by Merle Ann Loman | Mar 27, 2009 | Bitterroot, i Spring
Jack fished the upper-middle of the Bitterroot yesterday and left his boat at a private access. He also left his camera in the boat bag so I can’t show you his photos. They had a cool day, but caught plenty of fish.
I was out doing errands and crossed the Bitterroot River at Stevensville. See the wader to the left, he was floating with friends in a hard boat, but decided to wade a bit. I came back across the Bitterroot at Victor Crossing. See the photo below with the blue boat. The sun was out part of the time, wind was minimal, but the temperatures never got above 45 degrees that I know of…today should be a little bit warmer.
by Merle Ann Loman | Mar 24, 2009 | Bitterroot, i Spring
This photo is from the middle Bitterroot River near Florence, Montana. The river has been coming up a bit. Near Florence on March 20 it was around 800 cubic feet per second (CFS) and today it is about 1100 CFS. The air temperature is averaging in the lower 40 degree marks and the water temperature is hovering around 40 degrees, too.
The fish are feeding and believe it or not, we like a little cloud cover (which we are getting). If the sun is out, it might feel a little warmer, but it is too bright for the fish to want to feed. The wind is the big comfort factor, if it comes up, it feels much colder. Dress in layers, go out for shorter floats, bring hot liquids and you can experience some great fishing!
See the slideshow below for a few photos taken from March 19 through 23. Jack has been fishing with John Hickman, Jeff Rogers, John Wilson, and Marshall Bloom. It is a nice start to our 2009 season. Tomorrow we have a group coming in from San Diego. Let’s hope we get a little warmer weather as is predicted. The Bernard group has been coming for years and they always catch fish! They will be staying as usual at the Bitterroot River Lodge.
To see our webpage with links to USGS streamflow information go to http://www.wapiti-waters.com/stream.htm.
by Merle Ann Loman | Feb 25, 2009 | Bitterroot, iiii Winter/Snow
Jack and I are doing some maintenance on our vehicles and we needed to drop one near Stevensville.
We didn’t have time to fish, but stoppped by the river to take a look.
There was one lone wade fisherman working a run.
It was raining, about 39 degrees out and you could see the snow falling in the mountains at maybe 4,500 feet. This is good news. We want moisture that will be stored in the form of snow!
The weather forecast is for rain in the valleys and snow in the mountains all week. We will take it!
by Merle Ann Loman | Feb 23, 2009 | i Spring, News bulletins
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks announces availability of Montana’s 2009 hunting and fishing licenses—including conservation, fishing, spring black bear and turkey, upland game bird, deer and elk hunting licenses— now at all FWP Regional offices and license providers.
Sunday, March 1 begins the new 2009 license year for Montana hunters and anglers. The new license year is especially important for early-season anglers, and for those who enjoy ice fishing.
Most 2009 licenses are available on the FWP Web page at fwp.mt.gov. Click MT FWP Online Montana Licensing Services.
You can also find a link for MT-FWP online licensing at our Wapiti Waters website – http://www.wapiti-waters.com/.
by Merle Ann Loman | Feb 20, 2009 | Conservation/benefits/organizations
Saturday, March 7, 2009
DoubleTree Hotel, Missoula
Please send Registration Form by February 25 to:
FOAM Annual Meeting
PO Box 67
Gallatin Gateway, MT 59730
ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING
Saturday, March 7, 2009
DoubleTree Hotel, Missoula
FOAM invites you to the DoubleTree Hotel in Missoula on Saturday, March 7 from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. for discussions, lunch, our traditional raffle, and drinks.
Ten rooms are available @ $109 double occupancy if you reserve before February 20.
Call Rachel at 406-542-4654 and refer to FOAM when making reservations. PLEASE CALL IMMEDIATELY if you want to reserve a room for the night.
Agenda
8:30 – 9:00 Register, get coffee, find friends, swap stories
9:00 -10:30 RRAFT Blackfoot Mgt. Proposal – Charlie Sperry, Chet Crowser, Jack Mauer
10:30 -12:00 B’foot & Madison SRP Process, Fees, Expenses, Local spending – Molly Wainwright, Gerry Walker
Noon Buffet Lunch
1:00 – 2:00 Stacy Juelfs, Payne Financial Group, on FOAM insurance costs, coverage, benefits
2:00 – 3:00 Wayne Johnston, Board of Outfitters on operations plans, guide advertising, agents, and more
3:00 – 4:00 FOAM updates, Q&A from members for directors
4:00 – ? Raffle, hors d’oeuvres, drinks
For the raffle, we’ve got Simms, Patagonia, and Northwest River Supply gear scheduled to appear, other items from local and national flyfishing gear manufacturers, plus gift certificates from local eateries and such.
Are you a Montana guide and want to know more about FOAM? Visit the site at http://www.foam-montana.org/index.php or contact the FOAM Director, Robin Cunningham, at 406.763.5436 or foaminfo@foam-montana.org.
