Thursday, May 30, 2013
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
FW: E-13 Enthusiasm: No flies on my flies...
Oh Oh. Looks like you're being called out!
Chuck Ballweg, E-13 Group Three
E-13 Enthusiasm: No flies on my flies...
E-13ers: Get a load (and a lot!) of this note, gang, from one excited rookie, Group Three’s Scott Gordon, sent to me following his taking a peek into my now comparatively meager fly box (in growing anticipation, I will be tying more this weekend, Scott!):
Ron,
Each email has been more exciting that tne previous one, and I'm really getting excited for the Extravaganza. But this last one from you showing your meagre box of flies really has me wondering.
Shoot, Kers and I only just got started tying our own flies for the trip and practicing our techniques here in all we got, still salt water, but I think our boxes put yours to shame. You better get tying!
See attached.
E-13 Current Fishing Report
Gang: Below is a current, first hand fishing report from veteran Group Threer Tim “Four More Years” Aldridge, now past president of the Montana Wildlife Federation.
Thanks, Tim!!
RCR---<’///><
p.s. Mark your social calendars for our fourth (count ‘em!) annual Montana Matters Napa concert for Saturday, November 2nd which, as in prior years, will be one heck of an Extravaganza reunion (where you can bid on Scott’s much appreciated two day guided fishing trip—gracias, Scott!!) featuring Napa’s Salty Dawgs intro band and our own Montana Matters Troubadour Shane Clouse and his honky tonk sidekick, Bob Wire—the former of whom will be performing for Der Tattoos on Fishing Day One and the latter for Der Ones on Fishing Day Three! [Dem Threes get Tim himself for all three fishing days along with a gaggle of MWFers!]
thanks Ron. I fished the lower Clark Fork River by Superior today in unsettled weather, but we fished on top all day and caught a goodly number of cutthroat and rainbows. There was a hatch on the water starting around 2:00 P.M. and we had a great day. Scott Nicolarsen, Montana TopWater, was the boatman, and he is again going to offer a two day outfitted trip for auction at the Napa Concert. We saw lots of wildlife with up close and personal encounters with Canada Geese and a variety of ducks, not to mention eagles, osprey and a lot of the little brown jobs that just flit around all day. Water was pretty darn clear and very fishable. I think your prognostications on flows for the 13's is right on. Good to hear from you. tim
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
Mo Sac Fish Pics
Get a gander at these beauties (the largest being in our cherished twenty inch category) caught by veteran fisherman /rookie Group Threer Chuck Ballweg this past weekend on the Lower Sacramento River, just outside of Redding, CA!
Way to go, Chuck, and good luck this coming weekend on the Deschutes during its now imminent salmon fly hatch!
Isn’t fishing a beautiful thing?!?
RCR---<’///><
E-13: Let's Go Fishing, Gang!!
cfs...to wit: all of our E-13 local rivers are now shaping up nicely and
early which is a good omen for all that awaits all of us looking forward to
traveling to Extravaganzaland starting (get this!) TWO weeks from this
Saturday.
I just got back from a memorable Memorial Day weekend of fishing in Idaho
with long time Extravaganzer "Idaho Mark" Grassi where, likewise, the rivers
in the lower section of the Rocky Mountains have shaped up early (although
we awoke there yesterday morning to be adorned with fresh snow on the 8,000
ft mountain tops!).
What this all means is that each of our three groups is in for prime-time
fishing...in fact, things are so early this year that we could be fishing
all of them today!
Specifically, all 80 miles of the Bitterroot River are now fishing; the
upper sections of the Blackfoot River are now coming into their prime (with
the lower sections soon to follow) and the Clark Fork of the Columbia
(including its brand new section at its confluence with the Blackfoot River
which is now open for fishing for the first time in a century) means that
there will be plenty of bug life on the rivers come the advent and arrival
of the Wonderful Ones and the soon-to-be formerly dormant fish will be well
focused on looking upwards to our dry fly offerings. Soon, the world-famous
salmon fly hatch (a salmon-colored stone fly about the size of your little
finger) will blossom on our Rock Creek home waters--recognized as one of the
most cherished free stone blue ribbon trout streams in the world.
Bueno, bueno, bueno!!
And, as a further sign that we are getting close, today your now resident
Hostess With The Mostess and her buddy Eric the Landscaper are headed to the
Clinton nursery for their annual trek to buy more flowers than any one
parcel of property reasonably deserves to assure that you are each florally
well adorned upon your now-imminent arrival(s).
As for me, I am yet hunkered down here in Brickyard Cove for a final two
weeks of file-fishing as I prepare for my annual month-long pilgrimage to
the wonders of Mother Montana.
Getting close, now, gang...getting REALLY close!
Best to all in the effervescent emerging nearness of it all,
Rock Creek Ron
---<'///><
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
The Low Flow Ebbs Lower...
dropped from 52 to 48 degrees...go figure!
RCR---<'///><
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
E-13's 23rd 1/2 Psalm
E-13’s Twenty Third and One Half Psalm
The Guide is my shepherd, I shall not foul hook.
He maketh me to cast straight down clean rivers;
He leadeth me safely across tricky currents;
He restoreth my roll casts;
He leadeth me in the path of accuracy for my drift’s sake
Yeah, though I cast thru the many currents in the shadow of boulders,
I will fear no drag, for his advice is with me;
His fly rod and fly line, they comfort me;
He prepareth a strategy for me in the presence of the trout;
He anoineth my head with confidence
That the drift boat will not tippeth over.
Surely cuts and rainbows shall follow me all of float trips of my life,
And I will catch and release on all the rivers—now and forever,
Amen
With courtesy to and without license from www.west-fly-fishing.com
RCR---<’///><
Monday, May 20, 2013
Mo' on Der No-Flow
Log O Meter showing just how dramatically the flow has dropped over the past
week. Seven days ago @ 2,000 cfs the water level was just touching the
bottom of the Log O Meter and, as you can see, with the current 1,310 cfs
flow, that is no longer the case.
In looking into matters further, I have obtained data on the water
temperature of Rock Creek. As the flow began and the snow melt entered into
the stream flow, over the past couple of weeks Rock Creek's water temp
dropped from a high of 54 degrees down to a downright chilly 45 degrees.
Well, over the past few days, that water temperature has soared back up like
a rocket to 52 degrees indicating that, at least for the moment, snow at the
higher elevations is no longer a-meltin' and that, most likely, the bulk of
this year's runoff has literally evaporated and become a non-event.
Now, just where did that flow go, gang...it seems like it was here just a
moment ago!!
Best to all,
RCR----<'///><
Prequel: Twenty Inch Fish on the Lower Sac!
Feast your eyes on the twenty inch fish landed this past weekend during our annual pre-Extravaganza trip to the Lower Sacramento River, where we fish Extravaganza-style just below Redding, CA. This year featured the SS Parducci “green” boat of Group One’s John “SOS” Reimann (shown gleefully seeing his 22” bow netted) under the watchful eye Group Two’s Parducci Winery owner Tom “Sockeye” Thornhill.
Shown in the “blue” boat is veteran Extravaganzer Cam “Mend” Carlson behind his similar 22” beauty (both he and SOS bought dinner on the way home, as a result!) as well as co-blue boater yours truly with a 20 incher—all of which, if caught in Montana, would be sign in candidates for E-13’s Twenty Inch Club board!
This trip is always our Extravaganza “omen” trip, the prognostication of and from which is that E-13 will be blessed with both great weather and big fish…I will take those p’s any day!
RCR---<’///><
FW: E-13: It's A Low Flow Year, Joe!
A strange thing happened along to the way to the flow this year, gang: The
big push two weeks ago (with high temperatures for a sustained period of
time) had the effect of a blow torch at the higher elevations and, virtually
overnight, the snow pack and its water content witnessed a 30-40%
degradation such that, as witnessed above both via a visual of our Log O
Meter, you can see that the water levels are already in a subsidence mode
along our targeted Rock Creek with a foreboding for anyone thinking about
fishing Montana in August to rethink that idea.
As always, with the Extravaganza right on the heels of the runoff, our water
levels are going to be spot on for each of this year's E'13 fishing
dates--but the charts that we have kept are sure a study in contrast:
Witness this day in each of 2008, 2009 and 2011 when Rock Creek was a raging
maniac...by contrast, according to Carolyn Persico of our land purveyor Rock
Creek Mercantile, outfitters are, today, beginning to float our native river
way before the advent of the annual Salmonfly hatch that is still weeks
away.
According to Carolyn, look to the water flows to keep dropping over the next
week or so from their current 1310 cfs level such that, like we had in the
dreaded fire year of 2007, it appears that we are going to have more of a
walk off than a runoff. As she quipped this morning with mindful
observation, "we are really farmers, you know" and, as such, are fully
subject to the vagaries of nature.
That being said, we WILL have plenty of water this year, gang; and, no, we
will not be going over the Continental Divide to fish the Missouri as we did
in the high water years of '08 and '11. By this time next month the Ones
will have already come and fished and Da Tattoos will be packing their bags
for their (re)entry onto the blessed waters of it all. Look to us targeting
the Bitterroot River as our main stream of interest this year, gang, as well
as the Big Blackfoot...prime time is our time and that time is now nigh!
Best to all in the final preparation for it all,
Rock Creek Ron
---<'///><
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
Up, Up, Up We Go, Flo!!
As you can see from both the attached chart and photo (taken this morning by
(y)our Hostess With The Mostess), the rivers they are a risin' and the flow
is a-flowin'...just as we hoped it would! We are up to 2,110 cubic feet per
second, folks...and that means, as you can see, that Da Creek is rockin' 'n'
rolling!!
And, timewise, we are right on schedule as, get this, exactly one month from
today the Wonderful Ones will be winging their way to the Fishing Promised
Lands of Mother Montana to celebrate Opening Day of Extravaganza
2013--bravo, bravo, bravo!!
For those of you who thought that E-13 was an event far, far into the
irrelevant future, think again, as we are now going to even more carefully
watch the continued rise and eventual subsidence of snow runoff and water
flows in Western Montana. Again, our goal is to have Rock Creek flowing
between 1500-2000 cfs one month from today, meaning that (a) the snow pack
is about melted off,(b) water temperatures in our resident rivers will be
increasing and (c) bug life will be literally rising.
More to follow as the reality of it all becomes nearer,
RCR---<'///><
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
And Now A Word From Our Outfitter...
Greetings E13'rs, Old and New!!!
John Gould here, your friendly neighborhood outfitter and guide. Well gang, it's that time of year again we are truly excited about this coming Extravaganza on our end!
This year's snow pack is incredibly average and we are looking forwards to a great dry fly season here with some lower conditions than our last two extravaganzas. This years fly menu should contain multiple different dry fly meals for our fishing fun, and opportunities of seeing of wild trout take a surface fly is always something to look forward to!
High water finally showed up at the end of the first week of April and we've been over on the Missouri for the past week and a half already, but if things stand as is, and our snow pack holds true we should be throwing dry flies here by the end of May, and still have plenty of water for each of the 3 groups in the Extravaganza this season.
This years predicted water conditions should allow us to fish all of the three main rivers in our area. The Bitterroot river is our first to come in the shape after high water in late May/ early June-to even mid June depending on rain amounts.The Bitterroot offers eighty miles of main stem, with another twenty miles of the west fork. If one were to add up all the channels, back waters and springs, not to mention the countless tributaries that hold trout at their mouths, they would find that there is more fly fish-able trout water in this valley, than most people could fish in a lifetime.
The Blackfoot river is next, In June and July, you will see Salmonflies and Golden Stoneflies that rival the size of many fisherman's bass poppers! The pace is fast and furious this time of year, but at all levels, this river rewards the angler. On the Blackfoot, be it with dries, nymphs or streamers, this river offers every fishing challenge one would picture on a Montana river. The water changes character quickly, from long glides peppered with Green Drakes, to frothy plunge pools where anxious rainbows hammer anglers’ imitations with abandon.
Also possibly this year is the opportunity to spend some time on our larger river the Clark fork! This river is named for Captain William Clark, of the famous Lewis & Clark expedition. It’s the "largest water" we have in the immediate Missoula are, and it boasts some amazing mayfly, stonefly and terrestrial fishing! Hopefully, with not to much rain, we can spread some more boats onto this incredible Montana river. The rainbows are bigger this year, and have more fight than almost any other trout in our state! Time will tell on this one, but with an average water year/ snow pack, our expectations are running high!
With that being said, we will once again prepare for day one of each group being Hawaiian shirt day!!! That's right gang, prepare to dig through your closets and boxes in the attic to find your most horrendous Hawaiian shirt you can find! We have found over the last 10 years that the ugliest shirt you can wear attracts some of the largest trout, small honey bees, hummingbirds and causes any digital cameras in the immediate vicinity to go off multiple times! (just kidding on the bee's)
Really looking forward to having you all arrive! This year will be one for the books in many, many ways, and we cant wait for the fun to begin!!! Travel safe, bring clothing for all conditions and we will be afloat on some of the best water western Montana has to offer here very, very soon! Best to all...and...
Fish On,
John Gould
Double Up Outfitters LLC
Phone:406.240.9498
Friday, May 10, 2013
A View Into My Fly Box
Extravagant Ones:
Consistent with the adage that "you always want to see what is the other guy's fly box", attached is a photo of that now fully recharged fly box of mine, a tour of which is as follows:
Working from left to right, in the far left-hand row is my arsenal of my smaller dry fly (i.e., flies that float on top of the water) mayflies designed to imitate the dozens of species of those wonderful bugs (a dozen of each of which could easily alight on your smallest fingernail with room to spare) who spend most of their life as bugs crawling underwater and then, as they near the end of their life cycle, "emerge" to the surface of the water in "hatches" (often by blowing air bubbles around themselves, thereby floating atop like a thousand rising balloons), whereafter they "rest" on the water's surface, shed their shuck, pop out their wings and then fly aloft only to mate, whereafter the females return to the water to reposit their eggs, thereby beginning the life cycle again.
The next three columns of flies are examples of mayflies in their nymph stage--these flies are "wet flies" and are fished subsurface and are designed to imitate one or more of the mayflies in their larval and/or emerging stages. Ninety percent of a trout's consumption is of flies in their nymphal stages and, hence, the preponderance of those in this fly box, atop the middle row of which are four red San Juan worms (aka, "the dreaded worm") which are ever so effective along with the 8 specimens of white-winged prince nymphs (aka, "the fly formerly known as Prince") right beneath them [on Rock Creek I refer to the SJW and Prince as "the McDonald and Burger King menu"!]. Just as is reflected in these rows, nymphs come in different sizes and colors depending on the time of day, the river and the weather conditions (hence, the efficacy of a guide!).
The container(s) on the right hand of the fly box contain a gaggle of different dry flies, starting in the upper right with my own "unibug creation" to match beetles and spiders, a series of larger mayflies and, on the upper right some yellow humpies. The middle row starts with my foam fly searcher patterns (from which we will attach nymphs creating our "hopper dropper combination", whereby we can fish BOTH a dry fly foam fly and a trailing, underwater nymph, thereby getting "two shots at the apple" and ends with a smaller collection of foam flies designed to generically imitate the wide families of floating bugs that trout feed upon in Montana's rivers. The bottom row (which, frankly, looks like a mess) is really the "money section" of this box which contains in the middle section imitations of the golden stone fly (my "go to fly" in late June and early July and, on the right, my caddis fly collection--a bug so prolific that when the "caddis fly hatch is on you will have to turn your car's windshield wipers on to see when amidst its flurry--the hatch is like being in a snow storm.
So, folks, there it is: A view into my fly box! When each of you are here with us, as part of our program, your guides will provide all flies that you will need (the each carry hundreds of them each day on the water) and they will even tie them to the end of your lines for you, so don't fret if your own box is either partially full, empty or nonexistent!
Best to all!
Rock Creek Ron
Monday, May 6, 2013
E-13 Monday Flow Report
570 cfs flow number skyrocket this coming Wednesday and Friday, our next
report dates!
Best to all from the Bay Area,
RCR---<'///><
Friday, May 3, 2013
Friday Flow Report
see that we are getting a slow start to this year's runoff--and that is a
good thing at this point in time--too early of a runoff depletes our
Extravaganza river flow and fishing water supply. Today we are tracking at
490 cfs, down a bit from earlier this week.
But hang onto your hat, Flo, for temperatures are predicted to literally
double next week (with a predicted high in the 80's come Tuesday), and that
will be like applying a blow torch to the watershed's snow supply.
In the interim, it is "how slow can you flow, Joe."
Best to all from the scene of it all,
RCR---<'///><
MONTANA CAMP LIST
MONTANA CAMP LIST
Yep, it is beginning to happen folks, so, as promised, here is your Extravaganza 2013 packing list:
In preface, June is the wettest month in Montana. The earlier in the month, the wetter it typically is--most often laden with afternoon thunder storms but sometimes the beneficiary of all-day rain. So the earlier in the month you are (and that's you, One-Of-A Kind Group One, which arrives on June 15th) the greater the probability of temperatures in the 50's to 70's with afternoon showers; and the later in the Extravaganza you are (and that's you, Group Three, which arrives on June 29th) the greater the probability of no rain and temperatures in the mid 70's to 90's--yes, folks the change is that dramatic in just the few weeks that we fish together. For each group, however, your packing list is the same--plan on coolish mornings transitioning into mid-day warmth, that will then be subject to afternoon cooling off and rain (when cells pass through the temperature often drops over 20 degrees is fewer than that in minutes), followed by coolish evenings as we sip (guzzle, in the case of Group One) wine, throw horseshoes in the back yard and exchange our tales of the daily blessings that have been bestowed upon us.
The list below is broken into "MUST HAVE" and "CAN HAVE" sections. Regarding the latter first, through our outfitter extraordinaire, Double-Up Outfitters, rods and reels are available to our groups, gratis. Feel free to bring your own gear if you have it [see below in that regard]. Regarding the need for waders and wading boots, if you have them, bring them, but (particularly in as much as we most likely have low(er)/warmer water conditions this year) we most often fish in shorts and sandals (with fleeces and rain jackets aboard in all cases).
So, here it is, your Official Extravaganza 2013 Camp List: (NOTE: MOST ALL ITEMS LISTED BELOW CAN BE PURCHASED AT THE ROCK CREEK MERCANTILE [WITH YOUR 10% STORE-WIDE DISCOUNT] ON YOUR ARRIVAL IN MT., IF YOU WISH)
MUST HAVE:
1. Polarized sunglasses (these are an absolute must); mine are prescription (because I am nearly blind without glasses) and the Merc has not only a great selection of regular polarized sun wear but also very comfortable sets that can overlay your prescription glasses--just like skiing goggles, but a little more chic/stylish.
2. A rain jacket (not a water resistant jacket [which really just absorbs water at a slower pace], but a poncho or truly water resistant lightweight/medium weight rain repellant--we have had the weather change from warm blue skies to cold (as in really cold) torrential rain and then back again all within an hour--if you get wet on the river it is not a pleasant experience--See 3, infra).
3. A dry bag/boat bag for a complete change of clothes for the river.
4. Fast drying fishing shirts and pants. (In the past, the former has been a staple of what we hand out to you as you arrive--history will repeat itself, by the way. As to pants, I highly recommend the fast drying, zip off pants which serve as long pants in the morning hours and shorts in the afternoon.)
5. Brimmed fishing hats. (Yes, history might just repeat itself here again regarding a baseball type hat; for those of you who are sunlight sensitive, I recommend a fully brimmed hat with a tie-string [so that the famous and inevitable MT wind will not decrown you].)
6. Layered clothing. (Imagine that you are going to a Niners game in September--you never know what you are going to get at The Stick, so you wear a short sleeved shirt with a long sleeve shirt over it, carrying with you a fleece and a warm jacket/raincoat--voila!!) We have washers and dryers available to you if needed, so don't bring the whole wardrobe but certainly pack an extra day's supply (remember that boat bag and its contents-to-be in 3, supra?!?)
7. Waterproof sandals/fishing shoes. (90% of our fishing will be in the boats, but you will be getting in and out for entry, potty breaks, lunch and return, and will get wet to your knees as you embark/debark. Tennis shoes are an alternative if you don't mind changing their color [permanently] Yes, fishing sandals are an excellent Merc purchase upon arrival--they have multi-uses and will last forever.)
8. Sunscreen and Bug-spray. (Bring sunscreen rated 15 and higher even if you think you don't need it, as you will be on the water, unprotected, for up to 10 hours each day--enough to challenge even the crustiest lawyer's skin! The bugs are nothing like Minnesota and usually are not a problem at all, but have some on hand and that normally makes the experience totally uneventful.)
9. Fleeces (long and/or short sleeved). (These are going to be your best friend, both early in the morning and late in the evening after a fully sating day. Temperatures during your stay see average highs in the 70's to 80's and evening lows in the 40's and 50's.)
10. Casual wear. This is not a black tie event, folks; shorts and levis are standard fare [even in Missoula's finest restaurants, I might add] both on the boat and at the house]. Our fishing focus is exclusively on the brightness of the color bands in your rainbow trout, the brownness of your brown trout and on the scarletness of your cutthroat's gill plates.
CAN HAVE:
A. Fly rods and reels (5 and 6 weight rods are the order of the day--again, these are included in the Extravaganza package so only bring yours if you have them and want to fish them).
B. Waders (more so in Group One; less so in Groups Two and Three).
C. Expensive digital camera gear that you would like to get wet and destroy (Yes, folks, as in the past, we are going to have 5.0 megapixel digital cameras for your usage in each of your boats (which don't get ruined even if you drop them in the water). As in the past, we will assemble all pictures taken by your group onto a CD and mail it to each of you, post E-13).
D. Booze (We have it all folks, so make your request in advance so we can have a supply on hand and leave it at home--only water and soft drinks on the boats, by the way.)
* * * * * *
There it is folks, your Official Extravaganza 2013 Camp List. May the blessings of May be upon each of your as we stretch out towards the glories of Montana, shortly ahead for each of us in just a few weeks!!
Call me directly if you have any questions or concerns.
Best to all in preparation for it all,
Rock Creek Ron
E-13 MONTANA CAMP LIST
MONTANA CAMP LIST
Yep, it is beginning to happen folks, so, as promised, here is your Extravaganza 2013 packing list:
In preface, June is the wettest month in Montana. The earlier in the month, the wetter it typically is--most often laden with afternoon thunder storms but sometimes the beneficiary of all-day rain. So the earlier in the month you are (and that's you, One-Of-A Kind Group One, which arrives on June 15th) the greater the probability of temperatures in the 50's to 70's with afternoon showers; and the later in the Extravaganza you are (and that's you, Group Three, which arrives on June 29th) the greater the probability of no rain and temperatures in the mid 70's to 90's--yes, folks the change is that dramatic in just the few weeks that we fish together. For each group, however, your packing list is the same--plan on coolish mornings transitioning into mid-day warmth, that will then be subject to afternoon cooling off and rain (when cells pass through the temperature often drops over 20 degrees is fewer than that in minutes), followed by coolish evenings as we sip (guzzle, in the case of Group One) wine, throw horseshoes in the back yard and exchange our tales of the daily blessings that have been bestowed upon us.
The list below is broken into "MUST HAVE" and "CAN HAVE" sections. Regarding the latter first, through our outfitter extraordinaire, Double-Up Outfitters, rods and reels are available to our groups, gratis. Feel free to bring your own gear if you have it [see below in that regard]. Regarding the need for waders and wading boots, if you have them, bring them, but (particularly in as much as we most likely have low(er)/warmer water conditions this year) we most often fish in shorts and sandals (with fleeces and rain jackets aboard in all cases).
So, here it is, your Official Extravaganza 2013 Camp List: (NOTE: MOST ALL ITEMS LISTED BELOW CAN BE PURCHASED AT THE ROCK CREEK MERCANTILE [WITH YOUR 10% STORE-WIDE DISCOUNT] ON YOUR ARRIVAL IN MT., IF YOU WISH)
MUST HAVE:
1. Polarized sunglasses (these are an absolute must); mine are prescription (because I am nearly blind without glasses) and the Merc has not only a great selection of regular polarized sun wear but also very comfortable sets that can overlay your prescription glasses--just like skiing goggles, but a little more chic/stylish.
2. A rain jacket (not a water resistant jacket [which really just absorbs water at a slower pace], but a poncho or truly water resistant lightweight/medium weight rain repellant--we have had the weather change from warm blue skies to cold (as in really cold) torrential rain and then back again all within an hour--if you get wet on the river it is not a pleasant experience--See 3, infra).
3. A dry bag/boat bag for a complete change of clothes for the river.
4. Fast drying fishing shirts and pants. (In the past, the former has been a staple of what we hand out to you as you arrive--history will repeat itself, by the way. As to pants, I highly recommend the fast drying, zip off pants which serve as long pants in the morning hours and shorts in the afternoon.)
5. Brimmed fishing hats. (Yes, history might just repeat itself here again regarding a baseball type hat; for those of you who are sunlight sensitive, I recommend a fully brimmed hat with a tie-string [so that the famous and inevitable MT wind will not decrown you].)
6. Layered clothing. (Imagine that you are going to a Niners game in September--you never know what you are going to get at The Stick, so you wear a short sleeved shirt with a long sleeve shirt over it, carrying with you a fleece and a warm jacket/raincoat--voila!!) We have washers and dryers available to you if needed, so don't bring the whole wardrobe but certainly pack an extra day's supply (remember that boat bag and its contents-to-be in 3, supra?!?)
7. Waterproof sandals/fishing shoes. (90% of our fishing will be in the boats, but you will be getting in and out for entry, potty breaks, lunch and return, and will get wet to your knees as you embark/debark. Tennis shoes are an alternative if you don't mind changing their color [permanently] Yes, fishing sandals are an excellent Merc purchase upon arrival--they have multi-uses and will last forever.)
8. Sunscreen and Bug-spray. (Bring sunscreen rated 15 and higher even if you think you don't need it, as you will be on the water, unprotected, for up to 10 hours each day--enough to challenge even the crustiest lawyer's skin! The bugs are nothing like Minnesota and usually are not a problem at all, but have some on hand and that normally makes the experience totally uneventful.)
9. Fleeces (long and/or short sleeved). (These are going to be your best friend, both early in the morning and late in the evening after a fully sating day. Temperatures during your stay see average highs in the 70's to 80's and evening lows in the 40's and 50's.)
10. Casual wear. This is not a black tie event, folks; shorts and levis are standard fare [even in Missoula's finest restaurants, I might add] both on the boat and at the house]. Our fishing focus is exclusively on the brightness of the color bands in your rainbow trout, the brownness of your brown trout and on the scarletness of your cutthroat's gill plates.
CAN HAVE:
A. Fly rods and reels (5 and 6 weight rods are the order of the day--again, these are included in the Extravaganza package so only bring yours if you have them and want to fish them).
B. Waders (more so in Group One; less so in Groups Two and Three).
C. Expensive digital camera gear that you would like to get wet and destroy (Yes, folks, as in the past, we are going to have 5.0 megapixel digital cameras for your usage in each of your boats (which don't get ruined even if you drop them in the water). As in the past, we will assemble all pictures taken by your group onto a CD and mail it to each of you, post E-13).
D. Booze (We have it all folks, so make your request in advance so we can have a supply on hand and leave it at home--only water and soft drinks on the boats, by the way.)
* * * * * *
There it is folks, your Official Extravaganza 2013 Camp List. May the blessings of May be upon each of your as we stretch out towards the glories of Montana, shortly ahead for each of us in just a few weeks!!
Call me directly if you have any questions or concerns.
Best to all in preparation for it all,
Rock Creek Ron
New for E-13: No B.S.!
Greetings fellow Extravaganzers from Headquarters where the hits keep on a-comin’!!
As we approach our eleventh foray into the wilds of Montana Ritz Carlton style, as you can imagine, traditions have built up and surrounded the activities of each Extravaganza. Included in these traditions is the awarding of a monogrammed Yellow Hat for the largest trout caught each day (over the years we had to include the modifier “trout” as folks, among a variety of other creative submissions, have (i) tried to include squawfish and suckers [“junk fish” in these here parts—right Group Tattooer Tim “Squawfish” Rodgers?!?] as qualifiers; (ii) entered photo-shopped pictures of concocted breeds of “Franken fish”, and (iii) purchased and submitted stuffed trout {the largest of which still graces our fireplace}). Also, it is our most coveted award to bestow a monogrammed Yellow Shirt for the fisherperson (how about that for being pc?!?) who catches (and releases) the largest trout in each Group—obviously, also a Yellow Hat winner (right, first-ever female awardee Group Three Kristine “Missouri” Bedford?!?—yes, there is a story there to that well-earned MT nickname!). You rookies will see seasoned veterans in each of your groups returning with well-used yellow hats and shirts from prior years…true Extravaganza trophies!
Richest and most enjoyable among our traditions, however, is, each evening, our nightly gathering around our outdoor dining table and sharing with each other (with cocktails and h.d.’s in hand, I might add) the scenes and events of the fishing day. We affectionately refer to this assemblage as “The Boat Reports” where many an untoward tale has been told over the years and, resultantly, wiley, veteran Extravaganzers have developed a keen eye and ear out to separate fact from fiction of the reporting boaters. To that end, last year Group One bestowed upon us a button with an electronic “bullshit” vocalization—if you heard it, you reached for and pushed the button which declared the foul; but, alas, the B.S. Button broke mid-Group Three from over usage.
To remedy our E-12 loss, during the off season, I was fortunate to come across a virtually indestructible replacement for our much appreciated and destroyed B.S. Button—witness our newest Extravaganza accoutrement, the soon-to-be-famous Bullshit Bell, photos of which are attached. This hearty, metal
no-nonsense clanger currently sits stage-center on our outdoor table gathering energy from its magnificent surroundings in waiting and in preparation for doing ringing battle beginning 45 days from today—fishing Day One for the Wonderful Ones. So, here’s the deal: If anyone should even suspect an errant inclusion in any of our boat reports each is duty bound to clang the clanger and declare the foul. We will be tracking the whoppers as they occur on (y)our www.montanaextravaganza2013.blogspot.com blogsite with a bottle of coveted Rock Creek Red to awarded to the biggest whopper in each group!
Hold on…did I just hear that bell ring?!?
Best to all in preparation for it all,
Rock Creek Ron
---<’///><
Thursday, May 2, 2013
FW: E-13: 1137.1 Miles to Paradise!
RCR, Happy 14th Anniversary to you and Kathy(the Hostess With The
Mostess!)!!! These is no question that Montana is something special!
Brian and I look forward to being the First of the Extravaganzer's to
arrive this year! I admire you though, 'cause that's a heck of a drive!
Warm regards, best wishes & Happy Ann, Eddie
FW: E-13: 1137.1 Miles to Paradise!
Nice wishes from Group One long-time veteran John Rosenbaum---woof, woof!
RCR
Happy Anniversary to you and Kathy.
Love the wolf story! I hope we get to see him too.
Best wishes,
John
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
Steady as you Flow!
this mid-week. Warmer weather is predicted for this coming weekend...watch
the impact that will have on this year's runoff!
As we get closer (as in Group One arrives just 45 days from today!), as you
veterans know, brace yourselves for a brace of incoming E-13 emails!
RCR---<'///><
FW: E-13: 1137.1 Miles to Paradise!
Great input from Group One rookie Chris Barger (though he sure doesn’t sound like one, does he?!?)!
RCR
Sounds great Ron; looking forward to it. I envy your ability to take the time to smell the flowers and realize your surroundings in this busy fast paced world. Life is too short to do it any other way.
Chris Barger
Estimating / Design Build
Allied Heating & Air Conditioning Co., Inc.
Mo Sno for E-13, Gang!
Yep, in contrast to last week’s high sixty temperatures, the May Day brought temps in the high twenties and a morning dusting of snowy frosting!
RCR----<’///><
1137.1 Miles to Paradise!
Greetings fellow Extravaganzers from Clinton, Montana—official epicenter of Extravaganza 2013!
Over this past weekend your Hostess With The Mostess “Kookin’ Kathy”, your two mascots Sir the Spaniel and Ma’am the Lab, and I did the annual drive from San Rafael to here in what took, as it typically does, about 17 hours of driving over a two day span. This year the annual trip occurred a month earlier and, unlike last year when we had 4 inches of snow over Memorial Day Weekend, this year we were greeted with 67 degree temperatures and gusting winds that moved our fully laden Expedition to and fro as we travelled the last two hundred miles. This trip is an interesting one for us, as it marks a major household transition where Montana becomes the main base of operations for the ensuing four months. Our lives’ focus changes from a California point of view to that of Montanans and our general attitude toward things takes on a nature-based hue as opposed to a more urban one. Witness just yesterday when I was in town changing out our winter snow tires and, as I was travelling back up our Rock Creek Road only to spot for the first time ever a gray wolf standing in the middle of the road (right where the bighorn sheep normally hang out) who casually looked my way as I slowed down agape before he loped off into the woods.
Travelling that 1137.1 miles (hey, whose counting anyway?!?) provides an interesting study in contrast on the western United States. California is abundant with asphalt and density of population (both on and off the road); Nevada offers a great expanse of vacancy; Idaho presents itself with acres of flat land to be the site of tomorrow’s French fries; and, voila, as you approach Montana everything literally changes. We travel east on Hwy 80 to Wells, Nevada where we take Hwy 93 north to Twin Falls, Idaho to merge onto Hwy 84 east to Pocatello where we take I-15 north into Montana. As you do the latter, you can literally see Montana before your get there, as the dividing Idaho-Montana border line is also the Continental Divide. In the distance, as you venture northward, the snow-capped cascades of the Rocky Mountains appear in their swooping south to eastward swing and you know that you are soon in for something special. Crossing into Montana the scenery and the world literally changes. Instead of flat farmland you are greeted with majestic snow topped rock formations and rolling grazing lands that host Montana’s abundant cattle, antelope, deer and smaller creature population. Leaving Idaho and arriving in Montana is like going from night to day. Even the exit signs are different, witness “Moose Creek Road” as one of the earliest…formed by the Divide, the cloud formations become epic (in fact, all the photos in my Pt. Richmond office are of Montana cloud formations)…the air is crisp and clean and you can even breathe it without seeing it…and the attitude of mankind dramatically alters, for here the expectation is that you will naturally wave to your fellow man (with your whole hand, gang) and automatically smile as a sign of knowing that, yes, you are indeed surrounded by someplace special.
That is Montana, folks; that is why we are here and why the Extravaganza is resident here—for we want you to have the same annual experience of seeing, smelling and living what we see and bear witness to each year…we want you to be part of this special journey to the soul that has so enriched our lives as, today, this May Day, your Hostess and I share our 14th wedding anniversary and the 15th anniversary when we met on a blind date in Tampa, Florida. We anxiously await your arrivals here knowing that, just as did we a few days ago, Montana’s beauty never ceases to amaze and rejuvenate those who are blessed to be in her presence.
Best to all from the glorious scene of it all,
Rock Creek Ron