27 August 2010
Today is a long travel day from Dubois, WY over to Drummond, MT to fish Rock Creek. We are up early and leave Dubois (for the first time) at 5:08 am. Heading toward the Togwotee Pass where there is road construction which opens up again at 0500. Part of the way out, AM recalls he left the trip journal in the Twin Pines lobby! Turning around, we go back and pick it up and leave Dubois (for the second time) at 0523. We finally reach the construction at 5:55 but have to cool our jets while we wait for a pilot car to guide us through the construction zone. It is still pitch black out and all work is being done under artificial lights. Our pilot car arrives, and we follow it through the construction – at one point, the driver took a wrong turn and about led us into the construction debris itself! After some bizarre moments of regrouping the vehicles, we clear the construction zone without any permanent damage.
We elect to take the Google recommended route up through Yellowstone National Park (NP) on the way to Montana. Driving through the Teton NP, we spot elk and deer along the road. Entering the Yellowstone NP South Entrance at about 0715, we confirm that they are open 24x7 this time year! Crossing the continental divide twice we come out by West Yellowstone by 0920. We pick up coffee at the Book Peddler at Cappy’s. There are a few changes since we were here last but the place is largely unchanged. We discover the #8 fish statue from the Madison County charity we saw last year in Ennis and Twin Bridges – it is title "Carrying the Legacy" by Christine Blackledge. A pretty cool connection with last year!
GK grabs breakfast while the rest of the YG explore the fly shops....stopping by Bud Lilly's Fly Shop, we chat with Dick Greene (owner) and staff who share what's hot and what's not. Kerry Almond was a great help from behind the counter!
Unfortunately we are heading away from the greater Yellowstone area so we won't be able to act on their recommendations. They are good folks and we recommend them highly!
Leaving West Yellowstone an hour later, we head toward Ennis and then the Cardiff/Harrison cutoff to I-90 – this was the road I cycled last year!! We arrive in Drummond at 2pm which was pretty much the plan! We check into the Drummond Motel and head for fishing about 2:40 pm. There is smoke in the air from a forest fire around Hamilton on the Bitterroot River- this seems like an annual event in these places. Arriving at Rock Creek, we find the water levels this year to be slightly lower than last year making the water easier to fish. This year we actually do "go back" as the fishing is fast and furious for everyone! Lots of willing fish to catch!! Patterns that work include: purple haze parachute, parachute adams, Chernobyl hoppers, black ants, Griffith gnat (size 20), black caddis, BWO parachute, and BWO emergers. Looks like whatever you want to use will work. This is so cool!! Everyone has a big day this afternoon!!
We find the beavers to be pretty active....
Mike reaches into his arsenal and starts to hammer the fish in the stream!!
JR hauls them out of the stream one after another...
AB puts on a "how to" clinic
Meanwhile GK is having a hot hand and is catching fish like he is using a gill net (although he isn't!)
MS continues to hammer the fish into the evening...
The beaver continue working even as we continue to catch fish!
Leaving Rock Creek later in the evening we just miss dinner time at the place we were heading but find the Club Bar in downtown Philipsburg to be open and a good place to get grub late in the evenings! What a great way to end today and the trip!!
