A technical question (beyond my expertise) from Group Two’s wonderful Lori “Fawn Lady” Ware:
Aren't they pretty? At first, I thought going to Montana was all about the BIG wildlife! Beauty from small to large.
Um, Ron, as a girl, I just want to say that I didn't see any of those pink Barbie worms in your box. Do I need to bring my Barbie doll?
Soon! Fawn Lori
Any ideas, E-11ers?!?
RCR---<’///><
Fellow E-11ers:
Well, it seems like it took forever (and it did!), but with long time veteran Brad “Pinko” Colton and his beautiful rookie wife Judy filling Group Three’s roster earlier today, E-11 is officially “full and sold out”!
In addition to our now 66-strong cadre of extravagant fisherfolk, Group One will be joined by National Wildlife Federation gurus Tom France and (two-time Extravaganza veteran) Land Tawney; Group Two will be blessed with the musical talents of Montana Matters’ Troubadour Shane Clouse and, with the Fourth of July as an attractor, Group Three will be joined by two of the “Booboys”--Dave and Jerry from Sweetgrass Rods (the premier bamboo rod makers in the world!)--and a gaggle of folk from the wonderful Montana Wildlife Federation, including its president Tim Aldrich (together with his beautiful wife Carol), its Development Director Jeff Hagener, and its National Issues Coordinator “Big Ben” Lamb and his (much) better half Jasmine [who will be celebrating their second anniversary (having been married at E Headquarters post E-09)], and each of whom, on their last night, will be terrorized around the fire pit [until everyone cries “Buffaload”, that is] by the antics and lyrics of our wonderful guitar-packing honky-tonk friend Bob Wire.
Hang onto your fishing hats, gang, as E-11 is now beginning to fully ramp up into the three weeks of unbridled hilarity that have become an Extravaganza trademark.
Hmmm, and next year is the Extravaganza’s TENTH anniversary—I wonder what might be in store for that forthcoming, (way!) over the top extravagant event?!? (Suffice it to say that [a] plans for E-12 are already fully under way; [b] each E-11er has first dibs on E-12 slots and [c] if any E-11er elects to “pass” on returning for E-12. that will be one decision that will be rued by that passer-be for the next ten years!!)
Bueno, bueno, bueno!!
RCR----<’///>< ----<’///><
Greetings Fellow Extravaganzers:
As Patty will show on her updated flow chart that will be posted when she arrives in the office this Friday morning, “da flow she is on the rise ag’in” with the current discharge rate along and in Rock Creek being 3,900 cfs. Watch for this number to dramatically increase over this weekend and early into next week [perhaps to new record highs] as temperatures in the Missoula area (which have been down right cold this past week) are likewise now set to soar into the 80 degree range.
All of this is good news for us as there is still a bunch of that white stuff left in the upper climes to thaw out and melt down. To that end, current precipitation levels in the Bitterroot Mountain range (with the Bitterroot River being our targeted river this year—my bet is that over 75% of our 100+ boats will float that wonderful fish-filled epic river) showing at 116% of twenty year averages and yet up to 50% of the snowpack yet to run off. While our overall precipitation is not that far above norm, what is interesting about this year’s runoff is that the “water content” of the snowpack is over 200% of normal. For you skiers out there, you know the difference between powder (low water content snow) and “corn snow” (high water content snow)—well, we have a whole lot of corn in those upper fields as, for you math majors out there, 50% of 200% = 100%, and we have yet a full year’s normal flow of water yet ahead of us.
In talking with our Double Up Outfitter John “The Great But Propaneless” Gould yesterday, by all accounts, we are teed up for a big water, lights out year on the Bitterroot this year. Unlike the Blackfoot and Clark Fork rivers which are not dam-regulated, the Bitterroot River (like our back up fishing river, the Missouri River) is dam regulated (and that is damn good!) to that the vagaries of Mother Nature have a water flow governor on them. Propaneless fishes the Bitterroot 90% of his fishing days and when he tells me yesterday that “big water on the Bitterroot = big fish”, both he and I know from first hand fishing experience that such is very much the case.
This is my last Friday in the Bay Area for a month, gang—we are getting that close! When I arrive in Missoula next Thursday, June 9th, the first thing I am going to do is have lunch with John to finalize our guide assignments and, with him, develop a fishing plan for E-11. Look for a (very) meaningful and relevant update by this time next week!!
Best to all in eager anticipation of it all!!
Rock Creek Ron
---<’///><
Houston’s “Gentleman Jim” Carmody checks in as visitor # 200 to Der Blog and, upon his Group Three arrival, will be bestowed with a bottle of Rock Creek Red…congrats, G. Jim!!
RCR---<’///><~~~~~~~~~~~~
A nice note from Group One rookie Steve “The Man” Manfree:
Hi Ron:
Thanks for all the info, flow rates, photo's, and tips!
I am excited,nervous, and grateful to be a part of the Extravaganza-11.
Here is a little music that I hope brightens your day.
Best
Steve
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLziJcPIcG0&feature=related
Extravagant Ones:
Consistent with the adage that "you always want to see what is the other guy's fly box", attached is a photo of that now fully recharged fly box of mine, a tour of which is as follows:
Working from left to right, in the far left-hand row is my arsenal of my smaller dry fly (i.e., flies that float on top of the water) mayflies designed to imitate the dozens of species of those wonderful bugs (a dozen of each of which could easily alight on your smallest fingernail with room to spare) who spend most of their life as bugs crawling underwater and then, as they near the end of their life cycle, "emerge" to the surface of the water in "hatches" (often by blowing air bubbles around themselves, thereby floating atop like a thousand rising balloons), whereafter they "rest" on the water's surface, shed their shuck, pop out their wings and then fly aloft only to mate, whereafter the females return to the water to reposit their eggs, thereby beginning the life cycle again.
The next three columns of flies are examples of mayflies in their nymph stage--these flies are "wet flies" and are fished subsurface and are designed to imitate one or more of the mayflies in their larval and/or emerging stages. Ninety percent of a trout's consumption is of flies in their nymphal stages and, hence, the preponderance of those in this fly box, atop the middle row of which are four red San Juan worms (aka, "the dreaded worm") which are ever so effective along with the 8 specimens of white-winged prince nymphs (aka, "the fly formerly known as Prince") right beneath them [on Rock Creek I refer to the SJW and Prince as "the McDonald and Burger King menu"!]. Just as is reflected in these rows, nymphs come in different sizes and colors depending on the time of day, the river and the weather conditions (hence, the efficacy of a guide!).
The container(s) on the right hand of the fly box contain a gaggle of different dry flies, starting in the upper right with my own "unibug creation" to match beetles and spiders, a series of larger mayflies and, on the upper right some yellow humpies. The middle row starts with my foam fly searcher patterns (from which we will attach nymphs creating our "hopper dropper combination", whereby we can fish BOTH a dry fly foam fly and a trailing, underwater nymph, thereby getting "two shots at the apple" and ends with a smaller collection of foam flies designed to generically imitate the wide families of floating bugs that trout feed upon in Montana's rivers. The bottom row (which, frankly, looks like a mess) is really the "money section" of this box which contains in the middle section imitations of the golden stone fly (my "go to fly" in late June and early July and, on the right, my caddis fly collection--a bug so prolific that when the "caddis fly hatch is on you will have to turn your car's windshield wipers on to see when amidst its flurry--the hatch is like being in a snow storm.
So, folks, there it is: A view into my fly box! When each of you are here with us, as part of our program, your guides will provide all flies that you will need (the each carry hundreds of them each day on the water) and they will even tie them to the end of your lines for you, so don't fret if your own box is either partially full, empty or nonexistent!
Best to all!
Rock Creek Ron
Click on the play button above to hear the new song written about the Montana Extravaganza and Rock Creek Ron.
