Finally. My imagination was piqued by the wide strong flow of the White River as we dropped down the embankment to the rocks recently emerged from their watery topping. The White was still wide, and the grade made for a fifty yard by two to three feet deep rapid.

This, I imagined, was what rivers look like. Not the lazy canal of the Rio Grande, and not the ditch that the Trinity River becomes at times. No, this river makes me think it’s time to see more … more rivers, real rivers. Fascination with fish fleeted as an appreciation, rare for me, for the beauty of the moment and place took over. Yes, perhaps the flow was simply “drainage” as the dam was effectively shut down, but jade green runs of deep water and wide stretches of clear rushing water began to create my personal definition of a “real” river.

Make no mistake, this was challenging water, crossings are deliberate and calculated, and the grade facilitated a faster water than I imagined. Rather than sleepy slow pools lining the sides of the White, it was a search for holding spots and runs that were slow enough to get a good drift. The stocker aquarium life was virtually non existent. I appreciated the new water and new challenge, and was alone in that view. The diversity and beauty alone, were enough to counter the difficulty. This was when I wished a guide were around, someone to set the course for the nymphing drift, or dictate a disgusting streamer and just say, “right there!”

There was no leader, no hero and no villain. I bucked the trend, and crossed river to ply the water from a much more civilized shoreline, one that had put-ins, cabins, resorts and homes along the banks. I disappeared from my cohorts round one bend and up as far as I could go with camera gear and fishing load in tow.

Time ticked and we had only committed to two hours before abandonment. I was certainly going to push that, while the choice to abandon seemed to be more on the minds of others. This was a time where days would possibly solve the riddle, but not two hours on a real clock. We all have these days.

My long trek lead to beautiful water, water that was a puzzle with so many missing pieces. On my arrival back at point “A,” where we started, it turns out my three compatriots had made short work of dinner, taking limits of rainbow trout from a backwash pool of hapless trout. Occasionally eating a trout is so … underrated. And with Johnny at the galley helm, my spirits were immediately lifted by the thought of that night’s table fare.

The uneducated adventure upriver had been, for me, all in all, a bust. I was thoroughly enthralled by the water’s size, and sophistication, but also feeling thrashed by the reality that the famous White River brown trout were not flopping at my feet. Something was beginning to creep in, something foreign to my thinking – pressure.

Report Courtesy of Captain Steve Hollensed -

FLYWATER ANGLING ADVENTURES
Captain Steve Hollensed
Orvis Endorsed Fly Fishing Guide
FFF Master Certified Casting Instructor
903.546.6237
flywaterangling.com

Summary of Hosted Trip to Blue Damsel Lodge, Missoula Montana, April 10-14
I hosted a small but enthusiastic group this month to the Orvis Endorsed Blue Damsel Lodge in hopes of hitting a stonefly hatch which was reputed to produce some awesome dry fly fishing on the Bitterroot River. Our hopes were to find the Skwalas ( a medium sized, olive colored stonefly) in full hatch, find pre-runoff water that was low and clear, and find uncrowded conditions on some of Montana’s most fabled water.

We found all of these things and much more.

Day 1 involved fishing the beautiful Big Blackfoot River with big streamers cast to the bank and structure. We caught cutts, bows, browns, all day with a couple of nice bull trout thrown in. When you hook one of these fish you will understand why they are called “bull” trout! We did not see another angler all day on our 13 mile float.

Day 2 and 3 involved fishing mostly big Skwala dries on the Bitterroot, another gorgeous river. We fished two different sections each day, so for the entire trip we never fished the same water twice. We fished the dries as close as we could to the bank. These fish were hungry…I am sure these were the first flies they had seen in awhile. The takes were not “sips”, they were very aggressive strikes on top…exciting to say the least. Cutts, bows, and browns were found on the Bitterroot. We saw a few other boats but not many at all.

All fishing was drift boat fishing with extremely professional Orvis Endorsed Fly Fishing guides. Shores lunches were tasty and plentiful. The lodge had their own drivers in new vans to take us to and from the fishing and to and from the airport. Everything was easy.

The lodge, a three story log building, was perfect in every way…exceptionally beautiful, comfortable, western, and luxurious. The food was…indescribable. Pork Loin, Leg of Lamb, Cornish Hen, with salads and deserts and more to die for. As stellar as the fishing was, the evening meal at the lodge always seemed to add a degree or two of excellence to the day.

The Montana spring weather was pleasant… lows around freezing with most fishing done with temps in the high 40′s and mid 50′s range. With the low humidity and proper clothing it was very comfortable. One afternoon got into the 60′s with a warm spring feeling.

This trip will be a repeat…we will go on the same approximate date. I will be announcing the exact date and details sometime early next fall.

I have put together an album of the trip on my facebook page…Flywater Angling Adventures.

Summary of Casting Instructor Course, Spirit of the West Resort, April 1-3
Twelve students were on hand for the weekend to learn more about the Federation of Fly Fishers Casting Instructor Certification Program. And learn they did…the students learned about casting and the teaching of casting. The course reviewed the basics of casting mechanics, how to make and teach a wide variety of specific casts, and good teaching methodologies in general.

A few other notes on fly fishing events
Our April 30 Loop Lab 101 is full and sold out.
Rob Woodruff’s “Entomology for Fly Fishers” is May 14 & 15
Rob Woodruff’s & Doc Thompson’s “Trout Lab” is June 4 & 5
Chuck Easterling may have a few slots left in a Continuing Ed class for Certified Instructors in Mtn. Home Arkansas. Emphasis is on distance casting. June 10-12.

It’s big bass fly time, and last year I got hooked on what I call, and I guess what’s commonly called, a “double bunny” fly. It’s a lot like a typical Clouser with a longer body – as long as eight inches sometimes.

It probably isn’t an original concept, but the more time I spend thinking about how these Bass”Masters” operate, huge plastic worms, among other things, well why not join them? Imagine flies that emulate decades proven successful plastics, but are still true to the fly tradition. No scents of course, and no rubbery pieces, parts or other conventional trickery. I am just working in the realm of the worm, but with much more animation, and the same great action you can get from plastics. It’s even possible to control your bunny action based on the weight of your eyes.

One huge adventure in the double bunny flies was finding an adhesive that would hold the two pieces together, not stiffen the leather ( cutting action), and not be so messy as to create glue covered rabbit fur – yuk! I had been around the world of adhesives, and had all the aforementioned problems, thought I found the cure with the Tandy Leather Company leather glue, and been disappointed by the Tandy’s long term holding power – there was none. The adventure continued, and finally I came upon the “Amazing” E-6000 at the checkout at the local Hobby Lobby. Two of the descriptors were “waterproof,” and “flexible” on the packaging, and that was enough for me to invest 3.99 for several years worth.

I will do some demonstrating of the bunny fly, and how to apply the E-6000, but until then, you would just want to put dabs of this stuff along the back side of the strips at the middle and end. There’s NO NEED to try and glue the whole thing together as it just increases the chance that it will get in the hair and cause more problems.

E-6000 is a product of Eclectic Products at www.eclecticproducts.com.