29 October 2009
Written by
joe (
)
Published on October 29th, 2009 @ 08:53:30 am, using 213 words, 91 views
I am off the water and back in the wilds of eastern Montana. Fly rods and boats have been traded for Spotting Scopes, knives, and rifles. I just wrapped up a really good group of hunters that harvested some fine mule deer bucks. Mulies are such interesting animals that have a eerie sense of when they are being hunted. Its a layered chess match to take a big buck.
After we tag out hunters on mulies, we generally go coyote hunting or do birds. Since I haven’t wing shot in about 8 years and I am dogless I usually take my guys coyoteing. However, on this hunt I got talked into the Sharptail/Pheasant hunting and invited to shoot.
It turns out I am more than rusty with a shotgun, as was proven by my multiple misses at easy ranges on sharpies.
But I am not very rusty with my ability to curse at a very high volume those birds that have easily survived my errant barrages of lead.
I have a little break in the hunts for a quick few days at home to check in with the family and wrap up boat storage for the winter, and then back to Fort Peck for more spot and stalk mulies and curse flying birds.
21 October 2009
Written by
joe (
)
Published on October 21st, 2009 @ 04:56:28 pm, using 483 words, 201 views
We generally wrap up our guiding volume on the Missouri each year. It seems that every season our anglers come later and later once they see what goes on.
It is the Blue Wing olive push that drives the end of October and into November and it the most consistent little fly show of the year for the big singles and the frantic afternoon pods. This isn’t shorts and T-Shirts, so bring your waders and fleece. But the hatch always comes and they ALWAYS get up. Cool stuff if light tippets and little flies turns your crank - it does mine.
I like it because it can be a mind corkscrew to get all of them to eat.
I drop anchor and my internal gameplan starts -
We are enough above him and he is tucked of the back of that little rock. This one isn’t going to be easy.
My guy can make the shot. Yeah, he can get it in there.
Whoa, he just charged out into the easy lane. Why?
There he goes back in the rough spot - almost impossible in there.
Another charge - coool. Maybe dumber than I thought.
Let’s try the 14 clown fly. He is letting a bunch of naturals go by.
Then my external B.S. plan comes out - and I say.
- Here you go lets see if we can sucker punch him. You are on 5x so don’t be afraid to jam him. -
- Just shy. Strip in, don’t false cast over him, and try again.
- Push it in 2 more feet and move your entrance angle in 3 feet up river. Finish the rod high and to the left.
-Nice you are on him. Get Ready, Eat it, Eat It, EAT IT you ##@@##$$ fish. Nice shot. Give him one more and we may have to change.
- Both of those were clean and he was on rhythm. We need to change.
-Let me think for a minute and watch him. Not an easy one, but he is big.
- Alright he didn’t move to the big dumb fly, lets size down and play the stage game and see if we can get a charge feed. This is a transitional stage fly and maybe he is targeting them.
- Okay, put this over him. Its smaller but you should be able to see it in the black light.
- You still see him? Take your shot and don’t be afraid to put it right on the trickle seam
- Nice shot this is going to happen. Eat the fly you rotten lazy bow!!!
- SEEEEET!!! SWEEEET!! You got him. He charged that cripple like it was a salmonfly. Nice fish and a jumper, cool.
- I’ll chase. There are three more toads stacked up down the bank a little.
- Yea I know. The Missouri is an unbelievable river in late October.
02 October 2009
Written by
joe (
)
Published on October 2nd, 2009 @ 03:09:54 pm, using 386 words, 89 views
Well I made it. Barely. It has been a bit of a growing pain year for me. I have been blessed with another year of business growth and now we are at a level that is changing my role at A Classic Journey.
I got into the fishing gig because I love guiding anglers, but now more and more of my time is spent scheduling anglers.
Is the guide staff layed out on meals? One boat is vegetarian.
Did the plumber get the sink fixed before my next anglers check in riverside?
Where am I going to get a shift covered when a truck goes down at exactly the wrong week? Somebody left a rod in guide rig and needs it for tomorrow, but Karl is on the Missouri already.
We are short on secret hoppers, gotta get those ordered.
Oh, yeah payroll…and invoices.
Here comes, 2010 bookings.
I think my wife recognizes me?
All of that no big deal if you can do it from an office 9-5. Currently I have been covering it and then go jump in a boat and find fish. Like I said - Barely made it.
So life has begun to head away from water. Guide days aren’t over for me, but are slowly scaling back. I don’t know that it is a bad thing, just different.
I sure am proud of our staff of guides, and I like to think at least some portion of their success has been gleaned from my fishing experience and leadership. Pretty cool to see a whole staff execute a fishing plan and fill the boats up with trout. I like to see them whoop up on me once and a while.
As my number of guide days diminishes catching for me will shade towards vicarious morning coffee cup fishing strategies not the visceral net stab.
So -
We finally got through the big September push and now its the steady run of anglers looking to play the fall rising fish game. Put away your sandals and find your waders. The air is crisp and bugs come after lunch. Color is smattering our leaves and water temps hang in 50s - Perfect. They aint dumb right now, but they will feed on the right drift…..they have to winter’s insect desert is coming soon.
Permanent Link