Mike Cline
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I for one plan to spend a mind numbing day on the Big Hole or Jefferson not once thinking about bills, traffic, humidity, or work!
Mike…you rocking the purp/pink reel? No problems if you are…just wondered if the wife was along on the water for Day Twelve.
Indeed I am.
Patrick,
Probably the single most useful tip I ever learned in building rods in marking guide placement and the temporary attachment of guides.
1) Once you know where your guides will be placed, use a permanent Sharpie like marker that matches the blank color closely. Mark the blank at the upper or lower foot end of the guide, not the center of the guide (Be consistent which end you always use.).
Mike
I’ve been enjoying the reports from the other side of the globe as well,some spectacular country side but I can feel my arteries hardening just looking at those food shots 😀
I’ve been meaning to ask you guys,what on earth is a chicken fried steak?
cheers
CourtyNothing more than a reasonably tough piece of beef, pounded to death with a hammer, then dipped milk and rolled in flour.
Mike I love your dedication to your daily reports from Montana. Great photos and stories. I am a little curious about your wine choice though. Did you pick that wine because it is a good one or because of the name on the bottle?
JoelIt’s just a coincidence that the Cline wines, especially their Syrah, is pretty good. No relationship.
Mike…great posts so far on your trip. It does sound epic to say the least. And thanks for the plates of food photos. What is the wife doing while you are away on the river?
Thanks. The wife walks the river with me if the banks are suitable–E. Gallatin. Rides in the back of the Float Boat as she calls it and keeps the guide from pestering me too much. On rivers like the Firehole, she’s my shuttle driver, dropping me off somewhere upriver and picking me up a mile or so down river. She reads, I fish. In Yellowstone, just siitting in a car by the river in one spot for several hours brings the opportunity to see lots of wildlife pass by. She enjoys it.
Mike
2 weeks of stripping streamers would be tough for me…so my question is…are the fish in these rivers soley keying in on streamers? Could you fish nymphs just as effectively? Are the fish still “looking up” at this time of the year?
The key to fishing streamers for 2 weeks in Montana is to fish them all year long regardless of latitude. But, that said, there is an un-written guide rule that says that some time during the day, the client has to fish with a bobber and nymph. When you go for a 1/2 hour without a fish, the guide is obliged to show you his fully rigged Bobber rod so you can catch a fish, even if you could care a rat’s ass about catching trout on bobbers.
My guide today, Justin, was just that sort. His boat rods were rigged with nymphs and bobbers. There were at least two runs where he could not resist that ole guide phase–Lets try some nymphs on this run. Out come the bobber rigs and you slug through 30 minutes of mind numbing boredom trying to get a drag free drift and repsond to the–hit it, hit it chant from the guide. Of course you catch some fish, the technique works. But it isn’t streamer fishing which demands short, and long range accurate casting for hours on end.
Did your guide measure those fish?
Indeed he did, so maybe they are guide inches which I understand can be a bit generous. The wife took the marginal pics.
Mike I would really look into the BIIx 6wt since you like chucking the streamers. I have been very happy with mine. I would also take a hard look at the new BIImx. From the guys I have talked to that have got a chance to cast it it sounds like a sweet rod!
I look forward to your report tomorrow to hear about your tour.
Joel
A 6wgt BIIx is definitely on my short list. I cast one today–what a perfect streamer rod. In my current consulting job, I get to visit a fair number of “Manufacturing” companies. R.L. Winston was my first big name rod maker. The factory isn’t a factory at all. What it is is a home for a very dedicated bunch of rod making men and women who are really good at what they do. They demand quality at every step of the process. This is not an “assembly line” business. I had the opportunity to briefly discuss the “Warranty Repair” business with them and every repair job is really a custom rebuild. Although I can’t compare this “Factory” to other big name rod factories, I left today knowing that an R. L Winston rod is really a quality piece of work, no matter how well it preforms against other rods.
What’s up with the gloves, it’s barely October?
Actually, I wear some sort of gloves 100% of the time when I’m fishing–warm or cold weather to protect the hands from sun and other stuff.
Enjoy your trip and if you get bored down there, holler at us and we’ll sneak in and wade the hole in the picture above, we might even invite Joel. ;D
Getting Bored in Twin Bridges, MT in October, with a Montana Fishing License, several gross of flies, three fly rods and a good appetite! — Science Fiction.
Thanks for tips and the offer.
Mike
Joel,
Actually I’ll be in Bozeman, Twin Bridges and West for a total of 14 days starting tommorow for the sole purpose of fishing and eating. Am actually excited about the wet, cloudy, cool whether as I’ve been know to throw streamers at fish rising to Bluewings. Am all geared up and prepared for the October weather and Browns in MT. I’ll be posting trip details as I go.
Mike
I guess at the end of the day, it comes down to personal preference and what you want to spend money on. Personally I would rather spend $3.50 to drink a Paulaner Oktoberfest instead of $1.00 on Girls (Coors) Light. But might be just as quick to go the “cheap” route on other things.
Yeah! but are you willing to pay top-dollar for a good pickled egg?
