Raynolds Pass
The Year Of Cov.
Hello travelers.
Today is Oct. 24th 2020. Our 39th Anniversary today.
And here I am, blogging on fishing. That should explain a lot about love.
Well, Montana was unique this year. Unique in many ways. Trout don’t care much about Cov19. or China. Whirling Disease yes, Cov.19 no.
But the amount of Americans traveling through Montana and the National Parks this summer was amazing. A completely different group of people than normal years. And the lack of Asian and Europeans travelers filling these areas was noticeable.
Paid camping spots were hard to find. Almost impossible. Camping on BLM (Bureau of Land Management) was the ticket off road.
TIP: Now, if you don’t want to read my thoughts, you can click on any picture to enlarge it, and then just scroll thru all the photos and skip my explanations:)
You see the Snow levels and temps for melting along with rains are really the guide for where and how you fish the Big Sky. This year I left my Daughter and grandkids in the Wind River Reservation of WY and drove thru the South entrance. There was a front coming in and I made it thru the pass before they closed it for a few days.
I didn’t find this out till a few days later up in Ennis, and was glad to not have been stranded up there. Thankfully with my R-Pod now, I don’t have to set a tent ever again, unless I want to. So to pull over anywhere and have heat and shelter and a toilet, is a luxury I didn’t ever think I’d like. Well, I like it, and I now may have to relinquish my title as a “hard core camper” moving forward. :/
Passing through the Park I had to stop at my favorite Firehole River spot only to find it closed for the season to fishing. That was a first. Usually it gets shut down to fishing for warm and low water in the summer but this was different. Access to even hiking was prohibited.
This river is truly one of the wonders of the fishing world. With live geysers and buffalo roaming around you, it’s quite surreal, and there are also long flat stretches of shallow moving water for throwing soft hackles and relaxing.d
Leaving the West Entrance I passed a few old fishing spots from decades ago, remembering some of my first bear scare moments, and my 1st 19” Rainbow. Passing Lake Hebgen where it always feels like it’s gonna rain or snow, and then looking intently at Quake Lake at the Divide, and the power of the Upper Madison to see if I wanted to come back and fish it later. (oh yeah I did:)
Along the slow drive thru the Park this day, sitting at a dead stop, this old guy moved by me without missing a step. Understanding I was in my truck was way better than the dozens of times they have come upon me while fishing and scaring the shit of me for that moment of “now what”.
Thankfully I’ve never been charged and always have been able to slide into the river off the banks, or climb into the woods around their path, or down a steep embankment; where it’s not worth their energy to follow. What an animal..
Based upon weather, I chose Lake Ennis as my first place to set camp and use my float boat. I got one of two spots on a bluff and sat there in the rain and hail for 3 full days. On day 4 it finally began to clear and I was able to go outside and begin unpacking and prepping gear for fishing:) The cactus in this video was cultivated from the hills and a large cacti. I named him Willie as in the red headed stranger. He lives on my deck now in MN, and I hope he lives long and prospers.
My little rig feels pretty small, high along the banks of the Lake Ennis.
Not to often you get to see the end of a rainbow from above
At the mouth of the Lake Ennis and the Madison River there was an epic pool of 19” Rainbows.
From my float boat is was a 30 row to and from but worth every second. It took me an hour to find the right fly and presentation to catch the first fish. The next 16 Rainbows this size were a day to remember. Remember, it’s easy to fish a whole day for trout and never see or land a fish. These are days to remember.
Dinner for 4 days here.
The contents of the first stomach that helped me find out what they were feeding on:)
This pool of Rainbows were feeding on #16 emergers in a pale yellow. Always small caddis and yes, I found a Salmon fly and large Golden as well.
After 3 days of solid rain, finally the clouds began to break. Down along the shore I found an old man living in the willows 50 yards from the boat launch. My gut feeling is go say hello to everyone alone, but out here when someone camps off grid away from everyone, you don’t want to bother them or get an understandable gun to your face. So from up on the ridge I watched him come out of the willows and pull his old rubber boat out to fish. One day I was watching him carry water and coke from his truck into the woods. He took a bad step and went straight backwards into the reeds. His boots were straight up for about 30 seconds before he began trying to roll over and right himself:0. Yes, he was about 6’, 300 lbs. and in his 70’s. When I moved out a week later, he was still there and his truck hadn’t moved. Interestingly enough the Park Rangers would come by and must have known him because they never walked the trail to check on him or move him out. I’ve run into many people like this over the years. Instead of living on street corners and pan handling, they learn to live off grid and just want to be alone. 200 years ago that wasn’t strange.
Smoked trout soft taco’s and a nice Chardonnay, was dinner, the first day I landed trout.
Grilled Romaine with Bluecheese and Aged Balsamic. Gotta get your greens.
Fire Roasted Pork Tenderloin on Garlic Mash and Port soaked Portabellos with Tenuta D’ Sovrano.
Although my rig has a full kitchen, I’m always happier setting up and cooking outside.
Keeps the camper clean and smelling better:)
Morning Devotions at 6AM with Espresso in my fav. Cup
A self portrait by Hal Empie of Tubac AZ
Sunsets on Ennis (Is this the west or what!!)
The best western artists could always paint this sky in their landscapes.
It’s a unique tint of blue and orange, and always make me think I’m in a western movie.
This is when the sun sets, the temps drop 30 degrees, and you’re glad you have a warm sleep system to climb into. Tent or hardsider. Some of my favorite memories are 90 degree days and 30 degrees at the fire by 10PM. You’re forced to leave your fire and go stuff yourself into your bag with all your clothes on and a flask of bourbon.
I left Ennis after a week and headed back south to the upper Madison and Quake lake.
In all my years I’d never fished quake lake. Driven by it dozens of times. Know nothing about fishing it but thought I could row my little float boat around it for an afternoon and enjoy the view anyway.
Super deep, it felt like a bass lake in MN and I wanted to throw frogs onto the trees and wait for Ka-pow. I only had two hits on my flies all day. -No fish- But the rowing for the day was stunning, the changing winds in this canyon had you changing your rowing every few minutes and you’re always looking up to see if a squall is coming in fast over a ridge. I know there are large whitefish here (although I’m not sure how to catch them here). I may try a guide next time. I read an article by a guide who guided Hank Williams Jr. on this lake one day. All they caught were whitefish and Hank was thrilled, he thought trout were a waste of time and flavor compared to pan or deep fried whitefish. “No comment”..
The road you see across the lake is where I came down from the highway to launch my tube. That road is the original road from Hebgen to Ennis. in the 57’ earthquake this lake was created and the original road now goes straight into the lake and there are cabins and more still deep in the lake.
I didn’t wear waders this day and I’ll tell you that was not too smart. I rowed back at sunset to my truck. Freezing, I had to strip down and put on a rubber rain suit with my heater on hi to warm up for the 1hr ride back to my camp. I had my camp stove and made a hot cup O noodles for the drive back as well:)
There is nothing good about trying to put on a rubber rain suit over a wet body in the dark.
And then there was Raynolds Pass
One Mile hike down the Madison from Raynolds.
This area is catch and release only. The fish are large, smart and very beat up. The mouths on all 7 large Rainbows I released today were terribly damaged. In fact this fish’s right jaw was dislocated and couldn’t even close her mouth fully. When I put her back into the river it took her 5min. to move out of my hands. Barbless hooks should be mandatory in catch and release areas only. This was clear to me today.
Dinner in a warm camper. Yessss.
Fire is a mans best friend
The Madison currents here are pretty tough and very cold.
at 90ยบ and high altitudes I wan’t not singing “smoke on the water” but “Feet in the water”. Oh yeah. and soak your “biff” in it and put it on your head to cool off.
And I never quit being amazed at how fish camouflage in each river differently.
Sleeping off grid means feeling secure at night.
After my last 9 fish afternoon I decided to break camp. That night I made up smoked trout and cheese plates with white and red wine and walked to my fellow boondockers along the Madison to supply Happy Hour Appetizers and wine:) To groups were full time businessmen in 100k plus 1ton converted Vans. Both met at my fire for wine and apps. With Cov19 they both had purchased high end vans with full offices and satellite phones yada.. So one was 29 with a girlfriend live in and the other was 50 with his wife. What did both do that they could do full time from a van? Pot:O. The 50yr old owned 2 dispensaries and managed them from the road. The 29 yr old was the largest underground high end grower from the east coast. A true pot scientist who grows the highest strains underground (large farms) and has never been busted or arrested. Both were enjoying the fire and their similar life stories as we sat along the banks of the Madison River near the Continental Divide at sunset. There are always things to talk about in nature., and politics is not one of them:)
Picked up Jane and headed back to the Big Hole by sunset.
First early morning on the Big Hole at Sunrise. Low 30’s and steam on the water. This upper section is beautiful Brook Trout and Grayling water.
Jane in the portable love seat with a MT. map.
Happy Place:)
1st Brook Trout of the season. They are the best tasting for me.
Now my last full day of floating, Jane dropped me off 4miles up stream so I could float and fish pockets back to our camp. Well, another first. Over the ridge a massive storm blows in. This gives you 60sec. of warning to get your rain gear on and get to the banks. I do. I button everything down and I’m tucked in where the current can not pull me out and my feet are wedged down on big rocks on the bottom of the steep shore as it all hits. My new Patagonia waders and Rain jacket were fantastic in this down pour. You couldn’t see 20 ft in front of you. Then large cracks of Lightning, and immediate thunder. Now this is when you have to make decisions because if lightning hits the river? Hello Jesus, goodbye friends.
Within 5 min. it appears to lift so I lift my feet up and head down stream rowing hard cause I know by the sky this is not over and I’m miles from home with no way out.
I’m passing drift boats with guides and paid guests out of their boat and under willow brush and trees along the banks “soaked” as they had not prepared for weather. At this moment out of nowhere dime size hail begins to slam the river and banks. Like millions of rocks being thrown in the river at one time each one making a 3 inch splash as it hits. I keep rowing hard. I have my biff on my head, the hood from my spf hoodie and rain parka on so only a handful of hail actually stung as they bounced off my head and float boat. This whole sequence happened twice over the next 90 min. and I was having the time of my life fishing in these conditions for the first time in hail. Rain yes, many times but hail? Never. And then at the end light snow began to fall for a few minutes. Surreal.
My biggest thought was the Jane was back at camp alone in all of this and I knew she’d have to break down all the chairs and tables get it all under the R-pod while thinking I’m dead somewhere on the river. Ya, she was pretty happy to see me float into view around sunset. She then confided that she had asked a couple coming out the river if they had seen a guy alone in a float boat with a cowboy hat on. They said oh yea, he floated by us during the storm and we passed him later when he was fishing a pool along the banks.
It’s out of your control so just trust, and let it go.
In our tempo’d safe worlds, there is not a lot of uncertainty each day.
Not having telephones in the wilderness and trusting people will go into the wilderness and come back takes a bit of getting used to. Especially when people don’t come back out on a regular basis.
I’m thankful my wife has let me venture into this space all these years and now looks forward to joining me each year. Well, after she had a bear above her head in our tent, she did demand I buy a camper and a truck if she’s ever to come again. (ok, twist me arm).
Raining and cold, a pot of scratch soup is comfort food for sure.
For three weeks, I worked on charts and music many a rainy day, preparing for the summer jazz season.
That, and I check out every nook and cranny in MT for possible country/folk gigs every year.
Last morning before breaking camp and heading back to Mpls for the season.
And, (Hey Dr. Dyrud), thanks again for my 3 bypass and doing such a stellar job on my scar.
Till 2021, Thank you God for Big Sky Country.
See you there soon.
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