River Nunya

Jane Blow fishing River Nunya

   I was recently reading a very well know Montana Outfitters Blog and was reminded of how idiotic fly fishing dudes can be.  Unfortunately this sport breeds some high caliber D Bags.  I've never punched a soul and until the following event took place a few years ago, I've never even thought about using my fist.  Lover not a fighter.
   I pulled up to East End on the Yellowstone with two of my longtime clients and began rigging rods for the day.  We were the first at the launch and were surprised when another guide rig pulled up and even more surprised when he pulled in front of me and launched his boat.  There is a thing known as "guide etiquette".  I was absolutely shocked as well as my clients.  Did this Jack ass really just jump in front of me?
   He pulled his rig up and out of the launch and drove away to park his rig for the shuttle people.  My team was rigged and ready to go so they walked to the launch while I backed my rig in and unloaded my boat.  I backed in and realized this guy wasn't even ready to go yet.  I decided to play it cool, kill the D Bag with kindness and make small talk.  I had been fishing this stretch a lot lately and been killin' it with streamers for some ginormous Yellowstone pre spawn browns,.  "I asked the guide (who's name shall remaain not mentioned) where he had been fishing recently"  He replied, "River Nunya".  I asked, "where"?  He replied, "None ya fucking business".  Ok, so much for networking with this asshole.
   Later that afternoon we met up again on the river when D Bag's client asked what we were using because everytime we passed them, my boat was doubled up with rods bent.  I smiled and graciously  said "nunya  fucking buiness".  This is a true story in the new book, Montana Hold 'Em ready to be published after a little refinement.   As the Montana fishing season begins to wind down, I've had the great pleasure of connecting with some of my former guides and listening to stories worthy of a place in their own book.
 

Drift Boat Drive In

Drift Boat Drive In @ Headhunters fly shop in Craig, MT

We forgot to tell you……..It was an amazing time at HeadHunters fly shop they had great food and entertainment. To our knowledge they did something that hasn’t been done before: the first drift boat drive in. Fly fishing Legend Brian O’Keefe put on a great video presentation which was filmed from lot’s of locations all over the world. Here’s a tid bit of the video. What made the biggest impression was the most is watching him throw. Mike was happily throwing the Sage Circa 4# about 80ft and feeling pretty good about himself until Brian walks up and throws 105+’……respect your elders! If you were there did notice the fly rod did not get picked up again?……Pretty tough act to follow! Make sure you check out Catch Magazine Kudos and Thanks to Brian O’Keefe and HeadHunters Fly Shop!

Burning the house down on the Stone

It is time to head to Montana! The Yellowstone is in peak form, so call Yellow Dog to book your trip today. This photo was yesterday.

 — with Ian Davis,Vaughn Cochran, Robert Eddins, John Torok and
Hunter Parks.
   

Where the Yellowstone goes

Battle grounds and the front line...

Yellowstone Cutthroat vs the Lake Trout

One of the greatest benefits of southwest Montana, Simms headquarters since 1993, is its juxtaposition to Yellowstone National Park.  The Park – as locals refer to it – is somewhat of a lighting rod for locals.  Some adore its pristine backcountry and otherworldly cauldron of fire and steam. Others stay free and clear of the Park due to its, uh, passionate attention from visitors the world over that can make it feel more like Disneyland than wild lands.

To me, the Park is one of the greatest places I have ever known.  Moreover, as an angler and employee of a fishing company, I love that Yellowstone is often seen as a breeding ground for anglers.  Just drive the Lamar Valley on a summer day and you find anglers of all abilities tossing large dry flies to Yellowstone cutthroats.  It is a wonderful site to behold.

There is a dark side of Yellowstone, however.  Some “anglers” have taken to using the Park as their own laboratory.  Witness the egregious introduction of lake trout into the cutthroat’s bedroom: Yellowstone Lake.  Thought to have happened in the mid-1980s  by “bucket biologists” who thought Lewis Lake lakers would be a great addition to Yellowstone Lake, this introduction has hit catastrophic levels. How bad? It’s believed that since lakers have arrived, some 99 percent of all spawning-age cutts in the lake have been wiped out.

Last week, I was fortunate to join Simms’s President, K.C. Walsh, Trout Unlimited, Yellowstone Park Foundation, representatives from Yellowstone’s Fisheries team and bloggers in the outdoor industry for an up-close look into the problem.  Simms was the main sponsor of a blogger contest to raise awareness for the native Yellowstone cutthroat, and the prevalence of lakers. How bad has it gotten?  Since mid-May, officials working the front lines of eradication have killed 180,000 lake trout!  In 10 weeks. That’s an average of 18,000 lakers a week.

To read statistics like this is shocking.  To see it up close and personal is staggering.  Gill nets with hundreds of dead lakers are pulled up every 45 minutes.  Trap nets with hundreds of live (and very large) lake trout dot the lake’s surface.  New research is being conducted to work on taking the fight to lake trouts spawning grounds and tracking efforts have increased the knowledgebase on how to combat lakers. All of this is an effort to help out the imperiled Yellowstone cutthroat, brought to the brink by the actions of a few.  There is evidence the assistance is helping, but it is a massive mountain and we are only in the foothills.  This story won’t end overnight.

After spending a good part of a day on the water witnessing the laker eradication efforts, we left the scene of the crime with bewilderment and a sense of energy. Protecting our native trout seems all more important for me personally…and for Simms as a company.  The fight is on and I hope you can help us in the fight.

What can you do as a concerned angler?  First of all, support organizations like Trout Unlimited that spearheaded this trip.  They are driven by the goal of helping critical native populations of trout.  Secondly, as Kirk Deeter points out, it is time to stop foreign introductions of fish. The list of damage done by illegal stocking efforts is long and heart-breaking.  Thirdly, become part of the conversation with Simms and others as this story unfolds and you hear much more about this.  Finally, embrace Yellowstone and all other angler incubators. It is the next generation of anglers we need to be part of this story.

Aloha Montana!

Montana on my mind

Cold Beer!

   On June 4th 2012 at 8:15 am, my pickup truck with my Yeti Roadie in the back, caught on fire. I drove the pickup away from my camper and the Yeti fell out of the back totally engulfed in flames. The Yeti was burning and melting on the ground for some time before we were able to put the fire out. At about seven oclock that night 2 of my co-works and I decided to see if we could open the cooler. We took a chop saw and started to cut the top off . It took sometime to do because of Yeti's high quality. Once we opened it up we were all amazed at the ice and COLD BEER still in the cooler. Of coarse we drank the cold beer and I had to say goodbye to one great cooler.As soon as I can pay for some of the items I lost in the fire and save up enough money, I plan on buying another Yeti Roadie. My co-workers have already gotten theirs and my story and pictures of us cutting open the cooler have made believers out of some of my friends and family. YETI ROADIE- KEEPS ICE AND BEER COLD-EVEN AFTER A FIRE.  This amazing story was posted on my facebook wall by the American Fly Fishing Trade Association.  We are glad that no beer was hurt.  Get a YETI they're Badass!

Crazy Days

Yellowstone Angler Fishing Report

The skinny on sandals

Simms new Streamtread sandal

   A client recently brought this to my attention after a fishing trip to Idaho/Southwestern Montana aka, the "Golden Triangle".  Don't get me wrong, there is a time and a place for the flip flop, I'm a huge fan of comfort but my poor friend and client should have turned his guide in for abusing the sandal.
   They spent a day float fishing the Upper Madison known for fast pushy water and slippery cannon ball sized boulders strewn along the course of the river.  This is not a flip flop kind of river.
   The guide showed up at the fly shop in the morning sportin' one of those trendy straight brimmed hats, hemp necklace and reef sandals.  We suspect he smoked the rest of his necklace and twisted up a necklace with the remainder.  They launched from the shop and embarked on a journey never to forget or maybe one to be forgotten.
   At the boat ramp, gearing up was in full effect and boat was ready to be launched when my friend noticed Harry the hemp head had not changed out of his reefs?  Was this dude really going to hit the river in flip flops and "am I really paying this kid to float me down the river" my friend asked himself?  Sure enough, it happened, after the kid applied his cocoa butter, they launched - the guide kicked up his feet and sat back only to make a few sweeps on the sticks.  Fish were caught but only because my client is an ace fisherman.  Top five reasons you should back out of a guided fly fishing trip:


5.  Your guide shows up wearing leather sandals and is concerened with getting them wet.
4.  Your guides hemp necklace is smoking.
3.  You notice your guide has applied cocoa butter for a deep dark tan rather than SPF to fend off harmful sun.
2.  Your guide pulls through a Subway sandwich shop drive thru to grab lunches while towing his janky lavro drift boat.
1.  Rather than a toe gaurd on your guide's flip flops, he has attached small mirrors for added sun reflection adding to the deep dark tan.

Searching for the hammock-lounging comfort of a favorite sandal combined with the technology of a burly, river-ready shoe? Look no further. Simms’ superhero sandal features a quick-pull system for lightning-fast lace-ups and wading boot outsole technology that conquers rock, concrete, rebar, and the myriad unmentionables of your favorite carp infested waters… as well as the campfire, beach, and back again—all in a day’s work.

Art Walk ~ Big Sky, MT July 7-8 2012