Creek Browns and Cutties on Dries.

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

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!

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

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

"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

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

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

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

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

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