ALL FISH – ALL WATER

June 28, 2010

We were visiting with a fly fishing friend the other evening and the phrase trout snob came up. In fact, the person accused my husband Trav of being a trout snob. The truth is he is. He has no interest in fishing for salmon, for blue gills, walleye or anything else. (Now if we end up spending some winter time in Florida he’ll probably find fishing for redfish and snook can be great fun too, but he hasn’t tried it yet.)

And that’s just fine. Where we live in Livingston Montana, the region is famous internationally for the quality of the trout fishing. People do come here from all over the world to fish the Yellowstone River, the Spring Creeks and Yellowstone Park. They are here to fish for trout.  The local guides specialize in getting their clients onto trout - preferably big ones. Some of the guides here do spend their winters fishing warmer water. Some guide there as well. There have been some local guides who have fished and guided on the Patagonia waters (which they say looks pretty much like Montana did some 30 years ago.) 

Let’s face it; winter in Montana can be pretty brutal. If it’s not the cold and snow it’s the wind. I suspect there are more “snowbirds” in Montana than any other state. The number of summer homes here is amazing - high roller stuff, in places I never expected to see anything built. But they sure aren’t here in the winter. Ain’t money grand? 

For me, I guess at this time in my life I’m pretty hooked on trout with bonefish in second place. We don’t have bonefish here, so that pretty much leaves trout.

The point? Fish for what you’ve got. I know I’ve said that before, but people forget what terrific fisheries they have right where they live. 

Not too long ago some of our bluegill fishermen made a big point of taking our Betty Hiner out fishing for their fish. Betty caught fish and had a wonderful time - the reports on the bulletin board were great fun. Betty lives in Kansas - not exactly world renown for trout. She and her husband do fish for trout and travel to do it. They enjoy it and can afford it. But what if they couldn’t? They still have the opportunity to catch fish. And good edible fish at that.

The fishing magazines have made a big point not to give much space to any fishing that isn’t either trout or Atlantic salmon. There was a Warm Water magazine about twelve years ago, but it died. I don’t think it died because of lack of readers either - it was the attitude of the people publishing it. So that pretty much leaves the warm water angler with the local library or the Internet for reliable information.

There was a request recently on our bulletin board from a trout angler who recently moved to Oklahoma looking for what kind of flies to use. He knew he had water and probably bluegills crappie and bass and he had flies which he had used for trout. What to do?

One of the replies - and he did get a lot of help - was to the effect that there are just so many insects and all fish eat the same stuff. Sure you can use flies with more flash for warm water fish and maybe larger flies as well - but keep in mind the guys who make a speciality of catching big trout swear that big flies catch big fish. And if you look at the sort of flies they recommend, like the Zoo Cougar (https://www.flyanglersonline.com/flytying/fotw/7698fotw.php) Kelly Gallop’s go-to streamer you get the idea.

Others are fishing lakes with ten-inch bullet-head Bunny Leeches for five-pound largemouth bass. Different methods, it is still fly fishing for the fish of the day. Get your fun when and where you can.

Frankly I’d be real interested in seeing what some of the big flashy bass flies would produce for trout in some of the heavier waters. That just might be really interesting.

I know we have folks who are fishing early morning before work (and catching fish) and others who spend their lunch break, not eating at McDonalds, but fishing local ponds and reservoirs. We’ve had some photos on the bulletin board of those adventures as well.

It doesn’t matter what you fish for. The idea is to fish. To get out, challenge your mind, get some fresh air and disconnect from the everyday world. It’s the “everyday” world that messes us up. We need to get out and enjoy God’s world, clear the cobwebs out of our heads.

You may come back tired, but it is a good tired. One of having spent your time doing something productive for you! You’ll smile more too. Have some peace of mind and accomplishment.

Get the message?  Go fish!

Editor’s note: Trout snob I may be, but I have fished for bluegills, bass, and most warm water species; however, when in Rome one does as the Romans do – and in Montana most of us fish for trout. There are some, but not many, places to fish for warm water species, and we don’t have any red fish or snook, at least not that I am aware of.

 

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