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Monday, July 21, 2003 Today is a travel day & the YG members sleep in after a late night of fishing. Breakfast at the Oasis Café in Wolf Creek (Oasis Bar & Cafe Old Hwy 91 Wolf Creek, MT 59648 (406) 235-9992) and we’re off at 11:15, west on highway 287 to the Continental Divide and the Blackfoot River drainage. On the way to Bowman’s Corner and a left turn on highway 200, there were several herds of Antelope feeding on the slopes of the rolling sagebrush plains. It’s 11:45 when we reach Bowman’s Corners & the temp is a pleasant 78 degrees. We turn west on highway 200 toward Roger’s Pass at the Continental Divide & the town of Lincoln. Along the way to Roger’s pass we check out Auchard Creek & the Middle Fork of the Dearborn River. Both are extremely low & un-fishable. Crossing the pass, there are hundreds of bicyclists on the road. Later in Orvando, while talking to some of the bikers we find out the group is riding the back-roads along the entire Continental Divide from Canada to Mexico! They plan 3 months to complete the trip. Most of the bikers are riding heavy-duty mountain bikes, many pulling small trailers. They meet up with support vehicles where the terrain allows & many camp out each night. Riding on, or paralleling the Continental Divide for the entire ride, they cross the Divide some 27 times during the length of the trip! Given the high temperatures, high altitude, gravel roads & elevation changes, this is a tough bunch of bike riders! Just over the pass we turn off on Mike Horse Creek road, & drive 10 miles of gravel road to the headwaters. We’d heard stories of giant Cutt’s inhabiting beaver ponds in the area. At the end of the road we found an old mining camp of the White Hope Mine. Set in a background of forested mountains with the ridges just above the camp being the Continental Divide, it was obvious by looking at the buildings & equipment that the mining operations had ceased years earlier.
There were dogs barking inside the largest building, so MS knocked on the door. An old miner came to the door and began sharing the history of the area with us. We soon turned the conversation to fishing opportunities in the area & the old man pointed to the tailing pond below the mine camp, saying that Montana Fisheries had planted moss, freshwater shrimp & Cutthroat in the pond a while back. He said a guy fishing the pond last year had caught several Cutts in the 5-6 pound range! Spinning gravel off our tires heading downhill to the pond, the old timer shouted, "Keep an eye out boys, there’s a bunch of Griz in the area!" With the possibility of 5-6 lb. Cutthroat in the pond, I think the YG would have been willing to slug it out with a few Grizzlies’ to get to them. MS chose a fly rod & GK, JR & AB took a spinning rod with Krocodile spoons & Rooster Tails down the trail to the pond. With crystal clear water, stumps & trees in the water & deep drop-offs along the forested edge of the pond, we had high hopes of landing a big Cutt. The habitat looked ideal. Several casts from the dam produced no results. MS & GK worked one side of the 5-acre pond, while AB & JR followed a trail on the opposite side of the lake. There were tracks of elk & deer in the mud edges all around the lake. Anticipation was high with every cast to the middle of the lake & around stumps and trees. Fast retrieve, slow retrieve, counting the lure down into the depths, nothing produced a strike. The call came over the Motorola FRS radios we all carry; "lets head out, I think we’ve given this a fair shot." Hiking back to the trucks we discussed the possibility of using a float tube on the pond. Likely, if there truly were large Cutts in the pond you’d have more success by working flies off the bottom in the deeper areas. Or, maybe the 5-6 lb. Cutts are just a good story to tell tourists that blunder into the old mans’ camp. Heading back down the gravel road we pull in to an area of old log cabins & buildings that the old timer said was the lodging area for the men that worked at the mine. As we explored the buildings, we kept a sharp eye out for Rattlers as this looked like prime habitat. Across the road and thru a brushy logged off area ran Mike Horse Creek. The creek was low & clear. Lower in the drainage, beavers had damned the stream causing a series of ponds, flooded lowlands & dense willow growth. We were told to fish these beaver ponds, but given our late start on the day, we had to pass to move our way down the road. This is definitely an area that deserves more exploration. Headed back down highway 200 toward the west, the highway followed the Blackfoot River. The river in these upper reaches was 30 to 50 feet wide, slow, sinuous, big deep blue-black pools & cut-banks with log jams in all the corners. Our research said the area was populated mainly by Brown Trout living in the big pools & under the cut-banks. Dry fly fishing was tough due to the slow water and the time trout had to examine the fly, a wooly bugger or streamer would be a better choice. Coming into the town of Lincoln the trip odometer said we’d traveled 950 miles from Seattle. It was 2 PM and the temp was 85 degrees, much better than the mid-day 100 plus temperatures on the east side of the Divide. Lincoln is a nice, modern small town with all the necessary amenities. Food, fuel & lodging. Our ultimate destination for the day was Orvando, Montana and the Blackfoot Commercial Co. & Inn where we were to check into the Bed & Breakfast, so we moved on. Driving into Orvando, just off highway 200, the town itself is made up of a half-dozen old western-style buildings with a small residential area on the outskirts. JR & MS met Peggy owner of the Blackfoot Commercial Co. & Inn and checked us in for the week. The rooms at the B&B were great, the breakfasts we’re awesome and Peggy was a great host. We immediately took a liking to the quiet, western setting of the town, immediately feeling right at home. We plan to make Ovando a stop on future trips to the area. Blackfoot B&B: 406-793-5555 (http://www.blackfoot-inn.com/) We also met Howie who ran the general store & was the all around handyman. Blackfoot Commercial Company
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| BCC Now | BCC Then (Circa 1880's) |
After moving into our rooms we headed for Trixi’s Saloon for lunch. Trixi who owned the saloon for years, was a famous rodeo queen of the 20’s & 30’s. She passed away in 2001. Large moose heads, antelope, deer & elk were the motif. A couple bottles of Moose Drool beer & big buffalo burgers and the YG were ready for some evening fishing.
Stopping at the Blackfoot Angler Fly Shop ( 406-793-FISH, www.blackfootangler.com, email: angler@blackfoot.net ) for a little G2 we meet owners Kathy Schoendoefer & Travis Thurmond who fill us in on the local hot spots & flies de’jour.
Large Red Humpies, Hoppers & Bloody Mary’s (a red bead-head), saying, "fish on the Blackfoot like large flies & red is the current preferred color." She also says the rivers are hot & dropping fast, as much as 300 cfs per day, and may go to voluntary closures soon due to low flows & high temps stressing the fish. JR buys a pair of Reddington Wading pants, terrific for wet wading as they preclude the brush scratches & mosquito bites while staying cool & drying fast. AB & MS wanted to buy a pair also, but the only sizes left were medium & small. Kathy also warned us of all the Grizzly Bears in the area, but did say that the winters were so cold & long lasting in the Blackfoot drainage that there were no rattlesnakes in the area. (or maybe the bears ate them all during the last long winter??) All picked up a selection of flies and we were on the road.
"The best
little Fly Shop on the Blackfoot River"
Blackfoot Angler & Supplies © 2000
Box 84 / 305 Main Street
Ovando, MT 59854
406-793-FISH
Choosing from Kathy’s recommendations we end up at the Road 110 access to the Blackfoot at 5:30 PM. AB selects his 5 wt. Orvis & heads downstream, JR, MS head upstream & GK works a nice looking area near the boat ramp.
Selecting a Royal Stimulator with Prince dropper AB hooks up on a nice 18" Cutthroat, followed by 10 nice Rainbows, another Cutthroat, while missing 6 other fish. GK coaxes three trout out of the rocks & riffles while MS & JR find a nice pool upstream that also produce three fish each.
Tuesday, July 22, 2003
During a great breakfast of waffles, eggs, thick bacon, coffee, juice & fruit at the B&B we discussed the possibilities for our morning fishing spot. Upper Monture Creek emanating from the Bob Marshall Wilderness was our choice.
Driving west on highway 200 toward the Monture Creek cutoff we noticed many, out of place looking, mounds dotted throughout the sagebrush covered landscape. JR reminded us of a line in Lewis’s journal where he referred to this area as "The Prairie of the Knobs". Glaciers had progressed to this location, pushing dirt & rock mounds ahead of them. Some 10 to 12,000 years ago, the glacier progress stopped & they began to melt, leaving the "knobs" behind.
Ten miles of dusty gravel road and we arrived at a bridge that crossed Monture Creek. This looked like a good place to access the creek. GK & MS headed downstream, while JR & AB headed upstream. AB selected his 2 wt. Orvis Superfine for this beautiful little stream, while JR chose his L.L. Bean 4 wt. for the task. Fly selection was a small Stimulator with a tiny Pheasant Tail dropper for AB.
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Monture Creek |
This stream is beautiful, an absolute high mountain classic! Crystal clear water flowing over pastel stone gravel with a perfect 50/50 riffle to pool ratio & large woody debris at or beyond the text book, one piece per stream width ideal. During our Trout Unlimited Stream Restoration work, members of the YG lead a stream restoration survey, design & implementation on local Puget Sound salmon streams. Often, while talking about or teaching the subject of stream restoration, AB would say, "It’s an open book test." "All you need to do is find a stream not altered by man & mother nature will show you how it should look." "Just follow mother natures designs." Well, if it’s an open book test, upper Monture Creek is the page that shows a perfect example.
Actually, Monture Creek is undergoing restoration and monitoring of fish habitat development. The following data is from the US Fish & Wildlife Service web page http://montanapartners.fws.gov/mt5c13.htm "The Project monitoring focuses on three types of information:
1) stream habitat surveys, focusing on instream woody debris placement
2) bull trout redd counts
3) juvenile bull trout monitoring at 5 long-term sampling locations
........Total trout densities in the upstream control section were 60 fish/1,000 feet compared to 106 fish/1,000 feet in the downstream restored section. The combined densities of native fish were approximately three times higher in the restored section compared to the unrestored section." So the poject appears to be succeeding!!
It didn’t take AB long to find a nice Cutthroat in one of the pools that attacked the Stimulator. While working another pool JR & AB spot a huge Cutt rising to a hatch in a deep side pool. All attempts at stealth & fly selection failed with this fish. Progress upstream was blocked by a large logjam, causing JR & AB to cut thru the streamside brush & into the forest canopy to find places clear enough to move upstream. While bushwhacking our way around the obstruction, we get a radio call from MS saying that he and GK are finding parts & pieces of deer & cattle in the forest. Humm….not usually a good sign.
(Later, when we returned to the fly shop to give Kathy a fishing report, she said, "Oh, yes, there are 9 resident Grizzly Bears on that section of stream you boys were fishing!" Nine Grizzly Bears on a 20-mile section of stream! Holy Crap! We were walking bear snacks!)
We were somewhat prepared for fishing in bear country, Bear Bells, radios turned up to max volume, & pepper spray. Making noise in bear country is the most important thing you can do. Surprising a momma bear with cubs is very unwise, as their normal response to surprise is attack. Given notice of people in the woods, bears usually choose to go elsewhere. The pepper spray is a last resort. If attacked by a bear, draw your pepper spray, unlatch the safety, and calmly & accurately point the spray toward the eyes of your fishing partner & run like hell! One precaution, make sure before you do this that you have a previous agreement with his wife that you have "dibs" on his best fly rods if he happens not to return from the trip.
AB & JR made it back to the streambed and proceeded upstream to find more beautiful pools. We’d fished several pools without success and came upon a beautiful deep pool with a large logjam on the far side with a nice chute of water coming in at the top end. We immediately spotted a Cutt rising to a hatch going off in the pool. JR decided to match the hatch, choosing a small tent wing Caddis. Standing on a gravel bar and making the first perfect cast to the fish, it struck! A beautiful Cutthroat! AB took the hint & switched the Stimulator to a small Caddis & we both picked up another Cutty.
Working our way upstream we heard a movement in the bushes….drawing our pepper spray to the ready, we spy an older gentleman working his way downstream thru the brushy shoreline. Whew, we’re not edgy or anything! We stopped and chatted with him for a while, asking, "How’s the fishing?" He said he hadn’t had any luck all morning & asked what kind of flies we were using. We said "Tent-winged Caddis". He wasn’t familiar with the fly, so AB cast his line into the bushes next to the gent, saying, "take a look at that." "Oh, great!" said the old timer, "I have something similar to that, Thanks!"
It was getting near noon, so AB & JR began bushwhacking through the woods towards the head of the road. Taking a quick compass reading, AB announces "That way." Finding the end of the road, we stop for a swig of water & head down the road & soon notice two official looking trucks coming toward us. We stopped the first truck, a forest ranger and asked about the best fishing spots in the area. He said talk with the guy in the next truck he’s the area fish biologist. What luck, a fish biologist! He told us the water in the creek was low & warm making the fishing pretty tough, but the Bull Trout migration was in full swing and they had progressed upstream to an area about 5 miles below us. The trout were in an area of a large private ranch, and we knew that it was illegal to fish for Bull Trout in Montana as they’re on the endangered species list.
Meeting up with MS & GK at the trucks, they reported fishing to be slow in the section they fished, with only a couple hits & a few near misses. It was getting pretty hot at mid-day so we headed back to Orvando for lunch at Trixi’s.
Ovando's best known landmark is Trixi's, a diner and bar
named after the former trick rider, roper and show girl who bought it in the
1950's. Trixi's has a far-reaching reputation as a real Montana bar.
Cindy and Ray, the owners, can be reached at 406-793-5611
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| Trixi McCormick | Trixi’s owners Cindy and Ray Francis |
Currently owned by Ray and Cindy Francis, Trixi's is a place of delightful
contrasts. It sits atop the hill overlooking Ovando, but at the bottom of the
breathtaking Bob Marshall and Scapegoat Wildernesses. The bar comes with its
tractor seat stools, but it sits along side the newly refurbished dining room.
It exists in the 21st century, but when you enter you suspect you've stepped
back into the early 20th century.
MS had the grilled chicken, GK the Halibut, both very good, AB had another double buffalo burger (excellent), & JR….you guessed it, the Chicken Fried Steak. (4 beaks). AB hit the "dueces wild" poker machine for "5 of a kind" while waiting for lunch & paid for his lunch, one of his Montana lunchtime goals, which he’s getting pretty good at. Nowhere near the luck of YG gang member, Chet, who hits these machines for $200 payouts on a regular basis. See YG trip 1999.
After lunch, a nap at the B&B & one more trip thru the fly shop for a few more goodies, the temperature dropped to evening levels & we headed out for lower Monture Creek, which flows into the Blackfoot River.
The Lewis minus Clark Expedition:
On the return trip from the Pacific Ocean, the Corps of Discovery split into two groups near Missoula, Montana. Clark traveled their outbound route up the Bitterroot River while Lewis headed up the Blackfoot. The two Captains agreed to rendezvous at the Missouri River in late August.
Lewis accompanied by 9 mounted soldiers, including John Coulter, 17 horses & his Newfoundland Dog, Seaman camped at the confluence of Monture Creek & the Blackfoot River on July 5, 1806. ( three weeks & 197 years earlier than our visit.) Lewis had named the creek, Seaman Creek, after his dog, but since his journals were late to be published, the stream was re-named Monture Creek after an army scout, George Monture.
Coulter’s Run:
This expedition up the Blackfoot River lead to a famous story that happened several years later; Coulter’s Run.
While exploring the Blackfoot River drainage, the Lewis party ran into a small group of Blackfoot Indian Scouts. Given that President Jefferson had given Lewis orders to meet with &make "friends" of all the tribes he encountered, Lewis asked the young braves to join them in a camp that night. Lewis was concerned though, as he’d heard rumors of the warrior status of the Blackfoot Tribe from the Shoshone & Nez Perce, so he slept lightly that night. Sometime in the early morning, he was awakened by the horses stampeding out of camp, and one of the braves wrestling with Coulter for his rifle. Coulter recaptured his rifle & shot the brave. Lewis also killed one of the braves. After gather their horses, the expedition made hasty tracks to the Missouri to re-join Clark. Lewis knew the surviving braves would head for camp & the entire tribe would be on their trail.
Nearing St. Louis, several weeks later, two trappers were paddling upriver when they came across the Lewis & Clark expedition. The trappers asked Captain Lewis if any of his men would be willing to guide them back into the wilderness. Lewis said up to two of the Corps of Discovery members would be released from duty if they wanted to return to the wilderness. John Coulter & another man volunteered! (I can’t imagine, after spending two tough years & a couple near death experiences that anyone would volunteer to return, at least not without spending a few weeks in St. Louis whooping it up!)
Arriving back in Blackfoot territory, Coulter & the three other men are captured by the Blackfoot. Three of the men were immediately killed, but Coulter was recognized & identified as being part of the earlier episode were the braves were killed. The Chief had something "special" in mind for Coulter.
Having Coulter stripped naked, he gave him a head start, running for his life! Then, all the Blackfoot braves where sent to run him down & kill him. Coulter managed to out distance the braves until he came to a river, where he turned to see a brave with a spear right on him. Coulter wrestled the spear from the brave, ran him thru & dove into the river. Swimming downstream, Coulter hid under a logjam in the river. The braves scoured the river & shoreline, even standing on the logjam looking for Coulter. Finally, believing that no man could survive in the icy water and assuming that he’d drowned, the braves returned to camp.
Coulter was near the headwaters of the Missouri, at the Madison & Jefferson Rivers when this happened. He managed to make his way to the current location of Yellowstone National Park, some 100 plus miles away, in the process, becoming the first white man to see Yellowstone. Reporting what he’d seen, boiling mud pots, steaming pools & geysers, back in St. Louis, Coulter was laughed off as being in the wilderness too long. How John Coulter survived, naked, in this wild country, without a gun or even a knife, is amazing to me.
(given some of the "bad guys" around today, maybe our criminal justice system could learn a few things from the Chief. Seems the Chief wasn’t into to paying $40,000 dollars a year to house, feed & entertain bad guys.)
Back to fishing lower Monture Creek.
JR & MS decided to hike down the ridge and fish the lower half of the creek, while GK & AB started fishing just below the vehicles. The lower stream is a little larger than the upper reaches, but has many similar characteristics. Great riffles & pools, sinuosity, & large amounts of logs & root wads creating excellent trout habitat. AB uses a Red Humpy with a Prince dropper & finds a nice 18" Cutt near a logjam.
These fish only allow you one chance. They readily strike a fly, but if you miss the strike, they will not return, even if you change flies. AB finds 5 more nice Cutts & misses 4 others, including two large fish behind a large logjam. Greg catches one & misses a few;
MS & JR have similar luck. There are some great fish in this area, but they do show evidence of being well educated.
At 10:25 PM we were chased off the river by darkness & huge swarms of mosquitoes.
