Fishing Hyalite Reservoir

In our conversations with Derek, he asked if we had fished for/caught any Arctic grayling. Since we had only read about and seen pictures of them, Derek offered to give us the opportunity. He shared with us that he derives special pleasure from treating friends to first-time experiences with new species caught on a fly-rod. So the next morning we got an early start with the Hyalite Reservoir as our destination. This is a mountain lake in a very picturesque setting seven miles outside of Bozeman. Charlcie and I were to experience several firsts from Derek's driftboat on this day: catching grayling, learning strategies for stillwater trout fly-fishing, and having our catch inspected by a fearless watchdog. We were observed most of the time by two adult and one juvenile bald eagles perched on the shore right next to our fishing spot. Derek was a great guide and fishing companion and we learned much from him - also enjoyed stories of his many fishing and career experiences. We have confirmed that he truly has a passion for fishing and enjoys showing new friends new experiences - and it is obvious that this is conveyed in his other love, his art (and livelihood). He was excited with each fish brought to net, whether his or our catch. Of course he was also proud to catch the Hyalite Grand Slam; arctic grayling, brook trout, and cutthroat trout. Derek was the top fisherman of the day, Charlcie topped me with two 12-13" grayling, but I won the prize for the largest, a 17" grayling. We found out that Derek shares our love of Cajun food, so he suggested stopping at a nice little place (didn't catch the name)in Bozeman for Po-Boys in the courtyard. I know, Cajun food in Montana? - yep and it was ummmmmmmm good! Posing with fearless watchdog, Sandy II. She napped most of the day, but when a fish was caught, she perked up to observe the catch coming to net, and then back in relaxation mode. Underwater shot of grayling, with reflection from water surface Fine brook trout specimen - enlarge and note the white tips on the fins Arctic grayling - enlarge and notice the blues, pinks, and purples on the fins and gill plates Derek and the first grayling of the day

Derek DeYoung

Do yourself a favor - visit canvasfish.com and see the work of this very talented young artist. We first became aware of Derek by way of his artwork on note cards for sale at McLellan's Fly Shop in Fayetteville. We aren't art critics by any stretch of the imagination, but we certainly know what we appreciate and enjoy. We were impressed by the uniqueness in presentation, the bright colors captured, and the skill in putting to canvas our favorite subjects. We framed the note card selection in a collage frame, and subsequently bought one of his 4in1 prints, both of which garner a lot of compliments from our friends. I had an idea, from perusing Derek's website, that his passion for fly-fishing was embedded in his work, and that his conservation ethic in this regard was evident. I then decided to contact him to gauge his interest in donating a print for auction at our annual Trout Unlimited fundraising banquet. He unhesitatingly obliged and has done so for the past two years and is very much appreciated. When Charlcie and I decided to embark on this journey, I sent him an email and told him that we had plans to be in the Livingston area and would like to meet him. He invited us to stop by and also offered to take us fishing! I share this story because of numerous inquiries on how we came to know Derek. We are excited to have met Derek and his wife. Although we got to only briefly visit with Janell on her way to work, Derek was so gracious to take many hours from his busy schedule to visit with us and take us fishing (more on that later). We are so impressed with not only his talent, but the fact that he is such a hospitable, down-to-earth, fun guy to be around - he's gotta be special to devote so much time to a couple of folks old enough to be his grandparents, and whom he had just met. He has made us feel as if we have known him for a long time and we hope to be able to visit him again in the near future. The original that is now the cover/feature on the current issue of The Drake magazine

Livingston, Montana

This is the Montana we had pictured in our minds, the images drawn from fiction and non-fiction books and magazine articles, movies, television, and stories of friends. The tremendous Yellowstone River that courses through the broad and beautiful Paradise Valley (another rich agri area),surrounded on all sides by forested mountains and snow-capped peaks. And the non-pretentious and feels-right town that is tucked inside makes this another one of our all-time favorites. We are camped at a KOA campground on the banks of the Yellowstone River just outside of town - which is a step-up from the camping we have been doing - hot showers, wi-fi, grassy campsite, and no bears. We had visited the Forest Service campground above us in the mountains with red posters everywhere that warned that bears were frequenting the area - so we made a decision to return to the valley. When the locals are wary of increased bear activity and choosing, in some instances, to fore go camping trips, then we can take a hint. Apparently the pine-beetle infestation that is killing thousands of acres of pine trees in the west is eliminating a prime pre-hibernation food source (pine nuts) of the bears. So they are aggressively seeking alternatives, and we are being careful to not be included on the menu. Another bit of trivia; although the actual story takes place on the Blackfoot River and the Missoula area, the filming of A River Runs Through It was actually filmed in Livingston and in this valley.

Blackfoot River - Montana

Another iconic fly-fishing river in Montana - and the setting for the incredible novel and movie A River Runs Through It. Leaving Rock Creek, we knew we were headed for the Blackfoot, but we should have known that we were going to experience our recurring problem of finding the right campsite. Relying on advice from an article, we first ventured toward River Junction campground which was an 18-mile round-trip on a dirt Forest Service Road. The rain of the past two-days made us glad we had 4-wheel drive. And after making the drive in, the totally empty campground, along with the posters along the way differentiating black bears from grizzly bears (for the benefit of hunters), convinced us that this wasn't the place. On down the road to another campground with no occupants and fresh bear scat and we were on our way to another. The next stop was perfect - on the riverbank and in the trees and occupied by other campers! The advantage of finding camping spots after Labor Day is that we don't have to worry about crowds - the disadvantage is that we don't want to be the only campers in Grizzly territory - such a dilemma! The river was a little murkier and faster due to the rains, but settled down by our last day and I was able to have some good fishing on dry flies - the ultimate. The pictures don't accurately reflect the multi-colored rock around here that results from some geological explanation that is over my head - but they sure are purty! Charlcie spent a lot of time around the campground taking shots of the rocks. Don't know what this guy's name is, but enjoyed his visit at the campsite We've seen bee hives all over the west and most are quite colorful Bow season starts this week, so this guy better do a better job of hiding Good night, Montana

Rock Creek - Puyear Ranch (Morgan-Case Homestead)

Deserving of a post of its own is the Puyear Ranch on Rock Creek. The Forest Service is maintaining the ranch and it is something to see. The more than 30-mile drive on rough, sometimes single-lane, winding road was worth it to see this place. It is an astounding old ranch to visit, even if fishing were not involved. Massive 300 year old ponderosa pines set among a massive meadow, bordered by Rock Creek, with the canyon wall lining the backside, groves of aspen, and the old homesite make this one of the most impressive places that we have visited - and not known to too many folks. Charlcie was most impressed as she relaxed on the riverbank while I fished - and the fishing was rewarding! Can you spot me among the monster trees? The river runs at the base of the canyon in the background Another example of the size of these special trees Beavers aren't intimidated by the size of the trees. By the way, I caught a couple of nice cutthroat trout right here We did have rain for two days which didn't affect the beauty Wild turkey making a quick escape Spruce moth which are plentiful in the forest. Flies made to mimic these beauties are excellent trout producers here

Rock Creek - Montana

Rock Creek is a 60-mile long freestone creek that is located about 30 miles east of Missoula. We had not known about it until I was checking some saved fly-fishing magazine articles. A little further research resulted in a very pleasant surprise. At the exit off I-90, there are only a couple of commercial establishments, a long-established fly-shop and and even older restaurant. And then you head up a mostly dirt road into the canyon. We found a very nice campsite overlooking the stream amid huge pines. The fishing on this stretch was not too productive, but we were pleased nonetheless. A half-mile walk down the road was a very cool swinging pedestrian bridge which we had to visit a couple of times. On the way in, there was a large herd of rocky mountain sheep just relaxing in a pasture - we saw them a couple of times and then they just disappeared. White-tail deer and wild turkey were the other wildlife we saw on the road. We experienced the darkest nights here - literally could not see our hands in front of our faces. They really are wild, but not too shy View from our campsite

Two days in Missoula

We have spent a very pleasant two days here in this university town that reminds us of Fayetteville in many ways. Other than gathering provisions, washing clothes, etc., we decided to take some time to just see the town and the campus. There are 9 historic districts in Missoula and the homes are very attractive. The little motel we are staying in is a couple of blocks from the university and across the street are some colorful abodes that serve as student boarding houses. Had to get a picture of the football stadium for the sports fans, and also included a picture of the switchback trail that goes straight up the mountain on the backside of the campus - we observed a lot of students using their Labor Day to take a hike here (you can probably see some in the picture). We also spent a couple of hours (and could have stayed longer)in a terrific bookstore that featured new books for unbelievable prices - we were so impressed we dropped a $100 on books - don't know where we are going to put them for the duration of the trip, but couldn't pass on the opportunity. We are headed out in the morning for Rock Creek and then on to the Blackfoot River, before moving on downstate.