Pleasant Surprise

 

Winter came back to us this last week out here in Montana. Definitely not complaining as we could use some more snow but everything still looks pretty good as far as snow-pack goes. I might actually bust out my skis and hit Bridger for a few turns. Yesterday did approach 40 though, so I took a little drive to the Maddi and hiked up Bear Trap just to see what was going on and reminisce.

 

I know I've written about Bear Trap before but just to fill you in; it was my first real experience out here dry fly fishing. I was completely green to the fly fishing game and was told by a couple co-workers to check out the Mother's Day caddis hatch down there. I drove from Boulder all the way to Ennis before stopping in at fly shop to get a little local knowledge. I had no idea where I was going and didn't realize Ennis was putting me about 45 minutes out of my way but I stopped and was glad I did. The dude in the shop was very helpful and sold me a variety of ammo with instruction and as I walked out the door he said, "Hey dude, if you don't catch anything, no worries, it took me three months to catch my first trout on a fly out here."

 

"Great..."

 

Anyway, I headed up the canyon and did what I thought he was telling me and of course I spent the first few hours completely blanked. I did lose quite a few flies though and as I sat on a rock contemplating re-rigging, I watched a guy fish the exact same water as I was just a few minutes before but he was absolutely wrecking them. Awesome...

 

Instead of letting it completely deflate me, I watched the guy for a while and then stepped back into the Maddi, tripping over boulders and fighting the current and trying to emulate what he was doing. I hooked up a few fish on nymphs and then the sun set behind the canyon walls and fish started coming up all around me. I switched to the dries the guy at the shop sold me and because fish were on caddis and it was the Madison, they weren't all that fussy and I started wrecking them too. That last hour made me feel like a hero so instead of hanging up the fly rod for something a little more my speed, I continued my head-long launch into the sport.

 

So yesterday I decided I was bored enough and the weather was just good enough to get me to jump in the truck with Cutter and drive from Bozeman to Bear Trap for an afternoon of flogging. About half-way there, the wind picked up and it looked like a squall moving in and a part of me, (a big part,) was pulling that string that would nix the whole plan causing me to lift the foot off the gas and spin the truck around to head back for some Discovery or History or Sportsman's Channel or maybe just another nap. But I pushed through those thoughts and found myself winding up the road to the parking area.

 

Along the way I saw a bunch of other anglers who must not have winter gigs either. The Maddi seemed pretty busy for February 24th. Hmm, did they all know something I didn't? It is quite possible and when I got to the parking area at the trail head there were ten other rigs parked there. Hmm...

 

Half the people parked there were just hiking but there were a few anglers and I decided I'd layer up and join them. I'm glad I did. Not thinking I'd see any fish up, I grabbed my nymphing rod and headed up the trail. I got to a few boulders breaking the current, making a good little foam line and fished it. I hooked a few fish and landed a couple and a guy walked by asking me how it was?

 

"Oh, pretty good, I guess." I said, "I've hooked a few and honestly, just got here."

 

"I hooked a brown," he said, "But lost it before I could get it to the net..."

 

Man, that sounded so familiar and I thought about that first day I came down to Bear Trap 12 years ago.

 

I caught a couple more and switched runs and hooked a couple more when I heard Cutter barking at something. He was kind of being a butthead all afternoon--barking at folks and getting in the way so I didn't even turn around. I just yelled, "Cutter! Get back here."

 

"Hey Russ." I heard from behind me, "What's up?"

 

"Hey man, what's up?" I responded. It was Brett from Headhunters--kind of random. We chatted for a while and then he headed down the trail. He had asked if I had been seeing any fish up and although I did see a couple, not enough to change things up so I kept the nymph rig going. As soon as he headed away though, I did start seeing fish up; a lot of fish so...

 

I really wasn't prepared for throwing dries. I only had one dry fly on me, which was a midge with a foam post I tie and 3x fluorocarbon tippet but I was like, "Screw it; might as well try it, right?" So I re-rigged and took a cast and this little rainbow came up an inhaled it. Sweet!

 

I must of have landed a dozen or more rainbows in the next 45 minutes on that little midge. None of them were more than 12 inches but it was pretty cool and totally worth the trip. I had the opportunity to sharpen the saw a little and it was a great opportunity to clear the head and even reminisce. Good times winter fishing the Maddi.

 

Keep 'em where they live...