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Jack C. Mauer has more than a thirty year investment in fishing, floating and wading the waters of western Montana. He is intimately acquainted with the surrounding fisheries and their corresponding ecologies. It is his passion and enthusiasm for the art of fly fishing, a respect and knowledge of trout habitat, and the ability to expertly instruct the technical aspects of fly fishing that clients appreciate as they return to western Montana and Wapiti Waters. Contact Jack at 800-254-5311.

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Saturday, December 25, 2010

Christmas means staying in touch with new and old friends

The 2010 fishing season for Wapiti Waters was a wonderful one. Current friends and clients fished with us and we made wonderful new friends. We recently received an email from new friends in Alaska. They fished with Jack in late October and caught trout. Jack also caught a darn big pike. They sent photos in the email and here they are. See the featured photo above and then view the rest in the slideshow below.

Thanks to everyone who fished with us in 2010. We wish you all a very merry Christmas and  happy new year!

Monday, November 1, 2010

North Fork River in Idaho, fly fishing for Steelhead in late fall

Jack and I went steelhead fishing in Idaho last week on Thursday and Saturday. It seems to be true that you cast 1000 times before you get a fish.

We caught steelhead and trout, but only a few. Those few got us "hooked" as the fight they give you is definitely thrilling. Our steelhead were in the 24 to 30 inch range and they were all beautiful.

 The scenery is spectacular. And, the Village at North Fork is a one stop, get it all place. They have gas, rooms, cafe, licenses, gear, supplies, and all important shuttles! Give them a call at 888.432.0240 or visit their website at www.thevillageatnorthfork.com.


Click here to view all the photos online in a new window.

Friday, October 29, 2010

Fly fishing for pike on the lower Bitterroot

I forgot to post this. Jack caught a big pike on the Bitterroot earlier this month. He is still on his mission of removing pike from our local coldwater fisheries.

Now that Milltown Dam is removed and the reservoir gone, maybe we can get the pike numbers down. The reservoir was a major rearing area for pike because it was good habitat for young pike. It had warmer, slow water and lots of smaller trout that young pike could eat.

Pike eat a lot of juvenile trout so we don't mind harvesting these voracious fish. 

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Fly Fishing the Bitterroot with Bob and Peggy and Bob's bamboo rod

Bob and the trout he caught on his bamboo rod

Bob and Peggy live in the Bitterroot south of Hamilton. They love to fish, love the outdoors and are avid Bitterroot Trout Unlimited supporters and members. We are proud of their service to one of our favorite organizations.

They fished with Jack on a nice fall day in late October. Bob used his bamboo rod and both of them caught some nice trout.

Saturday, October 23, 2010

Fly fishing for steelhead less than two hours from the Bitterroot

Dennis with his steelhead on the Salmon River
Jack, Scott and Dennis got an early start, drove about an hour and half and fished the Salmon River in Idaho for steelhead. See photos from their trip below.

You can bet they will be doing more steelhead fishing soon.

To read more about steelhead fishing on the Salmon River (license information included) see Fly fishing for steelhead on the Salmon River in Idaho by Merle Ann Loman.

Follow-up note: I just found out you can buy your license at Bob Wards in Hamilton. Nice!

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Betty's Montana pronghorn hunting success

Betty and the pronghorn doe shot this year on opening day
Our friends, Joe and Betty, love to fish and hunt. Betty is very successful. She shared a photo of her pronghorn (antelope) doe she shot on opening day this year. I found a photo of a buck she shot a few years ago. They are great photos and she said I could blog them. Here they are.

Betty is like me, she does it all. She doesn't stop after shooting, she retrieves her game and takes care of the meat. 
Betty and the buck she shot a few years ago

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Fly Fishing the Bitterroot - surprised with trico/bass fishing

Large mouth bass from the middle Bitterroot River
Jack and Doug fished the trico hatch and a big surprise was this large bass! They did catch some trout, no pike, and of course this significant bass.

Update!!! Above is only part of the story. When I asked Jack more about how he caught this bass, the whole story came together.  They WERE fishing the trico hatch until it was done. When the day got warmer and sunnier, they switched to the 9 wt rod and pike flies. They were fishing for pike in a slow section near a backwater and they caught this bass there. So that is the rest of the story. My apologies for not getting all the info in the first place. (Merle)


Monday, October 11, 2010

Fly Fishing - trico-pico day on the Bitterroot with Marshall

Marshall with his pike from the Bitterroot.
Photo courtesy of Marshall Bloom.
All photos are courtesy of Marshall Bloom. They used his camera. This is a day on the lower Bitterroot. They were looking to fish tricos and to catch pike. Looks like a pretty successful and beautiful day. Thanks, Marshall, for the photos! By the way, grilled elk steak was the main course for lunch. Yum.

See all of Marshall's photos of pike and the Bitterroot River below.

Wapiti Waters recommends (and really uses) these items:

Sunday, October 10, 2010

Fly Fishing the Clark Fork River with Paul and Tom

Photo courtesy of Paul
Paul's mom and sister live in the Bitterroot That gives him good reason to come visit and, of course, fish. They live in Washington state and Paul works for the state park system. This year he brought his life-long friend, Tom. Jack opted to take them on the Clark Fork this year to show them something they hadn't seen. It was a pretty day and a pretty good day of fishing. Paul sent these photos. Thank you Paul!

See all of Paul's photos below.

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Fly fishing the Blackfoot River with Judy and Irv

Judy with her trout from the Blackfoot River, Montana. This was her last fish of the day!
Irv is at Stanford University School of Medicine as a professor, researcher, and Director of Institute of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine. He is also from Great Falls, Montana and maintains his Montana roots. He has a home on the Bitterroot River and generously invites students, colleagues and friends to visit. On this fishing day, Irv and Stanford and scientific colleague, Judy, fished with Jack. Irv needed to get to the airport in the late afternoon so they chose the Blackfoot River on a stretch close to Missoula. It was a good choice both for timing and fishing.

Judy has fished with Jack for many years but I think this is the first fishing photo we have gotten. It is a nice one! I also think Judy will be asking Jack to fish the Blackfoot River again. She was on fire. The fishing and the catching went very well.

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Fly Fishing the Bitterroot River with Jim and Phil

Phil and his Bitterroot rainbow trout
Jim and Phil from Washington, DC came to Montana and fished with Jack on Sept 17 and 18. The Bitterroot was their river of choice and it paid off. There wasn't a lot of time for fishing photos, but here are a few taken from the boat. I am including a few more that I (Merle) took on the morning of first day as they were getting ready to start the day.
Click here to see all the photos in a new window.


See all the photos online with this link Pinegrass at Break Espresso on First Night Missoula

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Fall fly fishing on the Bitterroot River with Dar

Dar with a beautiful rainbow trout.

Fall is almost here officially, but it feels like fall now. Cooler temperatures and changing colors are the clues for us and the fish. Dar Soder and his wife, LaRonda, are visiting from Missouri. Dar loves to fish and he and Jack were on the mid to lower Bitterroot one day this week. The fishing was a bit technical for some of the time with tricos coming off, but Dar did used a variety of Jack's flies and definitely caught some beautiful trout. They had a lot of fun fishing and visiting while floating the gorgeous Bitterroot River.
Here are more photos.


We recommend Smith Optics Sunglasses for fly fishing in Montana.

Thursday, September 9, 2010

Fly fishing the Bitterroot with clients from Arizona

Rainbow trout from the Bitterroot River
Jack guided clients from Arizona on the Bitterroot and Big Hole River. The photos are only from the Bitterroot. They didn't get photos from the Big Hole. Sometimes they are having too much fun to take photos. These clients were a referral from a good friend and outfitter on the Big Horn River, Matt McMeans. Thank you Matt! Great people. Jack had a good time with them and appreciated your sending them his way.

See more photos below:

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

More fish from fly fishing on the Bitterroot with the Connells

Susan Connell's beautiful trout
Still fishing with the Connell's and their friends. We have to say, Susan is quite the trout fisher-woman. She consistently catches trout, what else can we say. Congratulations Susan. Here are a few more photos.

Monday, September 6, 2010

Fly Fishing the Bitterroot River with Robertsons - guided by Dave Heimes

Trout photo by Dave Heimes
Dave sent us a few more photos he took while guiding Susan and Carl Robertson on the Bitterroot River.

We appreciate getting the photos, forwarding them to the clients and posting them for our readers to see. Thanks again, Dave, Susan and Carl. These photos were taken in early September.

Thursday, September 2, 2010

Fly Fishing the Bitterroot with Connells, Thomas' and Robertsons

Susan Robertson's fish on Wednesday - photo by guide, Dave Heimes
This week has been a great week. Three couples are here that we love to fish with. They have been coming every year for awhile now. During this year's visit, someone (or a few someones) from their group has fished every other day. They know how to enjoy Montana (even if it rains) and have fun and we are glad to help. It also give us and them an opportunity to work with great guides. Thanks to all of you.

A few photos of Geoff on the Bitteroot from Monday - guided by Jack Mauer

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Fly Fishing the Big Hole River with Richard Steed and his daughter, Polly

Polly and her brown trout
Another Father/Daughter team with Wapiti Waters. Take your kids fishing and you will enjoy showing them the beauty and excitement of the outdoors. Introduce them to an activity that you can all enjoy for a lifetime. Polly and Richard went to the Big Hole with Jack in late August and it turned into a stellar day for scenery and for fishing. The few photos were wonderful showing Polly with her large brown trout she caught early in the day, Richard's stout rainbow trout and the spectacular scenery. I think Polly snapped the landscape shots (thank you Polly!).
See the slideshow below for more photos

Friday, August 27, 2010

Join the Annual Bitterroot River Cleanup

Wade Fishing the Bitterroot River
Help clean up the Bitterroot River in the Bitterroot Valley of Montana on:
Saturday, Sept 11, 2010
10:00 AM to 4:00 PM


Participants  and sponsors will be working in the area from Sula, Montana and Painted  Rocks Dam at the south end of the Bitterroot Valley all the way north  to Missoula, Montana where the Bitterroot River meets the Clark Fork  River. The Bitterroot River flows for over 80 miles and has many public  accesses. The more participants helping, the better. Bring your work  gloves and be ready to meet and make friends with wonderful people.

End the day at the "Barbecue for Participants" at Angler’s Roost, 4:30 PM

This event is sponsored by:

For information and to sign up, call Don McGourty 406-363-3146
DMcGourty@fsbmsla.com

When working on the river and banks, remember to respect private property – Stay below the high water line.

You can also contact:
Phil Connelly
406-375-2272
brwaterforum@bitterroot.net
Bitter Root Water Forum
PO Box 1247
Hamilton, MT 59840
www.brwaterforum.org

Slideshow of the Bitterroot River in the fall.

Friday, August 20, 2010

Craig Bashein takes his kids fishing on the Bitterroot River

A double hook-up! Thanks Jay.
Craig and his family come to their Bitterroot home in the summer when ever they can. He is so great about taking his kids and friends fishing on the Bitterroot River. Here are a few photos taken from Jay's phone (Jay guided these two boys).

Friday, August 13, 2010

Montana Fly Fishing - Big Hole and Blackfoot Rivers with Naomi and Jim

Naomi and Jim have fished with Jack for quite a few years now. They bring their motor home which gives them flexibility to fish many rivers. This trip they fished the Big Hole for two days, took a day off, and then fished the Blackfoot for three days. They are fun to be with and passionate about fishing and the resources. Jack really enjoys fishing them. They also celebrated their anniversary on this trip.

Sunday, August 8, 2010

Big Hole River with the Knick and Levert families

Jeff and his one of his two daughters
Fly fishing is definitely a family activity. Just be sure to have life jackets, sunscreen, hats, water and food for the kids. Be practical about the distance of the float and be safe. Jack's daughter and husband live near Billings. They like to meet Jack in the Big Hole and spend at least a couple of days fishing and camping. On this late July weekend, our longtime friend (and also fishing guide) was doing the same stretch with his family. One can never have to much fun!
The two Knick boys at the put-in on the Big Hole. Grandpa Jack is taking the photo.

Saturday, August 7, 2010

Big Hole River with Irv Weissman

Irv and his brown trout
Jack and Irv
Irv has a home in the Bitterroot and comes up from CA often. This year Irv, his family and some friends have fished the Bitterroot a lot, the Big Hole some and at least one day so far on the Blackfoot.

Here are a couple of photos from the Big Hole River. They seem to be catching quite a few brown trout this July.

Thursday, July 22, 2010

Big Hole River with Bob Ratcheson

Jack holding Bob's beautiful brown trout
Bob and Peggy have a home near the Bitterroot River but you have to fish other places, too. On this day, Bob and Jack ventured "over the hill" to the Big Hole. It paid off. Cooler temperatures, more water, lots of fish and spectacular scenery were some of the perks.
Closer view of Bob's brown trout

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Fly Fishing the Bitterroot with Florence Dentist, Carl Shepp

Jack's dentist is Carl Shepp from Florence. Carl is also a friend, a husband and wonderful father of two. We love getting together with the Shepp family for fun and for fishing. This day was all about Carl getting to fish. Jack took on a stretch in the middle Bitterroot. You can see by the photos, they had a great day.

The Bitterroot has many good dentists, but Carl is our recommendation. You know he knows how to have fun. Along with being a hard working, skilled dentist, he loves to spend time with his family, fly fish and snow ski.



You can find Carl's office at:
5460 U.S. 93, Florence, MT 59833-6852
(406) 273-2015

View Larger Map

See the slideshow below for a few more photos.

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Fly Fishing Montana - the Big Hole River in July with Peter Rein

Peter has been to Montana many times but we first met Peter in the late 1990's when he came to fish with his sister and her family. Peter finished school, began his career in Texas and we didn't see him for awhile. Now Peter lives in northern CA, his career is established and the lure and memories of fishing in Montana have brought him back. He has spent more time in Montana than many because he loves the outdoors and fishing. Peter had been to the Big Hole, but this was his first time float-fishing it. It was a great day.

We are fortunate to have Peter as a friend and as a client. He is smart, fun to be with, passionate about life, dogs and about fishing. Take a trip down the Big Hole River with Peter and with us through the photos in the slideshow below.



Saturday, July 10, 2010

John Bolton on the Bitterroot River

Doc and his wife, Liz, were up again. They have a sweet little place on the middle river and come as often as they can. John fishes by his house or wade fishes his other favorite spots.

Liz enjoys the quiet time and catches up on her reading.

On this day, he is fishing with Jack. What a beautiful day.

See a few more photos in the slideshow below.


Friday, July 9, 2010

Father and son fished the Bitteroot - Greg and Kris came from Canada to the Bitterroot River

Kris from Alberta, Canada - cutthroat trout
Kris graduated from high school and Greg decided it was time to do a fishing trip to the Bitterroot with him. They live in Canada and have plenty of beautiful mountains and rivers there, but coming to the Bitterroot was something special. Nice fish, Kris. Jack Mauer is holding it for him.

Greg Yavorsky is IFMGA Mountain Guide for Yamnuska Mountain Adventures. They have an awesome site. One of the links talks about wind power of personal computers. These people think of everything.

Yamnuska Mountain Adventures is the premier provider of mountaineering, ice and rock climbing, backcountry skiing and trekking experiences in the Canadian Rockies. For over 30 years, we have hosted thousands of clients from Canada and all over the world.

Thursday, July 8, 2010

Jeff and Colonel Rogers on the Bitterroot River - and a moose

Jeff's dad was up for a visit again. And, again, they went fishing with Jack - June 28 and 29. Maybe it is becoming an annual tradition for them. There is nothing like bonding as father and son on the river. They certainly know how to have fun in the outdoors together.

There is a moose in a couple of the photos, though it is very difficult to see. A few days later, Jack saw a bear. Deer, moose and maybe elk are common sites, but though bear are here, we don't usually see them on the river. Of course Jeff and the Colonel caught fish, too.


Monday, July 5, 2010

The Big Hole River in spring and early summer 2010

Salmonfly (Pteronarcys californica) from the Big Hole in June
Wapiti Waters spent a lot of time on the Big Hole River this spring and early summer. Jack began his guiding career in the early 1980's on the Big Hole with the Complete Fly Fisher. He loves the high valley and clear, beautiful Big Hole River. It is one of many rivers he fishes and he knows it well.

To learn more, visit our Big Hole River web page.

See a slideshow below for a few photos from this spring and early summer. Something you should know, if you fish the Big Hole River in June, bring potent and ample amounts of mosquito dope and cover yourself well with clothing. The mosquitoes are plentiful and BIG. But, the fishing and scenery is worth putting up with these pests.

Saturday, July 3, 2010

Another late June day on the Big Hole River - Jim and son-in-law, John

John with a nice brown trout
Jim has fished with Wapiti Waters for years. This year he and his friends included family. This day, Jim and his son-in-law, John, drove to the Big Hole from Hamilton to fish with Jack. It was a brighter day and very successful. Seems like the Big Hole is magical this time of year. See the slideshow below for more photos.

Friday, July 2, 2010

Big Hole River in late June - a rainy day and good fishing

Jack and Mike
Mike and Jason
Mike and his son-in-law, Jason, fished the Big Hole River with Jack in late June. It was a bit of a drive from Hamilton, but well worth it. There is something about the Big Hole in June, beautiful and usually great fishing. That held true for this day.

Saturday, June 26, 2010

Fishing on Father's Day - West Fork of the Bitterroot


Jeremy fished last year on the Big Hole. This Father's Day, he and his friend, Chad fished the West Fork of the Bitterroot with Wapiti Waters.

Friday, June 25, 2010

Are you a Montana fly fishing outfitter or guide and concerned about climate change and impacts?

Montana Audubon and guides and outfitters speak up about climate change concerns.

Derek Goldman works for Montana Audubon out of Missoula, Montana. He is concerned about climate changes and impacts on Montana resources. He is reaching out to fly fishing outfitter and guides and asking them to speak up if they share his concerns. He has prepared a letter and is asking for signatures.

Here is the body of his draft letter.

Dear Senator Baucus, Senator Tester and Congressman Rehberg,

As fishing guides and outfitters in the state of Montana, we are writing to express our concerns about the impacts global climate change is having on our rivers, our fish, and our livelihoods, and to encourage you to support energy legislation that includes a strong, science-based cap on greenhouse gas emissions.

In Montana, we are fortunate to have more than 170,000 miles of rivers and streams meandering through our state. (Only Alaska, California and Texas can boast of more waterways than Montana.) Many of these rivers provide habitat for various species of game fish, including native Cutthroat trout, Bull trout, and Arctic grayling. Healthy fish populations and quality habitat are critical for our small businesses and for our way of life. The persistence of this world class fishery, for which Montana is famous, is in peril.

Climate impacts on Montana streams

Today global climate change threatens the health of our streams and the quality of native fish habitat. Studies of 50 years of climate data shows that total annual snowfall has decreased—by 6.3 inches annually in Great Falls to more than 22 inches in Missoula. At the same time, average March temperatures in Montana increased about 5.5° F.3 This is having a dramatic effect on the timing of spring snowmelt, resulting in a 30 percent drop in average spring snowpack throughout the state.

As a result, we are experiencing declining average stream flows and run-off that peaks several weeks earlier in the spring. Unfortunately this does not bode well for our native fish in Montana, many of which are absolutely dependent on cold water. The reduced snowpack and earlier melt-off results in less water in the rivers during the summer as well as warmer stream temperatures that can be lethal to our native trout. In fact, in recent years, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks managers have been forced to close many streams to all angling to protect fish from added stress.

Economic impact of fishing in Montana

America’s 44 million anglers play a major role in our economy, creating 1.1 million jobs and contributing $116 billion in overall economic output.5 Here in Montana, nearly 350,000 people fish annually (39 percent of whom are nonresident visitors) and spend $292 million on equipment, guiding services, lodging and other related expenditures.These anglers create 3,100 jobs in Montana, which pay $50 million in wages and salaries. Putting the breaks on greenhouse gas pollution is critical in order to keep these Montana jobs and associated economic benefits, and to provide the stability our businesses will need to persist in an uncertain future. This holds true for fishing guides and outfitters and also for the many other small businesses—from farmers to ski areas—that stand to lose if we fail to act.

Conclusion

As Congress moves forward in consideration of clean energy and climate legislation, we urge you to support strong, science-based limits on the greenhouse gas pollution that is causing global climate change and impacting Montana’s streams and native fish. Legislation should also maintain the integrity of our Clean Air Act, and provide investments in renewable energy as well as adequate funding to safeguard fish and wildlife from the worst effects of global warming.

Thank you.  (followed by signatures)

You can click here for a printable version of letter in PDF format. The printable version includes citations. Contact Derek if you want to sign the letter or have comments or questions.

Derek Goldman, Field Representative
Montana Audubon
405 S 1st St. West
Missoula, MT 59801
Office: (406) 549-2848 ext.2
dgoldman@mrss.com
www.mtaudubon.org

Thursday, June 24, 2010

Friends floated the Smith River the first week of June - it was BIG

This post is going back in time a bit, but worth it. Derek Goldman and Joe Goertzen floated the Smith River May 29 through June 2 and, in spite of rain, had a great time. The two main wrinkles were: trying to stay dry and fishing was not so good.
Derek said, "the Smith was blown out (1,800 cfs!) and not fishing well; same for the tributaries. Oh well. It rained three of the days, but not all day so we were able to dry things out. Still a great trip and Joe caught some fish."
Derek took the photos of Joe on the Smith. Joe Goertzen, pronounced GURT-zen, is a Missoula artist, businessman and owner of Goertzen Adventure Equipment - "handmade in Missoula."

Goertzen Adventure Equipment combines vintage appeal with modern creativity. Like your favorite pair of jeans, Adventure Equipment gains character with use and is rugged enough to pass on to your grandchildren. His company takes great pride in the design and construction of their products and strive to produce one-of-a-kind and ultimately useful equipment.

An added advantage in buying from them is the excellent service and product support. If you have any problems or need alterations, they will repair all of the products in a timely manner.

Joe welcomes custom orders and  ideas you may have for innovative products.
To contact Joe:
Email: contact@joegoertzen.com
Phone: (406) 546-0061
Location: 1029 Edith St., Missoula, MT 59801

Derek Goldman is field representative for Montana Audubon; he is working out of Missoula. He has been concerned about Montana snow pack, water levels and climate change. To read more about Derek's work and how you can speak up about climate change concerns, visit our blog post titled, "Montana Audubon and guides and outfitters speak up about climate change concerns."

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Bitterroot River and Chief Joseph Ranch - a great combination

This blog entry has many topics. Enter Frontier Packaging, Inc located in Seattle, Washington. Providing excellent products with hard work and dedication merits a Montana fishing get-away. Add, a small corporate meeting at a comfortable lodge. Last ingredient, the Bitterroot River and trout fishing. The result is a successful corporate retreat that was also casual and fun.

Wapiti Waters has fished with company personnel from Frontier Packaging before, but this June a larger group came to the Bitterroot and stayed at the Chief Joseph Guest Ranch in Darby, Montana. The ranch is historic, beautiful, well-managed and, to top it all off, located south of Darby near the banks of the upper Bitterroot River.

Learn more about the ranch at ChiefJosephRanch.com.

Frontier Packaging was established in 1985 and is a Seattle-based manufacturer and distributor of quality packaging materials throughout Alaska, the Pacific Northwest and beyond. They specialize in providing innovative and efficient packaging solutions to the Northwest region's internationally-renowned seafood, food, beverage, and agriculture industries. Visit their website to learn more about them - www.FrontierPackaging.com.

Now, when you are staying at Chief Joseph Ranch near the Bitterroot, you have to fish. Not only was the retreat successful, so was the fishing. See the slideshow below for photos. 

Monday, June 21, 2010

Bitterroot River with Keith's family and friends

Laurie is holding the trout she caught on the upper Bitterroot. The Bitterroot has been bank full, but it dropped just enough for Keith and his family and friends to have a few good days of fishing and floating on the Bitterroot.


Laurie just happened to be in the boat with the camera. Thanks Laurie, we love the photos. See the slideshow below for a few more photos. 



Saturday, June 12, 2010

Tony Fauci fishes the Bitterroot

Currently working for National Institute of Health (NIH) as director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), Anthony (Tony) Fauci was on a visit to Hamilton, Montana. The Division of Intramural Research (DIR) is a branch of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and more than 20% of DIR's research is conducted in western Montana at the Rocky Mountain Laboratories (RML) in Hamilton.
Read more about RML and the campus at "Rocky Mountain Labs: NIAID’s Montana campus" by Karen Honey published February 2, 2009 in the Journal of Clinical Investigation (JCI).

When Tony came to visit, he also got to fish. Marshall Bloom, associate director of RML, knows Jack and set up an afternoon of fishing.  Everyone needs a break and Marshall wanted Tony to see what is in the lab's backyard. Tony knows that the beautiful Bitterroot is part of the draw for RML's talented scientists. In fact he told the JCI that "over the last 20–25 years, the potential liabilities of the physical separation between RML and Bethesda have morphed into assets, where the beauty of western Montana and the collegial working environment couple with state-of-the-art facilities to make RML highly attractive to world-class researchers and an integral part of the DIR."

Read more about Tony Fauci at the Director's Page on the NIAID website. He is a personal hero of mine for his contributions to the understanding of how HIV destroys the body's defenses leading to the progression to AIDS and that is just one aspect of his work. You can learn more by visiting Anthony Fauci's biography on Wikipedia.com.

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Fishing for bass on the Clark Fork near Noxon, Montana

From 2010-05-09 Jay Evans near Noxon Montana with a bass
Jay Evans donated a bass fishing trip to Bitterroot Trout Unlimited. Doug Nation and Jack Mauer "bit" on the trip. Jay, Doug and Jack fished the Noxon Reservoir on the Clark Fork River in early May of this year. The water temperatures were in the mid 50 degree range and the water was clear (no big run-off yet). Both smallmouth and largemouth bass were well into the pre-spawn stage. A few weeks earlier Jay and a friend caught about 40 bass staging on main lake points (mostly 2-3 lb males, both small and large mouth) and saw a few big females starting to move up shallow (4-5 lb smallmouth and a 6 lb largemouth). The larger fish were very spooky and would not bite and according to Jay this is often the case when they first come up to the shallows.

Jay also spotted a couple areas with a bunch of 15-25 lb pike. It would be fun to fish for them with a fly rod! But that didn't happen on this trip.

Saturday, June 5, 2010

Fishing the James River in Missouri with Kyle Kosovich. A great day!

Introducing Kyle Kosovich - Longboat Outfitters in Springfield Missouri.

Jack visited his mother and sister last week and had the opportunity to fish with Kyle on the James River. Visit Kyle's website to see more about him, his rivers and his fishing outfitting business. If you don't know about longboats, give Kyle a call. Jack really enjoyed his day. Check out www.longboatoutfitters.com and you will see why; professional, knowledgeable, experienced, organized and the list goes on. Jack, as an outfitter himself, sets high standards and he thinks very highly of Kyle. Thanks! and we hope to see you up here one of these days!

A new target for Jack. He saw and briefly fished for Long-nosed Gar. To see what gar are, click this link for Long-nosed Gar on Wikipedia. They are prevalent in Missouri and some other states.

Bitterroot River in high water stage - photos from Victor Crossing

Here is a slideshow from June 4. If it doesn't rain too much, the water levels should recede soon.


Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Missouri River - Headhunters Fly Shop in Craig, Montana

From the banks of the Missouri River in Craig, Montana - The Headhunters Fly Shop.

Jack fished the Missouri recently and spent a little time in the Headhunters Fly Shop. He enjoyed the owners, Mark Raisler and John Arnold, the staff and all the shop had to offer.

If you get to Craig, be sure to check them out!

Headhunters LLC

145 Bridge Street
Craig, MT 59648
(406) 235-3447
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