Pancho & Lefty Scar The Palisades

The song "Pancho and Lefty" tells the story of a Mexican bandit named Pancho and a more enigmatic character, Lefty. The song tells of Pancho's death and implies that he was betrayed by his associate Lefty who was paid off by the Mexican federales. Let me give a first hand guides account of what happened that fateful afternoon on the Madison River in Montana.

Here is a brief history. Pancho stood 6'7" and hailed from the great steelhead city of Traverse City Michigan. Lefty, a stocky fella was an ex Chicago Blackhawk hockey player. *The real names of Panch & Lefty have been changed to save them from future embarrassment of being left stranded on a Montana river.

This trip was pre arranged by a local Outfitter I was working for at the time and my assignment was simple. An 8 a.m. pick up at the San Marino cabins in Big Sky Montana followed by a day of drift boat fishing on the Upper Madison River. Easy enough, I do this all the time. As I whipped into San Marino I saw an old friend I had not seen in years and stopped to chat, so I thought. Pancho & Lefty spotted my rig towing a boat and began hootin' and hollering. "Over here"! Would I really dismiss this sort of foolishness before our day even begins? It usually takes me until sometime before we take off that the war wounds blister. Question to self. What does patience have to do with fishing? I told Jim, "see you again in five years, I've gotta bolt and pick up my dudes". Dudes they were.

These two sports were foaming at the mouth when I finally arrived five seconds later. Obviously, psyched to wet a line or drive an hour or something? I parked, got out, shook hands, grabbed gear and there was plenty of it for a day trip to the Madison. Pancho & Lefty were both sporting those trendy straw cowboy hats along with shwag from exotic fly fishing destinations like El Pescador and the like. This sort of showboating leads a fishing guide like myself to believe I have two strong sticks that can fish right? I was quite pleased with my talent for the day until we began rolling South toward West Yellowstone when Pancho lit a cigar in my truck. This was just the beginning.

This is a short excerpt from the "Book With No Title Yet". The book is coming along nicely. In the meantime, our crew is back guiding anglers with this beautiful weather we have been experiencing lately. We are taking reservations for the 2011 season so be sure to give us a call to reserve your spot for the upcoming season. Also, check the Blog for updated fishing reports and more from "The Book With No Title Yet".

Off Season...

We have checked out and will return in March. We will resume Blog updates, website fishing reports and guiding anglers at this time. Currently, we are taking reservations for the 2011 season. Word on the street is SNOW and lots of it in Montana. As of 3/10 our statewide snowpack average is 105% with 2+ months of snow to pile. This bodes well for the upcoming season and for all the reasons we love Montana! Have a great Winter and we look forward to seeing you next season ~ Coming soon... A day on the water with Pancho and Lefty.

Killing time with matchsticks...

Day 22 of pre retirement and I have to say it's pretty damn nice! I'm no longer counting down the jailbreak days anymore. Can't wait for the "Official" retirement party in another 30 years unless of course the winning lottery ticket magically appears before my eyes. Life away from the river? So far so good!
I'm not a twitterer so I'll give you my own version of a twiitter update: Craig Kalpinski woke up this morning next to his beautiful wife Caroline. After Taffy (6lb Yorkshire Terrier), pounced on me, I decided it was time to get up, shake off the mauling and get rollin' with this day by steeping some beans. Now that it's in print and I have reread my tweet, I can honestly say that crap is really stupid. Maybe in thirty years I'll have the social patience to give you some useless play by play of my life?
Actually, what I wanted to write about was my trip to the store this morning. Not sure why I burned the $2.87 on fuel for The Bozeman Daily Chronicle??? Just sorta killing time I guess. Oh yeah, I was going to windex some windows with the local rag - a great way to wash windows! As the blinding sun was rising in the East, the 37 degree morning did nothing for me. I got caught in a little bit of commuter traffic by Montana standards. Lasted all of three minutes before I was racing along again. I was behind a guide rig towing his iced up RO drift boat. Poor guy has to freeze his hands off this morning to tie his clients flies on while they impatiently stood around wondering what the hell is taking so long? "Let's catch some fish before Winter arrives damnit"! He'll probably have to suffer through the tail end of this high pressure. If he's lucky, he will head to the Madison which is fishing well. The reality is his clients will want to go to the Yellowstone because they heard a great report from this past July. At the end of the day he will have to hit the do it yourself car wash bay to rinse out his boat because the Yellowstone R. whitefish bite was strong and every fish caught decided to leave a little something behind. At this point, this poor guide is wondering why these sports even hired a guide in the first place? This is a whole chapter in the upcomiing book. Do I miss being out there on frigid ass mornings? Do I miss high pressure systems and blinding sun? Do I miss chipping the ice out of the bottom of my boat so my clients don't eat shit? Do I miss being second guessed? I was the guide, right?
I'm really enjoying my time away from what I have done for the past twelve years. Man, it was a good run. Had a lot of fun. Have a lot of funny stories some of which I'm writing about in my new book. It's coming along. Writing this book is a new experience for me and a good one so far and I look forward to wrapping it up soon.

Beer Sponsorship?

If you look inside my guide fridge right now, it's pretty obvious that this guy likes the sweet nectar of Sessions Lager brewed by Full Sail Brewing Co. That is as far as my endorsement goes until I get a sponsorship damnit!
Once I get that sponsorship, I will make sure everyone of my clients has a sessions in hand or cup holder because they will have a fish on. Those little eleven ounce grenade bottles look really cool nestled in a CK Outfitters koozie.
I talked to my brother this past weekend and told him about the book I'm beginning to write. So far so good. He asked me if I was going to write about the failed Beer Sponsorship attempt? Damn him. He's blood, I'll look past that little comment. Alright, it hasn't happened yet but I'm still working on this crafty little indie label.
Sure, I could go after some big corporate sponsor like Bud lite but my Southern born wife would probably put me through hell every Spring by making me go to race weekend in Talladega. Who know's, maybe I would like it?
I would not consider it a failed attempt! Maybe they just lost the paperwork requesting sponsorship? I sometime forget to include a return address on letters, envelopes, business cards, etc.
It will happen some day soon. All good things in all good time. As soon as it happens, I will be sure to give my full endorsement. Hope you are all doing well. The book is coming right along. I will continue to update you on the progress as things move along.

Next chapter...

I woke up this morning feeling pretty good about life! Yesterday I finished up on my favorite river and spent the day with great friend and client, Scott Ritchie - Ace gentleman. His wonderful family was out here fishing with us all weekend.
As my run as a fishing guide winds down, I understand what athletes must go through when trying to finally give it up. It is hard to walk away from doing something you love and are passionate about. The last decade has been amazing for me!
CK Outfitters will continue with a few new twists. I am stepping into the role of manager of operations as strictly the Outfitter and no longer guide. Wow, that was hard to write. There you have it. What's next for me? I have always said that when I finally give it up, I'm going to write a book about my experience as a fishing guide. I have alot to write about. I will save it for the book.
I want to end this Blog by saying thanks to all the wonderful people I have met and that have supported CK Outfitters. I look forward to turning the page. Tight lines & bent rods always! On to the next chapter.

Sincerely,

Craig Kalpinski
CK Outfitters Fly Fishing

Transition time...

The damn dam in Ennis which has affected fishing slightly on the Lower stretch is on the mend and should be finished very soon. As most of you know, a bus sized boulder broke away from the mountains nearby Ennis Dam. The boulder fell on top of the dam causing quite a bit of damage. Repairs continue and things should be full tilt shortly!
It happens every year. The hot Summer days shorten, nights become cooler, it's called transitioning into Fall. While most of us in Montana look forward to the pleasant weather associated with September, the fish don't always see it that way. Two weeks ago, the fish were looking up for their food. Now, most are just a little confused.
I have spent years telling my clients about this. People finally got it right this year and held off booking their trips until later in September. Awesome - I get a much needed break and the fishing turns over and gains momentum as we head into Fall.
While things on the Lower Madison - a favorite Fall destination and those big browns begin to stage up on other rivers, this fall should live up to legendary Montana Fall fishing! The baetis are ready to pop and the humpback Yellowstone R. browns need to bulk up for Winter so be sure to give us a call if in the area.

At Last September...

Pictured here is my man, Scott Ritchie with a recently caught 50lb Tarpon. Fish was wrestled down in the middle Florida Keys. Miss the Keys!
Day 8 on the Facebook and as far as I know, I have only offended 1 person. They haven't defriended me yet but I'm sure once she thinks about it over a bottle of white zinfandel - I'm history.
Thanks GOD it's September. It has been a HOT Summer here in Southwestern Montana. It's all or nothing in this state. The only happy medium is September, but it's early and remains to be seen. The fishing however and that is what were here to talk about is good right now! I predict a banner September considering we have water and the weather has cooled off. Keep in touch and give us a call if migrating towards Montana.

Fishbook & Porn

Alright there you have it, the first fish porn of the season. It's September 1 and I made it this far - pretty good! I know the zoro/vader hat is a little freaky but I will let it slide because Dan is a great mo fo.
I will start by ranting about the fishing first. Despite some unsettled weather and falling rock, the fishing is solid! Upper Madison continues to surprise. Lower is up and down due to problems at the dam but once stabilizes, look out cookout! Yellowstone, who cares. It's Baetis September. We'll get over there in October for those humpback spawners.
Now, down to brass tax. I have been a Facebook holdout for a long time. Last Friday evening I had a couple of scotches and got Facebroken. Over the years I have joined, dejoined, deactivated, stopped mid post asking WTF am I doing?
It's been five long and hard trying days as a member of Facebook. I'm going to ride it out at least for awhile. While at times I think it's really stupid, other times I have connected with friend I haven't heard from in ages. That's really cool and what it's all about.
The idea of Facebook sometimes creaps me out. I have never been an open door kind of guy - that's why I hide out in Montana. I like my privacy but am learning to share bit's and pieces of it with my new found friends. More on the Fishbook at a later time. Until a later time, we will keep fishing and facebooking (at least for now). Tight lines and Have a great Labor day!

Fallen Boulder Damages Madison Dam Near Ennis

A bus sized boulder fell off the cliffs along the west side of Madison Dam Monday morning putting a 30 ft. divot in the top of the dam where it remains lodged. It also took out the hydraulics that control several of the flood gates. The leaking lines also apparently leaked “15 or 20 gallons” of hydraulic fluid into the river but no fish kills have been reported. Water is apparently seeping out around the boulders impact area however, PPL officials assured the public that “the facility is in a stable condition and there is no need for public action”. I bet BP wish they could have pulled that statement off.

The really good news is that it’s not spring runoff and judging from the location it might be prudent to consider some kind of preventative measures for future rock (large boulder) falls. Its unclear so far what river flows will be like once draw down and repairs are underway.

Summer?

I have been meaning to post these photos for quite some time and apologies to Casey - Samuel's father. I'll take this cold, rainy, nasty and wet Montana Summer? day to post this long overdue blog.
Samuel was my first ever nine year old client. He is a tenacious angler in the making. Great listener, patient, courteous and thankful. Just about everything you would ever want in a client.
We had a fantastic day on the Yellowstone. There was a healthy competition between Father & Son. If I remember correctly, I think Casey had to dish out some dough for dinner. I'm looking forward to fishing with Casey and Samuel in the future but for now, plans are on hold until we can replace Samuel's Auburn shirt with an Alabama Crimson Tide tee. Until we fish again. Tight Lines.

0 > 60 in a day!

Thursday we nearly broke 100 degrees. Today we were lucky to make it to 65 degrees. Be sure to pack the fleece and rain gear this week if heading this way for the week.
The Hopper fishing got a late start this season but now is in full effect! Had a couple of boats on the Lower Madison this past week with excellent results. PPL spiked the lower river this week for reasons unknown? This was actually a good thing and helped the conditions greatly. When there is a big water push like this it sends tasty morsels of crawdads, sculpins, stoneflies, etc. down the river. This also flushed out a lot of the moss.
The best part of our season is almost here. September is hands down the best time to fish in Montana. Cool night time temps and pleasant days provide prime conditions. We have some prime days still available in September so if in the area give us a call to reserve a great day on the river!

Those Damn Hippie Kids!

I wanna give you a peak into my life as a fly fishing guide! All glory - I don't think so.
Got this question a couple day's ago. Q: Do trout prefer light or dark rocks? A: My best answer was neither. Trout don't like rocks, they get in the way of aquatic habits like sleeping, eating, nesting and just about everything that humans like to do.
I recently got thrown this curve ball. After dropping my boat in the river, getting the clients dialed in and catching fish, my client asked "now at the end of the day, how do we get back to the truck?". I have several answers for this popular question but in all seriousness I said that all rivers in Southwestern Montana flow in a circle. He was content with that answer and fished on!
A few years ago I was asked what would happen if we kept a fish? I sternly said that if they really wanted to keep a fish that would be fine with me but Montana Fish & Game would have record of that on their forest service surveillance cameras and they probably would not be welcomed back to Montana. They quivered, put the fish back in the river belly up and we fished on!
Years ago, twelve to be exact, I had my first fly fishing brush with fame. I was working in a fly shop when the unnamed super hero pranced in. I thought I recognized him but could not put my finger on his mug. He asked me how to get to Yellowstone, where he could find some fish, kill one for dinner, another for the taxidermist - where is the nearest taxidermist?, and how many he could keep? A#1. I said to continue on Hwy 191 South until he either hits West Yellowstone or an elk. B#2 any river, pick a river - your in Yellowstone. America's first national park! C#3 Sorry, YNP is catch & release only (at that time). D#4 Do you really need a fish mount? Buy a frickin' plastic replica after you spend some time with your brand new, never payed attention to - Cannon camera. Enough of that douche bag, you get the point.
I will never disclose the name of this Hollywood celeb. Don't really need to because most locals know who he is and that Montana is just a nice place to sink his dough. Thanks. I guess.
I see and hear some really pretty idiotic things on the water. Thank GOD 99% of people/clients are in tune with Montana - I would not last long if they were not.
We are still fishing and Holy Shit! - It's good. Real good. Hatches are a couple weeks behind schedule but things are rockin' right now. Give us a call if in the area!