mems
07-26-2012, 05:27 PM
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a371/mems15/montana414.jpg
My favorite breakfast to fuel up for a day of trout fishing is biscuits and gravy.
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a371/mems15/montana417.jpg
Ofcourse Luke is a growing boy and he ordered a side of pancakes, the size of a "hubcap".
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a371/mems15/montana152.jpg
We were in Montana's Bitterroot valley to do some fishing. Luke wanted this trip for his high school graduation present. We got to fish for two weeks and had a blast.
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a371/mems15/montana151.jpg
The first challenge after deciding where to fish was to slip into your waders and boots.
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a371/mems15/montana310.jpg
You would walk through the brush to the stream, and the first step was always one of excitment and caution as you had to adjust to the slippery rocks and the current of the stream. I liked the cool feel of the water against my legs. The numbing cold told me I was ready to fish.
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a371/mems15/montana300.jpg
It takes some skill to read the water and to know and recognize the feeding lanes. This is Rock Creek and it is one of my favorite streams to fish in the area. It has a variety of trout species and is closed to floating after the salmon fly hatch. I talked with the owner of Fisherman's Mercantile fly shop and she said wade fishing is a lost art. Most guys just float and let the boat do all the work. They need skill to wade a creek like Rock Creek.
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a371/mems15/montana349.jpg
I got this nice westslope cutt on the upper section of Rock Creek. Patience also pays off, it took ten casts to get the perfect drift to fool this guy.
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a371/mems15/montana355.jpg
Rock Creek has some stunning vistas and is the ideal wading stream.
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a371/mems15/montana253.jpg
One difficult choice was deciding what size rod and reel set up to use. Luckily I am a rep for TFO and I had many different rods and reels to select from. This is the new BVK 4wt rod and reel. It was a great setup for medium streams like Rock Creek.
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a371/mems15/montana406.jpg
The new 1/2wt TFO rod was a blast on the smaller feeder creeks. It made a 12 inch fish seem like an ahi headed down stream.
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a371/mems15/montana398.jpg
One rod both Luke and I took pleasure and pride in fishing was this 4wt bamboo rod built by Adam Trahan and Mike Shay to remember my father with. When we fished this rod it was like having my old man back on the stream with me.
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a371/mems15/montana409.jpg
Luke fought this cuttie like a champ on the bamboo.
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a371/mems15/montana408.jpg
We hiked up to an alpine lake one day and had a nice picnic and fished for cutties cruizing the shore.
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a371/mems15/montana369.jpg
Got this nice one on the BVK 5wt great for roll casting backed up against timber.
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a371/mems15/montana379.jpg
The fire weed flowers were beautiful. It was very peaceful at this lake.
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a371/mems15/montana371.jpg
But it was time to get serious and go for some big fish on the Westfork of the Bitterroot on our favorite stretch of the river.
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a371/mems15/montana178.jpg
Luke in action on the west fork!
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a371/mems15/montana176.jpg
I got this nice cuttie behind the same rock where I caught the same fish two years earlier. He even fell for the same fly!
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a371/mems15/montana181.jpg
Here I am fighting my nicest fish of the trip
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a371/mems15/montana183.jpg
Here he is trying to get away from me!
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a371/mems15/montana187.jpg
And here I am with the hero shot.
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a371/mems15/montana190.jpg
It was a great feeling releasing this beautiful fish.
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a371/mems15/montana208.jpg
Luke and I both caught lots of nice fish and enjoyed all that montana has to offer.
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a371/mems15/montana279.jpg
The beer and cigars were a reward at the end of a good day.
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a371/mems15/montana273.jpg
There were lots of deer and other wildlife to enjoy.
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a371/mems15/montana331.jpg
But the trout were the stars of this story.
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a371/mems15/montana268.jpg
Here is the nicest brown I caught, 18inches so it was not a doodoo brown, Luke says they have to be at least 20 inches, so it was dubbed a "turd', but a nice one.
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a371/mems15/montana306.jpg
Browns do blend in well with their surroundings.
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a371/mems15/montana340.jpg
Luke said it was time to get down to business, so the gansta fly boys decided to fish the evening.
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a371/mems15/montana439.jpg
Luke fished a cave that he had fished two years ago and lost a huge brown. This time he hooked into this large rainbow and fought it like a champ. It was the largest fish of the trip for both of us, and boy was he proud.
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a371/mems15/montana436.jpg
It was a beauty!
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a371/mems15/montana441.jpg
Watching my 18year old son turn into a man before my eyes, well that was just Gravy! Mems.
My favorite breakfast to fuel up for a day of trout fishing is biscuits and gravy.
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a371/mems15/montana417.jpg
Ofcourse Luke is a growing boy and he ordered a side of pancakes, the size of a "hubcap".
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a371/mems15/montana152.jpg
We were in Montana's Bitterroot valley to do some fishing. Luke wanted this trip for his high school graduation present. We got to fish for two weeks and had a blast.
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a371/mems15/montana151.jpg
The first challenge after deciding where to fish was to slip into your waders and boots.
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a371/mems15/montana310.jpg
You would walk through the brush to the stream, and the first step was always one of excitment and caution as you had to adjust to the slippery rocks and the current of the stream. I liked the cool feel of the water against my legs. The numbing cold told me I was ready to fish.
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a371/mems15/montana300.jpg
It takes some skill to read the water and to know and recognize the feeding lanes. This is Rock Creek and it is one of my favorite streams to fish in the area. It has a variety of trout species and is closed to floating after the salmon fly hatch. I talked with the owner of Fisherman's Mercantile fly shop and she said wade fishing is a lost art. Most guys just float and let the boat do all the work. They need skill to wade a creek like Rock Creek.
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a371/mems15/montana349.jpg
I got this nice westslope cutt on the upper section of Rock Creek. Patience also pays off, it took ten casts to get the perfect drift to fool this guy.
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a371/mems15/montana355.jpg
Rock Creek has some stunning vistas and is the ideal wading stream.
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a371/mems15/montana253.jpg
One difficult choice was deciding what size rod and reel set up to use. Luckily I am a rep for TFO and I had many different rods and reels to select from. This is the new BVK 4wt rod and reel. It was a great setup for medium streams like Rock Creek.
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a371/mems15/montana406.jpg
The new 1/2wt TFO rod was a blast on the smaller feeder creeks. It made a 12 inch fish seem like an ahi headed down stream.
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a371/mems15/montana398.jpg
One rod both Luke and I took pleasure and pride in fishing was this 4wt bamboo rod built by Adam Trahan and Mike Shay to remember my father with. When we fished this rod it was like having my old man back on the stream with me.
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a371/mems15/montana409.jpg
Luke fought this cuttie like a champ on the bamboo.
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a371/mems15/montana408.jpg
We hiked up to an alpine lake one day and had a nice picnic and fished for cutties cruizing the shore.
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a371/mems15/montana369.jpg
Got this nice one on the BVK 5wt great for roll casting backed up against timber.
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a371/mems15/montana379.jpg
The fire weed flowers were beautiful. It was very peaceful at this lake.
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a371/mems15/montana371.jpg
But it was time to get serious and go for some big fish on the Westfork of the Bitterroot on our favorite stretch of the river.
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a371/mems15/montana178.jpg
Luke in action on the west fork!
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a371/mems15/montana176.jpg
I got this nice cuttie behind the same rock where I caught the same fish two years earlier. He even fell for the same fly!
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a371/mems15/montana181.jpg
Here I am fighting my nicest fish of the trip
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a371/mems15/montana183.jpg
Here he is trying to get away from me!
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a371/mems15/montana187.jpg
And here I am with the hero shot.
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a371/mems15/montana190.jpg
It was a great feeling releasing this beautiful fish.
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a371/mems15/montana208.jpg
Luke and I both caught lots of nice fish and enjoyed all that montana has to offer.
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a371/mems15/montana279.jpg
The beer and cigars were a reward at the end of a good day.
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a371/mems15/montana273.jpg
There were lots of deer and other wildlife to enjoy.
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a371/mems15/montana331.jpg
But the trout were the stars of this story.
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a371/mems15/montana268.jpg
Here is the nicest brown I caught, 18inches so it was not a doodoo brown, Luke says they have to be at least 20 inches, so it was dubbed a "turd', but a nice one.
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a371/mems15/montana306.jpg
Browns do blend in well with their surroundings.
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a371/mems15/montana340.jpg
Luke said it was time to get down to business, so the gansta fly boys decided to fish the evening.
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a371/mems15/montana439.jpg
Luke fished a cave that he had fished two years ago and lost a huge brown. This time he hooked into this large rainbow and fought it like a champ. It was the largest fish of the trip for both of us, and boy was he proud.
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a371/mems15/montana436.jpg
It was a beauty!
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a371/mems15/montana441.jpg
Watching my 18year old son turn into a man before my eyes, well that was just Gravy! Mems.