermen one encounters till they often are every hundred feet. It’s easy to see why because the water looks so nice, and there are fish there. Being a nymph fisherman I naturally get most of my trout on #16 to #20 Pheasant Tails, Princes, and Hare’s ears. Terrestrials often work well too, and I do get a few fish, maybe 10% , on various dries.

The Lamar Valley is a wonderful place to visit. The fishing in the Lamar River is often quite good, and when it isn’t you can try out Slough Creek just beyond the western end of the valley or Soda Butte Creek already mentioned at the east end. And there is Trout Lake near the eastern end for you still-water folks. Trout Lake has a little parking lot to leave your car, and from which after a couple of dozen steps, you walk up as steep a path as you are likely to encounter this side of Everest. Thank god it’s relatively short (is my geezerhood showing?) When you come over the top you look down on a pretty little bowl lake that can’t be more than a couple or three acres in size. The ample population of cutts in there spawn in the little brook that flows into it. To protect the spawn the open season starts late so you’ll want to check the date before throwing in a line and possibly embarrassing yourself. It is very tempting in the early season as you stand beside this brook and see hundreds of cutthroat right at your feet. Of course the Grizzlies see this spot as their dining room and thank the Rangers for limiting their dining interruptions. From the road I’ve seen a Griz amble up the trail towards the top no doubt thinking ‘umm, fresh caught fish.’ Never heard of attacks on humans there, which is amazing given the chances of an encounter. I think this shows nicely how the media really overstate the bear ‘threat.’

The Lamar Valley is one or two miles wide and runs six or so miles from the confluence with Soda Butte Creek west to the entrance of the Lamar Canyon. The valley also extends away from the road at the confluence of Soda Butte Creek and heads several miles south east into remote country best fished by those who don’t mind hiking a few miles. The recently repaved road runs all the way from the confluence along one side of the valley with some very nice views of the lower plateaus across the way. It is easily the best place in the Park for wildlife viewing. You can often see large herds of Buffalo as well as many Elk, and of course the inevitable black bear, Pronghorn antelope, deer, and in recent years the Druid Peak wolf pack.

The Lamar river sometimes passes close to the road, but for the most part it is a long walk. The river is not productive in the long shallow riffle stretches. Stick with the bends and undercut banks. The fish don’t seem to stay put; find a good spot one day, and the next day it’s as barren as your bathtub. I personally like to fish the outlet canyon and its pocket water. It is not all that difficult to get to even in high water years. On the other hand, for the past three dry years the water keeps getting lower. In 2003 it was lower than I’ve seen it in 21 years. However, it sure makes wading easy. At the input to the canyon there is a nice parking lot and there are two or three pull-offs for the next mile west before coming to the Slough Creek road. My fishing log shows that my catch on the Lamar has averaged 13" while the Soda Butte has averaged 9".

Alas, I am sorry to say that the same warning I gave for Cody about biker noise applies to Yellowstone Park and especially to the Lamar Valley. During their ‘season’ the bikers constantly roar through the Valley and grossly violate the sense of the wilderness. Their noise is virtually constant on the water because there are several miles of road within acoustic range of any fisherman. I have on several occasions watched wild animals retreat as bikers approached. So far, letters to the Park Superintendent have merely elicited a, “Yes, we know.” This problem first arose in 2002 and became intolerable in 2003. I suppose it will be dealt with some day as bikers protest about their ‘rights’, in the meantime I will not go near the Park from mid July to late August.

Slough Creek seems to have the reputation and get all the press. The three mile gravel road into the campground is not the best in the world. The campground is the smallest in the Park, 28 sites I think. It is located right on the creek for your fishing convenience. I use to camp there a lot, but got tired of the dense smoke from camp fires made with wet wood. There is just enough of a bowl to trap the smoke making the evening almost unbearable - at least for me. Several years ago when I camped there for three weeks a light brown colored black bear would pass through every four or five days. I named him “Cinnamon.” Cinnamon would come up to one of those bear proof garbage cans, smell the gourmet dinner inside, and go to work. He never did get in, but it was something to watch him embrace that garbage drum, wrap his paws around the other side, and feel around the inside of the self-sealing flap. I saw him at least once on each of the next two years.

If per chance you want to fish you can catch small cutts, bows, and cutbows right there in camp, or you can go down stream as far as you like. There are some very large fish down stream, and they can be accessed either along the stream or from any of the several pull-offs on the way in from the highway. I prefer to fish along there in the morning because the wind almost always picks up in the afternoon for more challenge than I can handle. One can walk up stream from the camp along a convenient path for perhaps 3/4 of a mile till you reach the point where it comes down from First Meadow. It is possible to follow it further, but it is tough going. Those who wish to go to the legendary First Meadow and beyond to Second Meadow can do it by taking the rather steep road (on foot) over the back side of the hill. The road begins about half a mile before you get to the camp ground; you can’t miss it, because there will be 568,281 cars parked there. It is a nice fishing experience but getting too crowded even for me. Besides, the walk is something like a half to one mile - all straight up - and more than I want to negociate. I prefer to fish that stretch up stream from the camp. Usually one can expect to get a few fish up to 14" or 16", however, once again, the water level in 2003 was lower than I’d ever seen, and the fish were very modest in size.

Immediately west of the Slough Creek road one passes over the Lamar. You can fish up or down stream from the bridge and expect to get a few fish. I’m always surprised to find so few fisherman along here, though it wont be entirely deserted. As you continue west another five miles you will dip down to the bridge crossing the Yellowstone River well less than a mile before reaching Roosevelt Lodge and the junction with the road coming from Mammoth and headed to Tower. The river is accessible down a steep trail next to the bridge, and it is possible to fish up and down stream for a short distance on one side. I’ve pulled a few 14" bows out of there, but when the water is at normal levels it is a bit more of a challenge. Though this place is close to Roosevelt Lodge there is a surprising amount of wildlife around. I’ve seen any number of deer and black bears by the bridge, and the folks at the Lodge tell me they’ve twice in the past two years seen mountain lions crossing the road by the bridge, once a cat with  two kittens. However, mountain lions are still extremely rarely seen, though the rangers tell me that there is a noticeable increase in their population in recent years. Hurrah! Someday I hope to see one.

Don’t overlook Roosevelt Lodge for supplies, gas, booze, or a nice meal, and if you make a reservation early enough (minimum two or three months in advance) to stay in one of their rustic cabins (which, in my view, are way overpriced.) If you are traveling with a spouse who does not fish or camp this might be a good place to leave them while you wet a line at Slough Creek, the Lamar, and Soda Butte Creek. Everybody likes to sit in the rocking chairs on the front porch and watch the other tourists pass by, or just look at the hills in the distance.                 Unless you are leaving the Park you will be turning left when you get to the road junction and head for Tower. I hate Tower because it is always jammed with cars and people, yet there are some interesting sights to see between there and Roosevelt, indeed, some of the most interesting in the Park. At Tower one can hike down several hundred feet to the river and fish. It looks awfully good from above and few go down there, but I have never tried it. Take a look from above and see if you can resist it. If I were forty I’d try it.

Beyond Tower it’s a 19 mile drive over the shoulder of Mt Washburn to Canyon Village. You’ll find the Village crowded and generally not worth a stop. It’s another 16 miles to Yellowstone Lake. On the 35 mile leg from Tower to the lake you might with luck see a Grizzly in the valley below as you ascend the north side of the shoulder of Mt Washburn, especially early in the morning. I’ve also seen Bighorn sheep along the side of the road where it crests. The leg through the Hayden Valley picks up the Yellowstone river and follows it to Yellowstone Lake. There are plenty of pull-offs to fish along here, but be informed as there are several spots closed, some because of the Yellowstone Falls, some because of LeHardy Rapids, and some because of spawning beds. A few miles before the lake you’ll find Buffalo Ford, a well known fishing spot on the river that is fun to fish if you aren’t into catching a lot of fish. Watch carefully on the east side of the highway for the road as it abruptly punches into the woods and is not well marked.

Yellowstone Lake can net you some 17" cutts that at times like to cruse along the shore in two or three feet of easily wadeable water. You can sometimes see them from the road-side pull-offs between Bridge Bay and West Thumb. By all means throw out a Wolly Bugger and enjoy yourself, but as with Slough Creek, plan to fish in the morning, because it’s hell trying to throw a Bugger into the afternoon wind coming across the lake.

There are numerous books one can purchase on where to fish in the Park. Since I have only infrequently fished these other waters I’ll have little further to say. My experience with the Firehole is that it sometimes is so hot I expect to land the fish already poached. However, there are cooler stretches, and even in the warmer stretches one can fish at the mouth of cooler, feeder streams. The Gibbon has some nice dry fly fishing in the Meadows, but you’ll have to talk to some one else for details.

The Park has at least one more gift for the fisherman before he leaves through Mammoth and the North Gate. The Gardiner River runs along side of the exit road almost all the way - though sometimes it is a long way below. There are lots of pull-offs making it easy to linger too long as you head out. This is also a place where you have a better than average chance of seeing a Bighorn sheep standing without concern on an impossibly steep mountain face. The fish in the Gardener are small, but the ambience is large, even with the traffic sometimes quite near. Fortunately, the road is so winding the traffic must go slowly and less noisily.

The town of Gardiner just outside the North Gate is full of places to stay, eat, and get souvenirs, as well as having a decent fly shop. The Yellowstone River also runs through town on its 57 mile passage through Paradise Valley to Livingston. There are several fishing accesses to the river over this distance, but I’ve never got a thing at them. The river is just not wadeable, and I’ve never had any flotation to get out on the water. It all looks so good perhaps some day I’ll hire a guide and float it. I did once fish Armstrongs Spring Creek. It rained heavily all day, and I didn’t get a thing for my $50 rod fee. The Yellowstone goes right by Livingston. I’ve fished it from the park area almost directly under the I-90 bridge and got a few small Bows.

Livingston itself is a small city of 6,800 people with all the amenities you could want including Dan Baily’s Fly Shop. I found an apartment there for the summer a couple of years ago and used the town as my base of operations. The town has two pretty good restaurants and dozens of others. However, for some reason I don’t understand I didn’t like the place very much. Might have been something to do with a new tavern that had just opened called the Rusty Boot. I went in while awaiting a table next door at one of those fine restaurants just mentioned and asked one of the young girls behind the bar for a dry Martini. She exchanged a few whispered words with her girlfriend then turned to me and asked, “How do you make a Martini?”  I thought that this was my chance to educate the next generation in one of the really important things in life, mixology, so I divulged the formula. She gave me her pretty little smile and went back to whispering with her girlfriend. Once again she turned to me and asked, “What’s vermouth?” Sigh! Eventually I got my Martini which, however, was the worst Martini I’ve ever had and clearly the first Martini my pretty little bartender ever made. A few minutes later two couples came in, and she went over and took their orders. When she came back to the bar near where I was sitting I overheard her ask her friend, “What’s a Manhattan?” 

 I much prefer Bozeman 25 miles west over the prettiest section, going east or west, of Interstate highway I know of.  Bozeman is home to one of the campuses of Montana State University, and I like university towns. I’ve rented furnished apartments there for several summers (get on the web and check the Bozeman newspaper ‘for rent’ adds.) At 27,000 it is much bigger than Livingston, but not too large for my tastes. However, if you like fine wine, bring it with you from Minneapolis, because though there is plenty of wine for sale in town there is no FINE WINE! I don’t know that they’ve ever heard of Bordeaux. There are several good restaurants in the area as well as plenty of others to suit any palate. There are also three good fly shops and several sporting goods stores that have all the usual fly fishing stuff. The old part of town, east of 7th Ave., is reached by the eastern-most I-90 exit that puts you directly on Main Street, and is the only part of town I really like. The other two exits at 7th and 19th get you into the newer areas with their malls, housing developments, and everything else that is indistinguishable from any ‘burb’ in the country. If you are in town for any length of time go see the Museum of the Rockies for its excellent dinosaur exhibit. There is also a surprisingly good computer history museum, but unfortunately I’ve forgotten its name. The locals will know the place. For the snow bunnies there is the well known ski area, the Bridger Bowl, about 17 miles north out of town on route 86. It is not much to look at during the trout season though. The Bridger Mountains seem to lean against the town on the north side, and the Gallatins lurk a half a dozen miles to the south.

Local fishing north of Bozeman means the Milesnick Ranch which is on the East Gallatin River. The ranch is a couple of miles off the west end of the Bozeman Airport in Belgrade, the ‘bedroom’ community for big Bozeman. Don’t worry, the ranch has not yet been swamped by the burbs (but it will surely be for our grandchildren.) One can fish the East Gallatin and two nice spring creeks on the ranch. Up until two or three or four years ago the fishing was free; you only had to sign in at the guest book at the corner of the barn next to the ranch house. The family is very conservation minded and treat fly fisherman kindly. Nevertheless, a few years ago they began charging a rod fee for access to the spring creeks. The river has remained free of charge however, at least since I last fished there a year ago. I have never fished the spring creeks, but the river has been nice to me typically yielding 14" bows. I regularly catch even larger fish on the East Gallatin where it joins the main stream at the Nixon Bridge a couple of miles northwest of Manhattan. West on I-90 from Bozeman the first exit is at Belgrade (just like you are going to the airport), the next exit is Manhattan. Go into ‘town’ (pop. 1,400) and take the first left after the tracks, go west as for as possible (about 3 or 4 blocks) then the road will turn north and become dirt. Two miles will get you to the Nixon Bridge. The Lord has provided a nice, almost hidden, pull-off on the right just before the bridge. Park, pull on the waders and go for it. If you like whitefish, fish just above the bridge; if you’re after browns and bows go a bit further up stream. The East Gallatin and Gallatin mingle in several channels over a distance of a couple of miles, but the last junction of these mingled streams is just in front of you. The riffle on the right is the Gallatin, the one on the left, the larger of the two, is the mingled East Gallatin and Gallatin. That riffle on the right has a lot of 8" to 12" bows in it, while that big rock near the far edge of the left hand stream has an under water factory that alternately punches out 16" to 18" browns and bows. I swear! Just to prove I’m not making up a fish story I’ll admit that last year’s ultra low water did get me skunked at this fish factory by the rock. But just you wait till the water is back up, and you’ll have to push me aside to get there. My fishing log says that I got a 4 lb. 21" brown on a #10 Hares Ear Nymph, an 18" brown on a #20 PT flashback nymph, 16" brown on a #10 San Juan Worm, and several 16" to 18" bows and browns on a #16 Prince. I love that rock!

If you fish south of Bozeman, more or less nearby, you will want to drive up Hyalite Canyon to Hyalite Reservoir. The Reservoir is reputed to have grayling trout in it, but you’ll need a tube or some flotation to get to the fish. There are spots along the shore where one can get a line in, but I’ve never got a thing that way. On the other hand, the more than 10 miles of Hyalite Creek on the way up with several pull-offs are fun to fish for small bows (my record is 12".)  You get there by taking S.19th straight out of town as far as it goes (~5 mi), then turn right at the mountains, go for a mile, and viola! on your left is Hyalite Road.

But if you are in Bozeman with time on your hands all of these places mentioned are mere amusements. Let’s get serious and think about day-trips to the Gallatin, the Madison, and the Ruby.

Take US 191 west out of town and enjoy life. In a few miles it will turn south and follow the Gallatin River for 30 or 40 miles till the river enters Yellowstone Park. It is a beautiful drive - wish I had a convertible to enjoy the mountain sides. River access is generally pretty good, and I’m told so is the fishing. Alas, my luck has not been good along here, and I’m not thrilled with the rough water rafters charging by either. Also, the traffic really seems to smoke along this road more than others I’ve seen in Montana, so be careful when you reenter from a pull-off. Before the river pulls away from the road and goes to its source in the Park there is a stretch that goes through the widening valley bottom, the valley is maybe a few hundred yards wide here - don’t remember exactly - that I’ve always wanted to fish but never got around to. Hopefully, by the time anyone reads this I’ll have got my wish. The stream has much less of a gradient, so the flow is not so rapid - and there are no rafters.

Continue 20 miles south of where the river disappears into the Park and you will be in West Yellowstone. If you like caramel apples, popcorn, and cotton candy, you’ll love West Yellowstone. In this neck of the woods the only place more crass, crowded, and touristy is Jackson, Wyoming. Its saving features are the three fly shops, the Madison river nicely accessible from US 287 north of town, the west entrance to Yellowstone Park, and the Henry’s Fork 15 miles to the southwest on US 20. Of course the town has plenty of places to eat and lodge, so it may not be all that bad as a base of operations - fishing wise. Just stay away from that cotton candy and saltwater taffy.

Henry’s Fork is an embarrassment to me. I think of all the times I’ve been in West Yellowstone and gone north on US 191 completely ignorant of the wonderful fishing just down US 20, and I blush. Eventually I wised up and from now on it gets a shot whenever I’m in town. The fly books will tell you all you may want to know, but here are a few things they didn’t tell me. Watch out for very young, twenty something guides. I wish I could remember the name of the fly shop in Last Chance that put this particular guy on me, but I can’t (probably a Freudian block.) However, don’t blame the Orvis shop a few hundred yards north up the highway; it was another place. This guide was so bad that even after I warned him of my limited dry fly skills he kept putting me into very challenging spots which netted nothing but a river of terrified bows and an embarrassed and frustrated nymph fisherman. Later he led me out into fast water and abandoned me as he broke from my death grip and forged on ahead out of sight. At the end of the day we had a long silent drive back to my lodge where I took him aside and gave him a lecture on the merits of attending to the needs of the client before anything else. Then I said that some day he may become a good guide if he works on it and dismissed him tipless. Hiking into Box Canyon is easy and the fishing rewarding, but be real careful in identifying where your trail leaves the stream and returns to your digs, otherwise you may wander about for a long time. On one occasion I used a huge fallen tree as my marker and was so intent on reading the water that I neglected to note that there were several “huge fallen trees” along that strip of the Fork. Sigh. Don’t put too much reliance on the little dots on the map of US 20 going through the area. Though “Island Park” is one of those dots the locals know that that name is merely for a 10 mile section of almost deserted road. Between St. Anthony and West Yellowstone the services such as food, groceries, gas, lodging, and fly shops are tenuous at best. They are there, but you’ll have to be alert to find them. The major exception is at Last Chance which strikes one less as a town than a one mile scatter of establishments along the highway. As for my fishing luck, my log shows an average length of 14 inches and only rainbows landed. I was successful only with nymphs, typically a # 14 PT.

While in the area don’t miss driving up ID 47 to see the very scenic Mesa Falls.

Let’s leave the Henry’s Fork and explore the Madison. It is amazing how quickly one leaves Grizzly country here. Almost the minute you turn west on US 287 north of town and pass along the north side of Hebgen Lake these big brown critters are no longer an issue. This is all the more surprising as Grizzlies are often sighted in the woods around West Yellowstone, and on occasion, within the city limits. (Enjoy your cotton candy on a night stroll to your motel on the edge of town.)

Beyond Hebgen Lake is Quake Lake. Enjoy the spectacle of nature’s power as you see the still plainly visible scare where a 1959, magnitude 7.5 earthquake caused the side of the mountain to slide down and block the Madison. I’ve never heard anyone say what the river must have looked like downstream for the weeks it took the Corps of Engineers to punch a spillway through the slide area and get the water flowing again, but it must have been challenging fishing. I like to fish the water just below Hebgen dam on the short stretch between the lakes where it has given me several very nice bows and browns, nymphing of course. Just below Quake Lake as the river is coming out into the Madison valley the fishing is also to my liking with lots of gradient and pocket water and interesting structure later on as it begins its more casual flow north. There is a nice little cabin camp there run by some ex-Minnesotans called the “Slide Inn.” The restaurant is nothing special, but it does have a view of the river that makes it difficult to just sit there and eat. I usually want to throw out a line from the table, but I’m forced to be civil to my companion and dine with dignity. There are plenty of places to fish the river between Quake Lake and Ennis, and the fishing books are full of all the information you will need. My experience on the Madison has generally been rather modest, and accordingly it is not one of my favorites. Such blaspheme! I did once chance upon the river shortly after the legendary Salmonfly hatch. Thinking, “Oh, what the hell” I tied on the most god-awful big orange thing and tossed it out to drift its seductive way. A dozen feet later Jaws came downstream and attacked it. I had a wonderful minute before Jaws broke off. Sigh! Maybe I’ll learn to fish drys after all; what can I catch on a #8 Trico?

I may not like West Yellowstone much, but I really like Ennis. Again there are fly shops, places to stay, and a couple of pretty good places to eat - real stick to your ribs food. I am always delighted to catch a movie in the little theater there. Tickets are priced at $2. The lobby is about six feet square and candy is sold for 40 cents!! The theater holds probably less than 100, and maybe as few as 50. It’s like the movies when I was a kid. Love it.

From here on they’ll be less detail because this part of heaven is less familiar to me. As you’ll see I’ve fished the streams mentioned but not as thoroughly as the eastern heaven.

From Ennis it is only 25 or 30 miles over to the Ruby River. Take Montana highway 287 west towards Virginia City. Note that this is Montana 287, not US 287. The view of the Madison valley coming back from Virginia City to Ennis is one of my favorites. Virginia City is worth a stop. Some call it the Williamsburg of the West, because it is full of the original buildings from the days when it was the capital of the Territory in the 1860s. Seven miles beyond Virginia City is Alder where you turn left and more or less follow the Ruby for six miles to the Ruby dam. Many fishing books complain about the lack of public access on the Ruby. Perhaps I’m not as fussy as these authors, or things have changed in recent years, but I’ve found all the access I need. On the other hand the complaints seem to focus on the lower Ruby, and I prefer to go right up to the dam where there is nice parking and work either side of the stream. I kind of like this water; my logbook shows the average bow I get out of there at 16.” I do get an occasional brown, but they are smaller averaging just 12.” A #20 Hares Ear nymph seems to do the trick although , praise the Lord, I’ve tricked a few with a #12 Royal Wolfe. I have not yet begun to exhaust the possibilities of the Ruby, and I haven’t even looked at the water above the dam. As I write this I’m driving myself into a frenzy thinking about exploring more of this stream. I can barely wait till next summer.

There is no end to heaven. Where to go next. How about a big loop to the Beaverhead, then to the Big Hole, and then shoot up to the Missouri? Why not; we’ve got the time. Or we could pop over to the Bitterroot.

After doing the Ruby continue 19 miles northwest on MT 287 to Twin Bridges then turn southwest on MT 41and pick up the Beaverhead. You can fish the 26 miles to Dillon, but I prefer the stretch between Dillon and the Clark Canyon Reservoir. Interstate 15 and its frontage roads follow the river all the way from Dillon to the reservoir. There are some very big brown trout in this water, but it is much easier floating than wading. Since I’m a wader I haven’t seen as much of this river as I’d like. There is a nice stretch from the dam to just under the I-15 bridge that is full of sharks, but the stream-side brush is a challenge. The fish I do get average 18". Point of interest: Lewis and Clark with Sacajawea first encountered her tribe at a point now on the bottom of the reservoir. There are several campgrounds on its shores that I’ve stayed at and enjoyed. There is something almost mystical camping here as the sun sets and fancying Lewis and Clark camping nearby. Even the silent car lights on the Interstate a couple of miles across the lake aren’t intrusive; indeed, on occasion I’ve imagined I was looking through a time portal where I’m in 1805 and those silent lights are two centuries hence. And it doesn’t hurt to have some burgers cooking over the charcoal and a big glass of wine in hand as well.

I’m sorry to say I’ve fished the Big Hole only in passing. My browns and bows averaged 14.” The drive to the upper end of the river is interesting because of the great valley views of absolutely deserted land as far as the eye can see. Taking MT 278 west from I-15 just south of Dillon you’ll go over two passes, Badger and Big Hole Passes. They are inconsequential. In 40 miles more or less you’ll arrive at Jackson and the river. It is another 17 miles north to Wisdom and MT 43. I’ve thrown in a line at several places along here. If you want to continue fishing the Big Hole then go north on MT 43 as it follows the river. I’ve fished this part hoping to get a Grayling but no luck. Did encounter a couple who claimed they’d got three that afternoon (this was in 1998.)

If you want to try other water, then go west on MT 43 at Wisdom; it is less than 40 miles to Sula and the Bitterroot River. Very shortly after you come over another inconsequential pass and just before Sula there is a campground on the right with cabins as well. I’ve stayed there several times, but I can’t remember its name. It’s a good place from which to fish the upper Bitterroot. They were just improving and expanding it the last time I was there. About 60 miles north is Hamilton, another good base from which the Bitterroot can be fished. Hamilton has every convenience you could wish for as well. The view of the Bitterroot mountains on the left going up MT 93 is among the most intimidating I’ve ever seen. A fun drive just north of Hamilton is up one of the few roads leading up the face of these mountains for a few miles. The view of the valley out of which one has just come is wonderful. However, the fires of 2003 along the eastern face of the Bitterroots may have ruined the scenery. My success on the Bitterroot river has been modest, but I liked the experience nevertheless.

Continuing north to Missoula brings you to another decision: go northwest with the Clark Fork, or turn southeast on I 90 where in five miles you reach the Blackfoot and 15 miles further you reach another Rock Creek, this time THE Rock Creek. My only experience with the Clark Fork was on the upper reaches near Paradise where a ten minute roadside stop yielded a 15 inch bow on a # 20 PT. I’ve never fished the Blackfoot, but maybe I will someday given its place in Maclean’s, A River Runs Through It. Rock Creek is entirely different from the Rock Creek near Red Lodge. This stream flows out of the Sapphire Mountains and has a lot of pocket water. The road that follows it for a seemingly interminable distance is interesting as well, since it rapidly becomes one vehicle wide - and I really mean one vehicle. If you should meet with someone going the other way there is a 100% possibility that one of you is going to back up a long way! And, oh yes, the surface is dirt and gravel. But the fishing and scenery are wonderful. Only a couple miles in there is a neat suspended footbridge high above the water for the benefit of hikers that reminds one of something out of an Indiana Jones adventure. Although my success here has been limited I look forward to revisiting THE Rock Creek. There are several places to stay in the area, but they are sometimes fully booked. There is also a fly shop on the road into Rock Creek perhaps less than a mile after exiting I 90.

Since we’re almost in the neighborhood, why not pop up 100 miles to the Glacier Park area and wet a line. We have a choice of MT 83 or US 93. US 93 will get you quickly up to the Kalispell/Whitefish area where the various forks of the Flathead River beckon, then on the way back use MT83 and try out the Swan River.  Once again, be cognizant of those pesky ol’ Grizzlies, because you’ll be returning to their turf after abandoning it going west from Yellowstone. My first direct encounter with a griz was on the Middle Fork of the Flathead not far from the west entrance of Glacier Park. I was all excited at catching my first bull trout (on a # 16 PT.) It was only 12 inches but a start, when I noticed a big brown furry bush on the other side of the river. My eyesight is not that great, and though the ‘bush’ was only 70 or 80 yards away I couldn’t define it as a bear. And I was preoccupied with trying to get that bull’s big brother. In retrospect I know now that I was looking at the back end of a feeding Grizzly. Anyway, I said to myself, “What the hell” and continued fishing confident that the width and strength of the river was adequate protection. After a moment I looked up again and the brown bush was gone! The next day a ranger told me that indeed a grizzly had been seen feeding on an elk carcass just where my mobile bush was. So watch out for those brown furry bushes as well.

US 2 follows the Middle Fork of the Flathead east for 30 miles. There are several places along the way with easy access to the water and an occasional motel as well, but the places to get something to eat are relatively rare. My success on this river has been largely with 8 to 12 inch cutthroats on drys of all things (maybe there’s hope for me after all.)  Never tried to ‘match the hatch’, just used # 10 Humpy, #10 Parachute Adams, and # 10 Elk Hair Caddis. I’ve not fished the North or South Forks of the Flathead; so much water and so little time.

Returning south on MT 83 you’ll come near Bigfork at the northeast corner of Flathead Lake. This is a charming town with lots of art shops and relatively expensive motels and resorts. I have found more reasonable lodging with the short drive west over the top of Flathead lake to Somers. The trip south on MT 83 will give you plenty of opportunity to fish the Swan River and hit the Blackfoot at MT 200 as well.

My acquaintance with this part of heaven concludes with the Missouri River between Wolf Creek and Craig. Chose your own way to go the 80 miles more or less over to Helena from the Blackfoot. It is another 40 miles north on I-15 to the Wolf Creek exit. I love Wolf Creek. There is almost nothing there except the river, a gas station, a couple of very modest motels and places to eat, and of course a fly shop. The fly shop is unimpressive: I usually go the eight miles over to Craig where there are at least two much better. If you make the trip between Wolf Creek and Craig on the east side of the river instead of the Interstate you can scout the water as well. The biggest question I have yet to find an answer to about Wolf Creek is, ‘who was Frenchy?’ The name “Frenchy” appears in several places in this hamlet. There is my favorite place to eat, the saloon  “The Frenchman and Me” and my favorite place to stay,“Frenchy’s Motel.” The motel has cabins at a ridiculously low rate; and don’t be put off by the proprietor and premises that are slightly reminiscent of the Bates Motel in the film Psycho. The only rattle snake I’ve ever seen while out fishing was sunning himself beside my lawn chair at Frenchy’s. Be for warned, food and lodging here are very basic; if you are traveling with a fussy ‘better half’ they will probably want you to stay elsewhere. Nevertheless, I still like the place, after all, what more could one want, a burger, shelter, a fly shop, and the Missouri a couple of miles away. It just doesn’t get any better than this.

The Missouri’s big water reminds me of the Bighorn. And so do the fish, except that I loose more fish on the Missouri. It really bugs me that I can manage to land only a third of the fish I hook. Apart from my limitations, this is due mainly to the size and strength of the fish and the running room they have. There are lots of spots to access the water, and the river is often very wadeable - at least in the recent low water level years. I can’t speak of norms as my acquaintance with the Missouri is only a few years old. You can fish down stream from Holter Dam for 35 miles to Cascade. My fishing log for the past four years shows the average brown caught was 18 inches and the average bow was 17 inches. They were all caught on # 16 to 20 Pheasant Tail nymphs. Even more than on the Lamar River the fish on the Missouri seem to move about. I can be fishing a spot for an hour with no takes, then in a period of 15 minutes have six fish on, then nothing again.

At this point it seems to me to be a good time to stop. I’ve shared with you some of my pleasant experiences in heaven. The clear implication is that heaven is for the most part in Montana, and I believe it is. Well, maybe some of it is in Wyoming and Idaho as well. On the other hand, one could make a good case for the inclusion of Colorado, northern New Mexico, and Utah; and many more still I might idly talk of, but that is another story.