“Chaos”…”unbridled chaos” would be the apt description of the Tattoo’s Day Two boat report, so much so that, for the first time this year, Brian “Deerfish” McLeran was not to be heard much from…in fact, even he who, along with his fishing partner Jeff “Helena MD” Georgia “landed and released well over 160 fish during our three days this year!” was heard to say “I simply can’t believe it” Yes, so diversely beautiful was the unfolding sight that ne’er strip tease acts with revealed cutthroat tattoos nor tales of lassoed fish (caught without a hook ‘ere being set) nor the awarding of not one but two Yellow Shirts would stand in the way of the over two hour presentation by the Tattoos for the benefit of the Tattoos because of the wacky and wonderfully successful acts of the Tattoos…indeed, they came, they fished and they conquered!!
Imagine the surprise of our long time Rock Creek neighbors John & Susan Taylor, they of Atlanta most of the year, who thought that they would “stop by for a quiet evening” who, in marked contrast, sat and sat and sat and laughed and laughed and laughed as the Twos, as only they can do, told tales of their last day on the great rivers of Western Montana. And this story that they heard was a special one for, boat after boat, told of their great fishing success on the previously troubled lower Clark Fork River, giving rise to the proclamation that, post its Superfund cleanup and the removal of the Milltown Dam that the Clark Fork is back gang!!! [or, as some Tattoos would say, “The South Fork is back gang!!!]
Get this: the Ralph “Red Baron” McLeran/”Dr Dave” Minor vessel, the SS Thornhill/ Eichorn, the SS Ciatti/Livengood and two of the Rodgers flotilla all fished the Lower Clark Fork with great success, talking of 18”-19” healthy fish with several having 30+ fish days, witness Greg “Living Good” Livengood reporting of “32 fish boated with an average length of 16-17”, the largest being a 19 ½ rainbow landed by veteran Extravaganzer and world trotting fisherman Joe “Compari” Ciatti and Brad “Blackfork” Miller telling of he and his partner Jerry “The Juice” Pantaleo’s CF 18 fish day . Bueno, bueno, bueno!!
And that was not the only river that was fishing well under overcast and at times stormy skies. The McLeran/Georgia yacht told of their 46 fish (but who is counting, gang) on the Bitterroot, the largest being a Ciatti-sized bow as well with the Gary “Big Cheese” Edwards/Lori “Fawnlady” Ware Root boat talking of a fish kissing whale of an 8th wedding anniversary for Mr. Cheese (he reporting that we should not tell wife Ruth that “Lori rocks” and that “he spent their anniversary with a hooker”)…but, then, along came the next two reports from the fabled Blackfoot (er, Blackfork) River and what reports they were.
Both of these boats being father-son combos, the first to weigh in was the Al “Good Earth” and Dakota Baylacq drifter who told of near altercations at the put-in site, of son Dakota literally lassoing a fish (landing it with a tight wrap not a hook set), and, the highlight, of dad Al hooking, landing and then successfully releasing a spectacular 22 ½” bull trout (see separate posting for pics and pride). With this father-son duo fishing the same stretch as the Kevin “Father of the Bride” and “Wee Brandon” Sweeney boat each helping the other, the SS Sweeney first got the chance to film Al’s great catch only the later find “Wee Brandon” with an even bigger one on the line and ready for filming—a near-record setting 28 ½” Blackfork bull (likewise, see separate posting for sights of this wonderful specimen). Said the Wee one to the awed Twos, “this was the best fishing day of my life” [albeit it only his third day ever fly fishing].
As shown above, in addition to Day One Yellow Hatter Montana Troubadour Shane Clouse belatedly signing into the Twenty Inch Club and Fawnlady stripping to show her many new cutthroat tats, “Good Earth Al” signs onto the Twenty Inch Board with receipt of a Yellow Hat for his bully day, “Wee Brandon” does the same and then both the Wee one and “Shanna Banana” Rodgers show off their Group Two Yellow Shirts, the former for the bull and the latter for Girl Power!!
And I (a-la Deerfish McLeran) could go on, and on, and on about this Day Three report but suffice it to say it was getting dark by the time it was all over and dinner, much to the chagrin of our Hostess With The Mostess, was only placed on hold for over an hour as a result!
Indeed, the Tattoos came, they fished and they conquered and are now safely homeward bound with tales of the tails and tales firmly embedded in their mental hard drives.
Bueno, bueno, bueno---congrats, Tattoos, on once again an Extravaganza extravagantly done!!
Best to all from the scene of it all,
Rock Creek Ron
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