Clark Fork

Even though conditions on the lower Clark Fork have been a bit icy/slushy, today's weather couldn't be passed up. It was a crystal clear day with temps in the mid 30's as Chris and I headed to an access that we've been fishing at for the past month. Its deep, slow runs provide perfect water for winter fish. We got to the river around 2:15. I headed right down to my run that I've consistently been catching fish in. Surprisingly there weren't too many floating ice chunks (far less than down near Missoula) and it didn't feel too cold out. I fished the top end of the run with no takes and then came to the steep drop off where I have always manage into a fish. Sure enough a few drifts later with a san juan worm and I had a take. I set the hook into what felt like a log. The fish quickly jolted downstream. Some big head shakes, and I knew it was a decent fish. I didn't think it was that big of a fish and as I tried to horse the fish to the shallows I started to realize that it was actually a really nice fish. The fish wasn't budging so I let the fight play out and the fish began to tire. I brought the fish into the shallows just as Chris had reached me. This is when I noticed how fat this fish was. It was a very wide and chunky fish and had some length to it also. To top it all off the fish was beautiful, speckled with hundreds of bold black spots, a huge pink stripe, red gill plates and white tipped fins. The upper scales near the back of the fish showed up gold in the setting sun. 

Numb fingers and toes were ignored as I slipped the fish into the icy water and watched as it jetted off into the depths where I hooked it. It was a great moment. I was glad that Chris had showed up when he did because I wanted a picture with the fish. I returned to the same deep run and put my san juan worm right along the same drop off. A few casts later and I was hooked up again with a small whitefish.

Immediately after I released it, Chris was hooked up with a fish in the head of the run. It was his first December fish in Montana, although it was a whitefish. However, a fish is a fish and Chris was happy.

Chris fighting his first December fish

We fished the same run for a while and then decided to head back up to the car. Our guides were freezing up good and the temperature was dropping quickly. We both took a section of the long bridge pool and had a couple missed takes. It was a great day on the water and a successful one at that. I don't know why, but that Cuttbow that I caught today was a very memorable fish. Then again, I say that about most of fish that I catch. I think I'm at the point in my life where every fish is a memorable one, no matter what the size, type, or color. And that's is what I've come to realize in fly fishing....every fish is perfect, in its very own way.

More Ice/ Learning to Tie

Still plenty of ice chunks in the Clark Fork today as the temps only reached about 33 degrees. It was actually a pretty warm day compared to the past couple of weeks, but its still keeping the ice plates together.

During this hiatus from fishing, I've been teaching Chris how to tie flies. He's learning very quickly and has tied almost every day since I began teaching him. His dry flies are already looking pretty good and the next step will be for him to learn how to tie a wide variety of patterns to fill up his fly boxes.

Photo Credit : Dave Falldin



Getting Icy

I was debating going fishing today on the Clark Fork and was glad that I didn't. I headed down to the river with Cameron and a few other friends to check out the ice flows. It was literally a giant slushy. There were lots of ice chunks and there was quite a bit of ice build up on the banks of the river. Not sure how it is upstream, but I think its probably pretty similar and probably tough to fish in. Until the ice chunks stop flowing, there won't be any fishing for me.

Clark Fork ice buildup

Starting to actually look like Winter

Got a couple inches of snow last night, here in Missoula.

Surprise on the Clark

I fished the same section that I've been fishing on the Clark Fork this afternoon and had a nice surprise. I didn't waste any time when I got to the river and I made my way downstream to a nice deep, slow run where I've had success lately. I fished it for a little while with no strikes. I nymphed a little deeper in the run and got hit right on the edge of the drop off. I set the hook on a decent fish. I played it for a while until I could clearly see the fish. I was confused at first because it was a very dark colored fish. Then as the fish came closer I could tell it was a bull trout. It was quite the nice surprise from the Clark Fork. It was about a 16 inch bully and it had taken my san juan worm pattern. I snapped a couple pics really quick and returned the fish ASAP.

The fish had basically destroyed my fly but I kept it on and fished the same drop off. A few steps downstream and a few casts later and I was hooked up again, this time with a beautiful Cuttbow of about 15 inches, which also took the san juan.

I nymphed the run for a while longer and then called it quits. It was a beautiful day on the river with no clouds at all and not as cold as I expected. The fish were active also. Just another day in paradise.