Changes

Like the season, the waters are changing.  Boulder, Clark Fork, and a couple forks of the Bitterroot were nice breaks.  Smallish fish, but most are compared to the Fork.  Brown ones, rainbow ones, and a cutt or two.  Only saw one big one rise in the Boulder before it closed, and I couldn't get it to eat.  The bushes and trees vary in color depending on elevation, but it isn't peaking yet on the western side.  

Reclaimed and rehabbed 

Kinda fake and ditchy, but holding fish.

Always some in a bridge pool

And another bridge pool

A little more fall-like up the canyon

Wasn't much water

Some deeper runs

Main stem pretty low too

But the river runs through it

Week Two

Nearing the end of September, and I haven't fished anywhere else this month.   Two afternoons on Flat Creek while enroute to the Fork, but that's it.  Its a hard place to leave when there's quality fish rising every morning and most evenings.  All day when its calm.  Shoulda bought a cabin here in 1984, or '94, or hell, even '04.

Just a couple years ago, or less, I wrote that the river is in trouble.  That may still be the case, with dirty water from the lake, considerably more fishermen, and lighter hatches.  It sure seems to be doing ok this month though.  I've also written how I wished for one of those "catastrophic drought" years again, and I got it this year!  The Fork is at a trickle right now (150-ish), and fishing has been great!  Bring on another one.  I haven't heard of any drought-related fish kills, the cows still have hay, and all is well after one of the hottest summers on record.

Back to the Fork.  Maybe the lighter hatches have made the fish less selective.  It sure seems that way.  The river now has drift boats floating the ranch daily, and that is disheartening to sickening to me.  Just plain ass wrong.  But it's still the Fork, and it has its moments almost daily.  This week was no exception.  

But alas, time to head somewhere else to chill a little and do some exploring.  I'm kinda liking that these days.  The MO and creeks will be there, and so will I, in time.

From under 500 to 140.  Knee high everywhere

Looks like Fall

Definitely Fall, despite 70 degree days

Fly of the month

Finally left Millionaires for a few evenings to use this trail again

Les after that big sunset riser

This pool was going to be for the birds this morning . . . 

But I got 'em outta there

Big heads up on both sides of me

This was the best baetis

I don't know what they thought this PMD was, but they ate it.  Maybe they thought it was a PMD!

Handy root ball

The old ranch bridge had more character, but this one isn't ugly

Les' photo

Calm Before the Storm

Warmer.  Not a breath of wind.  Some clouds.  Up and at 'em!  Forecast not good.  But there were bugs, more than on recent early mornings.  Right up the trail to the fish I started with two mornings ago.  That one.  He was up eating tricos again, it appeared.  Great.  Back to that same mile of 6X from yesterday.  Only this time, he wasn't going to eat my trico(s) from yesterday, or a Sri Lanka, or any other tiny bugs I put over him just right.  But he finally succumbed.  By the time I hooked him, untangled my leader from the grass a few times, and got him tangled enough to net, the gale was seconds away.  Right after the second or third press of the shutter, I nearly got bowled over by the first gust.  But he and I, we had a fine little hour or so fucking with each other, and I won in the end.

There were definitely more bugs this morning.  Tricos, lots of 'em.  Mahoganies.  As many as I've seen all week, though still not heavy by any means.  And then, there were a bunch of other little #18ish bugs that had two tails and the perfect size to be baetis.  But the wings were mottled, and even the body to some extent.  I know there's a ton of little "BWO" bugs of varying taxonomy, but there were adults and spinners on the water for an hour.  When the gale started blowing, the water was pretty loaded with tricos and these other little mayflies.  It blew 'em all to the water all at once, but nary a rise.  Again, fun while it lasted.

Light clouds and dead calm

Warm.  That was a sign.

Right in the crosshairs.  That black nose in front of the little weed patch.  That's him all right.  

10 minutes later of stalking like a heron.  I'm ready.

It wasn't that easy!  Took an hour.

And this ain't quite cheating, but it's starting to feel like it.  There were just starting to be enough mahoganies around.  Never saw him eat one, until he ate this one!

It's definitely a PMD version, but who's watching color?

A bunch of these fellers showed up.

Looks like a baby Callibaetis or something.

NO BUENO!

Somebody's going to have a windy Ranch wedding, but at least they won't have to hear my screaming drag right before "I do" like last time.

Hold everything!  Is that flat water I see, protected by the cliff and the trees?

I can fish that.  And there's fish doin' it to all those windblown bugs.

And now the trailer shakes and wobbles as the storm approaches.  Good afternoon for shower, fly sorting, cleaning, napping, computering,  . . .