Vol. 13 No. 33

RELAX!

Disclaimer: I am FAR from being an elegant caster. None the less, the fly will go where I look, so I guess I can venture an article about casting. Not a comprehensive article, - just a few things to think about.

A funny thing happened on my home waters last season. A local shop opened and they sold a whole load of high end rods. Not just performance rods, REALLY expensive rods. Mostly Stream dances and Native Runs. Then I started seeing some weird if not amusing stuff on the river.

GALLATIN RIVER

For many anglers who are visiting the West for the first time, the Gallatin River typifies their idea of western rivers. This is especially true if they view the river for the first time in the canyon stretch along US 191. The Gallatin River in this section is a brawling, moderate size, freestone, mountain stream. From its headwaters in Yellowstone National Park to where it joins with the Madison and Jefferson Rivers at Headwaters State Park near Three Forks, Montana to form the mighty Missouri River, the Gallatin is 105 miles in length. Much of the river is easily accessible to anglers as US 191 runs right along the river over much of its course.

MONTANA DREAMING

It has been said that Montana is less of a destination and more of a state of mind, less of an actual place and more of an idea; sort of an amorphous collection of hopes and dreams composed of bits and pieces of fact, myth, and outright lies.

THE FIRST TIME

It was 1973, and my late husband Jim Birkholm (Castwell), Neil Travis, his wife Bonnie, and their young daughter Barbara and I were on the road to Montana pulling the Travis’ pop-up camper.

IT WORKED

There is a pond near town that has been over populated with little crappie and bluegills for a long time. I had tried various things to see if that would improve the fishing, but nothing had.

Any bass that were put in the pond were quickly caught out, as they were the only fish big enough to eat. Trying to talk to people about the health of the pond and what was needed to increase the size of the panfish was not very successful. They were putting fish in the pan and that was all there was to it.

WHAT BASS SEE

Boudreaux fishes the ugliest flies ever created. Cats throw up more appealing chunks than the glob of materials tied to Boudreaux’s hook, but Boudreaux fills his ice chest. Thibodeaux ties perfect replicas of insects, and minnows and crawfish and often gets skunked. This is largely due to the fact that Boudreaux will toss his flies into sure-to-get-hung-up places, like sunken timber and brush piles – where the fish are. If Boudreaux gets broken off he digs into his zip lock bag to pull out another three minute hairball pattern. Thibodeaux fishes open water because losing one of his three hour flies is painful.

BRISKET OF BEEF - JEWISH STYLE

There were a few Jewish deli's in Miami Beach along Collins Ave a "few" years ago. Many have since passed to make room for the new culture of South Florida. BUT, there are memories of those that were and still ARE in my memory.

If anyone can remember "Surfside 6" , a TV show centered on a houseboat (which many years later became the final resting place of Michael Cunanin the killer of the famous Italian fashion designer. Versace) moored across Collins Avenue from the Fontainebleau Hotel. Well, just up the street was my all time fave deli, PUMPERNICKS with, among other outtasight menu items, a strawberry cheesecake to DIE for. Waiting in line for an hour was normal and WELL worth it.

ORANGE HEXAGENIA PATOGONICA

In Patagonia Argentina, where I fish, there's a big nice mayfly, a Hexagenia genus, which produces hatches during Spring and Summer. (September to March)

They live mostly in big glacial euthropic lakes like the Nahuel Huapi, Traful, etc. Without a doubt it is a relative to the Hexagenia Limbata, which is very well known in US.

I saw it many times hatching during calm sunny mornings while I was fishing the lakes. It's a bug that can be imitated on regular dry fly hooks between #8-10. Its color is pale-orange or similar to a wheat seed.

A sensible structure has been defined for the website to get it back into shape. A little refining is all that is left before I start to move things around. Bear with us, things are going to get even better soon.

To insure some time sensitive items don't get lost in the shuffle ...

FISH-INS are rapidly approaching. This link will get you to a list of the ones I know about: Fish-Ins

The Atlantic Salmon and Steelhead Fly Tying Contest closes June 30th!! Have you tied and submitted yet?