They have been fighting a pretty good size fire near Suttle lake, which is not that far from the Metolius. Might be worth checking on the containment details before making the trip........
Ross > Tough Call, Ryan. If I hadn't of gone to Montana this past week I would have > been at a rented USFS Lookout tower perched 500' above the Metolius River.. It > would have been my third year renting this place, but I only fished the Metolius > once, last year, and only for a couple of hours. I don't think I've ever seen a > more beautiful river, but I didn't have enough time on the water to catch much > of anything. Good luck. > Cliff > > Ryan Davey wrote: > > > Thanks Cliff, it's still undecided at the moment, was supposed to be heading > > to Yellowstone, but my friend whom I was supposed to go with had a family > > death, but I already have the time off work. I'll either be heading to the > > Metolius or Rock Creek, I'll probably flip a coin tomorrow some time... > > > > Ryan Davey > > MSN GSC > > > > Many men fish their entire lives without ever knowing it is not the fish > > they are after. > > > > - Henry David Thoreau > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Cliff & Karen > > Sent: Tuesday, July 08, 2003 5:02 AM > > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Subject: Re: Rock Creek, Etc. > > > > Well, just let me know if you need any specific info. > > Cliff > > > > Ryan Davey wrote: > > > > > For a non-fishing trip, that's a heck of a lot of fishing! Great report, > > > good information as I was thinking of heading that way on Thursday. > > > > > > Ryan Davey > > > MSN GSC > > > > > > Many men fish their entire lives without ever knowing it is not the fish > > > they are after. > > > > > > - Henry David Thoreau > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Cliff & Karen > > > Sent: Sunday, July 06, 2003 11:03 AM > > > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > Subject: Rock Creek, Etc. > > > > > > Hello, > > > > > > I wanted to make a post and tell everyone who offered me advice that I > > > had one of the best fishing trips I've ever experienced, in Rock Creek, > > > and other rivers in Montana. The trip actually wasn't just for fishing, > > > but I managed to squeeze some time in on the rivers somehow. Anyway, I > > > just returned last night. I fished the Jocko River extensively, from the > > > Jocko Primitive Area (up behind the Missions NE of Arlee) to various > > > locations throughout the Arlee/Dixon area, and I never once got skunked. > > > I never caught any of the browns, but the tribal bio tells me they are > > > moving upstream from the confluence of the Jocko/Flathead right now. I > > > had a ball catching 8"-13" cutts almost every time my stimulator hit the > > > water. No rattlers, either. It was weird fishing with a bear bell > > > hanging from my vest up in the Jocko Primitive Area, but when in > > > Rome......Actually, I was told the grizzlies are still high up in the > > > Missions right now, although I did see one scrawny black bear and heard > > > of two other blackies in the area that scared some campers out of a > > > spot. I spent two nights at a high drive-to lake up in the Missions and > > > fished this lake (Twin Lakes) from my little inflatable raft. I caught > > > only two tiny cutts off an olive willie trolled from my raft. That night > > > I witnessed the most incredible thunder & lightning storm I've ever > > > seen. It went on for hours and was a "dry" storm as it only rained a > > > total of five minutes. I learned three days after the fact that this > > > lightning storm caused a pretty good fire just SE of the little town of > > > Perma, where I fished in the lower Jocko two mornings ago. The hotshots > > > and volunteers were on it, and the USFS had two choppers with water > > > buckets taking water out of the Flathead. I got a pretty good snapshot > > > of it. > > > > > > I fished Rock Creek on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday morning, and it > > > was fantastic, although the fish didn't come as readily as on the > > > Jocko. I can't be positive of the exact location, but I think I was a > > > little more than 3/4th the way into the Creek road, and if it's about 30 > > > miles in length I must have been around the 18 mile mark. The road is > > > full of potholes, by the way, and if you drive a pickup/camper rig like > > > I do you'll be driving really slowly. All the action was on dries > > > (caddis, but an occasional pmd) and I experienced the biggest caddis > > > hatch I've ever seen, about 8:25pm on Tuesday night. The fish went nuts > > > and I caught a 17" brown on a Stimulator after casting to him him for > > > about 20 minutes. It was one of those classic long casts (for me) over > > > fast moving water to a slow deeper pool on the far bank where the fish > > > was feeding. You're lucky if you get 3-bobs before the fast water drags > > > your line & fly away. It was a first, as I've never caught a brown on a > > > dry fly before. My largest was a true 20" brown I took at dusk on a huge > > > Kauffman's stonefly. The fish was buried in a huge logjam on the river > > > and my fly was basically "dapped" into the water from above. It was a > > > really nice fish, but I have to say it was more fun catching the smaller > > > brown on a great cast (or superlucky cast) during the hatch earlier in > > > the evening. To even things out I ended up crashing right through the > > > logjam/beaver dam riprap down into the river as I was walking off the > > > jam after catching that big brown. My knee is still hurting and I > > > wrenched my back. Luckily, the water was only three feet deep and there > > > were no sharp sticks pointing upwards as I fell in. The majority of the > > > fish I took from Rock Creek were cutts in the 10"-14" range, but I also > > > caught a rainbow of about 12" and several large whitefish in the deeper > > > pools..It was so hot (95 on Monday driving into the canton) that fishing > > > hours lasted from early morning until 11:00am or so, then you kind of > > > had to beat the heat somehow for several hours and be back on the water > > > around 6:00pm. I was able to catch a couple of small cutts during the > > > heat of the day on bead head pheasant tails, but that was the only time > > > I tied on a wet fly while in Montana. One more thing - the mosquitos > > > were really bad. It was a great river and I'll be back. > > > > > > I also fished the West Fork Rock Creek after driving out via > > > Philipsburg, and heading towards the Pintler Mountains. The Pintler > > > Mountains, by the way, are one of the most striking mountain ranges I've > > > ever seen. Anyway, I headed up Hwy 38 into the mountains and caught some > > > more small cutts at various locations along the W. Fork Rock Creek, then > > > headed up the pass on this one lane gravel road to Skalkaho Pass. It's a > > > beautiful wild area with hardly any roads that I could see, nor many > > > trailheads. I fished the tiny creek near the top of the pass (it was > > > either still the W. Fork Rock Creek or Daly Creek at that point - I > > > couldn't tell which) and I caught some beautiful little mountain cutts > > > on tiny elk hair caddis flies. I also fished Daly Creek on the descent > > > down the west side of the range and caught some similar cutts. > > > > > > I then drove on down to the Hamilton area and attempted to fish the > > > Bitterroot in various locales up Hwy 93. I have to say I was not that > > > impressed with the Bitterroot after having come from so many beautiful > > > rivers and creeks. I haven't been down that way in thirty years or so, > > > and the growth and "urban" setting kind of bothers me. I ended up > > > fishing an area north of Stevensville/Bass Creek area and didn't do well > > > at all. To be fair about it, it was in the middle of a very hot > > > afternoon, and I was tired from my drive, so I didn't give the > > > Bitterroot a fair crack. It's just so different from the more wild > > > streams I was fishing from.... > > > > > > Lastly, after fishing the Jocko one more time near Arlee, I headed out > > > and kept my gear handy as I've been wanting to fish the St. Regis river > > > for many years, but just never seem to get around to it. I fished a few > > > miles above the town of St. Regis. It had to happen - I finally got > > > skunked in Montana. I fished about four areas along it's course and got > > > saw a rise nor a fish through my polarized glasses. From my previous > > > experiences I was so cocky with dry flies that all I took were the > > > caddis fly I had tied on and a couple more stuck in hat band, and left > > > my fly box in the pickup. Makes me wonder if I had tied on a nymph and > > > drifted it down some slot if I would have come up with a strike. > > > Anyway, I saw another guy fishing a ways and I ran into an old guy in a > > > trailer who told me he'd seen guys "pulling fish out of the river". I > > > guess they had better luck than I. > > > > > > Anyway, that's my report (and I'm sticking too all of the lies). Sorry > > > for the length of this, but I'm still a little bit excited about it. If > > > any of you have any specific questions please send me an email and I'd > > > be happy to help. > > > > > > Thanks, > > > Cliff >
