Speaking of Bears

Firstly, I am compelled to state that after all of my seasoned years in the outdoors, I have come to believe that there are two types of flyfishermen; those that are RBF Pro Staffers and those that wish they were. That being said...

I have read with great interest and enjoyment "Little Trouble at Big Salmon Lake" at http://pennsylvaniaflyfishing.blogspot.com/2008/08/little-trouble-at-big-salmon-lake.html

Some readers, in fact, most readers would not believe Wade River's account of his ungodly encounter with a griz. As Chief of the RBF Pro Staff, I assure readers of this blog that there are many things that can happen to members of the Pro Staff, including grizzly encounters that will seem unbelievable. You see, this unusual cast of characters frequently places themselves in situations that other flyfishermen never even think about, yet do. There are no limitations to the experiences of RBF Pro Staffers.

As evidence, please read Wade's bio on the right panel...."Someday, he will be eaten by a grizzly bear. " Enough said.

Loaded For Bear

Silver Gate

Yo Chief,
Please tell the Fair Maiden that Soda Butte Creek and Round Prairie are now safe once again for another crack at those gray drakes and conniving cutthroats.

It Appears that Thumper, aka the Pebble Creek Campground tent thumping grizzly, has thumped his last tent, vehicle and cabin door in the isolated hamlet of Silver Gate. From Colter to the Cone to the Confluence, he had a quite a run there for a few years.

Read all about it by clicking on over here.

Man-eating grizzly bears should not be allowed to roam town at free will. No how, no way!

BTW, congratulations also go to the Fair Maiden for her photo in the latest edition of Blue Ribbon Flies once famous newsletter. Man, that's a beeeeeeeeautiful image!

The Horsey Set

Riding 20 miles into and out of the Bob plus making a 12-mile round trip to Big Salmon Lake on horseback raised saddle sores worse than buttocks boils on us four prostaffers. We should have consulted the Chief for his “heels down” advice before the trip. Our knees went numb after a few hours of riding. Fortunately, however, we were able to walk off the numbness during strategic breaks and the saddle sores eventually healed. All in all, we acquitted ourselves reasonably well as newbies to the horsey set.


Bowhunter looking like Breaker Morant on his horse BJ at Big Salmon Lake. No heels down here.

I’m sure the reason for the saddle sores on my tail bone was poor posture in the saddle. Wade’s ramrod straight posture must have carried over from the strict discipline he learned when he rode with General Custer.

We negotiated some interesting crossings and obstacles. Here JohnW rides over the pack bridge on Big Salmon Creek. Wade prepares to ford one of the several creeks on the trail. His horse Dandy was to have a bad day at Big Salmon later in the week.

Near the end of our ride out of the Bob we encountered a deadfall across the trail. Luckily, Rebecca had her trusty axe along and she made short work of it. Did I mention that Rebecca excelled in “logging sports” at the University of Montana? Her grandfather gave her a two-man crosscut saw for Christmas. Whatta gal!

Despite our nervousness at some hairy stretches on the trail (I just held my breath on this section and tried not to look down!) our horses remained at ease and just plodded along. As Janis Moss explained, these horses all knew that for them the only way in or out of the Bob was dead or alive.

Once again, all images courtesy of Bowhunter.

Montana Ales

The Chief did some serious taste tasting of the fine Montana beers. I must admit that they are a bit finer than what we have here in PA. Let's run down the beers tested on the various waters of YNP and Montana...

A very interesting ale brewed in Marion, MT near Kalispell. Reminds me of Lord Chesterfield Ale and Labatt "55" in the green bottles. On the carton... "Lang Creek Brewery is dedicated to the abolishment of mundane, tasteless swill you have long been programmed to know as beer." I really liked this beer.

Outstanding beer! British-style pale ale. Great taste and body. Made me think of Bowhunter in Nebraska. Brewed in Belgrade, MT. Drank it while floating the 'Stone.

Great with steaks! Sweet tasting beer! One of my favorites. Brewed in Missoula, Mt.

Oh my! What a beer! Four different barley malts are used. Distinctive citrus flavor. Great after spending a few hours in the sun. I loved this beer and drank copious quantities.

Another great beer, especially after soaking in Chico. Brewed with coriander and orange peel. I drank a six-pack after fishing the PMD's on Soda Butte one day. Lovely, just lovely beer.

Had my first Moose Drool of the trip in the K-Bar in Gardiner, MT. Bought two six-packs and headed to the Mill Creek Cabin. Popular brown ale. Good breakfast drink when combined with bran flakes. Really gets the lower GI moving.

Hard to find this year. Found a couple of six-packs at the Exxon in Cooke City, MT. Always have to drink a few whilst angling in Montana. "A Bigger Tale With Every Ale"

Formerly "Trout Slayer". A great Hefeweizen. The name change to Dancing Trout Ale was not merely a cosmetic one. Bayern Brewing’s Dancing Trout Ale is the official beer sponsor of Montana Trout Unlimited (www.montanatu.org). Bayern Brewing pledges a portion of all merchandise and every case of beer sold to Montana Trout Unlimited to support the preservation of Montana’s trout habitat. I suppose we drank a case of this great beer! What art work! I sure hope that they offer a print for sale.

It Ain't Rocket Science, Its Cutthroat Fishin!

Westslope cutts dominate the South Fork of the Flathead river in the Bob. These are colorful fish and great fighters. Most times during our week on the river fly selection was a no brainer. As long as it was big (size 8 or 10), gaudy (think outrageous Royal Wulffs), and had rubber legs the fish would pounce on it. The first night in camp I hit a great hatch of Turck’s tarantulas and just murdered those stupid trout. During mid day when the cutts were on siesta, the western version of a caddis and a bead (hopper-dropper) did the trick. The last day on the river I used a size 10 White Wulff with a bead head Prince nymph and landed fish left and right.

Bowhunter with a fine example of a westslope cutthroat trout

Wade Rivers practicing rocket science

Even Agrontrutta could catch those cutts

There was a great evening rise to PMDs each night from about 8:30 to 9:15. That called for a technical approach—a size 18 sparkle dun on 3x tippet. Like I said, it ain’t rocket science, its cutthroat fishin.

All images courtesy of Bowhunter. Thanks Mike!

Even the Chief can catch those cutthroats...big, pretty Yellowstone ones...

Soda Butte Creek - YNP

Soda Butte Creek in YNP must be the prettiest stream in the entire world. If there's a prettier one, I haven't seen it. It is also the Fair Maiden's favorite, especially in the Round Prairie section near Pebble Creek. We spent three incredible days fishing this gem. The Fair Maiden caught her share of trout. She especially enjoyed catching those small, beautiful native fish.


The most productive section this year seemed to be between the Lamar Stock Trailhead and the Cone. We began fishing here on August 5 with our friend Ray Rathmell, Lock Haven, PA. Ray and his wife Darlene are the campground hosts at the best campground in YNP, Pebble Creek. We began fishing around noon and soon there were PMD's emerging. Between the three of us, I know that we caught 100 cutthroats. The Fair Maiden would take 5-6 out of each hole, some no bigger than a bathtub. Every couple of minutes or so, we would hear her holler, "Fish on!" She was rigged up with a #16 PMD Sparkle Dun and a #18 Shop Vac.

On Wednesday, August 6 we attempted to fish the Baronette Meadow section in the evening. With the Chief in the lead, we trekked through the meadow to find the spot where the Fair Maiden lost a huge cutthroat in 2005. The Chief saw a grizzly track about six inches across in the sand and attempted to snuff it out with his boot. The Fair Maiden spotted the sly footwork and asked the Chief what he snuffed out. "It was a bear track, wasn't it?" "Ah, ah..." "Let's get out of here," the Fair Maiden shouted. Well, it started to pour, so we headed for some cover. While standing under a lodgepole pine, the Fair Maiden spotted something...

We soon were back at the car heading back downstream, stopping first at Ronnie Wright's to purchase bear spray. Being honest, seeing fresh grizzly sign, even spooked the Chief. Especially after learning that a tenter was mauled by a grizzly just a few days ago just up the road. The Fair Maiden had a few beers to settle her nerves, then started to hammer'em again in Round Prairie.

We were leaving the Lamar Valley on Saturday morning heading to Canyon to fish the Yellowstone. The Chief begged for one more cast in the Soda Butte. We pulled into the Lamar Stock Trailhead and found it empty. The Chief quickly grabbed a fine Montana ale and headed to the stream. When he got to the water, he realized that he had forgotten something. "What no rod?" True story.

Now with rod in hand, the Chief had the prettiest stream in the world to himself. The cutthroats continued to take his offerings, one after another. A mule deer doe came to visit.

It was a true pleasure once againg fishing and enjoying one of God's greatest creations...Soda Butte Creek.

Slough Creek - Third Meadow

The Chief and the Fair Maiden hired Tim Bowers of Bear Paw Outfitters, Livingston, MT to pack them into the Third Meadow for a days fishing over incredibly beautiful Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout. The scenery was spectactular! Tim's grandson, Isaac led the expedition. Tim works for Isaac every summer.



The Fair Maiden rode out with her stirrups rigged high in belief that that would help her knees. She had been riding prior to the trip and her friend told her that bending the knees would help. The Chief knows better. Upon arrival at the Third Meadow, the Fair Maiden's knees were aching. Hayfever also took over with possibly altitude sickness thrown in. Needless to say, the Fair Maiden was not in fishing shape. The Chief was more than eager to cast over those dumb trout. The Fair Maiden fished a bit and took photos of the Chief nailing trout after trout then retired to the ranger cabin. The Chief stayed close and reluctantly didn't seek out the many pods of cutts that were present in the upper meadow.
The cutts were focused on emerging #20 baetis for about 45 minutes. The Chief could have caught a 100 if they kept popping. But they didn't and he only managed thirty-two on his RBF Baetis Half & Half. Yes, thirty-two. It was the only day that an accurate catch tally was recorded. The RBF Half & Half is similiar to the BRF Sparkle Dun, but more effective. Not to be confused with the RBF Half, Half & Half. Half spinner, half dun and half nymph. Damn thing is just pure deadly.


The Chief then resorted to various contraptions without success. He settled on dead drifting RBF's Olive Wooly Booger and caught six lovely cutts in the deepest runs. The Chief later learned that Matthew Long was in the Third Meadow the day before and his clients murdered them on Drake Mackerals even though there were no spinners on the water. This was one of the prettiest fish caught this entire trip.



Many. many trout were caught during this ungodly trip into the Third Meadow. Just a few years ago, I did not believe that I would ever experience such a trip after suffering several heart attacks. I did feel sorry for the Fair Maiden as the return trip really upset the knees. We were to enjoy pizza and beer at the Miner's Saloon in Cooke City, MT for supper but I had to grille chicken breasts and serve the Fair Maiden in bed. We finished off a six-pack of Lang Creek Brewery's Fish On, a full-bodied Montana summer ale to wash down the trail dust and the Maiden's Motrins.

Heels down boys. Besides being easy on the buttocks and legs, this way it's easy to kick'em in the slats if they decide to slack-off mission. Tight reins, too. Just in case they decide to toss you into the sagebrush.

The Chief and Tim Bowers engaged in serious conversation throughout the trip on various subjects such as those damn wolves, killing feral cats and dogs, PETA, Obama, grilling steaks, griz, the virtues of elk meat, crazy people and the benefits of riding American Mammoth Jackstock rather than those bone-jarring horses. Tim is a Great American. His outfit is highly recommended and is a Five Star Business endorsed by the RBF Pro Staff.

http://www.bearpawoutfittersmt.com/Home.htm

Mill Creek Cabin - Gallatin National Forest

The Chief and the Fair Maiden spent two nights in this delightful log cabin built in 1927. The cabin had electric lights and a cookstove. A woodstove kept us cozy when the temperature dipped into the 40's on August 9th. The Mill Creek Cabin is located in the Absoroka Range 12 miles southeast of Pray, MT.

Twenty-three log cabins are available for rent on the Gallatin National Forest. Built primarily in the 1920s and 1930s for use by early Forest Rangers. Some of the cabins have electricity, all have either wood or electric stoves for cooking and heating, none have indoor plumbing. Our cabin had a modern, clean shitter unlike the imfamous contraption at the Rossiter Lodge. The lack of indoor plumbing posed no personal hygiene problems as Chico Hot Springs is just down the road. For $6.50 you can soak your aches and boils away and take a good, hot shower in their incredible mineral water.

The back porch overlooked the fabulous Mill Creek, a trib of the mighty Yellowstone. This tumbling creek is just chunk full of beautiful Yellowstone Cutthroats. The sunburn scene in "A River Runs Through It" was filmed here.

http://www.fs.fed.us/r1/gallatin/?page=recreation/areas/cabin_lookout

Chico Hot Springs - Pray, MT

This is one ungodly place beloved by the Chief and his Fair Maiden. In Chico’s healing waters, you experience turn-of-the-century hospitality under the shadow of the magnificant Emigrant Peak. The hot springs, long appreciated by native peoples (Indians), got their commercial start during the territorial period when miners stopped by to bathe and wash their duds. In 1876, an inventive settler attempted an ungodly accomplishment. He tapped into the 112 degree water, piping it under his greenhouse to grow vegetables for local residents. A hotel was planned in the 1800's, but in 1892, there were still no facilities and families camped nearby to enjoy the springs. Percie and Bill Knowles inherited the property in 1894. They ran a boarding house for miners and in 1900 built the long-awaited hot springs hotel. Under Knowles' active promotion, uniformed drivers ferried such guests as Teddy Roosevelt and artist Charlie Russell from the Emigrant train depot to the springs. When Bill Knowles died in 1910, Percie and her son Radbourne transformed the luxurious hotel into a respected medical facility specializing in the treatment of buttocks boils. Dr. George A. Townsend joined the staff in 1912 and under his direction, the hospital and healing waters gained renown throughout the northwest. After the 1940's, new owners and new directions included gambling and dude ranching. In 1974, Mike and Eve Art began recapturing the once-famous hotel's turn-of-the-century charm. Chico Hot Springs, with its Georgian-inspired architecture and warm Craftsman-style interiors, is one of Montana's best-preserved examples of an early twentieth century hot springs hotel and health resort.

The best feature of Chico is its poolside bar. Here the Chief enjoys his second double bourbon and coke after a glorious day on the Yellowstone. Another interesting feature is Chico's numerous "walls of fame". Photos of famous people who visited Chico are featured throughout the resort. The Chief was pleased to find his mug prominently displayed just off the main lobby.

When the Fair Maiden questioned the prominence of his photo, the Chief simply stated, "Soc un gran pescador!"

http://www.chicohotsprings.com/index.html