One Epic Day

Last two days on the creek.  Yesterday was one of those.  Cloudy almost from the start, no wind, and good bugs.  A couple early afternoon passing lightning storms just wet enough to put on the rain gear.  Just enough close lightning to send me moving at a fast pace to the truck for an hour or so.  It was pretty good before the storm, and just silly easy to a heavy hatch afterward until the wind blew it all away around 4:30.  But the place was boiling for a few hours.  More heads than a guy could ever cast to.  Pick your fish.  Pick your lie.  Big fish in the slick below Betty's.  Eating anything and everything.  Not too crowded, me and three other guys in the whole run, and they were in and out.

Today, in contrast, was sunny from start to finish.  Calm until about Noon, then that north wind blowing upstream all afternoon.  Hatch was mediocre, and the fish were on midges early and throughout the day.  Once in a while I'd get an eat on a mole, spider, little cdc emerger, or something like that.  Small stuff.  Same run, same fish.  This afternoon about 6, I returned to the PHD pool and made up for the ones I missed there with the mole earlier in the afternoon.  This time with the spider.  

Livingston is one of the few places you can catch a fish in a spring creek, get a 90 minute massage, grab a DQ Blizzard, and get back on the creek with another fish on, all in three hours!  (In Campeche, its catch a tarpon at "crappie tree," get a one-hour massage, and be eating coconut shrimp at La Pigua in three hours!)  This week goes by so fast.  Seven days sounds like a lot, but it passes quickly.  

Ole Asshat showed up here this morning.  Walked down the bank right next to where I was casting, stepped right in behind a guide and his client properly below me, then started fishing in casting range closely below them.  Come to find out, he's a local politician, once kicked off of here, and this morning told to leave the best little fly shop in Montana.   

Yesterday's PMD's.  Big ones, 16's.  There were BWO's too.

This one has a Mole in his lip

And this one has a spider in his lip

In some light rain.  Big drops though.

The traditional spider, again.  Mowed down the last three fish on the PHD pool with it this afternoon.  Wind was up, blowing upstream from the North.  I was casting straight upstream, with a greased leader all the way to the powdered fly, right over 'em.  Slurp!

Bet this was quite a shitter with a view at one time.

A favorite red barn on the next ranch up.

Not a perfect camp spot, but better than most, close to town, close to the creeks, and private other than some horses, cowboys, and a few other local residents.