Fly & Drive 2011

OK so Fly & Drive 2011 is done and over with. It is always good but could have been better. The dam guys let out 2000 more cfs just before we set out on our first day of fishing. This made a mess of the water and really put a damper on the fishing. I did manage to hook into a fish with a streamer but didn’t land it. It was my first 30 inch brown and I didn’t even get a look at him. (That is a joke by the way) a guy on the porch at the fly shop wasn’t paying enough attention to what I was saying and got all excited for a bit. His friend laughing hysterically must have clued him into the fact that I was pulling his chain. So as you have surmised by now fishing was good but catching was slow. Day one was spent working what soft water we could find, but to no avail. Towards the end of the float there is a side channel with a low bridge that in high water, as we are currently experiencing, can not be floated under. While casting in vain trying to get a fish to take my streamer Gigi said “isn’t that the channel with the low bridge?” I said yeah as I looked up and saw a boat floating well into it. We watched as the boat stopped and some poor bastard started rowing his ass off to get back up the channel. They did finally make it. Day two, and still fishing, we had a pretty uneventful day, but the same drift boat with the same 3 guys again provided the day’s main entertainment. I had seen the boat and three guys across the river. They had anchored the boat and where standing on a bank a few feet above the river. (This bank is usually five to eight feet above the river) They were casting except for one guy I saw running along the bank with his dog chasing after him. My first thought was that he was playing with his dog, but then I noticed the drift boat drifting. There wasn’t anyone in the boat. I didn’t think they would be able to retrieve the boat with the water running at 22,000+ cfs. Worst, I was afraid one of them would drown in the attempt. I put my rod down and told Gigi to get ready to haul ass. I was the only other boat in sight and figured I would have to chase the boat down and possibly rescue someone from the high water. Just as I was about to pull up the anchor one of the guys grab the boat while standing in waist deep water. He got back to shore ok with the boat. We wrapped up the second day of fishing early and went to the bar-b-que and festivities in Craig. A great time was had talking with some tourists and product reps, and then we took in the movies on the outdoor deck. We spent the next two days in Ennis, MT on the bank of the raging Madison River. Fishing was not an option so we played golf, and spent too much money in the shops in Ennis. It has been a great experience being married to Gigi for the last 19 years. I am lucky to have such an adventurous and fun sole mate. I can’t wait to see what great adventures await us in the next 19 years.