2023 Fish-Pic-O-Rama

[jpcm]

It was good to finally get some eats on top! On a more sober note my neighbor flipped his boat, experienced rower, and him and his wife barely made it to shore. Sober reminder!
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This a scary reminder that your river is a big machine that can easily eat a boat. I’ve had a real close call in there, coming through some of the boils in a skiff. Just took my eye off things for a second and almost sunk her.

Good to see things are shaping up! We will be up there in two weeks, let’s get out on your jet!

[teleee]

Double post

[teleee]

This a scary reminder that your river is a big machine that can easily eat a boat. I’ve had a real close call in there, coming through some of the boils in a skiff. Just took my eye off things for a second and almost sunk her.

Good to see things are shaping up! We will be up there in two weeks, let’s get out on your jet!

Of all the rivers I fish, this one is the spookiest. The scary thing about it is that it is the easiest to row technically (not a lot of rocks or rapids) but the consequences of letting your guard down is huge. Those boils and downed sweeper trees are death traps. I see at least one body get pulled out of here every year.
Let me know when you are here and we will get out, getting the jet dialed in as we speak!


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[neckdeep]

I'm not aware of any "boils" that can sink a boat. There are, however, a few eddy lines that can roll a drift boat that straddles the opposing currents high on the line.

Last week two nincompoops had to be extricated from the gate of the great feeder canal. You got to be a special class of stupid not to see that one coming as you approach it.

[teleee]

I'm not aware of any "boils" that can sink a boat. There are, however, a few eddy lines that can roll a drift boat that straddles the opposing currents high on the line.

Last week two nincompoops had to be extricated from the gate of the great feeder canal. You got to be a special class of stupid not to see that one coming as you approach it.

Call them what you like


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[Djongo Unchained]

Teleee and JC, can I join you guys for a float when yer dialed in? Been wanting to take a lap with the telees since last time.

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Plugboots, can you roll a one handed doobie with that thumb?



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I'm about thawed out from Boblandia and ready for another shindig.

[swimmy]

Hydraulics are sketchy as fuck.

Telee, glad your friends are ok.

[Rasputin]

The weather report today said 30% chance of heavy rain, but after last night's misadventure, I felt the need to be out there for a full day, which ended up being about eight hours fishing. I got into a good fish after half an hour or so, after a minute I started fumbling for my net which was not hanging as it should be but rather trapped between me and my pack, after a couple minutes of emancipating my net, I had him close when he came off. I spent the next few hours lamenting this loss (as well as the next couple fish I had on then lost), but the day had turned beautiful, and I had to enjoy the fact that I was blessed to be fishing instead of doing most anything else that people do.

The point of the confluence has changed as a result of dropping river levels:





And the receding water level has made wading far from shore possible:





The shallow water also revealed an artifact of someone else's misadventure:





Eventually, I managed to hook a five inch rainbow which I "landed", meaning that he came off the hook and hit the shore before escaping, but it made me happier. Then another fisherman came up the other side of the Clark Fork channel, he hooked up while we were talking, then I did too.





Then he hooked up again, and caught a big ass sucker, and I caught my best trout of the day.





After he left, I was about done as well, but decided to tie on a streamer for a few casts. On the first cast, just as I was about to lift it outta the water, a healthy fish attacked it, I hooked it, then it broke off, and he disappeared with my streamer in his mouth. The leader was very heavy, and the fish wasn't huge, so there must have been a nick in it. Undeterred, I tied on another streamer, and after a bit hooked and landed a pike minnow. I tried a bit longer, but it was getting late, and I needed to leave before they closed the gate of the fishing access area (I'd driven the truck today). I left happy, having caught fish, seen ospreys, an eagle, and a great blue heron on the wing, and listened to the waters of the Clark Fork and the Bitterroot merging together for hours, it was a full day.

[neckdeep]

A high desert spring creek.

[Rasputin]

Beautiful creek and fish.

[stapes]

Beautiful creek and fish.

This. That’s the type of water I love.

[Talisman]

Took my BIL on a fishing excursion into Yellowstone yesterday to seek out a few cutthroat trout. We went to Slough Creek and found a minor hatch of pale morning duns and green drakes getting a few fish to rise.



There were a few bison bulls around growling at each other reminding us the rut is only a few weeks away. These two started to fuss close by but settled down to graze as we fished.



The fish were cooperative and sipped dry flies all day. We ended up with a few decent cutthroat trout, many small fish and few micros for 15 fish.

[BobMc]

I'm about thawed out from Boblandia and ready for another shindig.

Looks like a few of us are headed over on August 11th. I'm planning on staying and floating as long as anyone wants to stay.

[jpcm]

Any CO mags want to float the Ark around Salida Friday? Going to be down there all weekend but got an empty boat Friday. Fishing should be good.

[teleee]

Any CO mags want to float the Ark around Salida Friday? Going to be down there all weekend but got an empty boat Friday. Fishing should be good.

Ask me again in September [emoji3]


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[CTR]

also I will be floating the upper Eagle this weekend with empty spots on the raft......Chet

[jpcm]

Post work dinner date on my local jaunt. After a big fish kill a few years ago from fire/mudslides, it’s great to see a lot of healthy 6-12 inch fish. Good reminder that fisheries can recover and I’m really optimistic to see these fish grow up over the next couple years. Hopefully the water lasts for a few more weeks, the evening dry fly sesh 20 min from the house is a real treat.



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[teleee]

Probably echoing Swimmy but GOD DAMN!! I love salmon fly season. The best week of the year for troots
First time I have seen my backing on a fresh water rod in a few years



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[Rasputin]

Fable-ous!

[tgapp]

Damn Teleee, beautiful looking trout there. I wish we had salmon flies down here!

I just had my first true double digit day on dries (in my entire fishing career, which is admittedly very short) and I'm pretty psyched. Non stop action all evening long, and while the fish weren't huge (this fishery is barely bigger than a little blue line), they were eating aggressively and fighting like hell. I'm honestly on cloud 9. Watching a trout explode on your fly never gets old.

I've been waiting for a day like today all season.

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[Rasputin]

Way to go tgapp! I still haven't managed a double digit day, not even close (five is the most), but I'm adjusting myself to getting up early every day, maybe that will help, though it didn't yesterday; amid constant surface feeding, I was unable to land anything, in fact, the only one I hooked, lead to losing my new chubby gorilla as well as the trailing dry it was towing when the knot failed.

[jpcm]

Teleee and JC, can I join you guys for a float when yer dialed in? Been wanting to take a lap with the telees since last time.

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Plugboots, can you roll a one handed doobie with that thumb?



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I'm about thawed out from Boblandia and ready for another shindig.

DJ, we’ll be up hanging over in Victor July 24-30th. Pop over to the ID side for a float or safety sesh/hike

Probably echoing Swimmy but GOD DAMN!! I love salmon fly season. The best week of the year for troots
First time I have seen my backing on a fresh water rod in a few years



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Absolute haus of a fish tele!! Maybe we get lucky with some of the big bugs in the upper stretches. Probably have some good golden stones activity in the canyon right??

Damn Teleee, beautiful looking trout there. I wish we had salmon flies down here!

I just had my first true double digit day on dries (in my entire fishing career, which is admittedly very short) and I'm pretty psyched. Non stop action all evening long, and while the fish weren't huge (this fishery is barely bigger than a little blue line), they were eating aggressively and fighting like hell. I'm honestly on cloud 9. Watching a trout explode on your fly never gets old.

I've been waiting for a day like today all season.

Nice work dude! I dig this underwater pic!

[swimmy]

Tgapp, love the stoke. What's your go-to dry fly there?

Teleee - diggin' the salmon fly play-by-play. How much longer will that go? If you are still getting after it and have room for one, I'd drive down for sure. Never fished the south fork.

Treated some of my management team to a few days on the water. Man did they get the full Montana experience. I consider it job security.

[tgapp]

I'm so basic. Like a size 18 elk hair Caddis with a black or brown body, usually on the back of a chubby. Wish I had a fancier answer, but I guess it's a classic for a reason.

Beautiful stormy skies, wow.

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[I've seen black diamonds!]

I'm visiting family in MA. Got to fish for a few hours at a pond at a private club where my dad's friend is a member. Pretty fun.





Following recommendations I fished water boatmen on a sinking line. Damselfly nymphs around shallow weeds. Soft hackles under a floating caddis. Nothing. Then I moved over to the outlet and tried some flashy chironomids 5-6' down and it was on.

Can't say it was the most engaging form of fly fishing I've tried but it was fun to try something different and satisfying to solve the puzzle. Going after largemouth next week. Hoping to manage a striper day but I'm not sure I'll be able to get away from my kids long enough to make it happen. Fingers crossed.