Local fishing and upper Beav report

Uncle Mike and a really nice yellow trout.

I got the opportunity to fish with some of my all time favorites this past weekend, the Z-crew from NYC.  One part of the group who wont be named ended up staying at home in the Bronx, but we were able to continue their tradition of having a great time, as well as introduce Montana fly fishing to a 12 year old boy who couldn't get enough.  You know a kid is having fun fishing when you pull into the get-out and just about have to physically pull them out of  the boat.  Fortunately Mike didn't jinx himself this year by catching a giant one as his first fish of the day, and waited till the appropriate time for crushing.

Fly fishing to get close to nature.

Oh yeah, how bout an upper Beav report?  Went up Friday for the first time since the opener and was not disappointed.  Made it from the dam to the bunker hole (250 yards) before we hooked up.  It was one of those days where you saw a net out all of the way from the top to high bridge, and most of the time below there.  The flows are up enough that SLC wasn't completely overrunning the place, with waders in the normal spots but a surprisingly low number elsewhere.

Bugs:  SplitBack of course, sows, scuds, tiny PT's, some cool PT thing that I got at Tollet's with an olive head and a flashy back.  Below the high bridge all of the above along with the prince variation of your choice, which happened to be Ronald McDonald for us.  Worms were good too the closer you got to Grass.  Definitely a variety of bugs flying, but not a lot of trout looking up, which is pretty typical for this time of year.

Father's Day Giveaway!

Help celebrate Father's Day by entering the contest that I am putting on with Promont Outdoors.  Send a picture of you and Dad fishing to me at joe@evoanglers.com to be entered.  Winner will be announced next Wednesday.  Promont is an up and coming lifestyle clothing company out of Bozeman, owned by Weston Paul, one of the nicest guys you'll ever meet.  He is cranking out some awesome new designs, and his "PRO" hat can be seen rocked by yours truly, and many folks around SW MT.  Go check out his site, and make sure to enter the contest by next Tuesday!

Weekend on the Mo

We fished sitting down, to blend in.

You know you live in the right place when you choose to drive away from one of the best rivers in the state of Montana, right as it's about to pop with salmonflies, just to do something different (and avoid some crowds).  That's exactly what Seth and I did, setting out for the Mo friday morning in search of some small dry fly fishing and avoiding the crowds swarming like the big bugs they are looking for.

Pheasant tail, nailed it.

The first day we launched late at Wolf Creek and bobbered our way down to Craig.  Like two professional fishing guides, it took us about 75% of our float, with mixed results, to realize a pheasant tail was the bug to have on.  Two runs above Craig was about the time we got it figured out, and did the Mo  lap routine like you're supposed to (with fish every lap).  A burger and a cocktail at Izaak's and it was a short walk over to our tent at the Craig boat launch.

Day 2 we went and floated lower than Seth or I had ever fished the Mo.  The Headhunter's crew steered us away from where we planned on going, and it was the best call of the weekend.  after a few bobbered fished and switching time on the sticks, I looked down at a piece of water that looked like a great dry bank.  At the very bottom of the tailout (what's known as the lipout in the steelhead world) I spotted a rise near the bank, threw our double caddis dry rig and got hooked up and landed a nice brown, first cast.  The trend of first cast fish didn't continue, and we had our moments of straight up sucking when it came to sticking rising fish, but a bobber never hit the water again, and we got the opportunity to see why everyone raves about the Missouri as an amazing dry fly river.  For a period it really seemed like every riffle had fish rising in it, top to bottom.  The real sign to us that it had been a good day of fishing was when we rowed past a guide boat in a slow stretch, and he hollered out "What, are you guys tired of pounding on them?"

"We need to get lots of pictures so we can say we're crushing them!"

We decided prior to caddis crushfest that we would head back to the Big Hole for the citizens float on Sunday (stretch closed to outfitters).  We grabbed Seth's girlfriend Christina and launched at Maiden Rock amongst a hatch of rafters and anglers.  Fishing was as you would expect for the beginning of the hatch, actually probably worse.  After a few good runs of dry water we went to the darkside, and even the bobber fishing wasn't as good as we thought it should be.  We caught enough, and I farmed as good of one as I've seen in the canyon in a while, but overall it was a bit of a let down.  Fortunately, my wife and daughter get back from their vacation to the 206 tomorrow, so I've got much bigger things to look forward than fish.  Thanks to Seth and Christina for a fun weekend and a reminder of why we live in the last best place.

Introducing, "Tip the Big Hole"

Introducing the first annual Big Hole Watershed Committee "Tip the Big Hole" fundraising event, June 22nd at the Sunrise Fly Shop in Melrose, MT. For the event every guide on the Big Hole that signs up to participate will be donating their tip from the day to the Big Hole Watershed Committee. These funds will be used to aid in the upkeep and maintenance of the in-stream flow monitoring gages. These gages are routinely used by the fishing and guiding community, and are essential to the river management. Reps from the biggest companies in the industry will have booths set up including Simms, Scott, Winston, Rising Tools as well as Montana FWP and many others. Dinner will be provided to all participating guides and for purchase to anybody who stops by. Donations from everyone on the river that day is encouraged, all you have to do is stop by the Big Hole Watershed Committee booth. All participating guides will also get a gift bag, event t-shirt, free beer and entered into a raffle. If you are in the Melrose area, make sure to come by and see what’s going on, grab a mule at the hitching post, and help give back to the Big Hole River and the Big Hole Watershed Committee.

Keep checking back here and the Facebook event page for more info as the date gets closer.

WHEN: June 22, 3-7p.m.
WHERE: Sunrise Fly Shop.  Melrose, MT
WHO:  Guides will be donating their tips, but everybody is invited to show up, meet some great people and enjoy the BBQ and festivities and help contribute to the Big Hole River. 
WHY: To raise money for the Big Hole Watershed Committee to support the USGS river gages
MORE INFO:  http://bhwc.org/events/tip-the-big-hole/ or email me, joe@evoanglers.com

EvoAnglers, Worldwide

Good friend and exceptional photographer Brett Seng got this shot on a recent trip to Panama.  Luckily, my hat got thrown into the mix.  Brett and I got to spend some time together lately which is always a good time.  Incase you haven't noticed having an amazing new baby and a great new job has impacted my time to blog.  I've actually been fishing from the Mo to the Big Hole, so I'll get back into the blogging world soon.

And so it begins...

Betsy enjoying the back of her new boat.

Started out my guide season a week ago in familiar fashion; fishing the Big Hole with two of my favorite guests in the stretch that we start every season in.  4 years ago after a chaotic morning that included me leaving every fly I own in my garage and discovering it when we got to the river, we called an audible and went to Melrose to grab flies and float town to browns.  The resulting day was one that likely would not be believed over the internet, so we'll leave it at "very very good".

Larry hand-modeling one of the nicer fish.

This year we had a fun twist because Larry had just gotten a new clack, and he let me steer it on it's second day down the river.  As expected, it had the built in mojo that Clackacrafts always do, and it only took two bends in the river before Larry caught a healthy Big Hole brown.  Fly fishing is a sport of traditions, and sharing my first guide day of the year with Larry and Betsy, floating Town to Browns, is not one that will change soon.

Spring Fishing

After a week that brought the best moment of my life, a lot of dirty diapers and a little bit of sleep I got the opportunity to hit the Big Hole with my good friend Seth.  His clients wisely cancelled on what was supposed to be a day of terrible weather and crushing winds.  Fortunately the weather didn't catch up with us till the afternoon, but I don't blame them for taking the day off.  Fishing wasn't easy, because when two guides get in a boat it never is.  Fortunately, the beer was cold, the streamer bite was good enough, and we hit the take out before it got really weird out.  It snowed most of today as I sat inside with my wife and daughter and Seth sent me pictures of the snow piling up in his boat.   I definitely lucked out and made it out on the right day.