The Braids of Montana Trip
26 August 2009 to 5 September 2009
Another fabulous trip completed as of Labor Day weekend 2009. This year's Montana travels started in Ennis then to Wisdom, Hall, and Ovando - all unique communities with great outdoor experiences and people. The total population of the 4 towns in which we stayed was less than 1500 people!
Waters fished include - Madison River (above and below Ennis Lake), Ruby River, Big Hole River, Rock Creek, Flint Creek, Blackfoot River, Monture Creek, and N. Fork Blackfoot River. Fishing was great in all places - AB set an IGFA line class record for Montana Brook trout on the Big Hole River! AM was fortunate to get in a little early morning bicycling on the backroads near Harrison-Cardell and between Wisdom and Jackson. Fabulous country views particularly just at sunrise.
Enclosed are a few pictures to whet your appetite - the full story is now presented here for the first time in the following pages! Enjoy! Just remember our standard for these reports is based on the ISO Fishing Standard which is that everything you read here could have happened!!
Andy and his IGFA Flyfishing Line Class Brook Trout record for Montana - Big
Hole River
Andy with a fine Rock Creek fish
Andy also developed novel wading boot modifications for slippery streams
GK with a fine Big Hole Fish
and another fine fish!
JR with a Rock Creek denizen
JR with a monster from the Blackfoot River
Things are done differently here - another view of car restoration
Traffic jams in the morning take a different look than in the city
Even AM can catch a fish now and then! (Rock Creek)
The effect of the recession on Orvis sales may be significant - this guy may
have worked for Lehman Bros.
Some think these trips are kind of long - leads to interesting behaviors
It was cold in the morning for bicycling - 37F in Wisdom!
Morning views are spectacular however and roads are great (Jackson)
Super scenery and quiet with great roads - Harrison/Cardell
Big Hole Braids are very complicated and can be tough to fish