Oh shit!
So easy to get complacent out there, even experienced oarsmen. Glad they're ok!
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Oh shit!
So easy to get complacent out there, even experienced oarsmen. Glad they're ok!
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holy shit Telee, what happened?Quote:
Originally Posted by teleee
And, I agree with Rasputin, that first fish is brilliant.
Went out looking for greyling this weekend and caught over 100. Nice to get some eats on top, never thought I'd say this but I wish that they were just a little bit pickier and a little bit smarter. I'll put together a more thorough trip report if there is any interest.https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...321de4c09b.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...8f3dea11ec.jpg
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While I agree that big banana Telee caught is brilliant (they are all nice thick fish bigger than any I've ever caught, grats Telee), it was swimmy that said so first. :DQuote:
Originally Posted by tgapp
I went to the river and got swarmed by mosquitos, lost five flies, and landed a five inch rainbow. That's one inch of small trout per fly lost. However, before going out, my neighbor gave me a $5 Scheels gift card and I got two chubbys, so the total damage for today was actually 1 fly per 1.67 inches of small fish (who actually hooked himself while my fly was dragging in the water, as I was stepping down off the bank into the water). However, the griffith's gnat the fish took, is now coming apart, so that's almost like losing another fly. I was doing so well at not losing flies for a while there.......
Oh, and yeah, tgapp, more grayling pics! Tell the story!
When I was a kid, my dad used to take me out fishing at a stream fed farm reservoir/pond near St. Paul Oregon. It was largely covered in duckweed, and featured copious amounts of dead trees killed when the creek had been dammed. We'd paddle through it in a 17 foot Grumman canoe and fish for bluegill. Dad would set me up with a spin-casting rod with worms under a bobber, but he'd fish a popping bug on fly-rod.
When I got into my teens I had become very bass oriented, and collected many of the famous bass plugs; among my lures was a weedless frog with a hollow rubber body. It was with this frog, out at the St. Paul pond with Dad, skating it across the duck weed, that I caught my biggest bass. This was largely due to my dad's skillful maneuvering of the canoe as the wiley bucket mouth tried to wrap my line around dead trees and stumps. Good times.
This a scary reminder that your river is a big machine that can easily eat a boat. I’ve had a real close call in there, coming through some of the boils in a skiff. Just took my eye off things for a second and almost sunk her.Quote:
Originally Posted by teleee
Good to see things are shaping up! We will be up there in two weeks, let’s get out on your jet!
Double post
Of all the rivers I fish, this one is the spookiest. The scary thing about it is that it is the easiest to row technically (not a lot of rocks or rapids) but the consequences of letting your guard down is huge. Those boils and downed sweeper trees are death traps. I see at least one body get pulled out of here every year.Quote:
Originally Posted by jpcm
Let me know when you are here and we will get out, getting the jet dialed in as we speak!
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I'm not aware of any "boils" that can sink a boat. There are, however, a few eddy lines that can roll a drift boat that straddles the opposing currents high on the line.
Last week two nincompoops had to be extricated from the gate of the great feeder canal. You got to be a special class of stupid not to see that one coming as you approach it.
Call them what you likeQuote:
Originally Posted by neckdeep
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Teleee and JC, can I join you guys for a float when yer dialed in? Been wanting to take a lap with the telees since last time.
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Plugboots, can you roll a one handed doobie with that thumb?
;)
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I'm about thawed out from Boblandia and ready for another shindig.
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Hydraulics are sketchy as fuck.
Telee, glad your friends are ok.
The weather report today said 30% chance of heavy rain, but after last night's misadventure, I felt the need to be out there for a full day, which ended up being about eight hours fishing. I got into a good fish after half an hour or so, after a minute I started fumbling for my net which was not hanging as it should be but rather trapped between me and my pack, after a couple minutes of emancipating my net, I had him close when he came off. I spent the next few hours lamenting this loss (as well as the next couple fish I had on then lost), but the day had turned beautiful, and I had to enjoy the fact that I was blessed to be fishing instead of doing most anything else that people do.
The point of the confluence has changed as a result of dropping river levels:
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And the receding water level has made wading far from shore possible:
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The shallow water also revealed an artifact of someone else's misadventure:
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Eventually, I managed to hook a five inch rainbow which I "landed", meaning that he came off the hook and hit the shore before escaping, but it made me happier. Then another fisherman came up the other side of the Clark Fork channel, he hooked up while we were talking, then I did too.
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Then he hooked up again, and caught a big ass sucker, and I caught my best trout of the day.
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After he left, I was about done as well, but decided to tie on a streamer for a few casts. On the first cast, just as I was about to lift it outta the water, a healthy fish attacked it, I hooked it, then it broke off, and he disappeared with my streamer in his mouth. The leader was very heavy, and the fish wasn't huge, so there must have been a nick in it. Undeterred, I tied on another streamer, and after a bit hooked and landed a pike minnow. I tried a bit longer, but it was getting late, and I needed to leave before they closed the gate of the fishing access area (I'd driven the truck today). I left happy, having caught fish, seen ospreys, an eagle, and a great blue heron on the wing, and listened to the waters of the Clark Fork and the Bitterroot merging together for hours, it was a full day.
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A high desert spring creek.
Beautiful creek and fish.
This. That’s the type of water I love.Quote:
Originally Posted by Rasputin
Took my BIL on a fishing excursion into Yellowstone yesterday to seek out a few cutthroat trout. We went to Slough Creek and found a minor hatch of pale morning duns and green drakes getting a few fish to rise.
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There were a few bison bulls around growling at each other reminding us the rut is only a few weeks away. These two started to fuss close by but settled down to graze as we fished.
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The fish were cooperative and sipped dry flies all day. We ended up with a few decent cutthroat trout, many small fish and few micros for 15 fish.
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Looks like a few of us are headed over on August 11th. I'm planning on staying and floating as long as anyone wants to stay.Quote:
Originally Posted by Djongo Unchained
Any CO mags want to float the Ark around Salida Friday? Going to be down there all weekend but got an empty boat Friday. Fishing should be good.
Ask me again in September [emoji3]Quote:
Originally Posted by jpcm
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also I will be floating the upper Eagle this weekend with empty spots on the raft......Chet
Post work dinner date on my local jaunt. After a big fish kill a few years ago from fire/mudslides, it’s great to see a lot of healthy 6-12 inch fish. Good reminder that fisheries can recover and I’m really optimistic to see these fish grow up over the next couple years. Hopefully the water lasts for a few more weeks, the evening dry fly sesh 20 min from the house is a real treat.
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Probably echoing Swimmy but GOD DAMN!! I love salmon fly season. The best week of the year for troots
First time I have seen my backing on a fresh water rod in a few years
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Damn Teleee, beautiful looking trout there. I wish we had salmon flies down here!
I just had my first true double digit day on dries (in my entire fishing career, which is admittedly very short) and I'm pretty psyched. Non stop action all evening long, and while the fish weren't huge (this fishery is barely bigger than a little blue line), they were eating aggressively and fighting like hell. I'm honestly on cloud 9. Watching a trout explode on your fly never gets old.
I've been waiting for a day like today all season.https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...e29d8a1fcd.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...f2949bbf03.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...fba61712d3.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...00beb9572d.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...fb81b2386e.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...4a34381e8e.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...26e2f69b4d.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...3555eb46b4.jpg
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Way to go tgapp! I still haven't managed a double digit day, not even close (five is the most), but I'm adjusting myself to getting up early every day, maybe that will help, though it didn't yesterday; amid constant surface feeding, I was unable to land anything, in fact, the only one I hooked, lead to losing my new chubby gorilla as well as the trailing dry it was towing when the knot failed. :nonono2:
DJ, we’ll be up hanging over in Victor July 24-30th. Pop over to the ID side for a float or safety sesh/hikeQuote:
Originally Posted by Djongo Unchained
Absolute haus of a fish tele!! Maybe we get lucky with some of the big bugs in the upper stretches. Probably have some good golden stones activity in the canyon right??Quote:
Originally Posted by teleee
Nice work dude! I dig this underwater pic!Quote:
Originally Posted by tgapp
Tgapp, love the stoke. What's your go-to dry fly there?
Teleee - diggin' the salmon fly play-by-play. How much longer will that go? If you are still getting after it and have room for one, I'd drive down for sure. Never fished the south fork.
Treated some of my management team to a few days on the water. Man did they get the full Montana experience. I consider it job security.
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I'm so basic. Like a size 18 elk hair Caddis with a black or brown body, usually on the back of a chubby. Wish I had a fancier answer, but I guess it's a classic for a reason.
Beautiful stormy skies, wow.
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I'm visiting family in MA. Got to fish for a few hours at a pond at a private club where my dad's friend is a member. Pretty fun.
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Following recommendations I fished water boatmen on a sinking line. Damselfly nymphs around shallow weeds. Soft hackles under a floating caddis. Nothing. Then I moved over to the outlet and tried some flashy chironomids 5-6' down and it was on.
Can't say it was the most engaging form of fly fishing I've tried but it was fun to try something different and satisfying to solve the puzzle. Going after largemouth next week. Hoping to manage a striper day but I'm not sure I'll be able to get away from my kids long enough to make it happen. Fingers crossed.
We've got them, just not in great numbers. Have only seen a few this year. This was taken last May near the spot you fished yesterday.Quote:
Originally Posted by tgapp
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I would guess we have another 4 or 5 days as they move up river. sadly, my boat(s) are full as I am getting invaded by family. I would love to be able to row you, it would be a damn pleasure to have someone in the boat who can cast and tie on their own shit!!Quote:
Originally Posted by swimmy
Also I may be headed to your neck of the woods in a few weeks, hows the water temps holding up? You should certainly come fish the South Fork some time, it is a pretty magical stretch of water.
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Today was my second day of getting up early to prepare for the, soon to come, hoot owl hours, The Clark Fork above Missoula has been over 68 degrees four out of the last five days, and hotter weather is in the forecast. I only had four strikes all day, but landed two of them, and was in a good mood. The first one took a sparkle minnow I was mending back and forth across the edge of a drop off (as is often the case, the camera focused on the back ground, I really need to figure out how to avoid that):
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After looping back to the outhouse, I worked upstream from the boat ramp, thinking the water might be low enough to retrieve the sparkle minnow I left embedded in a log a few weeks back. Before I got there, I got a strong take on the golden stone nymph I'd switched to, but in classic form, I ripped it right outta his mouth. I continued further up stream toward the sparkle eating log, but stopped to make a cast under the rope swing tree, and was rewarded by an aggressive jumper of a brown. I was very pleased with the day at that point, enough so that I ceded the spot to another fisherman, and continued upstream in futile hope that I'd be able to retrieve my streamer (it was still too deep there). On the way back down stream, I stopped to talk to the other fisherman (who was fishing with worms THE HORROR!!!), I was relieved to hear he was only catching pike minnows, and found we had a lot of spiritual stuff to discuss (and yes, I did subtly try to convert him to fly fishing). Another mission of happenstance! So, catching the brown was the second best part of the outing.
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Dawn patrol. Streamer fishing was really good until the sun came up.
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Great pics as usual swimmy, but where's the fish? No yellow torpedoes among the predawn takers?
Family float/fish weekend was a success. Made plans to meet the Huge one and his two not so huge guys out at Boblandia. My oldest son met us out there and brought his girlfriend.
Sunsets were watched, crickets were hunted.
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Boat snacks for the following day were cooked.
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My son caught his first fish on the fly pole, it ate a yellow sally dry.
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His girlfriend got two on Panther Martins.
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JSJ of the Hog Island crew hooked up as they came by us.
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We kept at it and had a few more eats, my son is getting better every time he comes. He’s doing pretty well for being taught by an idiot.
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After a long day on the river the breeze at Boblandia felt pretty good. Smashburgers on the Blackstone were hits as usual.
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I’m thinking of heading out there again next weekend, depending on if the river stays clear. I’ll have two dogs and an 11 yo in tow but will have an empty seat in the boat if anyone wants to go.
Evening caddis eater https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...ad36acb536.jpg
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