by Merle Ann Loman | Dec 26, 2009 | Big Hole, Bitterroot, Blackfoot, Clark Fork, Friends, iiii Winter/Snow, Missouri
Seasons Greeting from Wapiti Waters in Montana’s Big Sky Country
As we reflect on this past year, we appreciate the gain from our toils and rejoice in the memories of families and angling friends.
Another season has come and gone for Wapiti Waters. Hopefully this winter, we will be partaking in our usual cold month recreational endeavors. Unfortunately the snow hasn’t hit this part of Montana yet. After a reasonably successful hunting season, Merle and I are still hiking around the hills for exercise and “light therapy” rather than skiing. Our immediate focus is keeping the house warm, and sharing our reflections, thanks and hopes with you in this letter. Read on for a recap of our most successful guide season ever.
The 2009 guide season kicked off in mid-March with mild weather, good dry fly fishing and some happy anglers. By the end of March we had icy guides in our rods as an arctic blast descended. Unbelievable as it may seem the Skwalla dry fly fishing was pretty good despite temperatures hovering near 32 degrees. The native cutthroats are incredibly hardy fish. Grilled “brats” and hot soup was the mainstay for lunch.
The rest of spring was fair fishing with flows a little too high at times. 2009 had a huge snow pack and the threat of flooding was imminent.
After one big surge in late May, an orderly run off ensued; this prevented a natural disaster. By June 9th we were fishing the Big Hole and Bitterroot forks. From then on Wapiti Waters was busy throughout the summer and into fall. With Merle on bookkeeping, lunches, website and emails, I could focus on my outfitting and guiding. Without the weekly and late Tuesday nights at the Top Hat, I was still able to play parties and weddings with the band and enjoy my music through the guide season.
Highlights from 2009:
Clark Fork is coming back quickly from the Milltown project. Insect hatches that have been suppressed in previous years are showing up again which has stimulated nice angling in certain sections.
The Big Hole had exceptional flows and terrific fishing throughout the season. What a joy to be on this river in August floating and wading in some of the finest trout water in North America.
A hot, sunny September to remember made for some very technical angling. After a predictably good morning trico spinner fall we would take a little time to do some invasive species management. We searched and found northern pike lairs and were modestly successful at pulling some out. What a thrill to see them pursue the fly, strike it and playing that size of a fish. It is a nice change of pace and 180 degrees from trico fishing. For the Pike, we used a 9 weight fly rod and a 2 “aught” air resistant streamer instead of the 4 and 5 weights with a size 20 dry. Now that is variety.
Another arctic freeze-out in early October disrupted an unusually good month of fishing. Fall colors were a gloomy grey green. It was still beautiful to be out but we felt we got cheated without the vibrant yellow and oranges that our stream corridors normally exhibit. We know we can’t always have it the way we want it and we especially appreciated the nice BWO and mahogany dun hatches.
First, we want to thank those who fished with Wapiti Waters in 2009 and wish you all Happy Holiday and a prosperous New Year in 2010 and second (and as important) all the great guides who worked with us.
by Merle Ann Loman | Sep 30, 2009 | Friends, Other
Billy Burk is a friend from Colorado. He is a busy guy with family, work and of course his outdoor recreation. He has been building a “trophy room” and I asked for photos. It isn’t quite “decorated” yet, more photos and mounts to hang. Nice!
When he included these photos of trout he photographed in the Arkansas River, I had to blog them.
by Merle Ann Loman | Sep 22, 2009 | Bitterroot, Clark Fork, Friends, Other
Casey Hackathorn is an Outfitter/Guide out of Missoulian Angler in Missoula, MT. He and Jack have this bond: a fascination for pike, actually BIG pike. So far Casey is the winner but then he has been at it longer. I see a long running competition developing. Fun!
Missoulian Angler Fly Shop
Website
401 S Orange St ·
Missoula
(406) 728-7766
We highly recommend the Missoulian Angler Fly Shop and Casey Hackathorn. Professional, great selection and service and the staff is exceptional. Visit them when you are in Missoula.
All photos were sent to us by Casey Hackathorn.
by Merle Ann Loman | May 17, 2009 | Friends, i Spring, Other
Our friend, Jim, sends us photos from time to time. He and his buddies love to fish.
They often fly fish the Yellow Breeches, a tributary of the Susquehanna River in central Pennsylvania. The first photo was taken in mid-April and here is Jim’s message.
Dave Boomer and John Mikita on the Yellow Breeches yesterday. The water was a little high and cloudy.
I caught 2 brown trout, 13 inches and 10 inches. Both on size 16 Hendrickson dry fly.
I think Dave caught the fish he is playing in the picture on a Hendrickson.
I did not get a picture of Larry Clement who did the best. He caught 5 trout on a variety of flies including a white wooly bugger.
We all had a fun time. The weather was beautiful.
Jim
The middle photo is Larry on the Yellow Breeches in early May. He caught plenty of fish that day, too, I hear.
By the way, happy tenth birthday to your beloved dog, Tres.
Jim sent us the bottom photo and within it, in the photo on the bookcase, is Jim fishing the Bitterroot River in Montana. Here is the message he sent with it.
Does this dog have a hard life or what!
PS: Merle and Jack, if you zoom in on the leftmost picture on my book case you will see a picture Jack took of me and an 18 inch cutthroat that I caught on the Bitterroot. Great guide!
Keep sending us your fishing photos! We love hearing from you all.
by Merle Ann Loman | Apr 28, 2009 | Bitterroot, Friends
I am a bit behind on blogging some photos sent in by friends. Here are two photos from Billy Burk of Pueblo, CO. He is coming up to fish with his (and our) friend, Jeff in June. They are thinking they will fish on the Big Hole.
Billy’s message:
Attached are photos of a recent catch, close to home, on the Arkansas River, and Walter the Wapiti; finally mounted on the wall in our living room. He was harvested from Jeff’s Dad’s ranch in western Colorado last October. Take care and God Bless…………..Billy Burk
by Merle Ann Loman | Apr 24, 2009 | Argentina, Friends
Merle and Jack,
Martha and I back from BA and trying to catch up after two weeks away. Our hunt for red stag in the Pampas was very interesting. Very different ground to Patagonia. The country is open savannah with gentle rolling wooded hills mixed in. About 400 miles SW of BA. Very like southern Africa or northern Australia savannah country, quite dry, good cattle country.
All hunting was for free ranging animals, no fences. Stags were in full ‘roar’ which is always a remarkable natural event, just like the experience of witnessing our elk bugling. Shot a nice stag as well as a cull and a small (young) wild boar, all with the little 6.5mm, Jack, which did the job in each case with one shot and with as much aplomb as any .300 magnum. The 6.5mm is a fine hunting rifle, my favorite caliber for deer sized stuff at present.
The estancia barbecued the little boar in a typical Argentinian asada, it was amazing, the best meal of the whole trip, with natural vegetables from the estancia’s garden. Homestead was an old Spanish style from the late 19thc, early 20thc, very authentic feeling.
Then BA for a few days including a night at a traditional (versus a Las Vegas type) tango, and another at a wonderful Flamenco theatre with a Flamenco guitarist you would have loved, Jack. Martha finished her wedding shopping (shoes and a shawl to match her wedding dress). You have to love the Argentinians and their priorities: barbecued red meat, red wine from Mendoza and dulce de leche (on everything) and chocolates (after everything)!
Couple of pics from the estancia are attached. I couldn’t post this on your blog, you are welcome to use any or all of it if you wish.
All the best to you both,
Alan Pilkington
Alan Pilkington is a wonderful writer. See his website at www.alanpilkington.com to check out his books and learn more about him. To see all the posts we have done about Alan, click here: Alan Pilkington posts by Wapiti Waters.
After one big surge in late May, an orderly run off ensued; this prevented a natural disaster. By June 9th we were fishing the Big Hole and Bitterroot forks. From then on Wapiti Waters was busy throughout the summer and into fall. With Merle on bookkeeping, lunches, website and emails, I could focus on my outfitting and guiding. Without the weekly and late Tuesday nights at the Top Hat, I was still able to play parties and weddings with the band and enjoy my music through the guide season.
