Fished a number of different spots today, some new and some familiar, for about four hours. The big surprise was how few people there were camping back along Rock Creek. Some folks, but lots of empty campsites and lots of empty spaces in the developed campgrounds. Quite a few fisherman, but pretty well spread out.

The mix today was three cutthroat and ten brown trouts in hand. As has happened every day up on Rock Creek, saw a number of fish refuse the fly after rising to it or following it. The cutts were bigger than the browns, which has been the pattern every time I have fished this creek.

Took fish on a number of flies - JC's Salmonfly, a gray drake spinner that I tied a couple weeks ago for Henry's Fork, the original CDC version and a deer hair wing variation on the Harrop's Henry's Fork Caddis, and Joe's Royal Humpy. The most productive fly was Joe's Royal Humpy. One brown even jumped on it when it was dangling at the end of the drift while I was messing with some gear. Another one, a 13" cutt, refused the fly on the first pass, but ate it on the next one.

All those flies and the only naturals out in any abundance were the green drakes. That seems to be the major hatch on this creek this time of year. It has come off every afternoon that I have been out, and there have been good numbers of flies, and the fish do get up for them. Unfortunately, I lost the only green drake dun I had in my fly box. Fortunately, Joe's humpy seems to be a very good substitute for a green drake, or at least gets the fishies going after it while they are in the feeding mood. Later in the afternoon, there were a few golden stones around.

The fish of the day was a 12" cutthroat. Because he chased down the humpy from about five feet away, maybe more, tearing downstream to catch up with it and eat it. Saw him the whole way, from the time he came off the bottom to the time he caught the humpy - what a great sight !!

That will be it for Rock Creek for a while, at least. Going back to Idaho Monday morning. Tomorrow is a hiking day - Blodget Creek west of Hamilton - and Monday will be a driving day, with maybe a "rest" stop on the Big Hole.

Sure have enjoyed the fishing here in Western Montana this week. All dry fly fishing. Probably the best dry fly only fishing for brown trouts that I have had anywhere, even if they have been rather small fish on average. Kind of wondering what will happen if I ever get around to tying on a nymph or going to straight nymphing ??

John