Float fishing the Bitterroot

I got a call from a customer of mine who has an old Harley Panhead and he is a former guide turned farmer. He invited me to go fishing with him in his Aluma-Weld drift boat down the Bitterroot River. Man, what an opportunity! Our weather around here has been so hot and dry that many of the local popular fishing rivers have been closed to not only afternoon fishing but many were on 24 hour closures. We got a little rain in the past couple weeks, so some of them were opening up again. It was still a little smoky from the forest fires plaguing Montana and Idaho in the morning. By late afternoon it was very smoky and placed a dark yellowish paul over the whole area. The sun looked like a red lightbulb high in the afternoon sky. Yech!!!!
My fishing friend, Jay, is pretty much done with irrigating his fields so could take off fishing anytime I had time off from work, so we decided that Thursday last week was a perfect day. He had me meet him in Florence about 7:30AM then drove down to the river bridge and dropped off my car, then with his drift boat in tow behind he Land Cruiser, we headed south to Stevensville to put in there and float down to where my car was parked.
We unloaded his boat into the river about 8:15 and began assembling out fly fishing gear. The water was pretty low and slow so we had to actually get out of the boat at several low flow spots and pull/push it along a little.
While Jay was assembling his rod, I cast out into the riffle at our launch point and caught a couple 4” Brown trout just to get warmed up. I was a little concerned how well we would do considering we were in full moon phase, and fish like to feed during full moon.
We headed down stream, visiting and fishing all along the way. We saw only a couple other drifters the entire day. The weather was warm, about 80º or so. We each took a lunch along and pulled into a shady spot around 12:30 to munch down. Jay hooked a couple fish but did not get the hook set on the first one, and snapped his hand tied fly off on the second one. He put another fly on but really didn’t get another fish the balance of the day.
We were ¾ the way down the river and the fish really just stopped rising for several hours. We were on the river a good 8 hours altogether. Just about an hour before we arrived at my car I cast out towards the bank where a fish just rose to feed and BANG, he nailed my fly. I worked the fish over to the boat knowing it was a pretty good size one. Jay got my net and scooped up a 3 pound Cutthroat trout out of the water. I grabbed my camera, showed Jay how to take a picture and snapped the obligator pose before carefully releasing this nice fish back into the river. The whole area we fished that day was catch and release only, by law. That catch made my whole day, and was the largest fish I caught this year! We made it down to where the car was parked, beached the boat and loaded the gear out of the boat into my car. There was a grandmother there with her young grandson enjoying the beach area by the bridge, so we asked her to keep her eye on the boat while we drove to Stevi (what locals call Stevensville) to get his truck and trailer. We got back with them and got his boat loaded with no trouble. We finally finished up and went our separate ways about 7:30PM. We really enjoyed the time on the river together and he said we could go again any time I wanted!
Halfway down the river is a train trestle that spans across with a bit of ‘floater’ sentiment. There is also several old cars that line the river in some spots that were used for erosion control.

Wednesday morning we leave on the Harley for a two day trip up through the Flathead and Glacier National Park before the Going-to-the-Sun Road is closed early for the season and needed avalanche repairs. We'll stay in East Glacier Park on Wednesday evening as we are taking the south then eastern side up the park, then on Thursday morning up to St. Marys then down through the park on the Going-to-the-Sun Road. This two day outing, and hopefully several more afterward is probably the best we'll be able to do this year. We will both have some official vacation time next year and hopefully will be able to coincide our time off for longer outings!

All for now!

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Catching up

Been A long time since last post. Shortly after last post our computer suffered a power spike that cost the life of the operating system on the 120G Seagate IDE hard drive and the master boot record of the 80G Seagate SATA hard drive. I have an operating system on my IDE slave drive as well as this old Western Digital 20G drive.
Since I had access to the Internet and our email, I fought off the panic associated with this type of computer failure WITHOUT suitable backups!
Over the course of the past several weeks I obtained a software usable within Windows that allowed me to read the damaged drives and download the files I wished to save and burn to DVD disks. There were several corrupted files but mostly recoverable intact. I purchased an APC battery backup unit with Automatic Voltage Control that will smooth out the power spikes, brown outs and complete power outages for short period of time and will shut down my system automatically.
As soon as I have formatted and tested the drives and am satisfied that they are serviceable or ‘toast’, the rebuilding of the operating system will begin. Maybe now is the time to consider moving on to Windows Vista.
Here is an early morning image taken with in the last couple weeks.

Later

Skalkaho fishing

Wednesday the 13th of June Geri was working the afternoon to evening shift at thee dialysis center and I decided to travel south into the Bitterroot to check our Burnt Fork Creek that comes out of the eastern side of the valley. I loaded up all my fishing gear and snacks, then headed down to Stevensville, then east on the back country roads in search of some prime fishing area. What I found was mostly posted ‘No Trespassing’ land, and all the way back up into the forest as well. I traveled quite a ways back into the area in my Acura ‘Jeep’ and got as far as the Burnt Fork Creek campground. I could tell this was mainly a horse access area by the ‘hitching posts’ scattered around the camp ground! I did stop at one point going in to drop my hook into to the narrow rushing stream to at least say I DID fish it! I managed to snag my hook into an ajoining pine tree instead, but did retrieve it OK….
I ate my snak at the campground then headed out of the woods. I met a 4 wheel drive truck coming up the narrow road and was able to pull over far enough to pass. The guy stopped and we chatted briefly. He was in a state owned truck with his girl and they were looking for a little lake. He had a detailed forest service map and I discovered he was on the wrong road. He said he had never been up into this area before and I showed him my map and Google Earth shot of the area. We both went on about our way and since it was only noon, I thought I would make it back to Missoula in time to have some lunch with Geri before she left for work. I stopped along hiway 93 near the Bass Creek confluence with the Bitterroot river and found what looked to be a great place on the Bitterroot river to fish, so I ‘suited up’ in my waders and boots THEN decided to check the local fishing regulations for that section of the river to discover this section was a catch and release ONLY area. Yea, I like the sport fishing aspect but was aiming to keep some fish for a fish fry, and this just wouldn’t do! So I left my waders on, got in the car and drove the rest of the way home. I took them off AFTER I got to the house. Geri had already left for work early and so I ordered a pizza, changed the oil in the car and just puttered around the house.

Thursday the 14th was Geri’s day off and I talked her into going fishing with me over near Philipsburg and my favorite stream the Upper Willow Creek. She mentioned that she was interested in fishing but also just accompanying me on this outing. I bought us some breakfast at The Shack Cafe in downtown Missoula. Their food is very good with additional breakfast specials. It is in an old downtown building and very quaint. There is a large skylight in the middle of the dining room and was pleasantly surprised that there were two World War 1 era airplanes hung inside the skylight atrium. Looked to be a German Fokker Triplane chasing a French Nieuport.
After lunch we drove on over towards Philipsburg and after turning off at Drummond we headed south on hiway 1. We stopped briefly at the Ohrmann Museum and Gallery. It is a unique place here in Montana (http://www.ohrmannmuseum.com) as the artist has welded up several interesting pieces of animal art as well as paintings. I will include several photos of his work and recommend you visit his website.
We continued south towards Philipsburg and stopped at the gas station/restaurant/bar to purchase a fishing license for Geri. We then headed west toward Upper Willow Creek. When we got there, she decided she didn’t really want to fish but wanted to accompany me watch me instead. She said that at least her having a license would allow us to keep more fish that ‘we’ caught! The trout were very active and it was lots of fun catching them on dry flies. I had to throw back a beautiful 14 inch cutthroat as it was legal to keep only 10 inch and smaller of this species of fish.
We walked back to the car to pack up about 4 in the afternoon as we wanted to take a scenic route home through the Skalkaho Pass. It was a beautiful drive and we even stopped at a place that looked inviting to fish in Daly Creek on the East side of the pass. I caught one fish there, also on dry flies. We proceeded on over the top of the pass and down the other side. We stopped and took some photos near a waterfall coming down next to the road.
We finally got home around 6:30 and although we had fresh fish in the cooler, we bar-b-qued CHICKEN instead…!!!

Later….

Full Circle!!!

Just a short little post about last nights dinner...

FRESH TROUT....

MMmmmmmmm..... Lightly roller in flour then slow fried in butter....

Add some fried potatoes and a Cesar salad and you have a very tasty fish dinner.

The taste is like none other, and I cannot remember when I tasted fresh fish, let alone trout, at my table!

Yummy!!!!

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Regalia...

So here I am all decked out in my fishing regalia… Waders, boots, fishing vest, EAA fishing hat and pole.
I fished the Upper Willow Creek out of Philipsburg on Wednesday and caught my legal limit of Cutthroat Trout. Barley enough for a meal for myself, but will share with Geri. I am so looking forward to tonight’s meal, and as soon as she is in from tending her flower garden, we will cook them up with some fried potatoes and a nice salad!
Our Montana countryside is typical with livestock along the dirt roads back in off the main paved hiways. I drove back into the western hills looking for specific places to fish North of Philipsburg (Pville to the locals) and found one small feeder stream to a man made reservoir. I took out my large pole (a Martin Caddis Creek 9’ 5 weight) to give the small stream a try cuz I already had a reel mounted on it. I got one small fish hooked but it was only about 5 inches long. I released that one. The stream didn’t seem too promising so I pack up and headed on back to the eastern side and onto the hiway leading down to Pville. I stopped a couple times to check out Flint Creek that flows North toward the Clark Fork River. It was running chocolate color (very dirty) and pretty fast. It has the meandering type of following that I like to fish, but it needs clearing up and not as rampant a flow!!! I took the 348 road west from Pville toward Rock Creek and Upper Willow Creek, hoping that Willow Creek was fishable like last year when Geri and I were up to the Elliott’s cabin up Scotchman Gulch.
When I got to the creek the gates to the fences were all wide open, and the property was not ‘posted’ at all!!!! What luck!!! I pulled into one of the gate openings and into the field a ways and parked. I ‘suited up’ with my regalia and headed for the stream. I found Upper Willow Creek in fabulous shape to fish. A little more water flow than late last year, but not at all unruly. The Cutthroat was biting on dry flies. I only fished for about 3 hours or so, and got some nice ones!
I did take a drive down to Rock Creek but didn’t fish it.
Geri was pleased that I had a good time and brought home some fish to fry.
Thursday we took her sister Chrissy with us and took a drive up the Blackfoot River to Cottonwood Creek and Monture Creek out of Ovando, Montana. We packed picnic foods and fishing gear. I fished both creeks but didn’t catch anything that day. We all still had a nice outing together then went out to dinner when we returned to Missoula.

Enjoy the photos.

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Searching for fishing spots...

Geri had to work today, Memorial Day 2007, so I took the opportunity to explore south of Missoula into the upper section of the Bitterroot Valley, searching for places to fish. I wanted to try out my new waders and wading boots buts did not get the opportunity to ‘suit up’, as it were and get into the water.
I packed a lunch and my fly fishing gear into my car and headed south on hiway 93. I took along my new W.W. Griggs 7 foot 4 weight fly pole as well, hoping to get some fishing action of some kind with it.
I intended to try to find some fishing spot or spots along the East Side Highway that you access by turning east at the Florence, Montana junction and it then swings south down along the east side of the Bitterroot river. There are some small creeks that feed into the Bitterroot out of the east hills, and of course there are several streams that feed the Bitterroot out of the mountains to the west of the valley as well.
On of my first diversions off the East Side highway was the Lee Metcalf National Wildlife Refuge, which is run by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, a part of the Department of the Interior. It is a beautiful preserve and I took several photographs while there. As you travel into the preserve you see lots of wetlands areas, special perches erected for large birds of prey, the Osprey to build their nests on rather than power poles where they would perish. The close up photos of these magnificent birds I took with my digital camera pressed up against one side of my binoculars! I though they came out pretty good considering what I had to work with!
I drove into the refuge and stopped at an area that has been developed for folks to walk around and see and hear the various species that inhabit the area, like the Osprey, beaver, woodpecker, kingfisher, loons and so on. Fishing is also allowed with artificial lures and on a catch and release basis only. I didn’t ‘suit up’ with my waders and such, but wore just my fishing vest and took my new rod into the walking area. There is an area (see photos) called Francois Slough that had large slow water where I did some fly casting with my new rod and a couple new locally crafted fly’s called Montana Cheap Trick and Montana Madness. The new rod handled beautifully, and now can’t wait to try it on some creeks that I know have fish in them. I walked the paths that are paved that lead back into the wooded area and then alongside the large Bitterroot River and back to the car again for a nice workout.
I drove out of the Refuge, taking more photos along the way. The refuge also has an old preserved homestead on it as well as a sizeable bison (buffalo) heard. I drove some of the back roads that eventually came out past the Stevensville airport and into Stevensville, Montana. I stopped briefly at the St. Mary’s Mission that was established in 1841 and a few more pictures. I dif not go into the visitors center but just walked around the grounds a bit.
The old church and Indian tee-pee looked good against the sky, clouds and mountains!
I stopped in a little new housing community as it was close to the river to shoot a few more scenery pictures. It is a shame to see the sign “Private Access Rivers Edge Property Owners Only”… Always trying to keep ‘others’ out…
After my visit to Stevensville, I drove out to Highway 93 and headed North toward Missoula. I took the Kootenai Creek Road and the Bass Creek Road for a little drive up toward the western foothills looking for some fishing accesses but with no luck. I did some walking around in the area as well for exercise and more photos.
I headed on back to Missoula and got home in the late afternoon for a little nap and some computer time.
I worked on Tuesday but have Wednesday and Thursday off. Geri has to work on Wednesday so I plan on driving up to Phillipsburg and into the Lower Willow Creek area to see how that fishing looks.

Enjoy the photos!

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Planning for Cane...

Geri and I took the Harley south of Missoula to Hamilton, Montana today. This was the city of my birth some 56 years ago. The day was beautiful and at about 70º and a light breeze, the weather was perfect for a day out on the motorcycle.
Earlier in the morning, we took Geri’s Subaru to a local trusted mechanic to have him connect his computer to the car to read the code the car’s computer was putting out to make the dash light ‘Check Engine’ illuminate. It had been coming on consistently over the past week or so. I has checked and replaced the PCV valve and the light went out for awhile. The mechanic’s computer was showing the code related to the ‘knock sensor’ and advised how to fix it other than direct replacement. We may have to finally replace it but when we got home, I removed it, cleaned it and reinstalled it. We will drive the car over the next few days to see if the dash light does go out. If not, I will order a new one in and replace it.
Geri and I arrived in Hamilton in the early afternoon after our leisurely ride south on highway 93. We passed several small streams that drain into the Bitteroot River and they did look inviting, although they may be running a little high right now.
My goal was to stop at The Montana Fly Fishing Center
(http://www.montanaflyfishingcenter.com/). We had read an article written by the proprietor, Dick Galli, about fishing in his area, the services and supplies he offered through his shop. What intrigued me was that he is an accomplished bamboo fly rod maker. I wanted to see and FEEL his work as I am very interested in a bamboo fly rod of my own, but the pricing I was finding for new rods on the internet were upwards of $1500 to $4000!!! As Mr. Galli’s advertising on his website was offering newly made bamboo fly rods at the $500 level and up.
We stopped in and Mr. Galli introduced himself. He made us feel quite at home and was very congenial. I related my interest in cane (bamboo) fly rods and interested in one myself. He allowed me to cast a couple rods outside the front of his shop. I tried a 3 weight and a 4 weight and was amazed how nicely they both cast with a weight forward line at the distances I was interested in reaching. I told Mr. Galli I would be inclined to purchase a new cane rod in late fall or winter sometime, finances being what they are. He offered to let me finish my own bamboo rod from his blanks as he teaches people how to complete their own rods. I was VERY interested in the opportunity. I will follow up with this splendid opportunity late in the year!!!!
With advice from on of Dick Galli’s friend and fly tier, Ted Trowbridge, we stopped at a local bread store for lunch. ‘A Place to Ponder’ bakery made us a great couple sandwiches and Geri ran into one of her dialysis patients there also have lunch. We then rode back North again then at Lolo headed west to Lolo Hot Springs to dip into their pool and soak in the hot springs. We had a great afternoon there as there were not many people there in the middle of the week. The hot springs have been enjoyed by the native American Indians for hundreds of years. Lewis & Clark also took advantage of the natural hot springs as well during their trek across the USA. There is a large outdoor pool and a smaller natural hot spring fed indoor soaking pool and we took full advantage of both while there. It was so relaxing lying in the pool and watching the huge billowy clouds just drift across the blue sky above the mountains.
We drove home in a warm afternoon and I tried to shoot several photos along the Lolo Creek area.

You can click on some of the images to make them larger.
Later…