Cooking and Shooting and Shooting Shirts and Shotguns

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

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

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

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