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3. East vs West, Page 2

I guess i posted this for the main reason that a lot of you guys have brought up. When i met this man on the water, i was simply with some buddies having a good time. When the east got brought up, he went on what id call a mini "bashing rampage!" It's not about whether the west overrides the east or vise versa. It's not about which area holds larger fish on a more consecutive level. It's certainly not about which area is prettier either. Ive spent most of my fly fishing years (not as many as a lot of you OLLDDDDD TIMMMERRRSSS: just kidding) on a small shit ass tailwater in TN called Tims Ford, the river being called the Elk River. No i don't pull hogs out there, most the time a lot of stocked fish, the scenery to most isn't that great, people overtake the river sometimes...However i have had the worst and best times of my life there. I grew with the river just as i see it slowy change every year. It's got a piece of my heart somewhere on it's rocky bottom. I love the shit ass stream ha! Just as now Montana has a piece, Pennslyvania, the Carolina's, Virginia's, and everywhere else i have gotten the priviledge to share with my best friend, my rod! Every place has special purpose to man, especially men like us fly fishermen (women to i don't want to disclude)! I was upset that this man said the things he did because in my head i thought, "This man obviously didn't experience the joy of fishing the way i have" because he felt the need to talk bad about it. I don't see how there could be a better side; east, west, north, or south. Everyones going to have their own special place full of memories, and most people will have their favorite place to fish as well. Sure that could be anywhere on the map, but regardless of that; everywhere where the sun comes up and covers half the waters surface, where bugs large or small rise, and speckled fish with beautiful colors swim freely...is an amazing place. I wouldn't trade my fishing experiences for anything, and i don't think that one side is better than another (remember everyones got they're favorites, even me). But i think that all places hold their special purposes for different individuals. I think the only thing that really matters is the love we share for the art of fly fishing. Every water should be considered beautiful in its own weird way...

Jesse, I'm with you - fish where you are. For me, the answer to the question of East vs. West is obvious: NORTH. That's where I hope to be moving some time this summer...

Jonathon

P.S. I was quite happy just to catch a nice-sized male pumpkinseed this evening out of my local lake - he put up a good fight on my 5-weight and he was rather colorful.

Dry Fly added my quote -

"P.s There is goofy private water in Montana too, pretty well known too. Just sayin'"

The goofy private water I was referring to in my post was Spruce Creek. I consider it goofy as it is by no means a natural trout fishery and anyone who would presume that you will find so many and so large tout in a small limestone spring creek is very naive. Those fish in the upper and lower Harpster stretches are pellet fed fish in the winter, and probably anytime there are no clients paying high daily rod fees to fish there.

Yes there are private fisheries in Montana and I've fished two of them extensively. Armstrong Spring Creek and Nelson's Spring Creek. I've fished Armstong at least 150 days and Nelson's at least 60 days. For anyone about to either post I'm too rich or am exaggerating you need to know that back in the mid 1960's Amrstong Spring Creek was not a private pay fishery and while Nelson's was they charged only $10 per session. There were two sessions one from daybreak to 1:00 p.m. and the other from 1:00 p.m. to dark. I always booked the afternoon session as that is when the PMD's would emerge and we had the best dry fly action. From 1968 until 1971 I spent June, July, and August of each summer fishing all over MT. I had permission from the O'Hair family, the owners of of the ranch on which a portion of Armstrong flowed through, to park my VW Campmobile under a huge cottonwood right next to the creek. I often would fish the creek for a week or ten days until I wanted a break and would take a trip to another river like the Madison, Beaverhead, big Hole, or any one of the dozens of other rivers in Southwestern MT.

The difference between Spruce Creek and any other private water that supplants it's wild trout population with stocked fish is the Montana spring creeks have no stocked fish and every fish is wild. In the spring and fall all one has to do is walk along the banks and see all the redds from the spawning rainbows and browns. The Montana spring creeks have strong aquatic insect populations and the trout are in excellent condition and fight fantastic. There is no comparison between Spruce Creek and any Montana spring creek. BTW if you are lucky enough to be able to get onto Spruce Creek a day permit is going to cost anywhere from $200 - $400 while you can fish Armstrong or Nelson's for $100 a day during the prime months and as little as $45 a day in the late fall and winter months.

There are also quite a few public spring creeks in Montana that have modest angling pressure and high numbers of wild trout. All one needs to do is buy your license and fish to your heart's content.

Here is a very nice brown trout that was caught in June of 2008 in a public spring creek. Fish ate a #18 PMD on 5X Flourocarbon.

Mark wrote;

"WBranch,
I'd be happy to take a 10 day trip to Montana if you will send me $1200 to do so. Heck, I wouldn't mind a week! I'd want to go, not because I think it's better there, but because I'd like to experience it.

To a lot of people, myself included, $1200 is a lot of money to spend on a trip, especially when you have to worry about how to keep your car on the road or food on the table. Gas is going up, again, and when your total income for two people is about $26,000/year, you watch your bucks."

I guess it's all relative. I have a little more income and have always felt it's more important for me to enjoy my fly fishing pursuits while I'm healthy enough to enjoy them.

You seem to be a gifted artist. Paintings, and other forms of art works, have a large following by many people. Many of those people enjoy buying original, or limited edition prints, of art. Maybe you should have some of your fishing paintings published as limited edition signed prints. Sell half a dozen at $200 a copy and you'll have enough money to go to Montana every year. Heck, sell an original for $2000 - $3000 and have enough to go to Montana and take the family on vaction someplace else.

WBranch,
I'm in the process of looking into prints right now. I'm not sure thet'd sell for $200, but maybe $100. At any rate, I do not blame you for taking advantage of what you have when you have it. It's a great opportunity to fish in Montana, On the Delaware in NY, or wherever you can afford to be, like where I am. It's not a blue ribbon trout stream by any means, however I can be on the water in 15 minutes. In addition, there is always the chance to catch fish like these. Mind you, these are not our normal catch of the day, but they ARE around.

Mark

Trout 1

Trout 2

Mark,

Beautiful brown trout! A real trophy anywhere. I was just about to invite you down to my neck of the woods for a drift boat float but can see you have opportunities for very good fishing. Maybe I should be fishing up in your area?? Genesee River by any chance? If not you need not divulge the locale here on the public forum.

BTW I go to a art auction every March and ususally go home with a giclee print costing anywhere from $150 - $400. So $100 - $200 for a signed print is easily within the real of possibility with the right audience.

Jesse,
Great post. We understand your passion, here. We really do.

WBranch,
Yessir! On the Genny. I will not say where on the Genny, but somewhere in the southern tier area. I've also had the great pleasure to fish the Catskills as well. So Many great places to be!

Mark

Yes but there is something to be said about brookies and rainbows with in 10 miles of the house with no access issues

I haven't been on in...years. Glad to see TroutNut is still cooking along.

I grew up fishing the East, then moved West. It's ALL good. Here in the Rockies there are trout in every bit of moving water, due to snow-melt and/or elevation.

But one stream could keep someone like me enthralled for a lifetime. But it is nice to have entire watersheds full of trout, and multiple ones -like an entire mountain range. It's a little overwhelming.

You might think the sheer acreage, or make that square mileage, of trout water would make you the only angler on-stream --and it does-- but I found that to be true in upstate NY too. Most anglers fished in spring. By summer I had A LOT of water to myself. People just don't go off the beaten path, and that is true East and West.

It's ALL good.

Paul,

This observation of yours is true here in Michigan as well. My fishing buddy always told me that if I wanted to be alone to just hike away from the public access spots...If you are capable of doing a little hiking the river can be all yours...

There is one big bend near an access site on my Au Sable where there is usually someone standing. The current there is probably the toughest around for a cast, so , yes there are a couple large fish there, but they are not the easiest to fool, and these guys never wander off downstream away from this spot?

I have hiked upstream from this spot for years and if I see another angler I'm surprised...There have only been a couple in all those years, other than the guide boats that pass...

Spence

In my experience, there's a lot of fishing to be had, East or West. More than I could ever put much of a dent in.