Greasy grimy gopher guts.

Gopher blasting season is winding down and we are once again on the water catching fish. We have several high water options now. Upper Madison wade section is fishing well! Lower Madison is shaping up, YNP Firehole Salmonfly hatch won't be long and the Jefferson is on "the drop". One thing is for certain, we will have no shortage of water this summer. We look forward to seeing you in Montana this summer!



Craig Kalpinski
CK Outfitters Fly Fishing
Bozeman Montana
406-539-6582

Rivers On The Rise Again...

Well kids, there on the rise again. Unless you are fishing one of three tailwaters in the southern portion of Montana, (Missouri, Beaverhead or Bighorn) you might have some trouble finding fishable water. I'm not talking that quarter mile stretch above cabin creek in between Quake and Hebgen lake either. Those fish have run up and out of Quake Lake to spawn. Leave em' alone! I'm waiting to hear from a guide friend if the Big Hole is fishable today - sometimes an early option during runoff?
One thing is for sure, as soon as these river come back into shape - the fishing will be "Light's out"! A good flush means a couple of things. A#1 Fish will have been feeding heavily for months and will be plump, well fed and healthy. B#2 The river bottoms can always use a natural scouring.
This is always a tough time for me. I'm dying to fish some clear H2o. It's a good thing I have "the book project" to keep me busy this year. I have finished three chapters and feel pretty good about the project. Finally have a title too. Montana Hold 'Em. Oh, I forgot to mention the Salmonflies down on the Henry's Fork. By now, I'm sure they have moved up into Box Canyon but always worth a trip for a lunker rainbow or brown or a good volcanic ding to your chines. Actually, this year, it might not be a problem due to our abundant snowpack and current river levels. Any how, we will keep you posted on all things relevant to fly fishing with CK Outfitters as conditions warrant. Until the next post, tight lines and dry bags!

All Over The Map!

Folks, hang on for this wild ride. This weekend has been drop dead gorgeous with temps in the mid 70's. Tomorrow's forecast is for abundant sunshine and a high of 80!
This sort of behavior by Mother Nature should (fingers crossed) should spark the beginning of the "official" start of spring runoff. I will keep you posted.

The Strangest Spring Runoff...

Ok this is truly a weird spring runoff. The rivers here in Southwestern Montana are in flux in a big way. I spent the month of May living in the Lucky Ewe cabin situated right on the Gallatin river. I watched the river come up, come down, blow out, dirty, clear, green, fishable, not fishable to just ? Folks, true spring runoff has not even started. There is still a lot of snow locked up in the high country.
I had reports of boats over on the Yellowstone yesterday. The fishing reports were mixed but if you want to experience some weirdness, head over to the Yellowstone in June. Caution: The river is muddy below the sheilds so I would stick to the valley. The river gauge at Carters bridge said it was at 7,000 cfs.
Your most stable and productive option right now is still going to be the Missouri below Holter dam. We appreciate any reports you may have for us. We will amend this post as conditions change but for now, hang on folks and enjoy this wild ride.

Southwestern Montana Rivers On The Rise

We all look forward to the Mother's Day Caddis hatch but a lesser celebrated bug is the March Brown. Spring runoff is still holding out so we will continue to keep our reports up and running until we get our annual Spring flush gets underway.
Rather than updating the fishing reports on the Blog, click on the Southwestern Montana Fishing Reports Icon in the upper right hand corner of our Blog.
The March Brown hatch on the Yellowstone pre caddis can be phenomenal. Larger than average fish down low is probably what you will find. We had our first report of the bug showing up Easter Sunday.
This is an exciting time to be fishing in Montana. With Spring runoff coinciding on the wings of the much anticipated Mothers Caddis, It's important to stay tuned and keep up to date on current conditions. If you are in the area, enjoy the fishing!

Spring Runoff...

We are checking out for a few weeks and will resume fishing reports on 5/21 (Spring opener on the Upper Madison - conditions pending). I anticipate a lengthy Spring runoff with snowpack averages hovering between 130 - 140%. Impressive! With a limited amount of fishable options, late May will find us based in Craig Montana fishing the legendary Missouri R. tailwater. Thanks for reading and be sure to stay tuned...

Jefferson-

Madison
Upper - *Remember, the stretch from the outlet of Quake lake to Mcatee bridge is closed to fishing until the third Saturday in May.
Lower -

Gallatin -


Yellowstone -

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.