spanishfly
05-09-2007, 08:01 PM
It’s Friday afternoon and after a long work week I’m chomping at the bit to get the hell out of town and hit the road to Helena. Allen AKA ‘Westslope’ coordinated the trip and hooked us up with his buddy Pat Straub who would be our guide for the weekend. Allen, Kit and Don pick me up at 1:00 PM and we’re off to Big Sky Country. We reach Helena at 11:00 PM and it’s time to start drinking. Not sure what time we passed out but needless to say I was slow the next day. Who cares I’m in MT and going pig huntin.
We meet in Craig and it’s time to get our float on. Don and Kit hit the river with Pat the first day and Westslope and I hit the river with Mike who was a stud on the oars. Doubles, singles, we stuck fish all day. Saw deer, eagles, bighorn and humping muskrats on the bank going at it multiple times. We didn’t catch one single rocky mountain bonefish all day. That is till the end of the day with the launch in site… My rod buckles and there is Mr. Whitie to taint the 30 some trout day. It’s all good because we had a phenomenal day on the river.
After the float drank beers shot the shit and ate some grub at Isaaks. On our way back to Helena that night we were all so exhausted we passed out.
Woke up the next morning feeling a lot better and hit the river around 11:00 AM. Decided I’d go fishing with the 4wt and that’s when Pat puts me into some big browns sipping bugs in about a foot of water. After several failed attempts this has got to be the money float and next thing you know my line stops and Pat says “SET THE HOOK” that’s when I felt the fish. I knew which ever fish it was it was big because we were site casting. At this point the big brown doesn’t know he’s hooked yet. When he does he has my Ross Colorado 1 singing! No fancy drag on this reel just bare bones along with the 4wt. Finally get him close to the boat and we miss him with the net. This pisses him off because then he takes off again then roles and wraps himself up in the line. Finally we get to the bank and land him. I’m stoked!!! A big male brown! Snap a couple pics throw in a dip and were back on the river.
Just when I didn’t think it could get any better it does. We’re sight casting to fish and Allen is in the front of the boat owning it. He lands a nice brown that sends him into the backing shooting to the other side of the river. We caught a few more fish and it’s getting toward the end of our float. Pat positions us near the bank as we approach a big cliff that shoots straight out of the water. I position my indicator so it’s kissing the wall that’s when it disappears… I set the hook thinking it’s a whitie while my line is shooting for the depths. Whatever this is it’s heavy and isn’t moving. When I finally put some stick to it Allen says “it’s bigger then the last one” that’s when I’m thinking I need to get a look at this. Finally, I see her and she’s a big brown. We land her and I’m hootin and hollering. Got a couple pics off and realized I may never have a trip like this again…
We wake up Monday morning and reluctantly start the drive back to WA. Not a bad couple days on the Mo.
Dennis
We meet in Craig and it’s time to get our float on. Don and Kit hit the river with Pat the first day and Westslope and I hit the river with Mike who was a stud on the oars. Doubles, singles, we stuck fish all day. Saw deer, eagles, bighorn and humping muskrats on the bank going at it multiple times. We didn’t catch one single rocky mountain bonefish all day. That is till the end of the day with the launch in site… My rod buckles and there is Mr. Whitie to taint the 30 some trout day. It’s all good because we had a phenomenal day on the river.
After the float drank beers shot the shit and ate some grub at Isaaks. On our way back to Helena that night we were all so exhausted we passed out.
Woke up the next morning feeling a lot better and hit the river around 11:00 AM. Decided I’d go fishing with the 4wt and that’s when Pat puts me into some big browns sipping bugs in about a foot of water. After several failed attempts this has got to be the money float and next thing you know my line stops and Pat says “SET THE HOOK” that’s when I felt the fish. I knew which ever fish it was it was big because we were site casting. At this point the big brown doesn’t know he’s hooked yet. When he does he has my Ross Colorado 1 singing! No fancy drag on this reel just bare bones along with the 4wt. Finally get him close to the boat and we miss him with the net. This pisses him off because then he takes off again then roles and wraps himself up in the line. Finally we get to the bank and land him. I’m stoked!!! A big male brown! Snap a couple pics throw in a dip and were back on the river.
Just when I didn’t think it could get any better it does. We’re sight casting to fish and Allen is in the front of the boat owning it. He lands a nice brown that sends him into the backing shooting to the other side of the river. We caught a few more fish and it’s getting toward the end of our float. Pat positions us near the bank as we approach a big cliff that shoots straight out of the water. I position my indicator so it’s kissing the wall that’s when it disappears… I set the hook thinking it’s a whitie while my line is shooting for the depths. Whatever this is it’s heavy and isn’t moving. When I finally put some stick to it Allen says “it’s bigger then the last one” that’s when I’m thinking I need to get a look at this. Finally, I see her and she’s a big brown. We land her and I’m hootin and hollering. Got a couple pics off and realized I may never have a trip like this again…
We wake up Monday morning and reluctantly start the drive back to WA. Not a bad couple days on the Mo.
Dennis