Tiny Baetis mayflies are perhaps the most commonly encountered and imitated by anglers on all American trout streams due to their great abundance, widespread distribution, and trout-friendly emergence habits.
This specimen resembled several others of around the same size and perhaps the same species, which were pretty common in my February sample from the upper Yakima. Unfortunately, I misplaced the specimen before I could get it under a microscope for a definitive ID.
Jesse on Mar 14, 2010March 14th, 2010, 2:38 pm EDT
I'd say it was a pretty good day on the bitterroot today! This 2ft monster really took me for a ride, and what a beauty. Even better he was safely returned to be caught by the next lucky angler! Enjoy guys.
Jmd123 on Mar 15, 2010March 15th, 2010, 7:16 am EDT
That's a beautiful fish! The last brownie I caught was a (comparatively small) 13-incher the Saturday before Christmas. Soon they will be rising to Hendricksons in our neck of the woods, too...
Well done, Jesse.
Jonathon
No matter how big the one you just caught is, there's always a bigger one out there somewhere...
Jesse on Mar 17, 2010March 17th, 2010, 4:19 pm EDT
Hey thanks guys the comments are much appreciated, and the story, oh man ha... Well i was actually on my way back to the car heading back upstream along the rivers edge. The section of river i was walking along was a very wide section of the river, and close to the edge where i was walking it was more or less 'back' water; very shallow and dirty bottom. The water there was only about a foot at most. I spotted some cutthroats in a little pod close to the bank and told my buddy to cast to them, he spooked them and we kept walking. I stopped when i saw this fish about 25ft up river right on the banks edge, sitting in only maybe 10inches of water. Now with the backdrift of current pushing the oppisite way along the bank, the fish was staring straight down river, right at us. I couldn't tell how big of a fish it was but i figured a solid 18 was a good guess, and once again i told my newly introduced to fly fishing friend to make the cast. He told me he would just spook it so i took full adavtage ahah. I knelt down by the rivers edge and false casted until enough line was out to reach the fish. With a streamer pattern on the end of my line my fly soared and landed about 2ft to the fishes right. One strip...two strips...and the fish turned fast! At that exact moment though my friend and me gasped because i thought that i had spooked it and it was just turning to get away. However as that thought was going on i felt my line surge forward, and without even thinking, just like walking, my right arm flew. I knew instantly the fish was a lot bigger than what he appeared. He made two strong runs to the middle of the river, and on the second run managed to mingle himself around a small limb. That scared the shit out of me and i ran out in the river to set it free, but panicked and wound up just snapping the twig. So i wound up landing the fish with a 10in long and 1in thick stick attached to the end of my fly line. The monster took me just under 20 mins to get in my hands, and after a quick picture or two he was free; just as fast as he was hooked...
I know its a long tale, but one of those tales that im sure like many of you, will never be forgotten. Its moments like this that guys like us live for, and moments like this that make us exactly who we are!
Jmd123 on Mar 17, 2010March 17th, 2010, 5:01 pm EDT
Thanks for sharing the story, Jesse - it was obviously worth telling! No worries about the length - just look at Spence's posts!! The man writes a small novel...I used to think that I was long-winded...
Jonathon
No matter how big the one you just caught is, there's always a bigger one out there somewhere...
Jmd123 on Mar 18, 2010March 18th, 2010, 6:56 am EDT
Just like a brown trout to try the old "wrap-n-snap"...A similar-sized brown did this to me on the Pigeon a couple of years ago - and was, unfortunately, successful...
Jonathon
No matter how big the one you just caught is, there's always a bigger one out there somewhere...
Jesse on Mar 18, 2010March 18th, 2010, 1:11 pm EDT
Thanks guys for all the complements again. Oh and first off jonathon, haha you make me laugh man that was a good one on spence. And spence man i wasn't lying about the streamer, i just didn't name it off because it's a tie that i made up myself i call it the "Ghost Buggin!" But as you and all of us guys know, we ALL have our own little secret spots ;) Im just a newby to these montana waters though so i just go to what looks good, and get ready to walk miles if i have to ha! Oh and bruce get out there man, unleash that inner fly casting demon!!
Oldredbarn on Mar 19, 2010March 19th, 2010, 8:12 am EDT
Jesse & Jon,
You two young whippersnapper's just don't have any respect for all the trash we old farts have to carry around in our heads after all these years...We will use any chance we get to unload some of it...Some of it may pass as wisdom, some as hard earned experience, or some as just plain old trash.
" Im just a newby to these montana waters though so i just go to what looks good"...Jesse, not much really looks "bad" in Big Sky Country, does it? Where are you originally from? For most of us back east, Montana is what we dream about when Gina Lollobrigida is not in them...I picked her over Pam Anderson for the older guys in this club...
Spence
"Even when my best efforts fail it's a satisfying challenge, and that, after all, is the essence of fly fishing." -Chauncy Lively
"Envy not the man who lives beside the river, but the man the river flows through." Joseph T Heywood
Jmd123 on Mar 19, 2010March 19th, 2010, 10:37 am EDT
I ain't THAT young, Spence - my knees, back, shoulders, etc. remind me of that every day when I finally crawl out of bed. I like the way John Gierach puts it: "Some days I wake up feeling half my age, and on other days I wake up feeling TWICE my age." Inadequate exercise during the winter months doesn't help - we live in a SNOW DEAD ZONE here in southeast MI where, in the course of 90+ days of cold, shitty weather I can get on my cross-country skiis only 19 times (and that's a GOOD winter!)...
I have been back on the mountain bike three times now and today I just wanted to puke! Could have been all of the auto exhaust here in Troy...I need to move up north were there ARE real winters and much cleaner air. Not to even mention ACTUAL TROUT STREAMS!!
Jesse, you are living in Paradise...
Jonathon
No matter how big the one you just caught is, there's always a bigger one out there somewhere...
Jesse on Mar 19, 2010March 19th, 2010, 2:35 pm EDT
Spence your right about me being young im only 20 and your also definietly right about all of the water here looking great! Im originally from northeastern PA, up in the pocono's! I moved to TN when i was around 7 and thats actually where i picked up fly fishing! Ever since though, just like most people from the east ive dreamed of coming here to Big Sky. It's actually funny though most people ive met here dream about going to PA to fish. Either way theres something about some of the water in PA, about the small native streams, or the amazing freestones that i still dream about...even being here in Montana. I can't wait to get back out there for half the summer, PA that is!