2024 Fish Pic Thread

[jpcm]

PSA. Grizzly hackle in Missoula is having a weekend sale. 25% off everything 3/1-3/3. Free shipping, no tax. Code works on all rods and reels . Sage, Scott, Nautils, ect

https://shop.grizzlyhackle.com/

Code: CUSTOMERDAY24

[GiantManta]

JPCM - thanks for posting this reminder. I hit this up last year and it is a good deal with the code working on a number of items which are typically excluded (it looks like some of the Simms stuff is excluded). The code is already live.

[plugboots]

Flies, (at least the saltwater ones I tried), the discount doesn’t work

[::: :::]

Flies, (at least the saltwater ones I tried), the discount doesn’t work

Gotta wait a day, i think…

[Harry]

well i didn't get on the fish today but i did spin up a few fake fish. six hours of bucktail blending, schlappen ironing, stacking, brushing, wrapping, and a little bit of tying, produced...two flies.

top is a 13" tbone sucker. hollow tied and body-tubed. 4/0 universalx in back led by 25 and 35mm shanks.

bottom is a 18" mega glider anal probe (working name). 4 brushes of blended bucktail (6 colors), spuimpish, sf, and flash. 4/0 beast hook in back with keel weight, 55mm shank, led by 6/0 beast hook, also with keel weight. the mass of the lead basically cancels out any wind resistance when shes in the air. counter intuitive but weight balancing flies fkn works. also got some foam sandwiched between brush wraps on each section for as near a neutral buoyancy as i could get.
Attachment 488434
happy to do toothy critter stuff or otherwise in small (or large for nymph) batches if anyone is interested.

Oh hell yeah, those will be deadly on Musky. Send them up here!


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[jpcm]

The Mrs and I also just got back from a bucket list trip to Chilean Patagonia to celebrate her 40th. We were gone for 16 days, fished 9 bookend by some other travel. We were based out of a lodge in on the Palena River in tbe Aysén region. The variety of water was mind blowing and the fishing was stellar. I’m going to work on a full trip report, but here are some fish pics






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[schwerty]

Looks like a hell of a trip!

[stealurface831]

fknell that looks nice.

[Norseman]

Wowee

[I've seen black diamonds!]

After underoos and jcpm's posts I'm thinking about emptying out the kids' college accounts. Can I drain a 529 account tax free for a fishing trip in South America?

[Rasputin]

Holy river of dreams JCPM! That is just crazy, such vividly colored rivers, fish, and surroundings.

However, I do not envy you, because I just had a really good day, and not just because I caught fish, and it was a beautiful mix of weather, I inexplicably found myself in an irrepressible good mood. I started the day by visiting a friend in jail. He's getting stepped on hard because he's an activist for homeless rights. However, it was just a really good visit. He seemed to be in much better condition than I'd seen him in months, and with a very positive outlook.

After the jail, I went to Bob Ward's to get a new fishing license; for some reason, Montana licenses run for a year starting March 1st.

I took while to get myself out the door, but eventually I made it out to the boat ramp around 1pm. The weather was coming in, bands of sun and snow, and sometimes both:





The honey hole eventually coughed up a whitefish, the water was pretty murky there, the Clark Fork's water has been colored by rain and snow melt.





I fished my way down to the confluence, enjoying the process but getting no bites, I changed rigs to a #10 Pat's with a hare's ear hanger, which I am amused to call a rabbit's foot, because they seem to be good luck. At the bottom end of the confluence I tossed my rig into a shallow slower current flow, and a fish rose, and struck my indicator. I found this very amusing, but I was not able to catch it.

It wasn't long before a small trout took the hare's ear, but was not worthy of a picture on the same page as JCPM's post.* And after a while longer I caught another whitefish, which is not an unexpected consequence of fishing a hare's ear; apparently hare's ears are a large part of the whitefish diet, and one should never fish with a hare's ear if one has an aversion to catching whitefish.





Even before catching the second whitefish I started noticing that I was in having a good time, just being in my waders in the river and whipping line around was doing it for me. I uttered much thanks with a loud voice, to the Creator of such feelings. I felt optimistic, and only partially because I had winched in a whole tree branch (I prayed for a fish for every stick I landed, so I knew something good was coming). The clouds were speaking to me.





I worked up through the soft water along the rapid main current, which often produces, but to no avail. I worked up through large area of eddying soft water behind an effective diversion dam of two logs which got stuck on shallows as the Clark Fork spills into the Bitterroot. I always work through there, as it seems like natural holding water in winter, but haven't caught one there all winter, a fact I was commenting on, aloud to God and the rivers, when my bubble shot away, and my hook set was met with a yank that startled me. He was a strong puller, but the soft water didn't help his cause, and I winched in the beast after a battle, praising the God of fly fishing (Who also created the Universe of Universes). It is actually really humbling for me when I catch one like this, it's dreamlike, and I just feel like the fish is being sent to me. What a Godsend! (The big guy took the hare's ear)





I felt like somebody up there likes me.





Another frisky little fella continued the good mooding I was doing.





I It was getting on in the day and I decided I was pleased with what I'd done, and headed back toward the truck, planning on fishing the honey hole for a while on the way. After much casting there, I took my customary/compulsive picture with the mountain in the distance.





I changed from a hare's ear to an attacker or some such name, it basically a copper John with a tinsel tail instead of pointy feathers. After a few casts, I attempted to heave it close to the other bank into some soft water, snagged it and broke it off. My Pat's came back solo. I said to myself that it was good enough, I'd adjust the depth on the Pat's and give it three more casts. The second cast got hit hard, and I had a fighter who, after some fun, managed to wrap itself around some sticks which took the fight out of him as I winched him up. The leader was impossibly wrapped multiple times around the stick, which I had to break to get undone. when I pulled the fish out to take a pic, I found that he was bleeding, as he'd been hooked in the tongue. Sorry about that fella. I hope he heals well.





I was glad to have a day without any meltdowns of impatience or any downward spiraling feelings really, of course I mentioned in my last post that the adversity of experience on Wednesday, could only assure that I would have mercy from of the God of the fishes (and of Heaven and the cosmos), today. I had a good day! It's a miracle!

* Actually I tried to take a picture, but fumbled him with my clumsy aging hands.

[stealurface831]

And after a while longer eventually caught another whitefish, which is not an unexpected consequence of fishing a hare's ear; apparently hare's ears are a large part of the whitefish diet, and one should never fish with a hare's ear if one has an aversion to catching whitefish.

if you fancy yerself a whitefish guy, grab some whitening bugs. the mo flash the mo betta for whities i've found. goddamn i love them.

the state record mountain whitefish is .... 5.11 lbs. i'm certain i've caught a handful over that, but not since i found out the number. once you go for them, they disappear. my buddy and i have a pact that if either of us catch a record whitey, once official, the other must buy the winner a beater white van and pay for spray painted caricatures of winner with record fish in hand, both donning wizard hats, on both sides of van. under the image will be a caption proudly proclaiming "XXX XXXX, whitey king of Montana!"

one day man, graham. and i'm gonna daily that shit.

[Rasputin]

I got off work early today, so of course, I ran down to the fish catching place. It was a beautiful afternoon with sunshine, and bands of snow squalls.





While it was no threat to the state record for whitefish, I landed my largest yet, almost 18".





After belly-snagging another, much smaller whitefish, I caught a couple trouts.








I was unable to convert at the honey hole; I had two takes, which left two startled fish, as I ripped the nymph away from them, and I watched them flash in runs of terror, sigh.

While I have been perfectly content to fish all winter, and not ski, the mountains are looking mighty frosty and inviting.





Another afternoon out, and other sunset on the river, at least part of my life has been going quite well.

[Rasputin]

Though I didn't work today, I didn't wet a line until 4pm, while later than I would have preferred, it was still enough time to catch some fish and enjoy the river. I caught a couple whitefish and one trout. I also had a fish break the hook of my nymph when I set the hook, I saw him briefly, and was sore disappointed that I missed such a nice fish. However at least I caught this one at the confluence:





Until next time, may your drifts be dead and your fish lively, and may you find enjoyment in the great outdoors. Oh, and pretty mountain shot.

[Rasputin]

It was a CAVU day, just gorgeous!





I caught nothing but whitefish, a half dozen of 'em, but only took a pic of the first. None were big.





The end.

[swimmy]

Definitely feeling the changing of seasons

[Rasputin]

Definitely feeling the changing of seasons

Yes indeed, the temp in Missoula is 53 degrees, and the Clark Fork is approaching 40 degrees above Missoula. There has been a sizable hatch of fly-fisherman, emerging from their winter holds, and appearing at the river where I like to fish, which is making me nostalgic for the cold solitude of winter.

[Rasputin]

Today was a "therapy" day for me, which means I had many fits of ill tempered vitriol, howver, I managed to catch a half dozen whitefish, and a lone trout. I also had three fish come unpinned after hooking them. The weather was gray-blah-ness with occasional sprinkles.

A whitefish:





A trout:

[stealurface831]

Was able to put a buddy on his first missed musky today. Should’ve gotten the shot of anguish after he realized he trout set the shit out it. Also shoutout to the smallies that go after flies bigger than themselves.


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[Talisman]

To celebrate my FIL's 90th birthday we went fishing in the Gulf of Mexico and caught 44 pounds of vermilion snapper, released many red snapper and tossed back small vermillion and white snapper. While not my style of fishing it was fun and my FIL had fun giving away filets to his neighbors.

[Rasputin]

Yesterday I had the day off, so I went fishing. I prayed about where to go, and then when I got my answer, I looked at it on the satellite imagery of the area. I noticed that even closer than "the big trout catching place" was the "lower" (main) confluence of the Bitterroot and the Clark Fork, which I'd always been curious about. I decided I'd go there instead. It was a decision which lead to much hiking, little fishing, fatigue and great frustration. I did not have a great day; though I did catch three small whitefish, I had a bee in my bonnet, and I took it out on myself. I have dark moods which are profound and painful, tend to escalate to self hating tirades with much cursing, and yesterday's was a doozy, but eventually I calmed down, and went back to the honey hole (which had earlier produced the whitefish). There was no action, so I swapped rigs a few times, and as the light was fading, I got a hard strike.

I set the hook effectively, and it felt rather like it had snagged on the bottom, until the line started moving around, it was a very big fish, and I excitedly attempted to wrest his mass from the bottom of the river. After absorbing a couple short runs, I began stripping in line, and got my net ready. Then the fish, annoyed at being lifted off of the river bottom, began shaking his head violently, and he was off. "OH NOOOOOO!" was all that came out of me, the sense of loss was intense, but apparently I'd used up all of my cursing for the day. Demoralized, I saw that the hook had been bent to ineffectiveness; I felt completely defeated, exhausted, and emotionally not a way one wants to ever feel.

After work today, I went back to make things right. I caught a couple small whitefish, lost a slightly bigger one that launched out if the water after coming off the hook, and did next to no cursing; I was content enough drifting my nymph's without response. Again, returning to the honey hole just after sunset, I worked through a few rigs with no luck, until I put on a worminator with a Duracell trailer. In the same spot that I hooked up yesterday, the bubble dipped and I hooked into a nice trout fish. It wasn't nearly as strong a fish as the one from last night, but after respectable tugging from said fish, I was happily able to land it, and felt redeemed from the sad state of the previous day. What a difference a day makes.

[Rasputin]

I decided to give my usual waters a rest, and drove up to Milltown State Park, where the Blackfoot dumps into the Clark Fork. Before Milltown was a thought, this confluence was known by the indigenous people as "The place of big bull trout". The really good looking water was on the other side of the river, and I didn't think I could wade across safely, so instead I crossed the Blackfoot and went upstream a quarter mile or so until I found some slower softer water. I hooked a fish and lost it after a few exciting seconds, and then nothing.

I decided I wasn't feeling it there, and as I left, I noticed that there was indeed a way of crossing to the other side, as another fly fisher was fishing the really good looking water on the other side, so I now understand that crossing over further downstream is possible.

I decided to drive to another place downstream about fifteen miles, the place of moar bigger whitefish (across the river from "the big fish catching place"), where, after losing a whitefish, I rather quickly snagged a whitefish in the tail. Interestingly, this is the second time I've fished there and snag hooked a fish in the tail, though last time it was a mere western silvery minnow. Anyhoo, I was already happier with my locale than the previous area.

Less than a stone's throw upstream, I hooked and landed a svelte 17" rainbow which made the day a happy one:




Later on I caught a couple moar whitefish, including this one that I expertly snag hooked above the eye:





It was another CAVU day on the river, and an enjoyable one as well.

[The Reverend Floater]

Big bow on the local water today on a nymph



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[Rasputin]

Wow, nice fish!

[The Reverend Floater]

Wow, nice fish!

I pretty much soiled myself. That's unusual on the Big Wood, our town river.

Another fun part of the story... I'm not an organized person which makes the very nature of fly fishing difficult for me. A few minutes prior to that fish, I was rerigging and looking for my little foam box of girdles that I brought. Panic hit as I recalled balancing it on my bag while tying on some tippet. I looked around, knee deep in the water and then saw the tin floating UP stream from me, caught in a very small eddy. That sort of shit doesn't happen to me very often. I grabbed it, tied on a tan one and BAM...23" rainbow!



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