This was sent to me by the Underground’s Director of Stealth Montana Fisheries sent this to us, and given the odd snarky comment, is clearly Underground Material.
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Yesterday another perfect golden fall day. Missoula’s Hipness Ordinance requires us all to own floating craft (skis too, but that’s for another season), and they were all on display yesterday.
A healthy slug of rafts and drift boats rolled up [Highway Number redacted] yesterday morning. Yours truly was apparently the only person in the queue who missed the memo about Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks electro-shocking my favorite stretch of the [Famous River Name redacted].
Proving that ignorance is bliss, I pulled into a favorite parking spot, overjoyed at the lack of trailers there. Little did I know.
The sunny calm day spelled Tricos. I pulled out the severely underutilized new ULA reel, affixed it to the Winston Boron 5-wt, and tippeted out with some new highly praised (and even higher-priced) 7x.
Stylishly (and ignorantly) I stumped down to my favorite Trico haunt. On they way I walked within 10-feet or so of a Pileated woodpecker, the red-crested natural model for the laughing, animated “Woody.”
I interrupt this report for an observation: Everyone knows what electro-shocking survey boats do to the fishing.
Observation #2: Everyone is wrong.
Fish - big rainbows to be specific - ate Trico spinners in the fly fisherman-less shallows for hours. The only way I would have even known the shocking boat had just defiled my stretch was that a guide, pleasure boating his lady downstream, told me.
He also helpfully mentioned that some big fish were working right where I was. See, those guides are GOOD.
The ULA performed flawlessly: the fish ALL ran into the backing so the large arbor was helpful and you know how smoothly the Streamworks drag operates. The tippet was strong and supple and has me pondering splashing out for some in heftier sizes.
It was one of those “you should have been there” days. But, honestly, I’m happy no one else was.
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{ 11 comments… read them below or add one }
SmellsLikeFish 10.06.08 at 1:12 pm
This is turning into the same kinda story you posted last week about Stream X. Here again, I can’t find the Redacted River on the topo. I really want to try fishing it, so if you could just maybe tell me one of the other names for it - maybe the topo has it listed under some regional name. Just a guess, but as soon as you tell us, we can all go fish it.
Kentucky Jim 10.06.08 at 1:17 pm
A Winston 5 wt.? Let’s see now. It was about a year ago, no maybe a bit more, that I mentioned that I had just acquired one, and you accused me of “…going over to the dark side”. Dontcha just hate it when I do that?
I believe mine was a 8′ 5 wt. with a Lamson ULA Waterworks reel; rod was a BIIx to be specific. Perhaps one of the sweetest rods I’ve ever cast. So good, in fact, that it required a little more finesse than I’ve been able to give it. The beauty of that is that if I can stay with it, it will make me a better caster than I would otherwise be. The combination of the reel and the rod was easily the sweetest match that I ever have cast, or even held in my hand, for that matter.
Now, you mentioned fish. I believe you suggested that some were rather large. I really can’t imagine anything much sweeter than catching medium/large trout on that setup.
So…once again. I’m really not jealous or anything. Answering lengthy discovery requests is a great way to pass the day away. Writing blustery letters to lawyers who get paid more than I do to write ‘em back is good practice for posting on a northern California fly fishing blog where every time I turn around the guy is gone fishing again. Quit fishing and get back to work, will ya? Geeeez! Some people!
Tom Chandler 10.06.08 at 1:57 pm
Smells: Keep looking - you’ll find it somewhere within a 13.5 hour radius from Mt. Shasta.
Jim: I think [name redacted's] Winston was a 9′ rod. (And send any legal correspondence to him.)
Taku 10.06.08 at 7:14 pm
Fer god’s sake, the secret is out now. I can see the future, shocking schedules being carefully guarded, traded in the dark of night. Furtive anglers stalking the biologists, chasing them down like lawyers after ambulances. Those of us who experienced older siblings and cattle prods in younger days know what those shocks did to your appetites. Figure trout react the same way, looking for comfort food. The other bummer is my new $400.00 fly rod looks suspiciously like the new vacuum for the house. Damn economy.
Tom Chandler 10.06.08 at 7:23 pm
Taku: Yes, I’ve got the “Electro-Shock Your Way To More & Bigger Fish” title already half written. And these days, what kind of fly rod can you get for $400? You won’t even get gold-plated components for that…
Taku 10.06.08 at 7:58 pm
Well, heck, I’m still using my $75.00 Fenwick (sometimes) and when other addictions run to Spanish shotguns and boats, you’ve got to make the tough decisions. Plus it was a slow fire season here in the northern Rockies.
Tom Chandler 10.07.08 at 7:35 am
I would have assumed heroin and hookers, which are marginally less acceptable than outdoor sports, but cheaper…
LeftyG 10.07.08 at 9:16 am
Tom, old boy.—I write from Florida. I fish the Smokie’s for trouts as fine as any east of the St. Joe. We trout bums of FlyFishers ofNorthwest Florida haven’t found a really good 7x to use with out Tricos. Would you be so kind as to divulge the name of the superior one you used on the Redacted?
Cordially, LeftyG.
Tom Chandler 10.07.08 at 9:40 am
Lefty: gotta ask [name redacted] - this is his report, not mine.
Sully 10.07.08 at 10:18 am
LeftyG,
[name redacted] is famously cheap, but last week he told me that the $14.95 spent for a spool of Seaguar “Grandmax FX” was money well spent.
LeftyG 10.07.08 at 12:08 pm
Thanks Sully. A mere pittance to avoid taking the good lord’s name in vain!