12 September 2008
Last Day of Fishing!!
We emerged about 7:15 although nothing really opens until about 0800. Lots of
wild turkeys still running around - must not be turkey season yet!!
We met two other fly fishermen (Terry from Oklahoma and Lewis from Roanoke, VA).
We shared stories and experiences. They had had big days on the Bitterroot River last year but had not been doing as well on Rock Creek. Based on our earlier travels in this area, we recommended they consider Montour Creek in the Ovando area or the Upper Ruby River. I hope they do well. [PS Terry and Lewis had big days on Montour Creek area – they sent us some pictures which I include here – looks like that area is holding up well!!]
Breakfast at Ekstrom’s Station – yes, they still serve side pork! Yum!! (I hope
our cardiologists don’t see this page!)
By 9:45 the temperatures are rising, so we head out to Rock Creek to follow up
from where we had been before. Wow! We start in the slot from last night but
start to move around – BAM!
Every likely (and some unlikely) holding positions are holding big and hungry for dry fly trout! What a big day!
They hit everything we throw at them – parachutes, hoppers, droppers, etc etc Lots and Lots of Cutts, many browns, and only a few whitefish. Probably a 100 fish day for us easy. This is truly one of those gold standard fishing days that can carry you through several bad years!!
The top flies for today were:
JR – Chernobyl Hopper
GK – Copper John Nymph
AB – Copper John Nymph
AM – Purple Haze (purple adams – go Huskies!!)
We spread out more today – JR and AM probably fished almost two miles of river
over a linear mile stretch as the crow flies upriver from our prime fish holding
chute – the stream has some braids and a riffle/pool/run structure that lets you
cross easily from side to side to work the water in the way you think is best.
At one pocket behind a root wad, the “bucket” looks to be about 4 feet wide and
maybe 10 feet long – not clear how deep it is since the water has dug a hole
under the root wad in the river bank. Brought up 4 huge fish one drift after
another – all on a tan hopper pattern I bought from Doug Persico – the fish were
voracious and attacking with abandon. This amazing experience was repeated all
along the river from hole to hole. AM caught a couple of big fish in water that
appeared from the distance not to have much structure. But looking back, AM
could see the underwater boulders that provided current and cover and the
locations behind a downed tree about 15 feet upstream. Very subtle reads in some
cases. But the rule was to fish the water even if you didn’t think it held
anything just to be sure – it was surprising how many of those areas held fish
and good fish at that! JR worked his magic on good flowing side channel chutes
entering back into the main channel, every one that had good water flow held
fish and he would pop them one after the other. As both AM and JR thought they
had gone far enough both hooked back up and decided to head back to the rigs get
some drinks and a snack and start over. They both agreed to hike over to the
road and have an easier time walking back. Walking along the road was OK, but
both were not happy about trudging through the Vietnam type-high grass marsh to
get there.
AB decides to try a green crystal barbell-head wooly bugger to see if he can
find the “big fish” in one of the better holes. Making a long cast, he fast
strips the fly. He found a big fish alright, the fish hit the fly so hard it
jerked the fly rod out of his hands! Chasing his rod down thru the fast water,
he finally catches up, but the fish is gone. Sure would have liked to seen that
fish!!
In the last evening, there was a hatch of small black mayflies which no one
could really see although the fish were rising just not to our flies – GK
figured out to try a #20 trico – and that pattern absolutely killed them! So
earlier in the mid-day they would hit anything while at dusk we had to match a
trico hatch – a fun stream to fish but it helped to bring you’re A-game!! Great
insights by GK!!
AB caught one his most memorable fish of the trip (although there were many)
after GK shared the Trico advice. I’d been casting most everything in my fly box
for about an hour without much success. These fish had certainly gone to very
selective feeding habits after a whole day of eating most anything. I tied the
tiny Trico on as a dropper to my Hopper…..otherwise I wouldn’t be able to figure
out where it was on the casts to the opposite bank. On the first cast, the
hopper disappeared….you could hear the plunk as it rocketed under the surface,
the strike was that violent! AB lifted his 5wt. Orvis and the fish raced
downstream with the reel screaming. Wow….this is a nice fish….then the
realization that he’s on that tiny size 20 hook! JR came over for a netting
assist, but the fish was having nothing to do with that, taking several long
runs before coming to the net. Wow….what a beautiful Cutthroat! Especially
memorable because of the extreme fight and the tiny fly.
Tired but satisfied with a spectacular day of fishing in “the last best place”,
we encounter a mom moose and her calf by the roadside about 100 yards downstream
from where we were fishing. Good to see them from the road rather than run into
them accidentally when working the stream!!
Dinner again at P-ville Station – good eats. Talking to our waiter, he also
worked at the Great Divide Ranch (remember everyone has more than one job!)
which is headquarters for votesmart.org. He suggested areas around Moose Lake,
Edith Lake, and Hidden Lake.
We got advice from Deb in the bar on some rustic cabins at the Boulder Creek
Lodge in Maxwell if we should come back this way again (406-859-3190 /
406-859-2931 )