"Current Events"

WISH YOU WERE HERE-CREEK FISHING TIME!

2011-06-04T14:45:00.000-06:00

It is time. Water looks great. We should have a period of good, fishable creek water prior to the lake running over the spillway. Use a little stealth, a little finesse, and you will be rewarded.

Healthy, fat even, 14" Brown that I caught 10 minutes ago....

I have the secret fly for sale. $3.00 each in the fly shop, $10.00 each streamside if you happen to not have any. Bwahahahahahaaa....

Wish you were here...

Sharp Hooks and Tight Lines,

Ron

Good Time for Shooting Sports

2011-05-26T11:09:00.000-06:00

Runoff season is officially here. The creek is big, the river is bigger. Don't get me wrong, there are places fish can be caught if you are willing to drive a little or fish the irrigation pond. I'm thinking it is a good time for the shooting sports.

We reset a couple more targets on the sporting clays range and one of them is MAKING ME CRAZY. I quit while I was behind, really. I have witnesses.

Also introduced a few of our staff to the course. One of our first time shooters is our Executive Assistant, Cassie. She had never shot a gun before and within the hour she was breaking clays out of the air.

Nice job Cassie.

Several folks have also been tuning up their varmint rifles on targets and then helping out with gopher management. That's just another option.

We are stocked up on ammo and targets, let's go shooting.

See ya on the range,

Ron

Temps, Flows, a Catch and Clays

2011-05-12T12:46:00.000-06:00

Weather is finally behaving like spring. As you can see, temps rising nicely everyday, dropping below 40 every evening.

The rivers run accordingly. During the warmest part of the day, mountain snows will melt and send a surge of water through the system. Here's a look at the Clark Fork graph showing flows.
The river drops and clears a little in the morning, while the late afternoon to midnight times are murkier and high. Runoff has begun.

Zac managed to trick a nice fish the other day. I'll bet he knows where another one is hanging out. You should ask him.
Zac and a nice early season fish.

Andy and I went to the clays range yesterday and reset a trap machine resulting in a VERY CHALLENGING target. We broke it once out of 6 attempts. It is a very long distance shot. I'm going to try it again today but may have to adjust it again to make it a little more attainable.

I'm also going to a National Sporting Clays Association Registered Shoot this weekend in Billings, MT. Wish me luck. PLEASE.

Sharp Hooks and Tight Lines,

Ron

Somebody, Please, Help This Man...........

2011-05-04T18:19:00.000-06:00

Look at that poor, deranged, inappropriately attired shooting instructor/fly fishing guide to the right. Obviously, he has been out of his element for too long. Somebody, please call and book him for an activity. You could be his savior of sanity.

There are some good reports of fish being caught on the Clark Fork, the Missouri, the Bitterroot, and the other Rock Creek.

We have been having winter one day, spring the next, with snow squalls yielding to sunshine. The range lands have a tint of green grass beginning to show up. We are not yet in runoff and fish can be caught.

The sporting clays range is open. Those of you familiar with it from seasons past will find a couple of different target presentations.

Our new horse wrangler, Chris, has begun conditioning the mounts for the season.

Guide Zac is back and ready to attack. Joel is ready to row.

The golf course crew is working extremely hard to get it in shape. They are hoping Mother Nature will help them out just a little.

The kitchen is open and the dining is excellent. You have to come meet Chef Adam and his crew. AMAZING FOOD!

Now, won't someone, please, for the love of all that is good and natural, please help that misplaced individual in the photo above. Somebody, please come fishing, or shooting, or kayaking or something to help this poor fellow get back into his natural element.

Sharp Hooks and Tight Lines,

Ron

Colder Than Hell.....

2011-04-21T12:42:00.001-06:00

Yesterday-April 20-Joel met up with our Simms rep, Jon Yousko, to see if they could find a fish on the Upper Clark Fork. They did.

Here's a shot of Jon with a Clark Fork Brown.

When I asked Joel what the report should say he replied with "It was colder than hell for the first several hours. As the day warmed up the bugs started popping and we eventually boated 10 fish.Some of them ate streamers and nymphs early then a few dries on top. Saw a few Skwala Stones out too."

Here's the deal peeps, the only predictable thing about the weather this time of year is the unpredictability of the weather this time of year. The temp was 17F yesterday morning at sunrise and warmed to 50F with clear skies. Today, it is cold and wet with snow flurries. We probably wont' hit 40F for a high today.

Between now and runoff is a great time to catch fish.
They will eat sometime during the day. You may have to throw everything in the boat at them, but you will find fish.
Be prepared to work for them, be prepared for the weather, be prepared to have a good time.

Sharp Hooks and Tight Lines,

Ron

Simms Ice Out 2011

2011-04-17T19:08:00.000-06:00

Joel and I just returned from the 2011 Simms Ice Out Guide Event in Bozeman, Montana. I didn't snap many photos, mostly because we were constantly engaged in really great seminars and discussions concerning everything from entomology to marketing and learning how to be a more effective casting instructor.

For the few of you that may not know, Simms produces top quality fly fishing waders, boots, sportswear, outerwear and accessories. I think it is some of the best available in the world of fishing and this is my official thanks to Simms for hosting and coordinating the event. Very worthwhile. I have had a link to Simms on the left side of this blog since the inception. You can also check them out by clicking this link to SIMMS FISHING PRODUCTS

Also thanks to a long list of sponsors, I'll be telling you more about them as the season progresses. Check them out, some of the best in the industry.
Adiopose Boatworks, Big Sky Brewing Company, Costa, Fishhound, Galvan Fly Reels, Idylwilde Flies, Montana Fly Company, Scott Fly Rods. Thanks again to all of you.

Sharp Hooks and Tight Lines,
Ron

Montana Super Tag

2011-04-09T13:27:00.000-06:00

Just in case you are interested-I got this news release from the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Department.

Be Montana's Next SuperTag Winner!

From Montana FWP Website:

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is once again offering a SuperTag lottery for hunters to take another shot at the dream.

Eight lucky hunters will win a SuperTag license. SuperTag chances are available for moose, bighorn sheep, mountain goat, antelope, elk, deer, bison, and mountain lion. One SuperTag will be drawn for each species. The SuperTag can be used in any hunting district in Montana-including Montana's legendary trophy districts. Revenue from the new SuperTag sales is used to enhance hunting access and boost FWP enforcement efforts.

Sharp Hooks and Tight Lines,

Ron

Sign of the Times

2011-04-08T13:05:00.000-06:00

A few days ago, our own Chef Adam snapped this shot at the intersection of the North Frontage Road and Rock Creek Cattle Drive. Note the abundance of SUNSHINE and lack of SNOW.

I took this photo this morning with my phone.

By the way, the design, creation, construction and installation of the sign above was a collaborative effort between our own Maintenance Engineer, Scott Morley, one our our outside services guys, Patrick Loritz, and our own version of Highlander, Tim Heisdorf that helps run the turf grass department. Nice sign guys.

I'm guessing we have 3 or 4 inches now and it is still snowing this afternoon. Great news for the rivers and pasture lands.

It's a sign of the times. Springtime that is, in Montana.

It is going to be a great season.

Sharp Hooks and Tight Lines,

Ron

I was an April Fool ...

2011-04-02T08:29:00.000-06:00

...to believe that spring had sprung.

(click image to enlarge)

We've had some days touching 50, and most of the snow has melted off of the front lawn, however we are getting another dose of white and cool this weekend. Here is the Link to the Rock Creek Forecast in case you want to save it.

We have had a warming trend in the lower elevations of the benches and valleys which has sent a lot of water down the region's rivers. Some are high and muddy, but some are fishable. A drive over to the Missouri River could pay off in nymph or streamer action.

I talked to a friend on the Bitterroot yesterday that said water was rising and visibility was diminishing.

Our stretch of the Clark Fork will change daily from murky to clear, depending on temperatures. Our Rock Creek isn't open to fishing until May 21 this year, by state law. Protecting the spawning fish you know.

It's that river condition roller coaster time of year. Could be perfect today and not so much tomorrow.

I'll be checking our trophy ponds every couple of days to check on the melting of the ice. Hoping to wet a line in them soon.

Another reminder that last year's Montana Fishing License is now expired. Take it out and go to the Montana Fishing Licenses Online for a quick and easy way to renew. They accept Visa and Mastercard.

Please pray for a gentle, gradual, warming trend. A nice slow thaw would be perfect for fish and fishing.

Sharp Hooks and Tight Lines,

Ron

Zac's Magic Stick...

2011-03-31T11:55:00.000-06:00

I'm a fan of Sweetgrass rods. We became Sweetgrass dealers last season. Normally, there is about a one year wait to get one of their rods, but I have two in the fly shop if you ever want to check them out.

Our own Zac is also fan, and what I'd call an intern of theirs too. Kinda sorta. He is learning the craft of fine bamboo rod building from the Boo Boys whenever he has time to spend at their shop in Twin Bridges. Sweetgrass is also a sponsor of Zac's hopefully hit TV show about fly fishing for native species. He also produces a web log on their website. From time to time, I'll include some of Zac's blog postings here.

Here is a picture teaser, which Zac drew himself, about a trip with his Magic Stick....

And the first paragraph...

"Glenn finally let me have the walking stick/bamboo fly rod combo he has been showing around the country. He imagined the idea, after thinking about how I often fish remote streams and lakes, which I must hike many wilderness miles to reach. It occurred to him that I could use a good walking stick. In that stick, he figured a bamboo fly rod might as well be present, so I could fish easily once reaching my destination. He did some mental creative design -- likely after a few beers, and pulled some bamboo sticks that were to become what I have named my "Magic Stick." "

Here is the link to THE FULL POST.

Sharp Hooks and Tight Lines,

Ron

Trout CPR

2011-03-29T17:33:00.001-06:00

Joel assigned me the task of designing the new Rock Creek Fly Shop T-Shirt this winter.

I'd had this concept in my head for a while so I scratched out some stick fish on white paper with the end of a bullet and then I took my idea of recycling trout to local artist Mabelle Thompson and asked her to flesh it out and she did a great job.

The fish in the illustration represent a German Brown, Rainbow and Cutthroat trout with the idea of promoting catch and release fly fishing. I have been working with the T-shirt vendor and they should be here by mid April.

Sharp Hooks and Tight Lines,

Ron

Season Warming Up

2011-03-05T19:45:00.008-07:00

Here comes spring. It's been a long winter, with snow pack in the Upper Clark Fork drainage standing at about 115% which is great news.

If you look at that forecast, you can see that winter has, by no means, given up, but we are consistently getting warmer days.

Tony called the other day and we are trying to get our schedules in sync so we can float the Upper Clark Fork in search of early season trout.

I'm hoping we can get out before the 15th of this month. Joel, Tony and I fished it last March and though we all caught a fish or two, it was not stellar. It was however, way better than office work.

Here's a reminder-It is time to renew your Montana Fishing License. You can do that online here: Montana Online Fishing License Renewal

Next week, I'm going to try to make my way into the Sporting Clays Range and break a few clays. Depends on how the snow is drifted and whether or not things are still frozen. I'll let you know.

OK, get your license renewed, and start thinking warmer days.

Stinson Sets Bar High For Big Fish of Creek

2010-07-09T11:01:00.003-06:00

If you are going to catch the biggest fish of the season on Rock Creek this summer, you are way behind, thanks to Al Stinson. Check this one out.

Measured out at 14 7/8". Nice fish Al.

Al caught this fish on July 7th. In the evening. In the water. The remaining details are top secret.

I can tell you this--I took 8 year old Josh Hollingsworth out late yesterday afternoon, pictures to follow, and we found fish in every pool and run, right where they should be. We had several takes on dry flies. It was fun.

Think evenings right now. The good hatches are after 5PM for the most part. Think golden stone imitations, some mayflies in the softer water pools, little brown stones are here and there too. Think mosquito repellent too. I'm just sayin'.

Sharp Hooks and Tight Lines,

Ron

Creek Down, FISH UP!!

2010-07-06T11:20:00.003-06:00

FYI--The creek level has come down and the fish are looking up.

Mornings are OK, but evenings are great. I spent an hour on the creek last night, from 5:30pm to 6:30pm. Caught 6 browns on dry flies. One tiny, the rest average.

Here is an above average fish, caught by Don DuBois.

Nice fish Don. Thanks for the picture.

So, the fish are looking up, come get you some!

Sharp Hooks and Tight Lines,

Ron

Top Performers: At Home On The Range

2010-05-22T11:53:00.008-06:00

Fidelity National recently honored a group of Top Performers with a trip to Rock Creek Cattle Company. They had business meetings, fine dinners, award ceremonies and sampled most of the activities available here.

Zac wrote about some of the fishing they enjoyed in the previous post. This one is a quick photo blog about some that chose to check out the Sporting Clays course.

There were shooters of every level on the course that weekend and as you can see, lots of smiles with them all feeling right at home on the range.

Erika and Al

Top Performers walking to the first shooting station.

MJ, demonstrating proper double barreled shotgun carry technique.

And MJ breaking clays on the high incomer station, 3.

Rob is getting into the swing.

Chris, mastering the 12 gauge, Winchester, semi-automatic shotgun.

Ron helping Erika understand refined visual focus on the target.

(Note to self: Wear a hat. Glare from my ex-forehead, now a fivehead, is distracting shooters)

Al taking a fast, left to right, dropping-crosser while Ron looks on.

Special thanks to Erika for sending these photos. There were lots more taken by those participating and if you'll send them to me, I'll get them posted.

ONE MORE THING-Another reminder and please help spread the word to other members-The grand opening tournament of the Stinson-Hagerty Sporting Clays Range on Linehan Lane, has been moved from Memorial Day weekend to Sunday, July 18th. That is the same weekend as our "Wrangler", Member-Guest" golf event.

At home on the range,

Ron

The Magical Clark Fork

2010-05-19T16:23:00.006-06:00

Thunderstorms have been threatening from over the Flint Creek mountains. But, upon reaching the Clark Fork valley, they seem to magically meander elsewhere, leaving anglers alone to enjoy Montana's feisty fish. With historic low water levels in most our rivers, we have been looking at new places and ways to find and catch fish. Fortunately for the Fidelity Financial top performers, recently visiting Rock Creek Cattle Company, we've been finding some action.

It started with Dan Williams, from Orange county, Calif. I fished with Dan last year, and introduced him to fly fishing on Rock Creek, fishing near the Cattlemen's Club. Though no fish came to hand, Dan did well, and missed a few sneaky Brown trout. This year, I was determined to get him on fish, and took him to my secret hole on the Clark Fork river.

It's a secret, because the day before, I fished it and had a monster trout break my rod near the grip...it was a small 1 weight rod, and maybe a little-over matched for the larger fish, but still IT BROKE MY ROD! I kept fishing the hole with what was left of the rod, and managed to land a couple nice trout and a few Whitefish, while missing several others. I knew I had found a magic spot.

Dan and I arrived to the unnamed hole, went over a few basics on how to fish this particular water, and got to work. Right away the fish were willing to play. But they stubbornly threw the hook while twisting circles in the river's currents. Dan adjusted his technique for landing fish - and got his first Montana trout, a beautifully wild Brown. The day continued with action. Lots of action. Hit after hit, fish after fish. He couldn't help it. At the end of one particular drift, he lifted the rod to cast upstream, but found it wouldn't move out of the water. He turned around to see what was going on, and found he ha hooked a trout. They just wouldn't stay away!

We figured he landed 15 fish, and he even let me catch another three, in a few hours' fishing. His biggest were two 18 1/2 inch Browns, one a little skinnier than the other.

Dan's trip set the tone for Rob Wineman, another Fidelity guest. Rob had never been fly-fishing, but had heard so much about it - mostly from Dan, that he just had to do a quick trip before leaving. We started with casting in the grass on the river, then right on in to fishing. After Warming up, and getting in the casting groove (which I think he likes better than fishing...) Rob landed his first fish on a fly. It was a beautiful 17 -inch Brown--another jewel from the depths of the Clark Fork.

Satisfied with the morning, and invigorated from the fishing, Rob and I headed back to the Ranch, so he could head back home-to work. Everyone who has returned from the wild waters of Montana heads back home with smiles on their faces. Until they get to their offices....

In Wild Waters,

Zac Sexton

Sporting Clays Grand Opening Date Change

2010-05-15T13:24:00.002-06:00

Just a quick note-We had scheduled the Grand Opening of the Stinson-Hagerty Sporting Clays Range on Linehan Lane for Memorial Day weekend. That wasn't working well for several members so it has been re-scheduled for Sunday, July 18th. That is the same weekend of our Member/Guest Golf Tournament, The Wrangler.

This change should help many more be able to participate.

Mark your calendar and we'll post details to follow soon.

See you on the range,

Ron

The Other Rock Creek

2010-05-10T05:59:00.004-06:00

I don't know if you caught this tidbit in the member update letter or some other post, but Joel's operations plan has been expanded to include additional rivers in the region. One of those is Rock Creek, over around Phillipsburg, MT. This is the world famous Rock Creek and is designated as a Blue Ribbon Stream.

Eddie Bases and Charlie Bingham on Rock Creek near Phillipsburg, MT

Joel and I had the opportunity to take member Eddie Bases and his guest Charlie Bingham over and fish it last weekend.

Eddie Bases and a beautiful Rock Creek resident. Wild place, wild trout.

It was Eddie's best day ever of fly fishing for trout and Charlie, though brand new to fly fishing, also had a good time.

Charlie Bingham scores too. Joel had him casting and catching in no time.

Beautiful scenery, beautiful river. Wildlife sightings included elk, deer, bighorn sheep, several hawks and a bald eagle flying overhead, circling over us just above the treetops. It was great. Oh, and lots of moose tracks and beaver activity though we didn't spot either in the flesh.

While the fishing was great on day one, it was a little tougher on day two. There was no hatch of any sort on day two with cold temps and no sunshine. That river should experience the famous Salmon Fly hatch in the next couple of weeks or so, depending on the weather. We hope to hit it when they turn on.

Sharp Hooks and Tight Lines,

Ron

Shotgun News-NSCA LEVEL I CERTIFICATION UPDATE

2010-04-15T18:51:00.015-06:00

Student and first time Sporting Clays shooter Suzanne doing the shooting while newly graduated NSCA Level I Instructor and COO of Moonlight Basin, Russ McElyea, coaches over her shoulder. They are literally snatching victory from the air. That is a broken clay in the upper left of the photo. Notice the yellow, ejected shotgun shell hull, mid-air, in the right hand side just above and to the right of Russ's head? (click the pics to enlarge)

What do an engineer and Vice President of the Hi-Viz Shooting Systems Company, a Realtor with Scott Western Realty of Billings, MT, the Chief Operating Officer of Moonlight Basin - a 5,500 acre ski resort near Big Sky, Montana, the owner of a bird hunting hydration vest and dog training collar company in Billings, MT, a world famous outdoor photographer and writer based in Bozeman, MT, the principal of a land planning and design company from Billings, MT, the fish and wildlife manager / outfitter of an operation in Encampment, WY and the Director of Shooting Sports at Rock Creek Cattle Company of Deer Lodge, MT all have in common?

Instructor Candidates, students and NSCA Level III Instructor Rick Moore (far right) prepping for direction at the high incomer station of Blue Creek Sport Shooting Complex and Game Preserve, Billings, MT.

They are all members of the National Sporting Clays Association (NSCA) and they all met up at the Blue Creek Sport Shooting Complex and Game Preserve outside of Billings, MT recently to participate in the NSCA Level I Instructor Course. One, as the instructor of instructors to be, and the other seven as instructor candidates. It was a grand experience.

I want to start by saying that the Blue Creek facility is a great one in no small part due to the efforts of Range Master Mel Armstrong and his crew. They went completely out of their way to make sure our experience there was top notch. Thanks Mel.

I am going to take this opportunity to say that I thoroughly enjoyed the class. Rick Moore, NSCA Level III - Beginning to Master Wing and Clay Instructor did a terrific job of communicating to all of us the skills needed to become Certified, NSCA Level I, Shooting Instructors. It was an excellent class.

Rick stuck to the lesson plan and schedule while at the same time, giving us valuable side notes and tips along the way from his many years of experience. I believe all of us came away from the class not only better shooters, but well qualified Level I Instructors as well. Thank you, Rick and the NSCA for making this program available.

Before I post the photos and captions: I do want to mention to all of our members that our Grand Opening Event of the Stinson - Hagerty Sporting Clays Range on Linehan Lane happens this coming Memorial Day weekend. Please see the Members Only section of the Rock Creek Cattle Company website for details. Sign up now online through that web page or give us a call at (406) 846-3474 to register. We have some great prizes to be won along with fantastic food and fun to be had. If you have any problem logging into the Members Only page, please send an email to me at rsnow@rockcreekcattlecompany.com , or call the lodge for assistance.

In The Stand At Blue Creek--
Student and NSCA Level III Instructor - Beginning to Master - Wing & Clay Shotgun Shooting Instructor, Rick Moore. Rick was our instructor / coach for this class.
He is also the VP of Engineering and Manufacturing at
HI - VIZ SHOOTING SYSTEMS

NSCA Level I Instructor Butch Smart, Scott Western Realty, Billings, MT and student.

NSCA Level I Instructor and Principal of Foley Group Land Planning & Design, Jim Foley and student demonstrating incoming target breaking point.

NSCA Level I Instructor and owner of the Quilomene Company, Steve Owen and student discussing safe firearms handling at Blue Creek.

In the stand here is a student and NSCA Level I Instructor, Dave Sturm. Dave is the Fish and Wildlife Manager of Spur Outfitters, LLC, Encampment, WY.

Student and NSCA Instructor Level I, Russ McElyea. Russ is also the Chief Operating Officer of
Moonlight Basin, a 5,500 acre ski resort near Big Sky, MT.

NSCA Level I Instructor and professional outdoor photographer / writer, Dale Spartas and student reviewing sporting clays safety procedures prior to loading the shotgun and breaking clays. See Dale's work at his website, WWW.SPARTASPHOTO.COM

Last One - - A photo of my diploma. It was an intense course. I'm thankful that I got to attend. Our instructor, Rick Moore, did his best to condense and communicate his lifetime of experience into a long 3 days so that we might all help to introduce others into the shotgunning sports as well as helping them to become safe, competent shooters. Thanks, Rick.

If you are interested in learning more about Sporting Clays, please check out the National Sporting Clays Association website, and of course, you can always call me at the lodge if you have any questions.

One more thing. Thanks to all of my classmates for making this an exceptional experience. If you ever get over around Deer Lodge, MT, please be sure and look me up. We can spend a day on the river or range together. It was a true pleasure.

My old signature line was "Sharp Hooks and Tight Lines". I may have to add something about loving the smell of gun smoke in the morning.

See Ya on the Range,

Ron

Merchandise and Fish

2010-04-03T13:40:00.004-06:00

WOW! We just got a bunch of new clothing and gear in from Simms and Patagonia that Joel ordered. I've been digging through the boxes like it is Christmas. Yer gonna like this year's offerings in the fly shop.

Some brand new stuff and some old favorites. Very cool. More on that after we get it all dug out and on display.

FISH:

Zac and a nice Blackfoot River Cut-Bow

Zac sent a couple of fish pictures. He didn't expound on the where and how part. I think he just wanted me to remember what a fish looks like.

Zac sent this photo of a West Slope Cutthroat he caught recently on the other Rock Creek

Nice ones, Zac.

Sharp Hooks and Tight Lines,

Ron

Cooking and Shooting and Shooting Shirts and Shotguns

2010-03-28T18:20:00.008-06:00

I spent today, Sunday, at the lodge taking care of some odds and ends. I got home tonight and realized I needed to update the Current Events Blog. While I haven't been fishing in the last week or so, I have been busy, so here goes.

I don't know if you know this about me, but as well as having a passion for fly fishing, I am also an avid shooting sports enthusiast and I really enjoy cooking. I can't remember a time in my life that I haven't been fishing, shooting or cooking. Probably similar to our Professional Golf Association Professionals like Eugene, Fred and Aaron but instead of golf clubs, my experience has been with fishing rods, firearms, pots and pans. More on that later.

Since my last post, I've been busy cooking and getting ready for shooting season as well as coming up with a shooting sports themed logo for hats, shirts, jackets and other shooting accessories.

I do know that Zac and Andy have been fishing on a few of the rivers in the region for some early season scouting. I hope to have some information from them soon. I'll post it when they report in. Joel is off on an international fishing adventure.

I'm waiting to hear from him as to whether or not the fish are biting in New Zealand. Yeah, I said New Zealand. I'm glad for him, and I'm also very jealous. I hope to go there someday. Fly fishing in New Zealand is on my bucket list.

While I haven't been fishing lately I have spent some time, since my last post, playing the part of chef for a couple of members that have visited recently. I also did some chef work, along with a lot of help from Jackie, Misty, Joel, Aaron, Eugene and Carrie, for a Board of Directors meeting of Vann's, Inc. here at the lodge.

Vann's Inc. is a Montana based, electronics and appliance retailer. They have chosen to have several of their Board of Director meetings at the ranch in the last few years. The main man, George Manlove, as well as CEO Paul Nisbet, are both Rock Creek members. You can check out what Vann's has to offer by following this link. Vann's, Delighting Customers Since 1961

I think everyone has been pleased with the food so far. At least I haven't heard of anyone getting ill from my cooking. Keep your fingers crossed.

Another of my projects has been working with an artist to come up with a shooting sports themed logo for shirts, caps, jackets and so forth. The artist, Ed, is a friend of Joel's that helped him with the Rock Creek Fly Fishing logo. I need to do some fact checking first, but then I'll post a link and write up to Ed's business. Here are a couple of photos of the prototype shirt, as modeled by my grandson Hayden. What do you think?

Hayden's Rock Creek Home On The Range Long Sleeve T-Shirt Front

Hayden's Rock Creek Home On The Range Long Sleeve T-Shirt Back

Late last fall, I ordered a few shotguns for members to use. The order was delivered last November and I have kept them locked up until recently. The last couple of days, I've been spending some time cleaning and assembling them. You can expect a full report and review in the next couple of posts.

My order included some Browning Cynergy models and some Ruger Red Label models. 12 gauge, 20 gauge and .410 bore. We already had a couple of 12 gauge, Winchester SX3's which are really extraordinary shotguns, but we were often short on firearms and long on shooters. In the coming posts, I'll tell you why I bought what I did.

The short version is, we needed several different shotguns, in several different lengths of pull, different comb, rise and different cast on and cast off to be able to fit each shooter. Shotgun fit is one of the most important aspects of successful shooting.

Today, I spent quite a bit of time cleaning and assembling a new 12 gauge Browning Cynergy Sporting Clays Model, and a Browning Cynergy Feather .410 bore. These are both double barreled, over and under shotguns.

The Browning Cynergy Feather .410 bore is the perfect shotgun for smaller framed shooters. Young shooters, and anyone that leans toward the slight of stature will really appreciate this firearm. The recoil is very light, as is the actual weight of the firearm. It also has a built in recoil reduction system. That means less perceived "kick" to the shooter's shoulder. This shotgun will help many a new shooter become comfortable with the Sporting Clays course. I will spend some time shooting it next week.

Browning's Cynergy .410 Bore Feather Weight Over and Under Shotgun

The 12 gauge Browning Cynergy Sporting Clays Composite edition is one of my favorite shotguns. It is adjustable for comb, cast on and cast off as well as length of pull. All of these features will help a shooter break more targets on a consistent basis.

Browning's 12 Gauge Sporting Clays Comp Stock Model Over and Under Shotgun

Personally, I need to spend some time on the range next week and loosen up from winter's grip. I'll be attending a course developed and sanctioned by the National Sporting Clays Associaton, to become a certified level I sporting clays instructor. I'm really looking forward to this course.

While I've spent a large part of my life carrying and shooting shotguns for sport and pleasure with a great degree of success, I have not had enough experience as a teacher of same. This course I will be attending is designed to take a proficient marksman to the next level of a proficient shooting instructor.

Jaimee Bremner and shooting coach Ron Snow on the trap range last summer.
Jaimee is part of Rock Creek Member Dave Manougian's Comcast SportsNet team.

I guess that's about it for now. Hope to see you at the ranch, soon.

Sharp Hooks and Tight Lines,

Ron

Worth A Thousand Oar Strokes

2010-03-15T21:04:00.004-06:00

We spent the day on the Clark Fork rowing and throwing everything at them but the kitchen sink.

I met our own Joel Thompson and fellow fly fishing guide Tony Marino on the river about 9:00 am. Joel you already know and some of you know and have had the opportunity to fish with Tony. He has been guiding a long time and has worked with us on several, multi-boat float trips. Great guy. Expert fisherman.

We shoved Tony's skiff into the river 5.3 road miles upstream from our takeout. I'm guessing the float was 6 river miles or so. Joel was the first to hook up with a large sucker. No photos of that one but it tried to devour his streamer like it hadn't eaten all winter. Nice fight and the skunk was off of the boat.

Not too much later, while I was taking a turn on the oars, Tony tied into this nice Cutthroat.

While Joel and Tony took turns catching fish, I caught nothing but some casting practice. I was too stubborn to switch flies. I kept hoping a hatch would turn on and while we did see a few dries, we never saw a fish rise to one.

After Tony and Joel each boated 3 or 4 fish, I couldn't stand it any longer. I re-rigged with streamers and finally got a chance to hook up. Pretty nice Brown.

Here is a photo of a stonefly nymph that Joel found. The bugs are healthy looking for sure.

The weather was great. Our low temperature this morning was 19F with a high of 58F and mostly clear skies. Water temperature at the launch was 40F and the barometer rose slowly today from a low of 30.32 to 30.47. Weather data from Circle H Growers in Deer Lodge.

Thanks to Tony for bringing the boat and thanks to Joel for taking the pictures today. Great day on the river.

Sharp Hooks and Tight Lines,

Ron

Catching Report

2010-03-08T13:39:00.003-07:00

Rock Creek Cattle Company members Neil Johnson and Dan Hollingsworth spent the weekend at their respective cabins and booked a float trip with us. Since Joel had scouted the Bitterroot with great results a few days prior, they decided that would be the river to fish. It was a great decision. They not only landed good numbers of fish, there were some really nice sized trout caught as well. Here are the highlight pictures of their float with Joel.

Dan and Joel

Neil

Dan

Joel

While they floated, I ran the truck and trailer shuttle for them and then explored a section of the Bitterroot I had never fished before by wading a mile long section. I didn't catch the numbers those guys did but did manage five fish to hand. Here is the nicest of my day, a healthy Cutbow.

Remember, you can click on the images to see the larger versions.

Sharp Hooks and Tight Lines,

Ron

The TroutAholic Strikes Again

2010-03-03T05:50:00.005-07:00

While I was on a recent road trip to Nashville and back, Joel spent a couple of days on the river. When I got back to Deer Lodge, I checked out Joel's Montana TroutAholics page on Facebook and found he had done not only some fishing, but some nice catching too. I stole the following from his post:

"There was a small window on the river today where fish were up on the surface eating Skwalas! Here is a picture of a cutthroat who was the first taker! If the weather stays like this it could be happy happy stuff this week!"

The cuttie above, as well as the Skwala hatch, came on his second day on the river. Below are the results of his first day out during the recent warm spell:

"The day was great the fishing was pretty good considering it is still February! Five fish to hand all on nymphs. a size 18 pheasant tail flashback with rubber legs was the hot bug catching all but one fish. The rainbows are beautiful right now as they have their spawning colors going on in a big way!"

Very nice Joel, thanks for the update. I can't wait to get out there this weekend and fling some dry flies.

That reminds me, it is time to get your new Montana Fishing License for the 2010 season. I got mine yesterday at the local Ace Hardware store in Deer Lodge. You can also get your license online at the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks website. I keep the link to their site in the left hand side of this blog in the Hooked Up Links section. It is at the bottom of that list.

In the state of Montana, all guides must work through an outfitter. In addition to providing documentation of their on the water experience and skills proficiency, fishing outfitters are required to demonstrate their knowledge of the state's fish and wildlife laws through an examination process. They must also file an outfitter's plan which includes waters they fish, guides they hire and lodges they work with in the course of their business. They are also required to keep records of each fishing trip they book and file those with the state's Board of Outfitters each year. Joel, through his Montana TroutAholic Outfitters company, is the outfitter of record for Rock Creek Cattle Company. Here is a link to Montana TroutAholic Outfitters.

Back to the bugs that have me anxious to get on the river. I captured the following image of a Skwala on my thumb last season, and yes, that is Skwala poop on my finger.

The Skwala is a type of stonefly and considered to be on the large side of the dry fly bugs. You can find all you want to learn about the Skwala at the WestFly website. The folks at WestFly have put together a very comprehensive site which I refer to often for great bug info.

That's about it for now. We are going to try to get on the water this weekend. If so, you'll see a report post next week. With any luck at all, it will be a catching report.

Sharp Hooks and Tight Lines,

Ron

My, What Big Teeth You Have

2010-02-17T11:32:00.003-07:00

Valentine's Day, 2010, 8:30 AM, between Cell Phone Hill and Farabaugh Lane. It was cool. Here's how it went.

My wife and I were driving to the lodge so I could do some work. I had a few small chores to attend to that Sunday. I don't normally have duty at the lodge on Sundays this time of year but I had agreed to fill in for someone else and since it was Valentine's Day, my wife decided to ride along. We would continue our Valentine's Day date after work.

We had spotted some elk in Mullen Gulch and we spent a few minutes glassing them through the binoculars. Couldn't find the dropped antler bull in the herd that I talked about in the post Ice River, Wack Rack, Eagle Eyes and a RZR but there were a few young bulls in the herd. We counted 43 animals before we moved on.

Probably less than a mile from those elk, on our way up to the lodge, I spotted something out of the ordinary. Couldn't tell at first what it was, but I knew it wasn't part of that particular hill side. Stopped the car and put the binoculars on it. WOLF!

Big and gray and holding still trying it's best to be invisible. We were 300 yards away and it held still for a while but couldn't take the pressure. It made a run for the timber. We got to watch it for 15 seconds or so as it made it's way into the trees. It was pretty cool and the first wolf that Deb has ever seen in the wild. It was my second on Rock Creek property.

A story titled "Powell County wolf pack count now in" by Mark Eisenbeil in today's Silver State Post reminded me to post about our sighting. Here is a quote from Mark's story; "According to Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Wolf Management Specialist Liz Bradley, there are an estimated minimum of six packs, representing 21-plus wolves. Bradley acknowledged that there are probably more wolves out there."

I didn't have enough camera with me to get a good photo of our sighted subject. You can barely make out a gray dot on a snow covered hill in my photo. You can however, find some good stuff on wolf identification at the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks page entitled Recognizing A Gray Wolf .

Sharp Hooks and Tight Lines,

Ron

Rack and RZR Follow Up plus Something's Bugging Me

2010-02-05T07:23:00.006-07:00

Wack Rack Follow Up
Last week, I included a couple of photos of a young bull elk that had a dropped antler on his right side.

I called a few elk expert types from friends to the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation to get some additional info on the possible causes of that bull's rack plight. Most common cause-Broke the antler while it was in the velvet growth stage and it then sort of calcified in that position. If that is the case, it will shed the antler like they do every year and when it grows the replacement next season, it should be normal, unless the pedestal is damaged. If the pedestal is damaged or scarred, it could cause the antler to grow down and out instead of up and back every year.

It could also be a genetic deformation, in which case it will continue to grow in a similar fashion for the remainder of the animal's life. We'll have to wait and see.

Used RZR For Sale
I also posted about Randy Rupert letting us all know of the customized Polaris RZR for sale. At that time I thought the asking price was 11,500. Randy got in touch with me to share some additional information.

It is a 2008 model, with the extra equipment package running about $4,800 and the rig only has about 72 hours of run time on it. New asking price is $9,900. Sweet deal. Same thing brand new will be over $15,000.

Here are some additional pictures.

If you are interested, shoot me an email or call me at the lodge and I'll give you Randy's contact information.

Something's Bugging Me...
And it's called a Swkalla
The month of February has many fly fishermen thinking about the upcoming fishing season, including me.

I saw one fly shop posting about their day dreams of the Skwala hatch that should hit some regional rivers in mid-March or so and could last through May. The Skwala is a type of stone fly and while not as large as a Salmon Fly, it is a big fly, and the fishing can be exciting. Cross your fingers.

Sharp Hooks and Tight Lines,

Ron

Ice River, Wack Rack, Eagle Eyes and a RZR

2010-01-29T12:14:00.009-07:00

Temps have warmed considerably over the last couple of weeks. Still down in the single digits for overnight lows but not as cold as it was. We experienced nearly two weeks of way below zero lows barely above zero highs. Those kind of temps tend to freeze things up. (Click the pics for larger images, then use your back button to return to the post.)

Clark Fork frozen over in January near Ranch Headquarters.

Looking down river toward Kohrs Bend Fishing Access

I've been watching this small herd of elk on the ranch. I thought I noticed something unusual about one of the young bulls but couldn't tell for sure. Days later, I finally confirmed what I thought when I got to study him through the binoculars.

Look closely at the lead elk's rack.

Same elk is the far left animal in this photo.

They are more than a little spooky when you try to approach on foot. Got close enough a while back to get some quick photos. Look at the antlers. Notice the wacky rack on one of them? I look forward to watching this bull grow through the years. I'm no elk expert but I think he'll probably grow a new, bigger antler in a similar fashion on his right side every year. We'll have to watch for him. I think we need a name for him. Suggestions?

Here is a shot of one of the area residents I got this morning on the Clark Fork on the ranch. There was a juvenile with this one as well. These things are just amazing to me.

Mature Bald Eagle leaving it's perch above the Clark Fork.

Here is an FYI that came across my desk this morning. It's not mine, I'm not the salesman. I'm just including this here as a service to the members that might be interested. I can help you get in touch with the seller.

I do think these machines are one of the best and most fun ways to get around the ranch. It is called a Polaris RZR. A base model 2010 retails for $11,000 plus shipping, tax, title, license blah blah blah.

RCCC Member Randy Rupert brought it to my attention and I've asked him for additional details. In the mean time, here is a photo, more available on request. I think he said the asking price on this one is $11,500.I can see from the photos it has TONS of extra stuff. Winch, bumper, nerf bars, premium tires and wheels, spare tire and wheel. (Young passenger not included) Shoot me an email if I can be of any assistance.

Sharp Hooks and Tight Lines,

Ron

Hard Water, Hard Luck

2010-01-18T12:22:00.005-07:00

I was in the grocery store in Deer Lodge, Valley Foods. One of the owners, Gerald Bender, is an avid ice fisherman. I'd say a local legend as far as ice fishing goes. "Hey Ron, the fish have been biting a little. Ready to try it?" He's been inviting me to go with him for weeks. My schedule was clear, so I said yes.

Gerald said he'd pick me up at my house at 6:00am, and we'd head to Canyon Ferry Lake, south and east of Helena, MT. Gerald has all of the gear required, all I needed to bring was a lunch.

The appointed day rolled around, I was up early packing my lunch and pouring coffee in the Thermos. Just stepping out of the shower at 5:30 when the dog started barking. Somebody was knocking at the door. It was Gerald. First lesson of the day, when he says 6, he means 5:30. Threw on some clothes and grabbed my pack, away we went.

During the drive, about an hour and a half, we talked of everything from the grocery business to fishing and hunting and golf at Rock Creek. That golf discussion didn't take very long, as I'm no good at it and Gerald hasn't played out there, yet. Anyway... we get to the lake, find the spot and start drilling holes. with the ice auger/drill.

The short story is, the fish didn't cooperate very much. We had three bites all day. Gerald hauled one fish out of the lake. It was one of those "Shoulda been here yesterday" type days. It happens, especially when you are talking about fishing.

I learned some good tips and techniques, had a good time, and got a couple of nice sunrise photos. Better luck next time, as I'm about ready to go again.

Even on the ice, with the wind blowing and the fish not biting, it was way better spending the day out there, than it would have been spending it in the office or inside the house.

The sunrise alone was worth the trip.

Sharp Hooks and Tight Lines,

Ron

Dashing Through The Snow-Montana Musher and Rock Creek Members

2010-01-08T14:26:00.009-07:00

Looking for something different to do at Rock Creek during the winter?

Can you yell mush and geee and haaw? Can you bundle up? Then you might want to get together with Celeste Davis, Powell County resident and sled dog racer.

Josh Hollingsworth in the basket with the warm mountain man hat, Todd Davis in the Alaska shirt, Celeste Davis, the Montana Musher, and I don't know all of the dogs still tethered to the trailer at the right that are impatiently waiting their turn to rock.

Celeste, her husband Todd Davis and son Beau live just across the valley from the Rock Creek Cattle Company's cattle operations headquarters, more commonly referred to as "The Home Ranch".

Celeste is a professional Nurse (either an RN or an LPN, I can't remember dangit, sorry) and she is also known as The Montana Musher. You can learn more about Celeste, her dog team and her quest to conquer the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race in 2010 by clicking on this link to MontanaMusher.

Making the turn for home on the warm up loop. These dogs were moving out and it is less than half the team.

The Hollingsworth family, Rock Creek members from California, came to the ranch to spend some time at their cabin right after Christmas. During their stay, the wound up getting together with Celeste for a day with the dogs. I went along for a little while to snap a couple of pictures and just because I'd never seen a sled or the dogs that pull them, up close and personal.

Hard to tell in this photo, but this is the part where the photographer (me) is nearly run over and momentarily tangled in the harness. Well, I was trying to get a picture of Josh with his huge smile.

Before you ask, no, I didn't ride on a sled. I just tried to stay out of the way. I gotta tell ya though, it was pretty cool.

When we pulled up to the meeting place, dog yelps and barks filled every possible silence. They were excited and ready to run. It didn't take too long before they were hitched up and Celeste was going over some safety instructions to the participants. She then took them each on a couple of quarter mile loops with about a half of the dog team, to warm up and get everyone acquainted with the situation.

Final warm up lap.

With that accomplished, she hitched up a second sled behind the first, added twice as many dogs to the rig, loaded everyone up and away they went for a 3 hour tour. Unlike Gilligan and the Captain, all returned safely to a hot campfire and hot chocolate with eyes wide, stories to tell and a unique memory to hold onto forever.

These photos are just a few shot during the warm up lap. They aren't great, in part because it's hard to keep focus in the low light conditions with those dogs moving as fast as they do.

Time to hitch up the rest of the team and take off through the mountains.

I know the Hollingsworth kids had a great time. The Davis family, Celeste, Todd and Beau, are good folks and I wish Celeste all the best in her Iditarod adventure. I'm glad I got to tag along.

Sharp Hooks and Tight Lines,

Ron

Post Script-Posts in the near future include A Blue Moon, A(ice)River Runs Through It, Elk Trailing In The Snow, and with any luck at all, an Ice Fishing Report. I've been invited to go with a local ice fishing legend. We are supposed to hit the hard water next Tuesday.

Frosty Morning

2009-12-27T12:42:00.004-07:00

It was 4 below at my house this morning at 6AM.

I'm guessing it was 10 below here at the lodge.

It was 7 below when I took these photos this morning.

I counted 23 elk in this herd this morning. There is at least one young bull in the herd. Can you spot him? I think he is the 5th or 6th head from the left. If I did this correctly, you should be able to click on the pictures and they will pop up much larger.

Sharp Hooks and Tight Lines,

Ron

Rock Creek Rams!

2009-12-15T13:23:00.003-07:00

Check out these bad boys!

Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep rams on Rock Creek Cattle Company. Photo by Kevin Morley

Talk about Ram Tough!

Rock Creek Cattle Company's own Kevin Morley was out and about last Friday and found our resident herd of Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep. He sent these photos to share.

Bighorn ram flanked by ewes at Rock Creek. Photo by Kevin Morley.

Very nice Kevin, and thanks.

According to the Montana, Fish, Wildlife and Parks webiste, this herd is known as the Garrison Herd. They have a pretty extensive write up and management plan for your reading pleasure if you are so inclined.

Here is the link, http://fwp.mt.gov/content/getItem.aspx?id=39737 with the Garrison Herd part beginning on page 132 of this PDF. There is some interesting stuff in there.

Thanks again, Kevin!

Sharp Hooks and Tight Lines,

Ron

Hell Freezing Over?

2009-12-10T14:00:00.006-07:00

Our low for the month so far has been -24F. I don't know what it takes for hell to freeze over, but I'm betting this is close.

It has been unseasonably cold. They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Place yer peepers on this pic of Ice Creek, formerly known as Rock Creek.

OK, so we haven't really changed the name to Ice Creek, though we could and it would fit perfectly. There are a few small pockets of flowing water that have not iced over, but not many.

The damned ice dams actually raise the ice and water level in the creek. Don't know if you can tell by this photo but the ice/water level is definitely out of it's channel.

Same thing is happening to the Clark Fork. Very slushy and much of it is iced over.

The good news is, we are supposed to hit a warming trend next week with temps getting up to near freezing for afternoon highs. Whew, I'm sweating already. Somebody pass the Copper Tone.

By the way, there is an official weather report station thing in Deer Lodge. It is two blocks from my house, on the Clark Fork river. It is at the Circle H Growers greenhouse/nursery place. I was talking to Ed, the owner, and I think he said it automatically updates every 15 minutes. Here's the link to he weather page at Circle H Growers.

Obviously, no fishing is being done in the rivers around here. Even if you could put on enough clothes to stand in a river waving a stick, yer stick would freeze. So would your line. Too many icebergs floating along too.

What about ice fishing, you ask? Sure, probably in the not too distant future. The bad news is what I know about ice fishing you could put in a rocks glass and still have plenty of room for bourbon. The good news is, someone has volunteered to teach me about it.

I'll let you know more about that in a few days. I think the ice needs to get a bit thicker first.

Sharp Hooks and Tight Lines,

Ron

Spawning Browns in Rock Creek

2009-10-24T12:56:00.004-06:00

German Brown preparing for the spawn in Rock Creek. Photo by Joel Thompson

Most of the golden leaves have fallen. They seem an offering from the Cottonwoods to the spawning Brown trout, migrating from the Clark Fork to Rock Creek. The decomposing leaves break apart in the creek's currents, as our Browns do their thing to make new lives.

Rock Creek Brown in spawning mode. Photo by Joel Thompson

Joel, Ron and I have seen several pairs of spawning trout throughout the creek. A few of the fish have been impressive. Some are brightly colored, some just big, some big and brightly colored.

16" Brown Trout preparing to spawn in Rock Creek. Photo by Joel Thompson

We have initiated an honorary no-fish regulation for Rock Creek, until the Browns are mostly done spawning. We hope to encourage more fish to make their homes here on Rock Creek. We feel they will find life enjoyable and productive here, just as our members have all season. So, look for new scaly, slimy faces when you wet a line next season, and hold your mouth right, in order to hook one!

In Wild Waters,

Zac Sexton

Home On The Range

2009-08-27T09:12:00.013-06:00

I had the privilege of going on horseback ride yesterday with Matt Buckley, our equestrian guru.

Matt has come up with some amazing rides for us this year and it is an absolute pleasure to ride with him. Due to the time constraints, I was only able to go on a 2 hour ride which was a real bummer as it was a perfect day for a ride. That said, my butt is a little saddle sore so maybe it was for the better. We rode up a drainage to the west of the home ranch and before long we started seeing elk.

Elk calf on the range. Photo by Joel

The elk calf in in the picture got separated from the herd and began to follow us. I guess the horses looked close enough to being its mama so the little guy felt comfortable following us. As soon as we crested the top of the bluff, we encountered the rest of the heard below us and the calf took off running for them. It was pretty cool to have him tag along as long as he did.

Horse Wrangler, cowboy poet and all around great guy, Matt Buckley. Photo by Joel

The vistas from on top of the bluff were simply breath taking. That is Matt in the picture and if you look real hard in the valley below, you can see the herd of elk.

I can't say enough good things about Matt. He is professional, kind, enthusiastic, witty, and just fun to be around. He is als a great cowboy poet and if you take a ride with him, I encourage you all to get him to recite some of it for you! Trust me, you will not be disappointed! Matt has taken our equestrian program to the next level and I encourage everyone to book a ride with us in September.

September is a great month on the ranch. The temperatures are mild and the fall colors are just getting started. Plus the elk are starting to get into the rut so you will likely hear them bulge at all times of the day which is a very cool thing if you have never experienced it before.

We have all level of rides for all level of riders and can do rides from an hour long up to.....well as long as you would like to go for! Come and enjoy the ranch from the back of a horse. You will never regret it!

Feeding Your Addiction,

Joel

Rock Creek Fishing Report

2009-08-12T15:20:00.005-06:00

The creek has been fishing pretty good in the evenings lately, but it was a little slow today when I was out with Jill Caruso and Matt Donald. They were in from Seattle and wanted to try their hand at fly fishing so after a little lawn casting lesson, we headed for the creek.Matt Donald and Jill Caruso doing a little lawn casting practice.

The creek has risen about 4 inches overnight which has brought temperature down and probably had fish feeding all night on the behavioral drift of nymphs and larvae and probably lots of terrestrial bugs like ants and beetles being washed in from rising water.

I don't know for certain but I think the rise in water is due to less irrigation water being taken out as hay fields are being cut and very little irrigation is going on at the moment.Jill Caruso with a Rock Creek Brown that took an Elk Hair Caddis Dry

We did get a few rises on elk hair caddis, golden stones, chernobyl ants, beetle and even San Juan Worm dropper.

Matt Donald with a Rock Creek Brown that took the San Juan Worm dropper.

Thanks to Jill and Matt for a great morning on the creek. I really enjoyed sharing it with you. Come back soon!

Sharp Hooks and Tight Lines,

Ron

Creek Fishing Well

2009-08-06T07:02:00.003-06:00

Rock Creek has been fishing very well recently!

Cary Patterson with a nice Rock Creek dry fly Brown

The spruce moths are out in force and a good dry fly pattern to use is an elk hair caddis. I'm liking the gray and tan body flies. Size doesn't seem to be really important, within reason. Hoppers are also working pretty danged well. I know Zac has been dropping different nymphs from his dry for his guests and the fish are eating those too.

Paul Hayne and one of Rock Creek's fine dry fly participants!

I fished the Clark Fork with my nephew a couple of evenings ago. Spencer turns 9 years old in a couple of days. This was his first time to fly fish. He landed his first brown trout on a dry fly and to say he is excited about and hooked on fly fishing would be a real understatement. Elk Hair Caddis, PMD's, Parachute Adams, Purple Haze and Rusty Spinners are all working on the Clark Fork at the right time of day.

Mornings and evenings are proving best right now. Middle/heat of the day, not so much unless you have plenty of cloud cover.

We have had several afternoon showers roll through but not enough to muddy the waters. We take a break if there is lightning in the air, otherwise we're fishing!!

Sharp Hooks and Tight Lines,

Ron

Fishing Report

2009-07-30T14:53:00.002-06:00

We've been really busy and that's a great thing for everything except the blog.

On my way out the door to teach some trap shooting however I wanted to update you quickly on the fishing around here.

The Blackfoot and the Missouri have both been fishing well. The Upper Clark Fork that runs through the ranch is hit or miss. Evening hatches can produce good action some days, and leave you less than satisfied on others.

Rock Creek is fishing great. Mornings good, heat of day not so good, evenings can be great. Stoneflies, Spruce Moth imitations, small Parachute Adams working right now but can be hard to see on the fast water.

You need to be quiet on the creek and watch that you don't cast a shadow on the pools as you approach. Fish from down stream and quietly stalk up toward each pool fishing the entire pool form tail out to falls with most of the bigger fish coming right beside the white water in the head of the pools.

Zac and Joel and I all have plenty of pictures but just finding time to process them all and write a post is challenging. More to come....

Sharp Hooks and Tight Lines,

Ron

Rock Creek Catching Report

2009-07-12T14:52:00.002-06:00

Had the pleasure of fishing the creek with Al Stinson recently and the action was good.

Al and I started our adventure down on the Clark Fork and his 2nd or 3rd cast Al was hooked up and in battle. Good size Rocky Mountain Whitefish took the dropper on a dry/dropper rig. I got a photo however it did not turn out well. Reflection glared out the image. We fished there a while longer and decided the action was probably more fast and furious up on Rock Creek so we headed there. We were right/

Al's hopper hit the water and a big brownie inhaled it. Solid 16 on a parachute hopper patter that we carry in the shop. He played the fish perfectly and while he was doing that I was looking for the net. The one that I left up in the Jeep at the trail head. DOH!!

Got the fish up against the bank using a combination of my hands and feet which was, I'm sure, quite comical. Got both hands on the fish and was about to hand it to Al for the picture when it did a quick flip and was gone. I was kicking myself square in the butt for leaving the net in the Jeep. It was a beautiful fish, very healthy and a great fighter. Sorry Al, for not getting that picture for you. Dangit.

We fish on upstream a ways and there were many takes. Just about a fish everyplace one should be. It was a great day of catching.

I'd say we are in the beginnings of hopper season around here. Golden Stoneflies are showing up in greater numbers and a few hoppers are around. When you have the correct flies, with the correct, drag free presentation, the action is very satisfactory.

Sharp Hooks and Tight Lines,

Ron
Post Script: If your guide doesn't have a net with him, ask him why not! I can guarantee you he or she didn't mean to leave it behind.

The Ins and Outs of NuCanoes And A Fishing Report

2009-07-05T09:34:00.002-06:00

Hope you had a great Independence Day celebration. We had a great time here with a huge BBQ, libations, music and sparklers!!

It finally, really, feels like summer here in these mountains of Montana and that means it was time for us to move the NuCanoes up to the lake. We have a small fleet of them available for rent during your visit.

They are very easy to paddle, virtually unsinkable and so far, I haven't been able to tip one over. I have fallen out of one, but that's nothing new for me. Ain't the first boat I've fallen out of and I don't think it'll be my last!

Joel decided it might be a good idea to put together a little video demonstration of easy paddle boat entry and exit strategy. I was the camera man on this project and no, you don't have to worry about me quitting my day job.

Heeeerrrrrre's Joel!

Thanks JT, good stuff.

Today's Fishing Report: The creek looks great and the dry fly action is picking up a little each day. Bugs in the air include some caddis, golden stones, yellow sally with a few hoppers showing up.

Though a few fish can be tricked in the morning, the best bite is certainly in the afternoon through dusk. Plenty of mosquitoes on the creek so be prepared. Long sleeve shirts and long pants along with a little repellent will go a long way to making your day much more enjoyable.

Sharp Hooks and Tight Lines,

Ron

Creek Browns and Cutties on Dries.

2009-06-27T15:08:00.003-06:00

I get excited about dry fly fishing. We've had three good, really warm days in a row and it's got our creek fish looking up.

Al Stinson and I fished some different sections of the creek yesterday and today. Both days we had fish take the dries. We fished dry flies and some dry dropper combos. Fish ate both.

It's not what I would call red hot action, but it's good action.

Al caught Brownies and Cutthroats both.

Good couple of trips.

Sharp Hooks and Tight Lines,

Ron

Quick Fishing Report

2009-06-23T09:40:00.003-06:00

Fished the creek for a few minutes this morning. Less than a half hour. Moved one fish with a streamer. Water is still running high and fast although clarity is improving and level has dropped about 2 inches overnight.

We've been having rain the last few days and light snows up on the mountain. Runoff is not over but fishing on the creek should improve steadily unless we have a flash flood and that could set it back a few days. I'm optimistic though.

The Clark Fork is still high and off color. It will be a while.

The fish at Lake Foley are becoming more active with signs of surface activity according to Eric Rieland, our fisheries biologist/stream restoration specialist.

In other news-Eric is finishing up work on the creek. Many more improved holding areas just below the county road and down below 17 green. The fish are moving up from the Clark Fork and we're looking forward to those sections of the creek fishing very well in the next few weeks.

Sharp Hooks and Tight Lines,

Ron

Creek Fishing Report Plus Blackfoot Bow!

2009-06-20T11:09:00.005-06:00

Runoff continues on the region's rivers and creeks. Rock Creek here at the lodge is up over a foot this morning after recent warm days and a few rain showers. It's running high and slightly off color but I was able to trick a few browns with a Big Horn Lead Eye Bugger this morning.

Most in the 8 to 12 inch range with one a little over 14. It's tough, fast fishing with very quick drifts and swings into pockets and deep pools getting some of the bite and erratic strips upstream very tight to the bank taking more fish. Like I said, it's tough work type fishing but a person can catch some streamer fish if they are committed to fast and furious and really feeling the take.

In other news, check out the photo Zac snapped of this beauty that Brett caught while fishing one of our rivers the other day.

This beautiful rainbow measured 25 1/2 inches according to Zac's tape measure. It ate a tungsten bead head "Bird Of Prey".

All Smiles

Great live release!

Nice one Brett!

Sharp Hooks and Tight Lines,

Ron

Shotgun Safety Basics With Rock Creek Ron

2009-06-14T14:04:00.003-06:00

I really enjoy the shooting sports. It's a close second, for me anyway, to fly fishing. I enjoy shotgunning, rifles and handguns. Today, we're going to talk about some basic safety procedures when on the trap range at Rock Creek Cattle Company.

Once you arrive at the trap range, your instructor for the day will go over the following basic instructions. It is standard operating procedure whether you are a beginner or a seasoned firearms veteran. Remember, it's not a video game or a cartoon. It's serious and with safety in mind, it is loads of fun.

1.-Always assume any firearm you handle is loaded. Never point it at anything or any one that could be shot if an accidental discharge occurs.

2.- With the firearm in the muzzle up position, find the safety button and make sure the button is in the safe mode. If you see red, it means fire. Push the button to the safe position.

3. With the firearm pointing down range, move to the ready to load position.

4. After loading, move firearm to the up position, meaning the muzzle is pointing straight up.

5. Take your stance-Feet about shoulder width apart with your leading foot pointing down range, back at a right angle and pointing to your right, if you are right handed, to your left if you are left handed.

6. Mount your shotgun-From the up position, push your shotgun skyward, and settle it back into your shoulder. Point the muzzle downrange and slightly above the trap machine. You may now click the safety button into the fire position.

7. When you are ready, call for your target by saying "Pull" loud and clear.

8. Track your target and fire. Immediately after firing, return the muzzle to the upright position and engage the safety again.

Repeat!

Once everyone is familiar with the routine, we can put several people on the firing line at once at the different posts and have a real trap shoot!!

Here is the video we shot a couple of days ago, starring Rock Creek Ron with videography by Joel.

The shooting sports are great fun. Keep safety first and have a blast.

Sharp Hooks and Tight Lines,

Ron

Fly Casting Basics Video

2009-06-12T08:56:00.005-06:00

"10 and 2, like a metronome, accelerate to a stop, don't let your wrist break, keep your back cast up, keep your forward cast up!" All things a fly casting instructor might say to a first time fly casting student. All of that stuff can certainly apply and be effective in helping students put a mental image of what's going on during the fly casting process, but it can also lead to information overload. Think instead of this: "Answer the phone, hammer the nail." That's what Rock Creek guide Zac says when he gets folks started fly casting.

Zac has decided he wants to become a Certified Casting Instructor as determined by the Federation of Fly Fishers, also known as the FFF. You can learn more about the FFF if you follow this link to the home page of the Federation of Fly Fishers. They have an entire casting instructor process that includes not only knowing how to cast but also how to effectively teach others how to cast. It is not an easy undertaking but we have great faith that Zac can get'er done!!

Joel decided that it would be good practice for Zac to be our star instructor for a video series on fly casting. Joel grabbed the camera, Zac grabbed a rod and they went to work producing this video.

Great job Zac and I'm thinking Joel could be a movie director in his next life!! Enjoy and if you have any questions or comments, let us know.

Sharp Hooks and Tight Lines,

Ron

Big Water & Big Fish

2009-06-08T13:02:00.006-06:00

The "Hog Hole" where Zac caught several fish in the mid-teens.

Big water has brought big Brown trout to lower Rock Creek, though the real story might be the monster resident Westslope cutthroat trout. Ron gave me a mission to see if Rock Creek was fishable and I chose to accept it.

I headed to the lower, meadow section of the creek, thinking the big water flows may have attracted fish from the Clark Fork to move and find respite on the ranch. Though the water is still high, it is only slightly off-color and fishable. The trick is to get down deep.

By drifting a combination of heavy flies, I found big Browns made it to the meadows. I landed several fish, the biggest of which is pictured,was around 15 inches, fat and healthy.

A 15-inch Brown trout caught in the meadow section on Rock Creek. It took Zac's Marathoner pattern from the bottom of a deep hole.

Moving upstream of the Cattlemen's Club, I found resident fish were still feeding actively, again in deep holes. I was getting used to catching 8 to 11-inchers, and rather lax in my hook-setting, when something big hit my fly. I lifted to set the hook, felt a few head-shakes, and saw a monster Cuttie explode to the surface.

It was as deep from back to belly as my hand is wide, and around 20 inches long! I gave the beast some slack as it headed to the raging current, shaking her head furiously. She disappeared, throwing the hook, and leaving my flies tangled in the Spruce tree branches above me.

I can take you to her...

In Wild Waters,

Zac Sexton

The Pond & The Swashbuckler

2009-06-07T11:41:00.008-06:00

Several evenings each week, I can be found wading around our small reservoir, erratically stripping Water Boatman flies and grinning ear-to-ear with each hook-up. Many fish have fallen to my Water Boatman pattern that a friend named the Swashbuckler, because of the riotous fly retrieval, and showy strikes from fish. It really is quite exciting.

Pond Brown Trout with Swashbuckler Fly Photo by Zac Sexton

It took a while to figure out the secret of the Water Boatman bug. But since our streams are high and off-color, I have plenty of time to research our pond. Earlier this season I would see a fish rise every now and again. It didn’t matter what the weather was, and it didn’t seem to matter what bugs were hatching. Most the time only midges were visible, and fish usually just sip midges. We couldn’t figure what was causing the fish to explode from the water. But one evening I saw a Brown rush from the depths after a Boatman.

The bug got to shallow water just as the Brown swirled in the surface, missed its target, and shot back to deep water. That was what I needed to clue me in to what they were eating. I started to change my retrieve of the olive-brown generic nymph I was fishing, and immediately got hits, then landed several fish.

That night, I tied a few Boatman prototypes and found one to out-produce the rest. I have since caught all but two fish since early May on the Swashbuckler fly. By fishing a few key places, and using a particular retrieve, I have found it possible to catch several fish every time I fish our small pond. And we are excited to take our members and guests to share the excitement of catching hard-fighting trout in our pond.

Cutthroat Trout photo by Zac Sexton

Update: last night, I noticed some Mayflies emerging, and a few fish chasing ‘em…

In Wild Waters,

Zac

Upper Rock Creek Restoration Video

2009-06-06T15:02:00.001-06:00

Joel and Zac went up to check out the creek rehab work on the upper meadows section of Rock Creek. Erik and crew are fixing some of the areas that the flash flood of last July created. It was a mess.

The fishing was already good up there and this will make it even better.

Here is the story as filed by Rock Creek Reporter on the fly, Mr. Joel Thompson! (Nice work, but don't quit your day job buddy, bwahahahaaaa)

Sharp Hooks and Tight Lines,

Ron

Missouri River - May 5 2009

2009-06-06T13:59:00.000-06:00

Fred Schremp and his guests joined us for a fly fishing trip on the mighty Missouri river.

None of Fred's guests had fly fished before, but now they are true Troutaholics!

Everyone in the group caught and landed fish. Great job guys!

The flies of the day were flashy pheasant tails, orange scuds and soft hackle hare's ears.

We look forward to getting out with these guys again and showing them some dry fly action next time.

Feeding Your Addiction,

Joel

Rock Creek Current Conditions

2009-06-06T11:50:00.000-06:00

The creek is high and off color right now. High just because of runoff though it has come down in the last week. Off color mostly because Erik is working in the upper meadows, up by the county road, with excavators in the creek. Joel shot some video and hammed it up a bit that I'm going to try to post in here if I can figure it out.

I tried to find some dry fly fish yesterday afternoon but no luck at all. Still too early and cool though we are having some good mayfly hatches and I'm seeing a few caddis. The time is close, but it's not today. It's actually snowing here at the lodge right now. No accumulation but the next week is going to be wet.

Creek temp is 43 F this morning.

Joel and Zac took Fred Schremp and his 3 guests on a float trip yesterday on the Missouri. Good trip for fishing and catching. Details to follow as soon as Joel sends the info.

Sharp Hooks and Tight Lines,

Ron