Successful Thanksgiving

My cousin Willie came up from Colorado to join me for thanksgiving break. On Wednesday Chris and I showed him our basic day to day lives. We headed up to Rock Creek for a few hours to try and hook into some fish. It was unusually warm on Wednesday (almost 50 degrees), and I was excited to see if I could hook into anything. We drove about 15 miles upstream until we hit a section of the road that was pure ice. We were sliding a bunch and once we found a forest service guy sanding the road and he explained to us that a car basically slid off the road and flipped over the other day, we decided to turn back. We found a nice section downstream and gave it a go. I decided to nymph for the day. A lightning bud and san juan worm were my flies of choice. It was the first time I've used a san juan worm out west and it really worked well. I had a couple of strikes in the first run we went to. Although it was warm, the edges of the creek were pretty iced up. It was easy fishing right off the ice and I didn't have to get in the water at all.

After fishing the section for a while we headed back to the car and went downstream further. Garret showed up to join us. We found an access out of the way from the main road and began fishing it. I hooked into 2 fish in a small eddy and lost them. There was a nice pool downstream so I told Willie to come cross the river. I had given him some really crappy wading boots (the only ones available) and he was slipping pretty often. I tried to cross with him. The problem was that it was some fast moving water. I made the mistake of trying to keep Will upstream of me. It wasn't the best idea I've ever had. It only took a few steps before he slipped and took me out. We were in the water and soaked to the bone. The water was pretty damn cold and we scrambled to the bank to get out. What followed after was about 2 minutes of us cracking up laughing. I've never felt like that much of a moron and I'm sure Willie hadn't either. We ran to the car only to find that it was locked. We walked downstream to get the keys from Chris. I was very glad that it was really warm out and I wasn't cold at all. We found Chris and Garret downstream and we talked with them for a while. Chris had a big brown follow his streamer in a few times but couldn't entice the fish to take. We witnessed Garret land a decent rainbow nymphing and then ran back to the car. Willie hadn't gotten too much water in his waders, but I was soaked. I had about a foot of water in each leg of my waders and I was getting pretty cold just standing there. We waited in the car for Chris and then headed back to campus. Even though we had fallen in the river, I still had a great day with my cousin. Me falling into a Montana river in winter had to happen some day and I'm glad I got to share the wonderful experience with my cousin.

Thanksgiving day turned out to be a warm one also. Not as warm as Wednesday, but still in the 40's. Chris and I agreed to go fish a run where I had a few strikes on streamers last month. The run was a perfect streamer and nymphing run. I stuck with the nymphs. We got there and began fishing a few small riffle runs with no strikes. I waded right down to the run and began nymphing it. About half way down the run I set the hook on a nice fish. I saw a big colored up brown come up to the surface. The fishes head broke the surface and then the worst happened.....the fish broke off. My indicator was floating downstream. The leader had snapped at the indicator. I was pissed. I chased my indicator down and re-rigged.

After Chris missed a take on a streamer I fished the run again with no strikes. I headed back upstream and fished the deep hole near the bridge. Surprisingly I hooked up with a nice little cutthroat who took the san juan worm. It felt really good to land a fish for the first time in almost 2 weeks.

I nymphed the pool for a while longer and then hooked up with something I never would of expected. A dead fish......

This was about a 24 inch river sucker. One of the weirdest catches I've had out west so far. Easily the most disgusting also.

After that we called it a day and headed for home. We ate our thanksgiving dinner at the Montana Club, which was very good. Overall it was a great thanksgiving. Sunday and Monday look to be pretty good with temps in the 40's. Chris and I should get into some fish. As far as streamer fishing goes, I'd say its almost over. From here on out I'm nymphing until I go home for Christmas break.

Report from Dad

For the past 3 days my dad has been sending me pictures of the many fish he's been catching. Right now hes in Cody Wyoming for work. From what I can see, the only work that hes been up to is fighting fiesty cutts, bows and browns. For the past couple of days he's been fishing the Shoshone River and doing very well, averaging about 20 fish a day. Today though was a day I think he'll always remember. He gave me a call this afternoon telling me he just had one of the best days of fishing he's ever had. He landed over 40 fish, all by swinging a purple prince nymph. He said the fish were just going nuts. It looks like my old man still has the skills. The pictures explain.......

Fishing here in the Missoula area has slowed down. Its been very cold and we keep getting dustings of snow. This past Saturday the temperature didn't get over 21 degrees. The banks of the Clark Fork are iced up. However, for the next couple of days we are going to see some warmer temps (even into the 40's). My cousin Willie will be joining me here in Missoula for Thanksgiving. Hopefully we can get out and land some fish. I haven't been out on the water for an entire week. This is the most consecutive days I've gone without fishing since I've been out here, which means I really need to get out! Chris is also here for Thanksgiving break so between the 3 of us, we should be able to land a fish or two, even if the fishing is slow. Stay tuned for a report from sometime this week.

Good News!

Recieved an email today with good news from my fishing buddy Chris Stiles in NY.. I almost feel like me calling Andrew Cuomo actually did something....but probably not. Nevertheless, looks like the hard work of thousands has for now saved the Delaware River Basin from Fracking....

DRBC HEARS US AND CANCELS VOTE TO OPEN UP THE DELAWARE RIVER BASIN TO GAS DRILLING
The DRBC cancelled its meeting on November 21 where it was going to vote on opening up the Delaware River Basin to gas drilling. While all the facts are not yet in, it looks as if they cancelled because they just didn’t have the votes to approve. The DRBC is made up of representatives of 4 states – NY, NJ, PA and DE, plus a federal representative. They need 3 out of 5 votes to pass any measure. Prior to the meeting we knew that NY was planning to vote NO, and the day before the meeting Governor Markell of DE said that he was planning to vote against it.
THIS IS A HUGE WIN FOR THOSE OF US WHO WANT TO PROTECT OUR WATER, AIR, LAND AND HEALTH FROM FRACKING
Clearly the action that thousands of you took impacted this decision. We’ve won this battle, but we still need to win the war. There will be a rally and activist training workshops this Sunday and Monday in Trenton. Visit the Delaware Riverkeeper Network site for more information.

WE NEED YOU TO KEEP UP THE PRESSURE AT THE COMING NEW YORK DEC HEARINGS
We have a great start.  According to the Wall Street Journal, at the Binghamton DSGEIS hearing yesterday our nearly 1000 anti-gas activists outnumbered the pro gassers by 4 to 1. At the Dansville hearing anti-gas activists outnumbered the gassers by the same margin. It’s important that we carry this momentum into the 2 last hearings on the permit conditions that the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is proposing to govern fracking in all of New York State.

Please come to Loch Sheldrake, NY on November 29 and New York City on November 30.  Click here for the dates and times of the dSGEIS hearings.
IMPORTANT: If you plan to attend and/or testify click here for a summary of the major flaws in the dSGEIS to help you prepare.

If there is any way that you can get to either or both of these, please join us. We’ve seen what our combined actions can accomplish. Please help us to move ahead.
To let Governor Cuomo know that we don’t want fracking to ruin our health and our environment, please join our “DON’T FRACK FRIDAYS” call campaign.  Please call the Governor’s office, (518) 474-8390,  EVERY Friday to let him know that you don’t want fracking in New York State.
Forward this message to your friends, family and neighbors and ask them to forward it on.  Get educated, especially about the health issues and threats.
The Catskill Mountainkeeper website is here as a resource for you, please use it.
We are up against the richest and most influential industry in the world. Catskill Mountainkeeper and our allies have surprised many critics by being so effective to date. But it continues to be a long, hard fight and we need your financial assistance to continue. Please give as generously as you can.

http://www.catskillmountainkeeper.org/

Frack Attack! Save the Delaware

Hydro-Fracking is an industrial process where millions of gallons of highly pressurized fluid is injected into the earth to fracture rock formations. This process is used for the recovery of fossil fuels. The problem with hydrofracking is that the water used is laced with  many toxic chemicals that will contaminate waterways, affecting more than just fish. A plan to allow 20,000 gas wells in the Delaware River Basin will be voted on, on November 21st.

The Delaware runs through New York and is the border line between New Jersey and Pennsylvania. It is known as one of the best trout fisheries in the state of New York as well as the drinking supply for over 15 million people. If the plan for the gas wells is allowed, the Delaware river and surrounding watersheds may be contaminated with hundreds of toxic chemicals. Hydrofracking also causes air pollution and land scarring. It is a full scale industrialization that will ruin the fishery and possibly put people in harms way. Check out this video on the fly fishing blog Moldy Chum about the proposed hydrofracking on the Delaware.......

http://www.moldychum.com/home-old/2011/11/16/save-the-delaware.html

Being a New York resident my entire life, after watching this video I decided to help take a stand against this potential environmental disaster. I called New York's Governor Andrew Cuomo and urged him to vote against the proposed fracking, explaining that it will not only ruin much of the aquatic ecosystem, but possibly the drinking water supply for millions of people. Being a University student, hopefully he takes my words into consideration. I must say, it really does feel good to take a stand and I urge you to take one too (if this proposition pisses you off like it did to me). The more people taking a stand, the better. For more information go to http://savethedelaware.wordpress.com/

Good Shots

This year of fly fishing for me has not only been about catching fish in new places, discovering brand new streams that are rarely fished, and fishing as much as I possibly can. This year I've also focused on capturing those moments in fly fishing that make people so addicted to the sport. Here is a few shots from throughout the year that show the art, the beauty and the soul of fly fishing......

Early Morning on the Madison River

Chris Stiles casting on a remote Adirondack stream

A wild Adirondack Landlocked Salmon

Chris Stiles fighting a Battenkill River Brown

Cody M. hooked up with a Missouri River Bow

The Release

Cody M. on the Bitterroot River

Father and Son