by Merle Ann Loman | Sep 15, 2008 | Bitterroot, iii Fall
Today Jack is on the Blackfoot. Fishing can become a chore when you do it every day, all day, but the Blackfoot with its faster flows, boulders, and intricate runs still gets Jack excited. More on the Blackfoot in a day or two after his trips with clients.
About this blog, the lower Bitterroot. In contrast with the Blackfoot, it is a big wide section of river, but slower and in many places much shallower. That makes for flat water, more rowing and during a full moon, very picky trout!
Jack had yesterday off and in a generous gesture, he took me on a float fairly close to home. One of the reasons he wanted to do this stretch was to research the northern pike that thrive there. 
Pike are a predatory fish and a highly prized game fish. They are not native to the Bitterroot and prey on all other species of invertebrates. That being said, they can get very big and very fun to catch and we are interested in catching them. Let me tell you, we found them, but didn’t do so well in the catching of them. We have much to learn in that area, but are willing. When we catch them, we will not be putting them back. Click this northern pike hotlink to see why.
I took quite a few photos in between catching a few finicky trout. Hold your cursor over the arrow and click to speed it up. See the slide show or “view album” to see all the photos. To see the rising trout and details on other photos, it is best to view the slide show in full screen in a speed that will load the photos, but move along fairly quickly – a speed of at somewhere around 4 seconds per photo.
If the links don’t open when you click them, right click and choose “open in new window.”
by Merle Ann Loman | Sep 13, 2008 | Big Hole, iii Fall
The Big Hole is a wonderful river. It is quite a bit higher in elevation than the other rivers we fish with much of the Big Hole valley floor above 6000 feet. Today Jack is using his raft because the water levels are also lower than the Bitterroot, Clark Fork and Blackfoot. A raft doesn’t make much noise when it hits the rocks, etc.
Bob and Peggy are heading back to Ohio next week and we are having this years last fishing fling on this amazing river.
View Bob and Peggy’s Album on my Picasa website
Click the link to see a closer view of Bob’s Trout.
by Merle Ann Loman | Sep 12, 2008 | Argentina
Jack and I are getting calls of interest about fly fishing in Patagonia – Argentina in 2009. We are beginning to plan our 2009 trip. Today I am going through photos from previous trips. I will put together a slideshow in the next few days and post it. Here are a few photos to entice us.
Argentina is a beautiful country with a good infrastructure. Traveling in Argentina is very easy. Jack was there for 3 weeks in Feb/Mar 2006, he and I went back in Feb/Mar 2008. We loved it so much, we are going again and invite you to email or call us if you are interested in going yourselves. We won’t guide, but we will help you find Argentinian guides and accomodations that suit your needs.
Jack Mauer, above, with a nice fish.
A few notes: Jack and I made our own travel plans traveling to Buenos Aires, then to Bariloche, and north to an area where there are many rivers to fish. We explored the country by Argentinian airlines, took the bus – which was VERY clean and plush, and rented a car. The scenery is breath taking, the towns are full of life with great food and lodging options, and the skiing and fishing industries are thriving.
If you want to fish: We recommend that you educate yourselves on the access laws and how to find a FULLY licensed guide. Besides your rod and vest, it is difficult to carry much gear while traveling and almost impossible to ship it down. The fishing trip prices are comparable to our US prices and the outfitters have all the equipment needed for a great fishing and camping trip. Don’t try to save money by going with a rogue (unlicensed) guide. Let me say it is just not worth it.
Below is Marianne Brant from Kila, Montana.
The willows can form an actual tunnel. Technical rowing is required on these complex water ways
!
Hiking in the interesting ecosystems, sightseeing in the many national parks, wonderful markets in quaint little towns, Patagonia is full of excitement and fun. You will see what I mean when I publish my slide show.
Editors update: Jack wanted me to mention the people of Argentina, an oversight of mine. Everywhere we traveled, from Buenos Aires, to Bariloche and north, we found the people to be very kind and helpful. They are proud and industrious. From the planes, trains, markets, hotels, bus stations, shops, bakeries, wineries, and building industry and more, they were very good at what they do. Even when they didn’t speak English and could not decipher our bad Spanish, we were able to get what we needed and ENJOY the experience. We love the Argentines.
I am still working on the slide show.
by Merle Ann Loman | Sep 11, 2008 | Clark Fork
Missoula, Montana – article from eCurrents of the Clark Fork Coalition
Beyond the breach: A guide to Milltown down
The Milltown dam is officially history this fall as the last of the spillway is removed. But how has the river fared during this massive construction project? At the Clark Fork Coalition, we’re dedicated to bringing you the facts about what’s going on at the former Milltown Dam site as well as downstream throughout the Clark Fork basin. We’ve started a new online resource page for the public to use, summarizing data from the breach and beyond on fisheries, water quality, groundwater levels, and sediment in the river. The pages are under construction, and we’ll update as new information becomes available.
For a full presentation of the impacts and benefits of the breach, plan to attend the upcoming public meeting on the Milltown cleanup on Tuesday, Oct. 14, in Bonner. EPA, state, and local officials will be on the bluff south of the Clark Fork overlooking the project starting at 4:00 PM to answer questions and point out the work to-date. At 6:30 PM, the meeting will reconvene in the Bonner Elementary School gymnasium.
by Merle Ann Loman | Sep 10, 2008 | ii Summer, Other, Take Your Kids Fishing
Jessa is using the X2S, Scott saltwater rod in a 9 weight.
We were fishing for trout, pike and small mouth bass. The photo was taken south of Buffalo Bridge (south of Polson, Montana). The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes manage this wonderful fishery.
To see more Scott Rods visit their site at http://www.scottflyrod.com/
by Merle Ann Loman | Sep 9, 2008 | Bitterroot, iii Fall
Yesterday was a beautiful day on the Bitterroot. We had too much fun to be taking many photos but I did snap two. Here they are.
by Merle Ann Loman | Sep 8, 2008 | Bitterroot, Blackfoot, Clark Fork, iii Fall, Take Your Kids Fishing
September is an amazing time to fish western Montana. The weather is cooler, the fish are feeding and variety is the spice of life. Boyce Tollison and his sons, Mike and Tim fished with Wapiti Waters for three days in September. Jack Mauer and Dave Heimes guided them on three rivers. I want to post a few photos, one of Boyce’s trout from the Bitterroot River and then Mike and his trout from the Clark Fork. Next, see a slide show with photos of Boyce, Tim and Mike. Thanks for coming guys, Jack and Dave had a great time with you!
I am posting a slide show of all the photos. Click on the slideshow or “View Album” link below to see them or download them.
by Merle Ann Loman | Aug 31, 2008 | Bitterroot, ii Summer
It is hard boat time in the lower Bitterroot. Jack fished with Dan Pace of the Florence area and here are some photos. It was a wonderful gray day, great for fishing. I will post one, and then a slide show. To see the gallery, click on the “View Album” link.
OK, after posting this, I wanted to email the blog to Dan and to his son Garrett. I visited Garrett’s website to find his email. This inspired me to add a link and some information about Garrett. Let me start by saying Garrett is a good friend (that is how we met Dan) and we have some things in common, most importantly “Music and Fishing.” Below is text from Garrett’s site and a link. If you love guitars, visit Garrett’s site.
Welcome!
Welcome to
garrettpace.com ! I want to thank all of you for visiting.
My friends keep informing me that this is the lamest website on the Net. Some even insist that if Al Gore knew this was here, he would pull the plug on the whole thing!
Rest assured I continue to seek out the nicest American built instruments that I can find. Eventualy, they all end up here so that I can buy others.
Check out the minty LP Classic and Baker Jr. or the Custom Shop Brian Moore. There should be another one or two nice electrics posting later this week.
If you are looking to sell a Vintage or an American built Guitar, please drop me an email. I pay more than the other guys and I will not offer you half its value if we can work out a trade.
by Merle Ann Loman | Aug 26, 2008 | ii Summer, Other
I couldn’t resist posting these two photos on their own. They show how beautiful the river is and how calm it was.
OK – Let me throw this one in here, too. Jessa knows how to capitalize on the fishing.
by Merle Ann Loman | Aug 26, 2008 | ii Summer, Other
Here is the slide show. You can see all the photos by clicking the slide show and visiting the online album.
Pike are a predatory fish and a highly prized game fish. They are not native to the Bitterroot and prey on all other species of invertebrates. That being said, they can get very big and very fun to catch and we are interested in catching them. Let me tell you, we found them, but didn’t do so well in the catching of them. We have much to learn in that area, but are willing. When we catch them, we will not be putting them back. Click this northern pike hotlink to see why.
