Why I've Chosen West Over East

[willowhead]

A couple years back, after the show in Idaho Falls, Bob took Misako and i on a guided trip on that section of the Madison.....his treat. i did that show by myself in '03, '04, & '05.....so it was '06 because that was the first year Misako came and did it with me. We flew out and shipped all our tyin' stuff ahead of time. That ended up costing almost $700 one way.....so Bob offered to ship it back out of his shop in West, which saved us bout half that cost goin' back. So we drove over to West with him to take care of that, and then he took us fishin'. It was a great day. The next day he took us on a personally guided trip thru the Park and we toured around and he showed us places to fish. We did the best on the Gallatin outside the Park towards Bozeman though. Cutts and Bows up to bout 15 inches mostly. The big rivers are daunting unless you know them really well, or someone is rowing you. i like the Gallatin, the Madison inside the park, the Gibbon, Soda Butte, the Beaverhead, the Boulder, Shields, Mill Creek, and Spanish, the Big Hole, the Bitteroot, rivers that size. Best thing bout Montana is you can always find a place to be alone, and the fact that all the fish are wild. Montana is just a magic place.......no better place i know of to be haunted by waters.

Wolf88.....email me at markflies99@hotmail.com stay in touch.....be great if you could come down either during the Sowbug Roundup, third Thurs./Fri./& Sat. in March.....or during the FFF Southern Council Conclave first Wed. thru Sun. in Oct. But if summer time (and the livin' is easy) is your only window.....just let us know when you might be there.
p.s. even though Jack Dennis is retiring and selling his interest in his shop.....the shop remains open.........you can call (google) there in Jackson Hole and get very good info regarding Wyoming fly fishing.

[ted patlen]

eric,

i'm a jersey guy, but been out there and it is wonderful, but it can only be a vacationland for me. i do want to get back out there someday, heard alot aboutteh beaverhead, and the madison just below quake lake. would like to fish idaho too , up in the pan handle region, don;t know why, just looks cool.

totally entrench in the east ted.

yo

Keep that Madison stretch between the lakes on your dance card, Ted. A 14-year old kid ruined his life there earlier this week by catching a 28" brown on a salmon fly dry (just below Jim Slattery's Campfire Lodge). He's not likely to match that again for the rest of his life.

Eric

just read this...whoa!!!!!!!.
i also want to hit that area below the lower dam a good friend loves it in there
yo

[ewpeper]

First half mile is solid white water, then it's another half mile of rock hopping and pocket fishing. Below that, there's a lot of good fishing, but it can get pretty social.

Eric

[the wolf88]

thanks Willow.. I got it jot down... will work something out for next year. Ah Jack retiring eh,, wondering he going do after that I bet he would hit Alaska for fishing for a long time... will check his information out in Wyo fishing..tho I been at Green River and Snake and Hoback river still great place to fish.

[willowhead]

Yes, Jack is retiring.....to a degree. He'll still do shows and travel gigs.....
We just spent last Sun./Mon./Tue. getting home to Arkansas.....came right off the road and into a North Arkansas Fly Fishers monthly meeting....... was kinna cool. This Sat. we have a NAFF Tye-In.....something we do bout 4 times a year.....just shoot the **** and tye. Then we have a TU (White River Chapter) regular monthly meeting, and then a (NAFF we're on the committee) Sowbug meeting. And then a TU Banquet meeting.....i'm doin' three flies for a frame for the banquet auction, and we're on that committee too. Then Misako has a Damselfly Girls meeting, and a 4 day trip to fish for Smallies with the River Runner Girls down on the Buffalo River the following weekend. And then we have a teaching gig...........fly fishing/casting/tying.........with bout 30 kids on Dry Run Creek the next weekend. And hell i dunno all whatever else before headin' for Montana............always somethin'. Gotta do all the regular maintance to the truck ........and the hits just keep commin'. Gimme a call when you get here.

[the wolf88]

thanks for the infor on Jacks'... wow you got a load to do before Montana tour. Yes, better take good care of your truck .. make sure you are prepare for the early winter in Montana

[willowhead]

Damn, i gotta find time for a haircut too..... .....Montana really does epitomize the "if you don't like the weather, just wait 10 minutes deal." It can change so fast. Definately the kinna place you need to have your own plane, runway, and a big ranch with a stream full of wild Trout. Then you can just fly in when everything is optimum and out again when nessessary.