Ice ... and trout

Been cold up in the mountains. Some serious anchor ice ...

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/j...008_edited.jpg

... and quite the variety of ice to contend with yesterday.

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/j...007_edited.jpg

Besides the anchor ice and the shelf ice and the slush ice and ice in the guides, there was some ice that created structure.

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/j...015_edited.jpg

The structural ice created a soft water lie which held a couple of the larger trout on the day.

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/j...010_edited.jpg

Releasing this one across some shelf ice provided the opportunity to get an unusual fish pic.

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/j...011_edited.jpg

All in all, it was a tough day fishing, with only ten trouts ( cutts, bows, and browns ) coming to the fly and eight in hand.

John

That's ice fishing with style.

Regards,
Scott

Thanks for the report. I always enjoy seeing photos and reading about Montana.

JohnScott, glad to see you out and about... that's some nICE fishing! Throwing old rubber legs I assume? Thanks for the report...

Always a treat to see where you fish and what you fish. Thanks John for sharing.

Just don't let the ice get you fraziled.

Hard core man, HARD core!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by JohnScott

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/j...Rubberlegs.jpg

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JohnScott - all kidding aside, that's a great fly... it has all. I really like it and fish it both here in the east and of course out west... It is fast and easy to tie, the materials are cheap and as you demonstrate it works..... keep the reports coming....

Only in Montana are there that many different names for ice! You deserve all those fishies.

Out again on a nice little stream... wonderful .... even though you had; "one of those days". Funny how that happens, some days are just like that, you just have to go-with-the-flow...

I enjoy the reports, keep them coming, Doug.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by JohnScott

... When all was said and done, the creek got five of my flies and I got one of its fishies. But the creek didn't give my flies back. John

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The fish scored an upset and won that day. That's the way I keep score, if I catch more fish than I lose flies; I win. And vice versa. The fish won. In your defense, the moon has been full, I hate it when the moon is full, fish feed at noon and midnight, give or take an hour. According to the nurse I was talking with Wednesday night, people also fall down more.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by dr korn

JohnScott, glad to see you out and about... that's some nICE fishing! Throwing old rubber legs I assume? Thanks for the report...

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What pattern is Old Rubber Legs? If it catches fish here in the East I'd like to tie a few.
Bruce

Nice water.... and fish... another honey hole! Looks like fun...

I almost always get hung up in your threads...lol Thank you! now I gotta get up from here and head to work
... ;-)

Great thread John. Thank you.
Do you ever check the water temps while you're out? Curious as to the feeding activity vs. water temp. is why i ask. I read some article that said one might as well forget it if the water temps are below 40 degrees. I am guessing that you have managed to catch them in colder water than that.

Rich

Hey John! It appears that the "Old Rubber Legs" stonefly has been cleaning up so far this year. Like you I really like winter fishing.
Bruce

Hey John, nice Bull Trout ..... you don't see those every day.... cool.

Whoa! Somehow I've missed your past few reports... Rainbows, Browns, Cutts, Cutbows, Brookie, and Bull trouts. That is absolutely amazing, impressive, awesome, exciting....I'm still not finding the right word(s)... just....WOW!!! This is SO COOL!
:D

Glad to see you going strong John. I still enjoy your reports as I always have. Like you I really like winter fly fishing. I think it may be my favorite...of course I say that about every season when it comes. Spring is on deck!

Who says Montana winters suck ?????

Way to go John.

That's a great winter there. Any skwalas out and about on the rivers up there yet, or still a bit early? I got into the first decent skwala action I have had in two years here today. What a fun hatch when you actually hit it right.

Yes I saw it on the FOTW thread you did a while ago. I am sure it would work great. I will have to tie a few up and give them a go. Skwalas here can be such a hit or miss hatch that I have a hard time stocking my box with good patterns for them. I always forget to tie a few up when I am doing my winter tying then all of a sudden I am on the river in the spring and see them crawling around and end up having to scrounge around the fly box trying to find an appropriate pattern. I think i ended up using a store bought fly today for the first time since I can remember.

John, great pics on beautiful water. Is old rubber legs your own making and are you willing to share the recipe?

John you truly are my fishing hero !

Keep it up as long as you can but be careful out there. Speaking of which, what are you wearing for footwear when it's icy out ?

Rich

Nice fishies, John. Remind me to take my camera on Thursday, maybe I will show you what is swimming around the icy water down here.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by JohnScott

Dennis -

This is a reminder to please take your camera tomorrow.

And please post some pix of the fishies that come to play.

John

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The motion has beend seconded.
Besides, we need to see a picture of somebody else's left thumb. :)

Ed

Left thumb? I will have you know my photos are all works of art!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...003_1a_2lc.jpg

Okay, first of all, I have to state that it was not icy this morning. In fact, it was in the low 40s when we left at 5 am for the river, and 42 when we got there. I could see snow in the mountains, though.

Imagine it looked like this (although it didn't, but this is the same place)...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...1000668_lc.jpg

Second fish of the day was a ratty male brown still scarred up from the recent spawning... and barely light enough to see to cast.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...P1020096lc.jpg

While we dredged most of the morning with woolly bugger and a glo bug, I did give up and streamer fish after the rain stopped, and ran into several fish like this...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...P1020100lc.jpg

and this...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...P1020101lc.jpg

and even a couple of these...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...P1020103lc.jpg.

Hard to take those left thumb pics with a lot of these fish, since they are kind of wiggly and I don't want to squeeze...

Thirty-odd fish today, a dozen of them browns in the 16-20 range and two cutts like the one in the pic, the rest smaller browns and rainbows. My partner did well as well.

Morning John...just a note of thanks for your posts. I never fail to access you at least once a day...you might say I am fanatical.
Bernie

Quote:

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Originally Posted by JohnScott

... with the "somebody else's left thumb" thing, Ed.

BUT how about a right hand ...

<snip>

John

P.S. You have no idea how hard it was to change hands for the holding and the shooting after all the pix I've done to show off my left thumb. :roll:

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Actually I do have an idea. Most cameras are made to be operated with the right hand, since most people are right-handed. People get used to (develop muscle memory) doing things a certain way. In addition, if you arent left-handed, then that has to be added into the mix of factors. I appreciate the extra effort, even if the trout(s) didn't.

Please be aware that I in no way intended to imply that I had found any fault with your left thumb, but we have seen rather a lot of it over the years. :)

Warm regards,
Ed

Wow John. I had to put a jacket on to read your thread. Beautiful pics and congrats on your last trout.

Beaver

Awesome day!

Thanks for the inspiration.

Nice TR's John.... I'm just catching up with them now.... enjoying coming along with you.... please continue...

Qudos to you ... You have more cajones than I do and my local river is ice free ...

But John ... I know it must be an optical illusion but that sure looks like a nice bobber on your line <LOL>

Quote:

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Originally Posted by JohnScott

... referring to the temps and the water, and just plain slow referring to the fishing.

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/j...003_edited.jpg

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Sorry, man, no thumb photos today.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...h_P1020325.jpg

Sorry, it was in the 50s and 60s in Montana last week, so no ice in the pic. But I had to take one thumb shot just because...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...P1020364lc.jpg