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3. Somewhere in Montana

After my somewhat lenghty hiatus from posting I thought some of my friends would enjoy this picture of a very healthy wild rainbow.

Sweet Pic! I started fly fishing last week. Long time bass angler and tournament fisherman. Grew up fishing for trout in S. MO and AR, but never with flies, had a blast last week around Yellowstone and Bozeman. Had so much fun heading back Aug 12th! Any tips for a guy starting out?

Gorgeous fish, Matt. Glad to see the finny ones are treating you well.

Louis,

I had a great trip and caught many large browns and rainbows as well as dozens of 17" - 19" fish. The large fish were so big that I was wishing that there were more of the 17" - 19" fish. A large fish would peel all of the fly line and 100 yards of backing in one, or two, sustained runs. It could take fifteen minutes to land those big guys that you just couldn't go after due to where you may be standing in the flow.

Sekoutdoors -

"Any tips for a guy starting out?"

Your inquiry covers such a broad area - might you be able to narrow it down to a couple of topics? There are dozens of good books about beginning fly fishing and probably half a dozen that are excellent.

IMO, and it is old school, I'd recommend Joe Brooks "Trout Fishing" and another Brooks book titled "The Complete Book of Fly Fishing". It is likely that they are both out of print but a good used fly fishing book dealer probably has a copy.

They were two of the earliest books I ever read about "how to" fly fish. They have a wealth of information about all aspects of fly fishing.

Thanks, I actually was able to read those books via libraries. I am having a lot of fun learning a new way to fish, I doubt I will ever tie my own flys, but I am hooked!

My favorite early how-to book was "Prospecting for Trout" by Tom Rosenbauer (also/currently sold as The Orvis Guide to Prospecting for Trout, I think). He's also got another good one, "Reading the Water."

Hehe, we'll throw that quote back at you in a few months. :)

"I doubt I will ever tie my own flys"

You're right Jason. I thought that and was convinced of that as recently as May. I can't wait to use my new, albeit cheap, fly tying kit this weekend! I've been perusing the insect and tying forums here a lot lately.
How am I going to break it to my wife that my fly fishing is going to get MORE involved? That's not completely rhetorical.

Note: I couldn't think of the word "rhetorical" and had to ask my wife what that word was, "where you are asking a question and not really looking for an answer..." Case in point, she asked if I was on my "fishing forum again"

Actually, had to retire from Nerve and arthritis damage at 30 after being a Marine, Police CHief, Vol Fireman, and a bunch of other wiz bang stuff. Not that I wouldnt, but delicate work is not something my hands do well anymore, I will still show up to the incident, dont ask me to help the bomb squad!
Joe

I agree with jason on "Prospecting for Trout" he recommended it to me last winter and it is a good read with some great ways of looking at things. Also another great book recommended to me was Lefty Kreh's "Presenting the Fly" it has some really great tips and was the first time I ever had a roll cast described/photoed that I could acurately duplicate.

Matt, I am glad you had a great time but please do not perpetuate the myth that there are big fish in Montana.

Aaron,

You'll note that I didn't mention where I went - no need in having any more guys on any of the MT rivers. Aaron is right the only big fish in MT are from the hatcheries all of the wild fish are little 8" - 11" rainbows.

OK, I'm convinced. Just cancelled a week trip in Montana. Don't want to be bothered with taking such tiny fish off the fly.

Matt you forgot to mention the ever present whitefish. Nothing says dissappointment when you are fish a streamer and you pull in a 18" whitey.

Louis there is the odd chance of catching something a little bigger like this... http://billingsgazette.com/news/state-and-regional/montana/article_d6955d81-3290-5adb-8892-87cf20a37553.html

If you going to fish for guppies on the Madison River near Quake Lake be sure to check out the Whiting dry fly hackle selection here... http://www.campfirelodgewestyellowstone.com/west-yellowstone-fly-shop.asp. They say they have largest selection of Whiting necks anywhere, close to 1000 necks.

Now you've done it, John. After all of Aaron's efforts to convince us that there are no big fish in Montana, you have to produce massive evidence to the contrary. Shame on you.

Here's my favorite part of that article:

Not only do they flaunt a 20 lb. behemoth, but they calculate the "average" down to the decimal point! And notice the use of the word "likely." I think Aaron should send an angry letter to the editor of the Billings Gazette. Clearly, they are working at cross-purposes.

Lloyd, sorry but that article has been all over the Internet. The cat is out of the bag. Everyone is talking and dreaming about going West to Montana with hopes of catching a 20 pounder!

Plus, articles like that keep the crowds off of the Wisconsin streams where the slurping, bug feeding Salmo trutta only reach a max length of 7.25 inches.

Trip's back on!

Just kidding, I have neither time nor funds to go out west. But one can dream.

By the way, if I lived in MT I would be poor, divorced and spend my summer days as a trout fishing hermit hunting slurping 19.5" fishies, eating smoked whiteys and mumbling to myself a lot.