Greetings from Montana

[DaveChenault]

As instructed...

My wife and I moved to Missoula in 2008 for me to go to grad school. Last September, a mountain biking friend visited on his way up to Whistler. After a few days of biking, fishing, and eating, his analysis was something to the effect that the fishing in Montana is much better than the mountain biking. Since moving from Arizona, I'd been in denial about that. Instead, I decided to embrace it, and had a fun autumn dragging my dad's old two-piece Orvis along on backpacks, dayhikes, and on my mountain bike. I'm currently researching Tenkara in preparation for the thaw and a summer of backpacking and trout fishing.

I know just enough about fishing to get out and occasionally catch fish. I like finding solitude, and fly fishing is a nice contemplative way to enjoy the woods. My age can perhaps be seen in that I no longer find it boring.

I've been adventuring outside since before I can remember. My parents met in a backpacking store in Atlanta, and as an adult I've been serially obsessed with rock climbing, canyoneering, mountain biking, ultra running, backcountry skiing, and wilderness racing. The last four are still fully active pursuits. But I've always liked to eat fish, and like I said, I'm learning to slow down a bit and enjoy looking around and hanging out. While still doing something (fishing), of course.

[DaveChenault]

This is me fishing the Little Firehole in Yellowstone this past fall. Not much luck, but very engaging fishing in a wonderful setting, on a perfect backpacking trip.

[DaveChenault]

I'm currently seven months into a project to visit Yellowstone at least once a month for a whole calender year. Our October trip almost got derailed when we broke down in Butte at noon on a Sunday. We were delayed, but made it. This was the following Tuesday morning, right where the Firehole and Gibbon join to form the Madison. My line was icing up in the 15 degree air, but all was forgotten when three River Otters came cruising by. I dropped my rod and trotted along the bank, following them for a few minutes.

Only River Otters I've seen in the wild.

[DaveChenault]

I've also been playing around with home-movies made on trips recently. The following are a few that might be worth watching.



The above is a video summary of a recent trip to Egypt. Briefly featured in the antithesis of small stream fishing, a forty pound Nile Perch I caught while trolling on Lake Nasser.



That one is a summary of Le Parcour de Wild wilderness "race" across the Bob Marshall complex last October. I use scare quotes because it was just a blind date six day backpack with my now friend Kevin Sawchuk. No fishing done, but good fun had by all.



A scenic dayhike my wife and I took in Glacier last fall. Classic Montana September weather.

Thanks for lookin'.

[gusstrand]

Dang. Now THAT is one heckuva intro. Welcome.

[adam]

Nicely put.

You are in.

[Deschutes]

This is me fishing the Little Firehole in Yellowstone this past fall. Not much luck, but very engaging fishing in a wonderful setting, on a perfect backpacking trip.

Very cool picture, fly fishing with a bison would be awesome.

I've only seen a river otter once too (might have been a mink), it was on the Deschutes. Very cool to see them in the wild.

Hope you give us some more stories on your future trips. Cheers.

[DaveChenault]

Thanks everyone!

[Brooktrout]

nice, and cool pics too.
i lived in mt for years and learned to fly-fish there. but that was a while back. also worked at glacier np for three summers during school. awesome country. have you ever fished old man lake near the two med area in glacier?

been to egypt too. pretty wild. looks like we have a lot in common.
welcome!

[DaveChenault]

have you ever fished old man lake near the two med area in glacier?

I haven't, yet. A Tenkara rig is high on the list of toys so that I can do some fishing on all my summer backpacks and dayhikes without looking like I'm hauling a radio aerial.