The Rolling Thunder Adventure

Well, I'm back!  Oh, you say that you didn't know that I went away???   Well, after fishing with a bunch of sheep last week, I decided that it was time to head up to Montana to meet up with my favorite finned friends.  And there were so many to greet me!  I love it when the word gets out.  And if the weather would cooperate... we would be in business.

The weather forecast was kind of questionable.  That is why I didn't know if I was going.  And the barometer wasn't looking too favorable either.  But, I took my chances and decided that Montana fishing on the off days is still pretty darn good.  For three days, it was mostly cloudy and about 29.92 on the barometer.  Just couldn't get it to rise over 30.

But, none the less... the brown trout party was on!  I was a little worried that there would be the Memorial Day crowd.  But, there really wasn't anyone around, except for the usual drift boats that would come through and ruin a good thing every hour or two.   I would just wave and ask how their day was going.  Then, reel in my line and find a new stretch that wasn't in their path.

The first day brought a brown trout in every 15 min, so I instantly could justify my driving all the way up there.  Ha.  Mission accomplished!  It was already worth the five hour journey.  The clouds would threaten rain, but wouldn't deliver.  Yet.

The second day had a little more blue sky and sunshine.  Could we be maybe coming out of the grayness for awhile?  Time would tell.  I just went about my business and looked for trout.  A little bit slower than the previous day, but still enough in the net.  I was enjoying the sun upon my face... until...

Now wait a minute, here!  Where did my blue skies with fluffy clouds go?  A dark sky quickly settled in.  I did have my rain gear just in case.  But, what I wasn't ready for, was the wind that came blasting across the water.  I could see that this was going to get ugly very quickly.   So, one more cast and I would be heading back to the car.  Boom...Crackle...Boom!!!  Great.  Now we have a thunder and lightening show and I'm holding onto a fly rod.  Oh sure... a fish on.  And of course it had to be the big boy of the trip to make me wait longer than usual to bring him in...

Good ol' Mr. Whitefish...

Grip, Grin, and Run!!!

Day Two was over.  Well, it was 6 pm anyway... 

But, that brisk walk back against the fierce rain, thunder and wind of 25 mph was something else!!!  I am an adventurer, but sometimes it's nicer to be inside.  = )  Howard might have something there...

Day Three was going to be a short two and a half hours.  So, I wanted to pick a new spot of water, but the right spot of water.  I had been scouting the river from the dam downstream about ten miles for the past couple of days.  The fly shop had said that closer to the dam was the hottest fishing, and I hadn't even tried that yet.  So, bright and early... I drove to a section of water that I had seen other fishermen standing in a row.  Ahhh... no one was there.  Perfect. 

 All I can say is that I stood virtually in one spot for two hours.  I don't think that I have done that in a very long time.  But, that is how good it was!  I only moved about ten feet either way at the most.  What a morning.  Browns and rainbows.  Gorgeous trout!    Did I really have to go home?

I kept saying, "just one more", then I will leave.  

The alarm had gone off.  It was time to go home.

The barometer had made its way to 30.02 with partly cloudy skies.

I had hit the low, the thunder, and the high of the barometer.
All was well.