Flyshops and Guides
A couple observations:
While I was in a shop poking around the tying stuff I heard the guys at the counter answer at last 5 different customers questions on where to go fishing for the day with the same response "The Firehole's hot (fishing, not temp); it's been real good around Fountain Flat Drive". I was planning on fishing the Firehole since I wanted to try out some new White Miller dries (no luck on top but great fishing swinging softhackles). I didn't fish that section, lots of other good, less crowded, water available (if you're willing to hike away from the road; keep your bear spray on your hip) but drove down Fountain Flat just to see and it was an absolute zoo; looked like the Barns Hole at dawn. You'd think the shop would want to spread folks out a bit, and it wasn't like these were the typical "buy a spool of Tippett and expect the dope on a secret Glory Hole" fishermen; they were dropping considerable (at least to me) amounts of money and should get better suggestions than that canned response.
Easy to spot guides while walking the trails along the Madison -
they're the one young guy with a group of geezers (me being a geezer makes it easy for me to recognize my kin)
they move gracefully (as gracefully as you can while walking on rounded rocks covered with stream snot) from one client to the next and never slip or stagger
they're the only one with a net (big, 2-handed type)
they're the only one wearing a vest; this blew my mind. I'd feel naked on a stream without a vest, the weight of all the junk I carry keeps me hunkered down so I don't show myself to the fish as quickly, or hit myself in the head with a cast as often
Btw, here's Friday's sunset over the Gravellys from my campsite; last nite in MT this year (bummer).
Regards,
Scott
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Originally Posted by herefishy
