MONTANA SNOTEL Snow Water Equivalent Update 2.26.12

Finally after a pretty dry winter, we are getting more snow. Most of Montana was below 100% snow water equivalent, but that has changed and is forecasted to improve. A wet weather pattern is expected for early March. That is GREAT news for our rivers.Click the image for a larger view.

"Virga over the Clark Fork River" by amontanaview | RedBubble

"Virga over the Clark Fork River" by amontanaview | RedBubble:

This was taken April 9, 2011 west of Missoula, Montana USA on the Clark Fork River. The camera is looking north and east at Montana Snowbowl Ski Area and the Rattlesnake Wilderness Area. It was a gorgeous spring day and the fishing was good.
Virga is precipitation that falls from a cloud but evaporates before reaching the ground.
Canon EOS 7D, 1/500s, f/10.0, ISO:200, 39mm
SIGMA 24-70mm f/2.8 EX DG Aspherical DF Macro SLD Autofocus Lens

Great September fishing on the Clark Fork River west of Missoula

Trout from the Clark Fork River - beautiful!

This has been a crazy summer for many people for many reasons. Mike fishes with Jack quite a bit each summer. He and his wife have a home in Hamilton. This summer, they had to be out of Montana more than usual. Today, Wapiti Waters floated Mike and some friends on the Clark Fork and you never know how it might fish. They hit it just right. Mike said it was one of the best days he has had on a Montana River. His friend, Jim, thanked Jack for sharing that day on the river with him. They deserved a great day and got it. Thanks to the fishing gods and the recovery of the Clark Fork after removing Milltown Dam.

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.

View all of Paul's photos in a new window

Six "P"s (tips) for fly fishing the trico hatch

The cloud is actually a spinner fall during a trico hatch
Photo by Merle Ann Loman

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Related Articles

• The joys and agonies of trico fishing - companion article #1
• When is the best time to fish western Montana
• Fishing for northern pike on the Bitterroot River
• About Trico - genus Tricorythodes
• Slideshow - photos of trico hatches, rise forms on Montana rivers and more

This is the second in a pair of articles on fishing the trico hatch. The first is an overview titled, "The joys and agonies of trico fishing." It describes it as some of the toughest, most technical angling that one encounters during the season and as some of the most gratifying. Jack Mauer of Wapiti Waters looks forward to trico fishing in August and September because of the challenges and rewards of catching trout during this time.

This article describes Jack's tips to help you reap the rewards and enjoy better success. Jack has broken his tips into six “P”s-- patterns, precision of presentation, patience, persistence, practice, and pulse.

1) Patterns: Having a good trico pattern that will match the hatch is obviously very important. Here is the dilemma. On a typical trico morning trout are on the trico spinner – a spinner imitation is a flat-winged hard to see on the water dry fly which has to be tied fairly sparse. A trico spinner imitation is not only difficult to see, it is not a very good floater. Jack and others have come up with an upright wing parachute tied with a white hackle and a visible antron wing that floats reasonably well. It can be sparsely tied on a 16-20 1X short hook. Unfortunately, over tough educated trout it is the flat winged spinner that will work the best. Jack will change to fresh flies often as these patterns get water-logged after 15 minutes despite a brisk false cast and a shot in the drying crystals.

2) Precision of presentation: You need to have good presentations and that means precision in your casting. No matter how good your pattern is, if it is not placed in front of the feeding trout just right he will not eat it. By just right, Jack means in his lane above his mouth with no drag. This is where having the correct casting angle is paramount. You can be a tournament caster and put the fly on a dime but if the pattern is not cast at the correct angle, it won’t be eaten. Across and down is the technique that lends itself to the most success. In flat, slow moving water casting downstream at an acute 15-20 degree angle will ensure that the trout will see your good pattern before he sees a wad of tippet or your dry fly dragging through the “hold.” It is really easy to have drag on these tiny patterns. The use of a long, fine tippet (3 feet of 6X) can be a benefit but you have to control it while in the air and once it is on the water. The rod tip can help eliminate drag when your fly is on the water by initially creating drag. To do this, you must raise the rod to 10-11 o’clock taking all the slack out of the leader to the fly creating the 15-20 degree angle, then dropping the rod tip and letting the fly do its thing on this long harness. This technique will result in an additional 4-6 inch drift.

You can get away with this “resetting” technique 25-30 feet above the riser without being a tournament caster but it has to be accomplished in a smooth motion. When your fly does start to drag out it is best to let it drag behind your target rather than rip it out of the water to attempt another cast. Remember to strip, strip, strip up line before casting to eliminate noise and surface disturbance.

Brown trout caught in the Big Hole during a trico hatch
Photo by Jack Mauer

Sometimes big fish will feed on trico spinners in shallow riffles at the head of pools. In these situations you can decrease the casting angle (to 20-45 degrees) in this faster water but it really helps to have the sun at your back as well. Many times the fish you are after are moving around within the riffle and with all the reflections and refractions, you need all the help you can get to not spook the fish.

A word about leaders around western Montana: When boat fishing, you can get away with a one piece 9 ½ to 10 foot 5X leader. Once out of the boat while wade-fishing, a 12 foot leader with 2-3 feet of 6X tippet will enable one to fish to risers without putting the trout down so long as the fly line is laid down softly with each cast. Because he wants to lay the fly line down very softly, Jack is a big fan of 4 and 5 weight rods. Some even use a 3 weight here.

Classic trico water, bright day
Photo by Jack Mauer

3 & 4) Persistence and patience: These go hand in hand. It usually takes more than several good drifts to finally get a trout to eat your fly. This does require the utmost in persistence and the patience to wait between casts to let a stubborn trout begin to feed again and cannot be understated. Big selective trout can be extremely rhythmic in their feeding mode, so it does make sense that the timing of your cast is almost as important as the accuracy of delivery. The next dry fly fishing purist book could be entitled “the cadence of trout.” Moral of the story, it doesn’t hurt to observe for a while and not cast. Just wait it out while you observe which lends itself to a little poetry, “to cast or not to cast, that is the question.”

Finally, the hook set itself. Again the word here is patience. Many times Jack has pleaded his “God save the queen” raising of the rod to these words with clients to help slow down their hook sets in order to impale the fish. Because the patterns are tied on small gapped hooks you must be slow and methodical in the hook setting. This is a different hook setting technique than the quick hook set usually associated with nymph and bobber rigs and/or larger dry fly fishing. This technique can’t be learned over night. It requires practice.

5) Practice: Yes, he said practice. It does take practice to get good at anything difficult. To truly master this type of trout fishing it is somewhat synonymous with a great hitter in baseball. There are times when you may go into a slump. You aren’t going to get a hit every time at bat, but your percentage of success will improve with practice.

6) Pulse: The pulse of tricos is affected by weather. The best weather patterns that bring on consistent spinner falls are windless, warm partly sunny days. A stable high pressure dome sitting over the Rockies will get trout into a predictable morning feeding rhythm. A change to cool rainy weather will disrupt your spinner falls and cause a down pulse.

In conclusion, you can be doing everything right, make good presentation, hook a beautiful fish with a nice slow hook set, play him for one long run and then have him shake the hook or break off in a weed bed. This is where the joy can turn to agony. But therein lies the challenge of what trout fishing is all about. Hopefully these tips can help you catch more trout during trico time.

For more info:

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks – Fishing information
Wapiti Waters Fly Fishing Montana – Seasonal hatch primer for western Montana
Westfly Entomology – For the western fly fishing community
Merle’s SmugMug photo site – More river and fishing photos in their original format Incudes Big Hole, Bitterroot, Blackfoot, Clark Fork, and Missouri rivers during the months of March through November with captions
Merle's SmugMug trico photos - better resolution

If you like these articles, be the first to see them, subscribe by email (see above), by RSS, Twitter, or Facebook.

Joys and agonies of trico fishing

Trout rise form during a trico hatch
Photo by Merle Ann Loman

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Related Articles

• Six "P"s - tips on trico fishing - companion article #2


• When is the best time to fish western Montana


• Five great rivers for fishing and family recreation


• About Trico - genus Tricorythodes

This is the first article in a pair about fly fishing the trico hatch in western Montana. The second is about six tips to improve your success.

Within the fishing season there are times that one really anticipates. For many in western Montana, it is the Skwalla or salmon fly hatches early in the year. These two stonefly hatches are famous for bringing up big fish and they both come at times when you are anxious to fish -- spring before high water and right at receding high water. But another hatch later in the year will get trout feeding on top on a consistent daily basis.

The trico mayfly hatch produces spinner falls where trout jam for 2-3 hours in the morning. And, because the trico hatch lasts so many weeks, mid-August through September, one has to devise a strategy to deal with this important time. No other mayfly species is so intense.

The reasons so many surface feeding trout can be found gulping tricos have to do with the slight decrease in the water temperatures of a late summer morning and the hundreds of mayflies on the water. It is a signal to the trout that fall is coming and winter is just around the corner. “We need to stock up,” they are saying. The joy is seeing all these targets. But, despite the sheer number of tricos dancing in the air, loads of spinner falls on the water, and the active pods of sipping trout, the trout can be very difficult to catch during this hatch. The water is flat, the sun bright, and trout see so many naturals. How do you get them to take your imitation? This can be agonizing.

• See slideshow of trico hatches, fish rise forms and more on Montana rivers

Buck crossing the river
Photo by Merle Ann Loman

Typically, western Montana’s trout fly fishing and guiding season lasts from mid-March through mid-October making trico season a very significant part. Jack Mauer of Wapiti Waters shares a few tidbits of information and wisdom that he has gained over 25 years of guiding fly fishermen and hopefully it will improve your catch rate. No doubt about it, targeting trout that are coming to the surface and feeding on these tiny aquatic insects requires a little different skill set. The best spinner falls are on partly sunny days. When the light reflects off the water and through the tippet, it will shine like a diamond necklace and alert the fish to you and your dry fly.

Classic trico water on in western Montana
Photo by Merle Ann Loman

You can be doing everything right, make good presentation, hook a beautiful fish with a nice slow hook set, play him for one long run and then have him shake the hook or break off in a weed bed. This is where the joy can turn to agony. But therein lies the challenge of what trout fishing is all about.

This is some of the toughest, most technical angling that one encounters during the season, but it also is some of the most gratifying. A morning of trico fishing is something Jack really looks forward to every year because of the challenges and rewards of catching trout during this time. To reap the rewards yourself read the second article discussing the six “P”s to better success in trico fishing. The six “P”s are patterns, precision of presentation, patience, persistence, practice, and pulse. Here is a link to Jack's Six "P"s of trico fishing.

For more info:

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks – Fishing information
Wapiti Waters Fly Fishing Montana – Seasonal hatch primer for western Montana
Westfly Entomology – For the western fly fishing community
Merle’s SmugMug photo site – More river and fishing photos in their original format
Incudes Big Hole, Bitterroot, Blackfoot, Clark Fork, and Missouri rivers during the months of March through November with captions

Trico slideshow photos in bigger resolution on Merle's SmugMug site

If you like these articles, be the first to see them, subscribe by email (see above), by RSS, Twitter, or Facebook.

Wapiti Waters 2010 fishing forecast for western Montana

Wapiti Waters' 2010 fishing season forecast based on over 30 years experience in western Montana's trout fisheries.

Jamie and his Dad.
Jamie caught this trout in
July on the Bitterroot.

Wapiti Waters photo

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Related Articles

• When is the best time to fish western Montana


• Fishing for northern pike on the Bitterroot


• Fly fishing the Blackfoot River in a rain storm


• Merle's articles on Examiner.com
  

Jack Mauer, Wapiti Waters outfitter and guide

I have just read they will be shipping snow by truck to the site of the 2010 Olympic Games – Cyprus Mountain. Mother Nature has not cooperated but they have had time to prepare for the lack of snow. Likewise, here in the fishing business where a trout fishery depends a lot on good, cold stream flows, we have time to prepare or plan for what looks to be a lean water year.

I hate drought, everybody and everything suffers during times of water stress. Unfortunately conditions are looking more and more like drought as snowpack in the Bitterroot is around 54% of normal at the time of this writing. We have had three months of below average snow precipitation and we have less than two months of winter to go. So the prognosis is not good. What this actually means for the fishing, however, is not all gloom and doom.

Here are my predictions for the 2010 season.

Insect hatch on the Bitterroot in the spring.
Photo by Merle Ann Loman

March and April – Early Spring fishing

Expect fishable water through-out this time. Because our low elevation snow is meager, we should have better than average fishing with more fishable days. It is the melting low elevation snow that causes the rivers to pulse up too quickly with warm weather and/or rain. So I predict excellent early spring fishing in western Montana and that means Skwala and nemoura stones as well as Ameletus and Rithrogenia mayflies.

May and June – Usual period of high-water conditions

Again, I expect better than average fishing for these two months. Many hatches such as the salmonfly; pteronarcella, larger stoneflies; March Brown; and Hydropsyche caddis will come off in good numbers during this time and have the trout looking up on a more consistent basis. Pulsing high waters in the average snowpack year don’t give the trout a chance to key on these hatches before water levels may become too big. This year under the possible lower than average flows, it is likely that trout will get a chance to really key in on them. As a result, these conditions may bring some remarkable fishing.

No matter how big or small the snowpack there will be a time of peak run-off for a 2-3 week period. When this happens, most area rivers will probably be unfishable because of high, turbid water. Here is where flexibility becomes important. Some rivers will likely be fishable and changing the location/river will allow you to take advantage of good conditions. Wapiti Waters has the knowledge and permits that can put you on the right water.

David with a Bitterroot brown trout
Wapiti Waters photo

July and August – Summer fishing

Early July is usually a time of some of the most consistent fishing. I expect that to be the case given the number and variety of aquatic insects that emerge during this time. However, by mid-July the prognosis is not good. Using a preferred strategy for low, warm water conditions in mid-summer, we will need to fish from early morning to early afternoon. Fishing early is in favor the trout and yourself – beating the heat. It is quite possible that rivers like the Blackfoot and the Big Hole will have some angling restrictions during this time.

September and October – Fall Fishing

It is a little too early to predict eight months in advance. Our fall fishing is usually a fly fishers dream here in western Montana. Low flows in the summer are not the single deciding factor of unfavorable fall fishing conditions. For example, last year we had a huge snowpack but we had very tough fall fishing because of unseasonably warm temperatures and bright, sunny weather.

In the mean time, I hope the weather systems in the Pacific will deliver us some welcome precipitation through-out the year.

For more info: Wapiti Waters welcomes calls and emails for up-dated conditions and angling reports.

Contact information: Toll free 800-254-5311, email wapiti@wapiti-waters.com, website www.wapiti-waters.com.

The western Montana rivers Jack fishes most are the Bitterroot, Blackfoot, Big Hole and Clark Fork rivers. See links to more articles and information below.

• Fishing and river articles and photos by Merle Ann Loman by key word:
  

Bitterroot River | Big Hole River | Blackfoot River | Clark Fork River | Missouri River | Argentina

Here is a slideshow of more western Montana photos. To see the album on line with descriptions click Merle's western Montana fishing photo album.

Seasons Greeting from Big Sky Country

Seasons Greeting from Wapiti Waters in Montana’s Big Sky Country

As we reflect on this past year, we appreciate the gain from our toils and rejoice in the memories of families and angling friends.

Another season has come and gone for Wapiti Waters. Hopefully this winter, we will be partaking in our usual cold month recreational endeavors. Unfortunately the snow hasn’t hit this part of Montana yet. After a reasonably successful hunting season, Merle and I are still hiking around the hills for exercise and “light therapy” rather than skiing. Our immediate focus is keeping the house warm, and sharing our reflections, thanks and hopes with you in this letter. Read on for a recap of our most successful guide season ever.

The 2009 guide season kicked off in mid-March with mild weather, good dry fly fishing and some happy anglers. By the end of March we had icy guides in our rods as an arctic blast descended. Unbelievable as it may seem the Skwalla dry fly fishing was pretty good despite temperatures hovering near 32 degrees. The native cutthroats are incredibly hardy fish. Grilled “brats” and hot soup was the mainstay for lunch.

The rest of spring was fair fishing with flows a little too high at times. 2009 had a huge snow pack and the threat of flooding was imminent. After one big surge in late May, an orderly run off ensued; this prevented a natural disaster. By June 9th we were fishing the Big Hole and Bitterroot forks. From then on Wapiti Waters was busy throughout the summer and into fall. With Merle on bookkeeping, lunches, website and emails, I could focus on my outfitting and guiding. Without the weekly and late Tuesday nights at the Top Hat, I was still able to play parties and weddings with the band and enjoy my music through the guide season.

Highlights from 2009:

Clark Fork is coming back quickly from the Milltown project. Insect hatches that have been suppressed in previous years are showing up again which has stimulated nice angling in certain sections.

The Big Hole had exceptional flows and terrific fishing throughout the season. What a joy to be on this river in August floating and wading in some of the finest trout water in North America.

A hot, sunny September to remember made for some very technical angling. After a predictably good morning trico spinner fall we would take a little time to do some invasive species management. We searched and found northern pike lairs and were modestly successful at pulling some out. What a thrill to see them pursue the fly, strike it and playing that size of a fish. It is a nice change of pace and 180 degrees from trico fishing. For the Pike, we used a 9 weight fly rod and a 2 “aught” air resistant streamer instead of the 4 and 5 weights with a size 20 dry. Now that is variety.

Another arctic freeze-out in early October disrupted an unusually good month of fishing. Fall colors were a gloomy grey green. It was still beautiful to be out but we felt we got cheated without the vibrant yellow and oranges that our stream corridors normally exhibit. We know we can’t always have it the way we want it and we especially appreciated the nice BWO and mahogany dun hatches.

First, we want to thank those who fished with Wapiti Waters in 2009 and wish you all Happy Holiday and a prosperous New Year in 2010 and second (and as important) all the great guides who worked with us.

When is the best time to fish western Montana?

This is the question I am most often asked. In my attempt to answer it, I will take a brief look at our seasons chronologically and try to highlight a few of the more memorable fishing moments in an ‘average’ year.

Naturally we will begin with spring. Fish are coming out of a dormant period by mid-March with milder weather and water temperatures. Spring with its predictably unpredictable weather does have its special moments. The Bitterroot, Big Hole, Blackfoot, Clark Fork and Missouri will ‘come in’ at different times from mid-March through May. Naturally extreme weather (too cold OR too warm) can ruin the angling, yet spring has some wonderful hatches. You will see stoneflies; Skwalla and Nemoura, mayflies; March Brown and Blue-winged Olives (BWO), and lastly caddis that can trigger some unbelievable opportunities. Fishing “underneath” with either nymphs or streamers can also be very productive. One must be somewhat of a gambler to fish in the spring. The rewards can be gratifying for the lucky angler who strikes it rich.

Starting in mid-May, rivers will begin to surge as warm, mild weather begins melting the snowpack. A typical run-off will last over a period of about 5 weeks or so depending on the amount of snowpack. However, the craziest streamer and nymph fishing ever has happened between run-off pulses during this time period.

Early summer is probably the most popular time to fish western Montana, right after main run-off events are over, typically around mid-June when river flows decrease and gain clarity. Hatches of salmonflies, golden stones and green drake mayflies make their annual appearance. This can be an especially productive time for the inexperienced angler as trout are hungry, relatively uneducated, and the water is fast and forgiving. One can get away with a little more drag on the surface fly and use heavier tippets and larger patterns. For many of my fisherman, the last 10 days of June and first 10 days of July are the best time to fish. It is difficult to argue as the good hatches, healthy river flows and early summer weather are hard to beat. It is also the time of year that most people are recreating on our area rivers and is to be expected. Wapiti Waters does its best to avoid getting into a crowded fishing scene and having to “compete.”

Eventually the fishing settles down into a mid-summer rhythm, always dependent on weather. The explosive hatches of larger insect species are over and too many days of hot weather really slows down the trout. Mid-summer slides into the so-called ‘dog days’ with morning PMDs spinner falls and the Isoperlid Stoneflies like yellow sallies are about the only aquatic insects out there. However there have been memorable moments in certain river reaches with terrestrial patterns like beetles, ants, grasshoppers and moths. This time period (mid-July through mid-August) is an excellent time to be on the water particularly for the early riser as the morning fishing can be very good. Many Wapiti waters customers prefer this time as area rivers have noticeably less fishing pressure.

At the end of August, longer nights and cooler weather turn on the bugs and the trout. The tiny black curse (trico mayfly) begins to make its appearance and cloud up the morning sky with its mating dance. Once on the water these little bugs give anglers the most challenging as well as rewarding fishing opportunities of the year. The patterns are small; one’s casting must be accurate and soft and hooks sets slow. In other words good technique is usually required. But because the opportunities for finding rising trout are numerous, you can get a lot of practice refining your technique. After a morning of trico fishing, an afternoon of hopper and/or fall drakes is likely to follow. For many dry fly purist, this time period is best as fish can be found rising throughout the day.

Later in September, the above mentioned hatches are followed by BW and mahogany dun mayflies, October caddis and midge swarms that take us right into late-fall. During our fall fishing one can expect to find pretty consistent hatches, sipping trout and fall colors that make this my personal favorite time to fish. This is a quality time particularly for the late riser as afternoon fishing is the norm.

We hope this answers the question about the best time to fish. I don’t like to promise good fishing just because you’re booked, say the first week of July or early September. So much of the fishing depends upon factors we have no control over such as weather and stream flows …but when the fishing is just tough we will always go back to the Robert Traver quote, “I fish because I love to; Because I love the environs where trout are found…” See the entire quote below and Thank you for reading this article.

No matter what time of year, Wapiti Waters always works hard to find your best fishing.

THE TESTAMENT OF A FISHERMAN
Robert Traver 1964, (Judge John Voelker 1903-93)

I fish because I love to;
Because I love the environs where trout are found, which are invariably beautiful, and hate the environs where crowds of people are found, which are invariably ugly;
Because of all the television commercials, cocktail parties, and assorted social posturing I thus escape;
Because, in a world where most men seem to spend their lives doing things they hate, my fishing is at once an endless source of delight and an act of small rebellion;
Because trout do not lie or cheat and cannot be bought or bribed or impressed by power, but respond only to quietude and humility and endless patience;
Because I suspect that men are going along this way for the last time, and I for one don’t want to waste the trip; because mercifully there are no telephones on trout waters;
Because only in the woods can I find solitude without loneliness;
Because bourbon out of an old tin cup always tastes better out there;
Because maybe one day I will catch a mermaid;
And, finally, not because I regard fishing as being so terribly important but because I suspect that so many of the other concerns of men are equally unimportant - and not nearly so much fun.


See photos from early spring through late fall in the slideshow below.

View Album Click view album to see in new larger window, choose "slideshow" for full screen mode.

Fly Fishing in Oct - Peter and Chris on the Bitterroot and Clark Fork

Peter and Chris fished two day with Jack on two different rivers. They really lucked out with the weather. It has been cold, but this Saturday and Sunday, the weather warmed and we and the fish were grateful.

The first photo is Chris on the Bitterroot River.

To the right is a close-up of one of Peter's Trout.

The last photo is Peter on the Clark Fork River.

Hopefully, Peter and Chris will send us some of the photos they took, maybe even a short video. Thanks for fishing with us!

Click here to view all photos in a new window

Casey, a man of four rivers and at least four pike

Casey Hackathorn is an Outfitter/Guide out of Missoulian Angler in Missoula, MT. He and Jack have this bond: a fascination for pike, actually BIG pike. So far Casey is the winner but then he has been at it longer. I see a long running competition developing. Fun!


Missoulian Angler Fly Shop
Website
401 S Orange St ·
Missoula
(406) 728-7766

We highly recommend the Missoulian Angler Fly Shop and Casey Hackathorn. Professional, great selection and service and the staff is exceptional. Visit them when you are in Missoula.

Click here to view all four photos in a new window

All photos were sent to us by Casey Hackathorn.

Fly Fishing the Clark Fork River near Superior, MT

Yesterday Jack fished with clients that wanted to do a stretch on the Clark Fork River near Superior. It fished, although not as well as they might have liked. Here are a few of the fish they caught. The lighting is a bit bright but you get the idea of the size and species from the photos. It was a bright day and a bit windy, too.

If you are a fan of the Clark Fork River and the cleanup project you will want to put this on your calendar.

The Lower Clark Fork River Cleanup will be held this Saturday, August 29. Meet at Cyr FAS at 9AM for float assignments. Free shuttle and food. Contact TRamaker@mt.gov for details. Sponsors include: Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, Clark Fork Coalition, Allied Waste, Bob Ward & Sons, Brady's Sportsman Surplus, Montana Eagle Scouts, NRS, Pipestone Mountaineering, REI, The Trailhead, and Strong Water.

And:

This Sunday, August 30, join Friends of 2 Rivers at the former Milltown Dam site in Bonner for an afternoon of presentations, music, food, and activities for the whole family at the 5th annual Community at the Confluence event! Admission is FREE and the event will be held from noon until 4PM.. Visit friendsof2rivers.org for more info.

Visit the Clark Fork Coalition website for more events and information at http://www.clarkfork.org/.

Fly Fishing the Clark Fork River with Chris and Peter - Nick Stipech guiding

Chris and Peter fished with Wapiti Waters guide, Nick Stipech, and had a super day on the Clark Fork River.
Here is a note from Chris:

Hello Jack,
Thanks for setting us up with Fly Fishing Guide, Nick Stipech. He and I and my friend Peter had a great day on the Clark Fork a few days ago - a sample attached. Lots of fish and great company. Very memorable, and we put in a FULL day.

Peter and I did pretty good on our own on the Blackfoot, Bitterroot and Rock Creek, but the day on the boat on the Clark Fork was probably the highlight.

Chris Dakan

The photo was sent to us by Chris. The first photo is the same, I just zoomed in to the fish so you could see it closer. ML

See the slideshow below for more photos that Peter sent us today.

Click here to view all photos in a new window.

I love the message Peter sent - about Nick!

Merle,
Here are the best pics, from our trip with Nick, I think he knew each fish by name or at least knew their address, phone number, food preference and SSS number. He dialed us into so many fish!! It was a great day, I never expected to catch so many fish on a hot bright summer day.( well Chris did anyway). It was all fun, and being “over the hill”, it was nice to have a pair of fresh eyes to untangle Chris and I when we both cast at the same time. He was always positive, supportive and instructive. I ‘d go again as soon as I’m back to grab daughter from MU. –More reasons to visit!!

One pics shows Nick with the fish in mid air. It flopped and he caught it again for the backup pic.

Hoppers and droppers

Peter

Fly Fishing the confluence of the Clark Fork and Bitterroot Rivers with Joe

Jack and Joe fished the Bitterroot and Clark Fork Rivers near the confluence. They scouted for northern pike and caught some nice rainbow trout, too.

Click here to view all in a new window

Fly Fishing the Clark Fork River with Doc and Bo

Jack fished Doc and Bo Oldstone for a couple of days. These photos are on the Clark Fork River. They fished for trout and pike and caught both! You can probably tell that this was a bright, hot day.

Click here to view all the photos in a new window

Clark Fork River 320 Float in July 2009

The Clark Fork Coalition believes that recovery of this amazing river is within reach. One board member, Dan Keily, wanted to see for himself what needs to be done.

This summer, Dan and fishing guide John Havlik floated the length of the Clark Fork River, starting at Racetrack Creek near Butte, and taking out 320 miles downriver at Lake Pend Oreille, Idaho.

Using the words of the Clark Fork Coalition: Long abused and neglected, the Clark Fork River is poised to make a tremendous comeback over the coming decade, and the dream of watershed-wide restoration we've been working toward for years is now a little closer to reality. We're using this historic float to launch our Vital Rivers Initiative, the Coalition's new stream restoration program that will repair damaged tributaries of the upper Clark Fork River.

During their month-long float, Daniel and John will be joined by Coalition members, political guests, scientists, writers, youth, and sportsmen-- and, maybe, by you. This hard-working river is coming back to life, and the Clark Fork 320 will showcase what this restoration means for all Montanans.

Jack participated in this float with many, many other dedicated people. Below are some photos that Jack took. After that, see a video and a map of projects that need to be done. Visit Clark Fork Coalition 320 for more information.

Click here to view all slideshow photos in a new window

The Clark Fork 320 Blog

For a list of other sites and articles click here, Bing search results for Clark Fork Coalition 320 Float.

Clark Fork River, Northern Pike and Casey Hackathorn

Jack owed Casey Hackathorn on a bet - something about the Pittsburgh Steelers... The payoff was to row Casey on a stretch of his choice for a day, so he did on April 20.


I just found this photo of Casey on Jack's boat camera. Casey is holding a northern pike. Ugly, huh? That must have been fun to reel in.

Clark Fork & Blackfoot Rivers near Missoula, MT - River Closures Remain Around Milltown

Contact: Vivaca Crowser, Information Officer
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks
(406) 542-5518,
vcrowser@mt.gov,
Website: fwp.mt.gov/r2

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 2, 2009

River Closures Remain Around Milltown

Small sections of the Clark Fork and Blackfoot rivers near the site of the old Milltown Dam remain closed to fishing, boating and other recreation.


Although the dam has been removed, construction work continues and river conditions are unstable. Riverbed levels are expected to drop this spring as the Clark Fork and Blackfoot Rivers work to reclaim a natural channel, exposing wood and other debris that could create hazards to recreationists.

The Clark Fork River is closed from about one-half mile below the old Milltown Dam site (at the railroad bridge) to three miles upstream from the bridge. Turah Fishing Access Site (FAS) is the last public take-out for floaters upstream from the closure area, and Sha-Ron FAS, is the first public access below the closed zone. Sha-Ron may be unusable this spring because of sediment deposition at the ramp. This sediment is expected to erode during high flows.

On the Blackfoot, the closure covers a stretch of about 1.5 miles upstream from the river's confluence with the Clark Fork. Floaters must take out at Weigh Station FAS. All closed areas are signed.

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) expects the public safety closures will remain in effect for at least one more year. FWP will continue to monitor river conditions and construction activities and will lift closures as soon as conditions stabilize.


For additional information on the closed areas, contact the Missoula FWP office at (406) 542-5500. -fwp-

Support the Big Sky Rivers Act - MT HB 455

Posted from an email by Clark Fork Coalition:

Support the Big Sky Rivers Act TODAY! Join us Friday for River Lobby Day. Your river needs you this week.

Please voice your support for HB 455, the "Big Sky Rivers Act," up THIS THURSDAY, February 19 in the House Local Government Committee.

1) Leave a message for your Representative at 406-444-4800
2) Email a brief message of support directly to your Representative 3) Send your support to the entire House Local Government Committee: send emails to kbutcher@mt.gov

Join us this Friday, Feb 20th, at the Capitol!

8:30 am - Vans leave from CFC office in Missoula.

10:30 am - Meet at the Rotunda and tour the Capitol building.

11:00 am - "Lobbying and Legislature Basics" with Brianna Randall of the Clark Fork Coalition, Sarah Cobler of Montana Conservation Voters, and other policy mentors.

12:00 pm - Lunch with selected Representatives and Senators (food provided).

1:00 pm - View House and Senate floor sessions from the gallery.

2:00 pm - Join a mentor to attend committee hearings or lobby your elected officals on the Coalition's priority bills.

4:30 pm - Leave Capitol and swing by the Blackfoot River Brewing Company to meet and greet other Coalition members and river supporters.

Please RSVP by Weds 2/18 to attend or carpool: info@clarkfork.org or 542-0539 x200.

What's it like on the Bitterroot in April? Take a look...

I said I would blog a slideshow of photos from the month of April. Here it is. I slipped a photo from the Clark Fork River in as well. What a spectacular time to be on the river!

View Album

It is worth seeing this in a bigger view. Click Bitterroot River in April to launch it in a larger view.