2023 Fish-Pic-O-Rama

[MarsB]

Damn Teleee, beautiful looking trout there. I wish we had salmon flies down here!

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.

[swimmy]

[teleee]

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.

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!!

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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[Rasputin]

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):





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.

[neckdeep]

[swimmy]

Dawn patrol. Streamer fishing was really good until the sun came up.

[Rasputin]

Great pics as usual swimmy, but where's the fish? No yellow torpedoes among the predawn takers?

[neckdeep]

[BobMc]

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.



Boat snacks for the following day were cooked.



My son caught his first fish on the fly pole, it ate a yellow sally dry.



His girlfriend got two on Panther Martins.



JSJ of the Hog Island crew hooked up as they came by us.



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.



After a long day on the river the breeze at Boblandia felt pretty good. Smashburgers on the Blackstone were hits as usual.



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.

[kokomas]

Evening caddis eater

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[Mr. Mike]

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.

I'm going to be in Jackson early part of the week of August 14. Tuesday August 15 is probably my only shot at a full fishing day. I already have plans to meet Djongo for at least a beer, but, if anyone has room for an angler on the 15th, let me know. I have basic rowing skills, so happy to pitch in in that regard, but happy to wade also.

[Djongo Unchained]

I'ma just vouch for Mr. Mike right now. Solid mag, looking forward to some brews and maybe some water time.

Maybe one of yas local sickgnar fisherman would set him up for a day of piscatorial pursuits.

[BobMc]

C’mon down to Boblandia and I’ll float you around.

[Rasputin]

Way to go Koko, nice brown!


Well today was considerable, so sit back and I'll spill out an excessively word laden post of triumph, serendipity and woe, then more triumph of the malodorous type. I made it to the river some time before 8am and started out by throwing an olive double-bugger into the churn (for lack of a better name) where I caught a cutty on a streamer a few days ago, I got no action there today, but took a cool pic of it as I was heading home this evening:





It was cloudy until 11am, which was really nice after yesterday's scorcher, but the fish had been laying low until after I met another fisherman around 10am who was as baffled by their nonbitieness as I was, as it was such a fine cool cloudy morning; we mirrored each other's confused hands in the air, and he went on down the Bitterroot, and I kept throwing my purple chubby with a golden stone in tow. Apparently the fish didn't like him, because as soon as he was outta earshot of my whoopinghollerness, a fine specimen of cutthroated troutfish grabbed a hold of my golden and challenged me to a tussle. I won said tussle.





Five minutes later, his kid brother thought he could take me, but found that old Rasputin wasn't nearly as terrible a fisherman as he very often seems to be. I said to myself "Well he was small, but at least it wasn't that same fish I caught twice already."





This is where the story bends toward the temptation of incredulity in my readers here in the TGR piscaforums, as shortly after I'd watched cutty the younger swim away, I got a take on my chubby, and as I wrestled the large chubbysnacker toward my net, he looked very familiar. Goodness gracious and sakes alive! It was the same 19" cutbow I had just mentioned, once again trying to avoid my net, and failing for the third time to do so. His wound from the snag hooking streamer of the first time was healing up nicely.







I figure since I caught him three times now, and hes always slack jawed for the camera, I should just call him Dumb-ass.

[Rasputin]

After that the fish stopped biting, so I tried working the waters up both sides of the point, and got nary a look, so I went back out to the point and sat down, and had a snack. I looked down into the water, and saw a big fish staring up at me as if to say "What? No seriously sharp cheddar, with smoked porter mustard, wrap for me?" After rudely eating it all in front of him, I tried throwing out the golden under an orange chubby I'd been working since Dumb-ass tore the legs offn' my purple one, but the mooch of a fish ignored it, and swam a few feet off in a snit because I didn't share my snack. Well I just kept sitting there, and slowly, and stupidly, tied a streamer on the 3x tippets leader I had on already. After a couple throws, the first big fish continued to give me the silent treatment, however another bigger fish followed it in, but apparently the streamer was not good enough for him, he didn't think it as good as the snacks he'd heard I was scarfing. So, being a generous sort, I tied on a bigger streamer, my favorite type, a "Dirty Hippy". On the second or third tantalizing dancing retrieve, the big guy, decided he couldn't stand to see it pulled outta the water, and turned sideways so he could eat it in two inches of water.

I had a brief feeling of euphoria, as I saw how big that fish was in profile, and felt how heavy he was, but then my joy turned to sorrow as he broke my leader at the blood knot, and stole my Dirty Hippy!! I was not a happy hippy at that point. But, I noticed that there were two other big fish still hanging out, the original moocher, and another smaller one. So, I tried other streamers, to confusicate them, and whadyaknow, that big ol' hippy eater came following another streamer with my Dirty Hippy hanging off him like a sparkly lip piercing. He did so twice, but didn't take again.

I eventually gave up on streamers, and went back down the gravel bar to the confluence to further ply the chubby golden combo, but then noticed they were rising to sip some sorta noseums. After a couple fruitless selections, I recalled the pattern I was trailing when that fish stole my chubby gorrila the other day. And I found a taker in a classic example of a West Slope Cutthroat. Almost no spots except on his tail, and loverly olive yellow back and sides. He put up a noble fight, after which he enjoyed his rest in my net:






What a pretty fish:







By this time I was long since out of water, and knew I should head home, however, as I walked up the rock bar to the point, I noticed the big fishes were back there looking at me, so I tied on another streamer, and after a bit, hooked into something heavy. It took a bit of work, but eventually I got it to where I could see it, and What the What!?! That ain't no trout fish! And why is he wearing my Kreelix on his head?!







It was my first ever Northern Pike, and possibly the biggest freshwater fish I've yet caught (I caught a largemouth that was an inch shorter, but heavy), 22"!
( I know that isn't a big pike, but still pretty sporty on a five weight). I thought about killing him for dinner, but then I thought that since I was near the confluence he might be outta the Clark Fork, and not fit for consumption. I pitched him back in the water, and tried to wash his nasty smell offn' my hand. It was a long day, but it was a big day. The end.

[plugboots]

The pike I catch near there I throw in the bank


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[Rasputin]

The pike I catch near there I throw in the bank

Yeah, my dad said something along the same vein, but I have excessive scruples when it comes to killing things, except for some bugs, especially skeeters. While I know that pike are not native, and invasive apex predators, I really dislike finding rotting fish on the banks. Apparently people used to do that with bull trout which are now endangered, and some still do so with pike minnows. Fish and Game actually has a limit on Northerns, which seems odd to me if they don't accept their presence in the waterways.

I was not gentle with him, allowed him to flop on the shore while I made up my mind about it. He was bleeding, and I could see the blood in the water after throwing him in. Apparently Northerns are relatively delicate, maybe he won't make it and get eaten by crawdads.

Brown trout are another introduced, trout-eating predator which people happen to like, even though they wrought havoc on the native Westslope Cutthroat populations.

[neckdeep]

The pike I catch near there I throw in the bank


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Another reason not to do it is that it's illegal: intentional game fish "waste" is punishable by fines and license suspension under MT regulations.

[The Reverend Floater]

Canaduh haz the fishes.

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[plugboots]

Another reason not to do it is that it's illegal: intentional game fish "waste" is punishable by fines and license suspension under MT regulations.

I won’t do it then. I was fishing a guided trip and it seemed like there were pike in all the frog water on the Clark Fork, so we killed a few that day, (per guide instructions), which the birds got immediately.
Similar you’re basically supposed to kill all the brook trout in the streams here, and I don’t kill them. Although I don’t know what I’m supposed to do with 4 to 7 inch Brooktrout.

[::: :::]

Canaduh haz the fishes.

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Holy shit, you are not kidding!
That fishes is a beaut!

[Rasputin]

Holy moley Floater, that is thick fish, what sorta tackle did you catch it on?


I woke up later than I meant to today, and got to the river around 9am, and before I got to where I wanted to fish, I realized that I left my camera in the truck. It was only five minutes away, so I went back to get it, and this turned out to be ironic.

My inner guidance drove me to go upstream, and I'd been thinking of trying fishing upstream on the island side, so I crossed over, and had to do a lot of bushwhacking which led me into a progressively foul mood. I made it to the area I intended to fish, and shortly afterward, a stone's throw downstream on the other side, two folks with two dogs showed up and started throwing whatever into the water so the dogs could terrify the poor fishes thereabouts. Then two more folks sprouted out of nowhere, even closer and commenced in doing the same, before moving upstream of me a hundred yards, and doing the same there. I guess when I'm cranky I tend to attract dogs-running-amok-into-water karma. I know that it isn't reasonable for me to expect the fishing access area to be for fishing, or for dog owners to keep their dogs from running wild and leaving poop all over the trails, and then yelling relentlessly because their verbal leashes seem to be miles long. Like I said, I'm cranky today.

Eventually I worked my way up to an area where I'd wanted to try fishing from the other side, and got no action other than a dozen tiny fishes that clustered around my streamer as if it was a long lost cousin. Aside from losing a golden nymph in a tree, I just made myself more aggravated, so I crossed the river dangerously, very nearly filling my hip-boots in strong current. Then I threw the streamer for a bit and was about to leave, when I said aloud, "It just really seems there oughtta be a fish in there." And there was, he heard me and grabbed my hook and pulled hard to keep it; since this is a fishing story, and one with an ironical twist, there is no picture of the absolutely beautiful, big, cutbow I landed.

The fish, who was a powerful fighter, didn't stop when he was in the net, and worked his nose to the conical bottom of it. I was curious how long he was (I'd guess 16-18 inches), and when I tried to measure him, he skillfully spun himself around in an instant, and jumped right outta the net. The camera I went back to get earlier, which lead me to changing directions, and going to where I caught the fish, ended up not getting used for the purpose which lead me to go back for it. Ironical, huh?

I headed back toward the truck, but wanted to try one other hole, once it was in eye shot, I saw beach people just upstream of where I wanted to fish, but I thought I'd still throw the streamer downstream of them a few times, until I saw that they were repeatedly throwing a frisbee in the water for their dog who was exiting the water where I intended to fish, sigh. I'm cranky today, but at least I caught a really nice fish, it was a real beauty, you'll just have to believe me.

[neckdeep]

I won’t do it then. I was fishing a guided trip and it seemed like there were pike in all the frog water on the Clark Fork, so we killed a few that day, (per guide instructions), which the birds got immediately.
Similar you’re basically supposed to kill all the brook trout in the streams here, and I don’t kill them. Although I don’t know what I’m supposed to do with 4 to 7 inch Brooktrout.

No worries.

Just thought I'd warn the rookie who fishes in town at places where Game and Fish probably goes to check licenses. Basically, dont be seen throwing game fish into the weeds.

[Underoos]

Although I don’t know what I’m supposed to do with 4 to 7 inch Brooktrout.

This is the best eating trout you can find. Chop the heads off and take the guts out and keep it simple with butter, S&P, maybe some onion. Trout are my least favorite fish to eat, but if you're gonna do it little brookies are the where it's at. In foil over a campfire is ideal. Helps to have at least a half dozen of them.

[stapes]

Holy shit, you are not kidding!
That fishes is a beaut!

Yea, very nice! That had to feel good.

Been mostly small water with the family lately. Brookie water. Should’ve cooked em up at camp like Roos said.







Hit this lake for cutthroat 7 years ago almost to the day. Had luck a saw a ton of fish. This time, not even a shadow. So it goes. Think I missed the morning window.



Back to float and throw big bugs. The fish were still eating them, along with drakes. Super fun. Great day and beautiful evening.