Do you believe in kharma?

Today I bailed on a family Thanks Giving Dinner and went fishing.. but not without guilt. The end result was extremely exciting though. Conditions just don't often cooperate for winter fishing, especially when your working full time. That seems to stiffen your chances of hitting a decent day on a week-end considerably. That being the case when the odds favored us I didn't hesitate much. The river had just received a BIG push of water less than a week ago and was almost settled back in to the same flows. Late November - and all through the next month have proven to be my best luck with Steel on this particular tributary. Typical of me I was off to a too late start but had the perseverance to stick with the plan. Made the hike in and rigged up. Stepping into the water and making the first casts, a little higher than necessary to hopefully shake out any cob webs before reaching the real holding areas. Casting was pretty solid. I'd drug along my 12'6" 7/8 Guideline Lecie and Loop Danielsson 8/11 reel which is 4.25 inch diameter (for reference) A couple years ago I'd picked up a RIO Scandi Short Versi-Tip 6wt and this head is a very good match for the rod. Earlier this fall I'd added a Intermediate body to the kit and coupled with the 10' type 6 tip it was a spot on match for the water conditions, which are very decidedly UP from the past few seasons. I'd forgotten to put my thermometer back in but the water feels alarmingly COLD already. It's not that uncommon to go into December still above 40* but I'm pretty sure it was well below that. The first run I hit has the best and historically most productive water beginning not far below the start, there's a nice lengthy crescent shaped divit in the bank that offers an additional current break. I worked it slowly and made sure it was covered well, losing one fly to the bottom in the process. There's a distinct feature in this run that averages a half hour - forty minutes to reach and signifies the furthest down I've ever taken a Steelbow. It's always a bit depressing once you reach it without a pull. However,there's a considerable amount of water still below it, and I have taken some VERY nice Browns from it through the years. There's an area that's slowly but surely been evolving over the seasons. Changing into a deep but ultra slow center channel run. I'd gotten a good start on it and my swing was coming across right in the gut when it got picked off. Not the light 'tick' variety nor the full on slam, but an assertive take that ate up the loop I was carrying under my index in short order. When it came tight to the reel I gave it a solid 'pop' to be sure.. and all hell broke loose. The first run was long and continuous, surging heavily with boils near the surface. I was certain it must be Steel, seemed way to rowdy for a Brown. With no advance warning the fish jumped, WAY upstream of where my line had just been but was no longer! Reeling like crazy I caught up and was still connected. The fish began jumping and running, definitely Steel.. BIG steel. He shredded the pool to a froth and jumped so many time I lost count. Then the moment was at hand, I had him whipped. What the hell? Where did that line come from? There was extra mono in play! Yikes.. well wrapped into the lower head and sink tip. It was touchy business but I was able to untangle my line from the refuse, at one point I had to release all tension to the fish and thread my rod through the stuff. Thankfully it came up tight again and in short time I swept him into a little pocket just inside the shoreline break. WHAT A FISH, my god he looked enormous, waves of elation were washing over me and increasing the intoxication. WHAT A FISH!

Shell shocked I quickly shot a couple pics and pulled the fly. A small Olive Sculpin that shows up when image is enlarged. My Deer season Buck faded back into the depths..


The Kharma: That's when I notice my feet are still tangled in line. The same piece of crap I feared would prevent me from landing this incredible fish. I started chasing it down, I never leave something like this in the water or bank side. I couldn't come up with an end? I tracked it waaay up-stream and dead ended my self in water to deep to wade with the line solidly lodged on something still well up above me. Thinking that was the terminal end I reversed direction and chased it downstream well beyond the place my fish was landed in. I was and am STILL blown away by the amount of length involved. By this time I'm hoping there's a rod on the downstream end! After braving going out on a submerged sweeper a long ways over deep water I made some headway and got the line cleared. It is without doubt BY FAR the longest full section of line I've ever removed, easily exceeding 200 yards and covering two bends of river. It was a job retrieving it and ate up well over an hour that could have been spent fishing. But I stuck with the task hoping to balance the scales of kharma. I'm not sorry I did.. How could you improve on the day?? Oddly, there was no hook, shot, or lure at either end. What kind of a person just lets 200+ yards of about 12 pound mono spool off in a pristine river? I'm ever puzzled with stupidity.

The fish measured 35" and had not missed a meal since leaving the spawning redd. I'm guessing him at about 17 pounds.. a little heavy for length but his girth supports it. My largest to date Steelbow and may never be bested. What a beast and incredible gift to briefly touch.

Where does time go..

Has it really been just over two years since I've written a blog post? Many apologies for anyone that's checked in here and seen only the same. Mourning the death of our old XP desktop has been tough.. Windows 8 I could live without!

Wildcats & Result

Spent the afternoon of 10-08 hanging around watching my Dad work on loading ammo for his new rifle, a Kimber MDL 84 'Montana' chambered in 280 Ackley Improved. This was a bit more involved than with std cartidges as there wasn't any new nickel stock available. Time was short so he decided to fire form his own using std 280 Remington casings. The Ackley Improved* version [left front] reshaped the case wall & shoulder angle creating more powder capacity.. easily seen in picture. *http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P.O._Ackley - .280 Remington Ackley Improved, an improved version of the 280 Remington cartridge with 40 degree shoulder, dies readily available. It duplicates the ballistics of the vaunted 7mm Remington Mag, with 30% less propellant used and less barrel erosion.

Good friend of the family Dennis B fire forms the test loads.

The rifle & Leupold 4.5 - 14X weighed in barely above 6 1/2 pounds.. and yet nipping at the heels of Remington's 7mm magnum ballistics & energy. The next morning it was headed west to Colorado. Included in group; Dad, Denny B and life time friend co-conspiritor, Tom G. Bull Elk had for some unknown reason managed to elude him.. despite countless hours spent in CO, WY, MT, & ID. Not one to take the easy routes he'll always go straight up rather than switch back. A peek to his dedication, during a Manitoba Whitetail hunt he logged 31hrs & 40 minutes on an open platform stand in single diget temps with wind before seeing his first deer. A great Buck that came home with him. This Elk hunt took a different turn. The Bull never knew what hit him and piled right in his tracks, never attempting to get back up. Several people have asked him if he found the bullet and what did it look like? He just smiles and tells them "as far as I know, it's still going". Couple more pics I have on hand from the decades of seasons he's been wearing out vibram soles.

Montana 2007

Shadow of the Hex

Fishing continues to be great.. but I'm pretty sure the grand finale has played out. Hex bugs were quite spotty and other than a few spinners I saw none. No tears to be shed here though, the fish were still on the grab in a BIG way. So many people insist on fishing the giant flies.. even when it's counter productive. I've always been baffled why anyone would lob a 1.5" MONSTA leashed up with 0x on top of a good fish feeding in daylight on #18 - #12 spentwings. To each their own I guess.. Personally, I'd rather take a good fish on a small fly anyday of the week. The scarcness of giants worked towards that means, getting the fish looking up, but not so totally glutted that they became jaded. Just snappy and willing to take a well presented fly. I've threatend for years to ignore the Hex season and all the infectious energy it brings [admittedly, with good reason] There are other sections of river, and other rivers, with none on them.. and by default no other anglers either. I never tied a Hex pattern on this season. They say theres a first time for everything.

John with a good fish. Bear in mind he's 6'4" with large hands.

Pic two: John plying his favorite summer tactic, dark thirty and big waking flies.























This guy put a bend in the rod in a big way. Sucked down my favorite mid-June pattern with zero hesitation on second shot.

Prospecting

I will go on record and say that summer is here. Great on the obvious front -the fishing is currently pretty spectacular- but also concerning that time has flew by so fast. Don't know why I'm surprised with the pattern manifesting.. every year seems to whirl through quicker than the one before.

I've been doing some water prospecting and it paid off big last eve. Fish was a real toad.. heavy. Not a great pic, considerable bend in him, but I'll take it.. and gladly! Tough to get decent quick photo on your own within brief few seconds of unpinning the fly. Dusky / dark light conditions are no help.



Bugs were unreal both in amounts and variety. Spinners, emergers, terrestrials.. Maylies, Stones, and Caddis in wide range of sizes. No shortage and plenty to keep you guessing what each riser might be looking for. Fish down here seem to be quite spooky. I've put down a couple now after only one cast. Interestingly, they both false rose on the fly then left town. Ones up above seem a lot more beligerent sometimes displaying an indignant attitude towards your clumsy efforts. The ultimate 'flip you the fin' when they move up down or over several feet and continue feeding.. talk about feeling incompetent! I have a friend with a theory; "fish that have seen virtually no pressure are ultra sensitive to it. Much more so than ones living in popular sections." I whole heartedly agree.

Game on

First time out with new line for the little CND. Last fall friend Forrest had me trial his 5/6 SRO Vector on it. The line felt pretty good, as good as any tried so far. However, I was pretty curious what a Vector 4/5 might feel like on it.. but if the call had to be made I'd have chosen the 5/6 based on the satisfactory results. MJC at the Red Shed Fly Shop was kind enough to sell me one line but shipped both. I'm super glad I waited and feel fortunate for that favor.. the 4/5 is a dream on the little Speytracker!

We were hit with multiple days of steady soaking rain starting on friday 06-01. Three plus inches. I went out on Sunday 06-03 to try the lines and could barely get away from the river bank in an area thats normally knee to mid-thigh depth. Thick chocalate milk.. Heading upstream this eve I stopped at first crossing for a peek. She's still up high but much MUCH clearer.. only a modest stain. Aproaching my riffle the air had that fishy scent to it that only rainfall brings. Quite a few caddis buzzing about but not much sign of sailboats.. Tied on a #10 soft hackle pheasant tail and began working line out. Did I mention how amazing this line is? Worked down a ways and had one halfhearted roll on my fly. 15 minutes go by and I get a pluck. Haven't seen nor heard a rise.. Nice little soft water pocket on the far bank just inside the seam, the head & two rod lengths of run line reach it in good shape. Third swing and I get old familier feeling ..this is the shot.. sure enough a fish rolls on it, smacking it's lips in the film.. line comes up tight and reel starts to sing.. What the zxvxxz!! I was expecting a tiddler or bit larger fish. Out in the main flow it put good bend in the rod. After slugging it out a bit swam upstream to me, my break. No trophy but what a solid picture of health 18" chunker! Not a bad way to put the first stretch to a fresh line.

This seasons looking promising.

2wt gets bent

05/20 found me back up river meeting John Hayes near one of our usual haunt areas. Tonights hope was to [with any luck] encounter some spinner fall activity. I went down into a familier stretch that has treated me well early in the season more than once. Things looked grim as for promising rises. I brought out the 2 ounce DFR 8' 2wt that has been in my possession about a year now. Changed up reels for a lighter one and it was decided improvement. I finally got antsy enough to cast over one of the small trout rising periodically. Unsure whether it's just me but I've not found these little guys to be quite the pushover most people take them for. He wouldn't touch my fly.. Finally as the sun fell behind the treeline with the black flies & mosquitos turning it up a notch.. so did the Trout. As I slowly waded downstream coming around a prominent point on inside of bend there was a subtle rise just on slack side of seam created. A few minutes of observation disclosed two fish seperated by 15' I stalked in and made my first attempt which looked good but no go.. The trout rose again, quite tight to the grass line. Next cast was money and he sipped my Sz 16 spent wing with confidence. I lifted into solid weight, I'm not sure the fish even knew he was hooked at first. A little more pressure woke him up but he never panicked, just swam slowly and powerfully out into the main trough of the river and began head shaking. I leaned on him a bit and he ran for the other bank, line hissing off the little Loop. Getting him stopped was a mental dilema with 5x tip but it held. A few more powerfull but shorter drives were halted and he was led into the grass. The little 2wt had done well!