Ultimate Montana Fly Fishing Giveaway

The crack research staff at Millsfly has unearthed the mother load of giveaways

Over $5,000 in product and experiences from 12 companies should have you all salivating

The good folks at BIG SKY ROD BOX are behind this massive schwag pile and the final drawing is
May 22nd.

Take a peek at the site that fully details the giveaway, rules, regs, etc by clicking HERE.

Lab Sandwich...

Dakota (left) and Gus (right) sharing a tight space on the Blackfoot River last week.

I wish I could say I took this picture, but no....I was sitting in a cubicle at that very time

I would have wedged my ass into that seat on the boat as well to escape officeland on that particular day.

Living Grass--Fall River Fly Rod Review

The glory that is the origins of our sport

Split cane started and continues to be the backbone of fly fishing.  With the majority of fly rods on the marketed as technological wonders that make you cast farther and your male parts stronger longer (ha, kidding) it was a joy to cast a contemporary bamboo fly rod that made me stop, slow down and smell the fly fishing roses.

Way back in February, I was selected to be a part of the Outdoor Blogger Network Fall River Fly Rods blogger tour.  15 lucky buggers would get the opportunity to wiggle, cast and fish a beautiful 8 ft 5 wt, that is paired with a Montana Fly Co's Madison II fly reel and a Rio 5wt LT trout series line

In short, this set up is amazing.

The order of who got the rod was completely random.

And random bit me in the butt.  I am last in the tour and by the leather bound journal that accompanied this beauty across the country several times, other's have tasted on water success with the Fall River Fly Rod in their hands. 

None the less, I can imagine what it would be like to be on the St Joe or the North Fork of the Clearwater tossing small PMD's or bushy Stimulators with this piece of living grass.  It's built not like your grandfather's bamboo...all wobbly and such.  No no, it's fairly fast and responsive, but responds to the forward casting stroke that behaves better when you slow it down a bit and let the craftsmanship of rod bend and flex, expressing the energy you as the caster put into the bamboo.

The wraps are beautiful.  The guides are beautiful.  The finish is beautiful

I sound like a 12 year old school girl.

But alas, I was reduced to casting on another form of grass.  My trout rivers were blown, the Spokane River trout thumb their noses to dry flies 97% of the time and any free time I get this time of year, I chase steelhead.

I still cant get it out of my head out fun this stick would be to use as cutthroat rise continually on a warm summer day.

That combo would be lights out.

There is hope.  The powers that be at the Outdoor Blogger Network are giving this set up away to one of the lucky 15. 

So do me a favor, send me some good juju, and somehow I will pay you all back.

Until then!

Look through the Lense with Detonation Studios-Depuy Spring Creek and Simms

SIMMS Spring trip to DePuy Spring Creek, MT from Detonation Studios on Vimeo.




Um, yes.  Double yessssss

And oh yeah, for more kick ass tunes from that band you just heard, go HERE.

When The Bobber Goes Down....

according to Joe from Evolution Anglers, 

STRIKE LIKE COBRA!

Spending 2 days in Twin Bridges with Joe and the rest of the crew at the Stonefly Inn got me really tuned up in reading the action of a strike indicator (aka starring at a bobber)   This phrase is another one the hillarious one liners that Joe brings to the table as your progress through the day on the water.  Some I can say here, other's you're just going to have to hear for yourself.

We both believe there are a lot of times when a fish picks up your bug, spits it out and you never knew it happened.   Becoming one with your indicator, in a zen sense can make all the difference.  

So back to the main point of this post.  When in doubt, STRIKE LIKE COBRA when your bobber jukes, jumps or plain goes under and swims away.   Set the hook and see what happens.

Because sometimes, there's a fish attached.

If you're thinking of going out to Montana this summer, you'd be crazy to not fish with the crew from the Stonefly.    Utterly crazy.

The high water of early spring and summer is going to make July, August and September just pain nuts.   Give them a call, you wont regret it.

Brown Is...

The worst possible word to describe these fish. 

A least a Rainbow has a name that illicits a wide array of colors. 

There cant be a more plain and vanilla name for Brown Trout.  Beyond vibrant and with great color variation, they differ with each specific fish and each river they come from.

But for me there isnt a better looking fish around for us to chase in the Northwest.  Combine looks and personality of a street thug, what a fish it is.