Good luck Gary. Hope the weather turns for you. -Jim
-----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On Behalf Of Gary Meyers Sent: Thursday, April 18, 2002 10:03 AM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Report from Montana This is being posted from a Helena motel room, where my 15-year-old son and I are hunkered down while a late winter Montana storm howls outside. We drove from Seattle to Missoula Sunday, boat in tow, hoping to hit the Skawala fishing on the Clark Fork or Bitterroot and then head to the Yellowstone near Livingston. However, it had been raining heavily over much of western Montana on Saturday and Sunday and the major rivers were high and out of shape. The Missouri was supposedly the only river that was fishable so we beat feet over to the Wolf Point/Craig area (between Helena and Great Falls) on Monday morning. We waded a bit on Monday afternoon and pretty much got humbled. This was my first crack at the 'Mo. It's a very large tailwater river with minimal structure and current (almost like a bloated spring creek) and from what I've heard and read has prolific hatches later in the season and fishes extremely well for large browns and bows. This time of year is a sub-surface proposition. On Tuesday we floated from Holter Dam to Craig. My son was fishing a double nymph dropper set-up with small pink scuds and brassies. He picked up a half dozen good sized "Montana Bones" while I stripped large streamers/buggers with one solitary fish, albeit a nice brown, to show for my efforts. Not much traffic on the river. Air and water temperature bone-chilling cold. Add a 15-MPH wind and you know you're in Montana in April. Wednesday, we floated a different section; we put in 20 miles or so downstream from Holter Dam, on the advice �� courtesy of $75 worth of tippet and flies ;-) �� from a local fly shop. The streamer fishing was good. With large, size #2 and #4, ugly streamers and buggers with sink tip line. I stung perhaps 8-10 large browns and fishing-wise was a happy camper. However, at about 2pm, it started to rain. It was the kind of rain that if the air temperature was three degrees colder, it would be snow. And the wind chimed in, blowing upstream of course. By about 3pm, we were numb and wet and couldn't take it any longer. We started rowing downriver against the wind; and let me suffice that it was a long cold pull. I cannot remember too many other times when I was as glad to see the takeout. Side note #1. One of the things I like best about fishing in Montana: You can be out in the the middle of nowhere, but your chances of finding a bar at the takeout are pretty good. Beers, burgers, and usually some local color. The rain finally turned to snow and we are taking refuge in Helena until the weather (hopefully) turns and we'll try to get another float in somewhere before heading back to Seattle and the ever-present, ever-looming, ever-constricting dual realities of work and school Side note #2: Being somewhat of a Lewis and Clark buff, it occurred to me that as we were floating down the Missouri in this April storm, almost 200 years ago the Lewis and Clark expedition was making its way along the same river in April (albeit further downriver). Whereas we were floating a scant 8 miles downstream in a lightweight rubber raft, bundled in wool and neoprene and Goretex and chemical foot warmers, with a big warm Suburban, and a bar, and a motel room waiting for us at the takeout, Lewis and Clark and some 30 men were moving UPRIVER (remember, this was before all the Missouri River dams so you can imagine the strength of the spring flows), poling and pulling heavy, hand-built pirogues laden with gear, often chest deep in the bone-frigid river dodging oncoming ice flows and frozen buffalo carcasses, wearing the same deerskin leggings every single day, making 30 miles a day on average (30 miles upstream!). Camping at night in grizzly country, having only a rough idea of where they were or how far away the Pacific was. On their own in the elements for 2 1/2 years. No gloves, no sunglasses, no dry clothes, no raingear, no bath, no shower, no mosquito repellent, no razor, no toothbrush, no flyrods(!). Tough stock. Sorry for the overly long post. I'm getting anxious to get back out. Gary Meyers Kirkland
