 |
 |
Spring 2003 Newsletter
Looking out the window as ice floes drift down the river and wind kicks up the snow I am hopeful that we might have a serious Montana winter. Late spring snow and rain bailed us out of a drought last year, but flyfishers are like farmers, we prefer a deep winter snowpack that will melt slowly in the spring and fill up our streams and reservoirs. But, it's an an "El Nino" year that normally brings warm, dry winters and wet springs. Some are already talking of drought this year, but not to worry, it's much too early to be crying wolf. High water this spring would provide much needed flushing flows for the river ecosystem and a super abundance of food to the fish.
Elaine is working for the Legislature this winter and daily brings home tales of intrigue and partisan politics. The Montana Legislature is facing a serious budget problem and has to find a way to cut a quarter of a billion dollars in programs and people. On the other hand, I am finding new ways to spend money every day as I build our river house. It took the carpenter and me two months, four snowstorms, high winds and some subzero temperatures to get the house framed in, shingles on and windows and doors in. It was a special time; not only did I have the satisfaction of being a part of the house taking shape, but I saw bald eagles taking fish from the river, stunning sunrises and sunsets, thousands of ducks and geese heading south in a bitter storm, and fish rising from bank to bank on calm cloudy days.
Now with the help of a 300,000 BTU heater I can work comfortably inside and, if I stay on task, should be done with the house well before July. As always, I look forward to rowing a boat for you and showing you some of Montana's finest flyfishing. It's comfortable knowing that regardless of drought the Missouri River will always have great fishing. I enjoy bringing you new experiences and I think you may like "Land of the Giants"-check out the article Josh wrote for this newsletter. You might not catch a lot of fish (but then again you could), but you very likely will hook up a monster fish-fish that will remind you of pond fish because they are beefy and strong.
Best wishes to you in 2003 and I hope I have the chance to be a part of one of your memorable fishing experiences this year.
|
Land of the Giants
(Josh Steinmetz-expert guide)
"Land of the Giants" was the name given to this piece of water by Joe Tutino from New Jersey. I consider it to be a heaven on earth. If you like big, fat, hard fighting fish, this is the place to come.
This relatively small stretch of water is in one of the most beautiful small canyons Montana has to offer. The river winds through an 800 foot rock wall to the west and a rock slope with a timbered ridge to the east. Fast water riffles, slack waters, deep drop-offs, pockets and more will give anglers a real work out. But hard work and determination have always been rewarded here.
The primary food source is the scud. But there are plenty of other options available, including BWO's, midges, caddis, tricos, PMD's, drakes of all colors, stoneflies, hoppers, crawfish, and of course, other fish. With the abundance of food we always seem to find something these big fish find appealing.
This year we managed to get a few of the old "story fish" (you know, "the one that got away") to the net-the largest being a 29 and one-half inch rainbow with a 15 and one-half girth. Then there was the 27-inch brown that took a high riding hopper in shallow water riffle. And I can't forget to mention the three 26 inch rainbows and probably 50 trout that were 23 to 24 inches. The average fish here will be about 3 pounds and 19 inches long.
If you want to try your luck in the Land of the Giants this year, give us a call and you might be the next with a picture of that "story fish" for your wall.
|
Good News for the Missouri-Whirling Disease Update
(Trapper Badovinac - expert guide)
Myxobolus cerebralis (Mc) is a parasite that infiltrates the head and spinal cartilage of fingerling trout where it multiplies rapidly, causing the fish to swim erratically and, in severe cases, die. When an infected fish dies, millions of tiny indestructible Mc spores (each about the size of a red blood cell) are released to the water where they can surivive in this "dormant" form for up to 30 years.
When Mc spores are ingested by Tubifex worms the spore changes inside the worm and is released from the worm in a highly infective form, the Triactinomyxon (Tam). Tams are free floating in the water until they infect trout, causing deformities and decreased abilities to feed.
Whirling disease has been present in the Missouri and most other Montana rivers for some time, but results of the Fish, Wildlife and Parks population study done last fall is good news for the Missouri. The older fish are dying, but not at an alarming rate, and the populations are near the long term averages.
The great news is that the one-year old fish are doing very well so the future looks bright. The number of one-year old rainbow trout in the Craig section doubled from last year and in the Cascade section increased by 400% -- double the long term average.
Just when some were preaching gloom and doom for the Missouri River, we find that there are huge numbers of small fish in the river, fish that will grow into those hard charging rainbows that we love.
|
This is the Year
(Dr. David Spearman, Easely, SC)
"This is the year. You promised me a fly fishing trip to Montana when I turned twelve." Andrew, my granson, reminded me of an earlier promise and I  responded that my word was as certain as a cold Montana winter and that the whole family would head west in July. I made a call to Gary Fritz and he set us up for July 14th on the Missouri River near Craig.
The guides picked us up early that morning and we were soon fishing the legendary Missouri. My grandson and I were fishing with Josh Steinmetz. The first fish was a beautiful 19-inch rainbow caught by Andrew. He was fishing with a nymph and strike indicator-I was using a hopper, dry.
After Andrew caught his second fish, an even bigger Brown, and I had caught nothing, I began to hear words like "skunked." Under some pressure, I noticed a run near the bank that looked fishy even though it was less than a foot deep. I cast the hopper to the beginning of the run and got a high, drag free float. Midway through the run the hopper disappeared in an enormous swirl. I raised the rod tip and set the hook. When the brown felt the hook it shook its head and rolled and I could see it was a big fish. Josh grabbed his larger boat net and the fight was on.
The brown headed for deep, swift water and went downstream taking most of my backing. Josh anchored the boat and I got out and followed the fish. The fish made a number of runs before I got it headed our direction. Finally, Josh got the net under the huge brown and brought it to the boat. When pictures were carefully taken and a measurement made the fish quickly swam away.
There were high fives all around and no more talk of being skunked. A 27 and a half inch brown trout-indeed,"This is the year."
|
Dry Fly Fishing and Montana Wind
The wind knows how to blow on the Missouri River, in fact, some say the wind was born there; others say that all you have to do is put on a dry fly and the wind starts to blow. The two Irishmen I guided in early October were great sports, but after a few too many "be the wind" and "the wind is our friend" comments they started to wonder if we would find any dry fly fishing. The baetis hatched every day, but most of them ended up in downtown Great Falls rather than on the river. Not to worry I said. We found a small area (no more than 200 feet long) where the river was protected from even 30 mile per hour winds and fish, lots of fish, would rise steadily for hours. We spent a good part of several days drifting #16 baetis dries over tough but catchable fish. The magic of the Missouri River had worked for us again.
|
To Bugger or Not To Bugger
(David Payne-expert guide)
Mention the word "Wooly Bugger" to a cafe full of fly fishers only if you want to creat dialog. Nothing short of indicator nymphing will create more discussion and polarization among anglers. The dry fly folks shudder at the barbaric thought of something that large on the end of their line that goes splat when it hits the water. To the subsurface crew, it is yet another tool in the bag to dredge the bottom with.
A lot of experienced guides view fishing Buggers as yet another proven method of taking fish as opposed to simply a poor weather default tactic. Wooly buggers have been responsible for boating a lot of large fish on the Missouri, and there can be more to fishing them than the traditional "chuck, duck, and strip" method of banging the banks that we all know.
Buggers can be fished weighted or unweighted, and with a sinktip or floating fly line. While most of my success has come with a long sinktip line and weighted bugger, I have witnessed large rising fish taking one on top (I saw Gary do this) with an unweighted fly and floating line.
I like to fish buggers out of the boat. I look for water flowing at medium to slow speed over grass flats and weed beds and cast down and across. I retrieve with short, snappy hand twists rather than a strip and move the bugger just fast enought to keep it out of the weeds. Fly color doesn't seem to make a lot of difference, but I'm partial to a bugger with a light olive body and tail. Try them, you just might like it, and I'm certain the fish will.
|
Perfection
(Brack Terry, Morristown, TN)
During the past seven years fishing annually with Gary, I have had a range of different experiences. I have fished late spring, mid summer, late summer and early fall. We have had great days, average days, some rather poor days, and some of the most excellent days you could ever imagine.
I have come to appreciate that a great day of flyfishing can occur in many different ways. It could be that you have caught a lot of fish or a monster fish. Or it could be that you watched your wife catch her first trout on a fly, as I did with Gary last year. Fishing with a guide that has become a good friend is part of the experience as well.
But rarely does a day come along where everything that you perceive as the perfect day of flyfishing happen at one time. On our final fishing day last fall it seemed as though the stars were aligned. My brother Chuck, Gary, Josh and I fished the Blackfoot River. I knew the day was special when we arrived at the launch site and saw that we would be the only ones on the river.
The Blackfoot isn't a tail water-we fish virtually the same river the McLeans did over 50 years ago. The scenery, the whitewater and the lack of people made it a special day. And I really shouldn't mention those TWO submerged rocks that Gary would like to forget-he claims he'd never put a hole in his raft before.
On this perfect day, I was fortunate enough to catch a trifecta with a bonus. First I caught several rainbows that, while not huge, were certainly feisty. A little later we scored several cut-bows, a cross between rainbows and cutthroats, and then proceeded to catch a number of small cutthroats-a fish I had not caught before.
Just before lunch, at 2 pm, came one of those moments that you think you will remember forever. At the famed "Glory Hole" of "A River Runs Through It" we saw several large cutthroats cruising just under the surface. The first cast was a good one and it hooked a good size rainbow, yet small in comparison to the other fish we were seeing. Several casts later I put the hopper/dropper rig just upstream of where the big daddies were holding. The cutthroat took the dropper and we were off to the races. After a lengthy tussle we landed the brute. It exhibited all of the flashy colors you expect from a native cutthroat and it was a nice size fish besides. Wow, a beautiful cutthroat caught from the famed Glory Hole--it just doesn't get any better.
|
Gratutities
Clients often ask what the tip should be for a day of guided flyfishing.
Here is an unsolicited letter I received from Ed Hasselman (Minneapolis,
MN) that does a good job of addressing the question.
Hello Gary:
As with any new adventure, one needs to learn the protocol. When
checking out on Wednesday morning I inquired about gratuities for
guides. I learned that tips range from $50 to $100 per day depending
on how well the guide worked out. Based on this and our experience
with you I realize that we shorted you as we gave you a gratuity of $110
(for two days of guided fishing). We want to treat you fairly so attached
is a check for an additional $100.
We believe that our experience in Montana was superb for the following
reasons:
1. We used your fishing equipment.
2. You gave us good instruction.
3. We caught many and large trout using a variety of fishing methods.
4. You answered our many questions, some more than once...
I felt that the first day and a half were nothing less than fabulous. The
afternoon of the second day did not go as well. I am not sure if this was
because of the difficult fishing conditions, our fatigue, or something else
but all in all, we appreciated your efforts in making our time in Montana
a memorable one.
Regards,
Ed Hasselman
|
Trapper's Missouri River Book
Some of you know Trapper Badovinac as a guide. His skills and good nature have put smiles on the faces of countless anglers. Recently, he's put his knowledge of fly fishing in print with an article in Fly Fisherman magazine. Now he's authored a book entilted Fly Fishing Montana's Missouri River which will be off press this spring. The book is full color, hardbound and along with the great stories and infomation, are lots of spectacular photographs. It will sell for $24.95 and if you'd like a personally signed copy, contact Trapper at (406) 458-5613 or MTTrapper@aol.com.
|
|
