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1999 Newsletter
Dear Friends,
1998 was a great year--fishing was superb and business boomed. In fact, business has increased to the point I have taken on a partner. Dave Meador has guided in this area for a number of years and is a great addition to Osprey Expeditions. "He's fun to fish with", is a comment often heard from clients. Dave and his wife, Sherry, have a two-year old son, Thomas.
The Missouri River continues to be our key ingredient in our recipe for fly fishing success, but the Blackfoot, Smith, Sun, Dearborn and other rivers are becoming more important. We continue to search for new, quality fishing experiences to offer you. See "Reel Important News" for more on this.
I am grateful for the success Osprey Expeditions continues to enjoy. The two greatest blessings I've received in this business are making good friends from all corners of the map and being able to make a living sharing my passion for fly fishing.
Join us in Montana this year and experience some of Montana's best fly fishing.
Best wishes,
REEL IMPORTANT NEWS
I have continued to see a dramatic increase in fishing pressure over the 25 years that I have lived in Montana. So I'm always on the lookout for less trammeled water with good fishing. Try the ideas I've described below.
SECRET #1 I urge you to try the highest quality trout fishing I have ever experienced. Hundreds of big, rising rainbows, fabulous dry fly fishing, few if any other anglers, beautiful scenery, fabulous sunsets-it goes on and on. The urgent part is that it's being discovered, and will likely be compromised in a few years.
I plan to keep the location between my clients and me; in fact, I'll swear you to secrecy before we launch. Suffice it to say that it's a particular stretch of the Missouri River. Timing is from the third week of September through the third week of October. The fishing is not bulletproof; that is, it depends on weather and hatches, but even on our worst day it's still very adequate. I have forsaken the fall fishing for large browns in order to fish these rainbows. They are big, powerful, and plentiful.
SECRET #2 Early season fishing can be superb. By early season I mean March, April and May. Midge hatches can be awesome and translate into lots of rising fish. Fishing on a tributary of the Missouri River (to remain unnamed) can also be stellar during this time. A good friend (Delta airline pilot Roger Berens from Seattle) describes early fishing on the Missouri like this: "On March 19th I was able to fish with Gary-the day was sunny and warm (45 degrees). At our first stop we caught several nice rainbows and Gary even caught a 24-inch brown. Further downstream I caught a brown just slightly smaller. About an hour before sunset, we found numerous fish sipping midges in a feeding frenzy. We hooked 18-inch rainbows on nearly every cast."
SECRET #3 I've found a river that is a fabulous fishery but little known. It's a tailwater prairie stream that has large rainbows and browns. Based on what I've seen so far and the whispered stories of trusted friends, I plan on spending more time on this river this summer. It's far enough from Helena that it requires an overnight stay-a small price to pay for quality, secluded fishing. As traffic increases on Montana's better known rivers these lightly fished waters become more valuable.
FLY OF THE YEAR
Of course, it's borders on the ludicrous to name one fly that is better than all the rest. It's more daunting than naming the NFL Player of the Year--is Randall Cunningham really better than Tyrell Davis or John Elway or Randy Moss. But I'll go out on a limb and call the Quigley Cripple a true all-star fly. It represents the adult insect caught in the nymphal shuck or just emerging from the shuck and is meant to drift with the wings on top of the water while the tail (shuck) is under water.
Here are the reasons I think it deserves top dog status.
1. Fish eat it readily even when they spurn other imitations.
2. Fish will move out of their feeding lane to eat it.
3. Fish eat it even though it's the wrong size; that is, they will eat one that is several sizes too large.
4. Fish eat it even though it's the wrong color.
Rather than arguing about the merits of this fly versus another, spend your time tying some Quigley's. A good recipe is found on page 91 of "Tying Flies with Jack Dennis and Friends."
LODGING
I continue to sift through lodging opportunities in the area to make sure I offer you the best variety possible. Here are a couple of new ones.
John Maki, long time Montana hunting and fishing guide and Avon raft dealer, is putting the finishing touches on his log lodge that sits on the banks of the Blackfoot River. It's a gorgeous lodge in a beautiful setting. The logs are oak, as is the flooring. The lodge has two bedrooms upstairs, each with a private bath. John will provide lodging, breakfast and dinner for $125 per person per day.
The Missouri River Trout Shop and Lodge purchased a house in Craig that will be rented to fly fishers this summer. It has two bedrooms, living and dining areas and all furnishings are new. The house rents for $150 per night and can accommodate up to 4 people.
Here's a partial listing of the accommodations that I offer:
- H Lazy 6 Ranch
- Blacktail Ranch
- Heaven on Earth Ranch
- Flyway Ranch
- Schad House
- LeGrande House
- Missouri River Trout Shop and Lodge
- Missouri River Lodge
- Sportsman's Retreat
- Bungalow Bed and Breakfast
- Mountain Meadow Inn
- Maki Lodge
Lodging books earlier every year-I urge you to plan early for your fly fishing trip.
MISSOURI RIVER
As I mentioned earlier, the Missouri River will always be the major fly fishing attraction in this area. Abundant aquatic food, consistent streamflow and 5000 trout per mile produce the finest rainbow trout stream in Montana. It's a challenge to change people's perception of the Missouri River from that of a muddy channel with barge traffic to that of a high quality trout stream that resembles a huge spring creek. Indeed, it's a beautiful, clear river with flowing weed beds, plentiful riffles, and productive runs. Actually, I'm grateful that the river isn't as renowned as the Yellowstone, Bighole, or Madison rivers-the Missouri River is less crowded AND better fishing.
GUIDES
The single most important part of the fishing day that I can provide to you is the guide (I'll still do most of the guiding). Over the years I have developed an absolute standard for the guides I want working with me.
1. They must be highly skilled.
2. They must be enthusiastic and fun to fish with.
3. They must work hard.
4. Fly fishing must be a passion for them.
5. They must be respectful and personable.
Trapper Badovinac, Dave Payne, Bob Brent, Bruce Pershing, Goef Ferguson, Mike Agee and Tom Brown are some of the elite guides in this area that meet this test.
1999 RATES
I have left my rates the same since 1997. Float fishing trips are $290 per day for up to two anglers and includes the boat, guide, flies, great lunch, and local transportation. Wade trips are $200 per day for up to three anglers and includes guide and lunch (does not include rod fee, if needed).
WHY DO YOU FLY FISH?
My clients sometimes have to remind me that the reason we fly fish is to relax and have fun. Fly fishing is my life's passion-I sleep, eat, drink and dream fly fishing. I love the technology of fly fishing, the challenge of improving my skills and knowledge of fly fishing, the fact that I'll never know everything there is to know about the fish and their behavior. If I live to be 100 I might learn how to cast.
I can get so involved with the "how" of fly fishing that I forget the "why." I have a picture of John Woodling (Whittier, CA) that always brings back my perspective. He has a huge grin on his face and is holding a brown trout--not a large fish but a perfectly beautiful one. His smile is so compelling that I can't help but smile myself. His enjoyment of the moment is so clear that the "why" of it is obvious.
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