Blog

 Carp Rodeo is August 14th.  Sign up sheets will be in the shops this week.  Posters and detailed information will be posted this week.  Get your teams together.  The buckles for the winning carp rodeo team are looking sweet and you will want one.  

Here's a Simms video to get you pumped.

Tommorow at 9am is Kids Fishing Day at Wadsworth Park.  Details for the event are can be found HERE via the Great Falls Tribune.

Missouri River Fly fishers and Walleye's Unlimited support the event.

Fred lives with his family here in Great Falls and is a board member of our local Missouri River Fly fishers (TU/FFF).  He just headed up to Alaska to start his guiding season in Alaska and is already in the paper (Click here to read the article).  Fred and long time friend Stacey run a guiding business in Alaska called Mystic Fishing, and their website is mysticfishing.com.  If you are interested in fishing Alaska I would recommend you give these guys a call, I was lucky enough to fish/hang out with Fred a few times before he had to leave and I can tell you he is a "fishy" guy.  Also it is worth exploring his website which is full of good information on fishing Alaska.  Fred even appeared in thisisfly.com online magazine last year about his guiding on the Kenai River.

Happy Mother's Day
 

                                                                      From The Big R Fly Shop

Big R Fly Shop is hosting a women's fly fishing workshop this May 2010.  Starting on May 6th Molly Semenik from the Yellowstone School of Fly fishing in Livingston Montana will be coming to the FWP building across from Giant Spring for a free public meeting at 7:30 about Women and fly fishing.  This event is hosted by the Missouri River Fly fishers.  Then starting on May7th we will have women's fly casting classes all day. Sign up at the Big R Fly Shop.  That evening, open to all women fly fishers or women wanting to learn more, Big R will be hosting a women's gear night starting at 6pm.  Everyone that attends will be issued a fly fishing gift from Big R, there will be a gear sale, appetizers, and Molly will be present to help fit gear tailored to the woman.  May 8th Molly will be hosting an all day women's fly fishing emersion class.  Sign ups at the Big R Fly Shop.





 

We are calling out the Urban Mo.  It's right here, runs through town, huge runs and lots of water.  Do people fly fish here?  Some do.  Who?  They would never tell you.  Where at?  Haha...why do you think we never hear about it.  What hatches?  Hex's, drakes, baetis...hmmm... I have never tied a Hex.

This is important.  Where do kids fly fish after school?  Do they even realize the opportunity is there?  Who are the sticks in Great Falls that land more trout here in town that up stream from Craig, and still have a seat for a Prime Rib at the Bar S by 7? 

I grew up just outside of Milwaukee, WI.  Not traditional fly fishing country.  About the only knowledge or resource I had was the Cortland VCR cassette that came with my starter fly rod combo.  With way less opportunity by 3rd and 4th grade we were like hawks scanning the Milwaukee river, stopping in baitshops, park ponds and creeks searching for information on what we could fool on a fly.  We found trout in the stream at Regner Park (we decided they are impossible to catch and quit trying, those 8 inch trout must not eat poppers like the bass do..huh?) , we landed Pike in the Milwaukee, we landed smallmouth, and carp. 

So the Urban Mo?  Here is something to challenge you.  Anyone can land fish in a blue ribbon trout stream, even people out for their first time.  Very few, land fish on the Urban Mo. Let us know what you find, or don't (we understand and respect that, at least let us see a photo so we know what we are casting to).

(above trout was landed last night at location: unsaid by angler: anonymous... 5 minutes from work in Great Falls)

Is there anywhere to fly fish in town? Of course there is. We have one of the countries largest river systems running right through the middle of our city. There is one of the states largest rainbow trout hatcheries by Giant Springs. We also have a number of ponds around town to learn on.

Some places to explore: Wadsworth Pond, The Missouri below Black Eagle Falls (lots of rainbows), The Missouri Below Morony Dam (big trout, lots of smallmouth bass and carp, golden eye, and northern pike), The kid's pond (located up the trail from Giant Springs Park with thousands of small trout) The Missouri above the country club (back eddies have lots of big carp, when you can see them they will eat). We have pictures in the shop of huge rainbows caught by customers on these stretches of the Missouri. Of course we usually like to go after the carp...ocassionally we get a small rainbow when practicing with the 9 weight spey rods...it's a little overkill.

These waters need to be explored. There are guys in town that know where the fish are in town...but they aren't sharing and honestly we havn't figured it out too well yet ourselves. Some of the stories we have heard have become fly shop urban legends. Some guy will come in and tell us a story about big brown trout by Applebees on buggers, or a 15 pound rainbow below the Black Eagle Falls nymphing (picture in the shop...totally hard to believe but there is witnesses). They are there...somewhere.

You think you might be a trout bum until you meet a kid half your age raising fly tying chickens and you ask yourself...where's my dedication to this sport? Yep, our buddy Jade purchased a fly tying variety pack of chickens which are genetically better for raising to tie flies with. We are impressed with this guy, and thought we would share what some youngsters are doing out there. We always get that fly tying and fly fishing is leaving as that generation gets older...haha...no there are lots of youth out there like Jade, and in our opinion the more the better so help us out and take them fishing. Pretty cool chickens though...we know your thinking about it.

Sign-ups at Big R Fly Shop Presented by: Bruce Berry, Beulah Fly Rods/ The Staff at Big R Fly Shop WHY SPEY: Spey fishing is an effective and fun way to present flies to anadromous as well as fresh water species. Spey fishing will benefit any angler in the ability to keep your fly on the water effectively increasing fishing time and potential hook ups! Spey techniques will benefit anglers in the ability to fish short, medium and long distance presentations on pieces of water that feature scarce back-casting room. Spey fishing is also a directly transferable skill to almost all single hand fishing situations! GOALS: Today, I will introduce spey fishing techniques and challenges! The main goal for the day is to learn casts from both sides of the river. Effectively, this will allow any angler to spey fish both banks of a system with any prevailing wind or obstacle. There are both air-born and water-born casts in spey fishing. We will be working with air-born and water-born casts including the Switch, Double Spey and Snap “C”. At the end of the day we should have a basic understanding of these casts and be able to perform them off both left and right shoulders. SWITCH CAST: Popularized by Simon Gawesworth as a teaching tool. This cast will be utilized during our class to understand rod path, timing, when and how much power to apply, and allow all involved a fundamental understanding of how the two handed rod works. Though not a useful “fishing” cast, knowing the Switch cast proficiently is akin to receiving a key that will unlock all other useful “fishing” cast’. DOUBLE SPEY: This cast is best performed from river right (river current moving from the anglers’ left to right shoulder) for a right hand caster. River left for a left handed caster. This will be explained and demonstrated, then performed by each participant. Pitfalls: Aggressive upstream wind, obstacles making any type of back-cast (D-Loop) impossible. SNAP “C”: This cast is best performed from river left (river current moving from the anglers’ right shoulder) for a right hand caster. River right for a left handed caster. Pitfalls: Heavy wind both upstream and downstream may present problems, and obstacles making any type of back-cast or D-Loop impossible. Both Double Spey and the Snap “C” may be performed from the angler’s off shoulder which will also be explained and demonstrated, then practiced by all in the day’s group. SPEY DAY: ~We will start by getting a feel for the two-handed rods and going through a quick “Switch Cast”. This will familiarize the anglers with the general feel of rods from 10’6” to 13’6”. This exercise will teach rod path, timing, and forward delivery. ~Depending on the class majority as right or left hand dominant casters, we will move into the Snap “C” from River left. ~Move to the Double Spey from river right. ~Go to the Snap “C” off shoulder followed by the Double Spey off Shoulder. Congratulations: You can now effectively fish spey techniques from both sides of any given river with most any prevailing obstacle. Now, with a little practice on your own to set these techniques to muscle memory you will be ready to tackle splash and go casts and start making enjoyable and memorable trips with a two-handed spey rod. To maximize our time on the water I will provide matched Beulah spey rod and Elixir line systems in a multitude of length and line weight options. We will gladly field any questions concerning the correct equipment and matched systems for you at the conclusion of our day on the water. What You Should Expect: ~You should expect to start early as local waters crowd quickly on most warm days late spring through summer. ~Anglers should come fully prepared with waders, boots, wading staff if applicable, hat, sunglasses (always worn spey fishing for safety), and sunscreen. Again, there will be a full armada of two-handed rods for class participants completed with matched spey lines and reels to use during our session. ~Come ready to go with coffee in you and whatever else you need to get the day started off on the right foot. This is a fairly intense course that will feature 3-31/2 hour session in the morning, a lunch break with lunch provided by yours truly, followed by a couple more hours of casting after lunch. ~All Spey participants will cast yarn as your fly throughout the day. This will keep folks from fishing their casts through, paying attention to the task at hand which is effective delivery techniques. Yarn also adds an element of safety for those starting out on their spey journey. ~At the end of the day feel free to stay back for a question and answer session. I will be happy to work with and trouble-shoot folks individually, talk about fishing presentations once the cast is delivered pertaining to different water types, different line types or rod/ line combinations, etc. ~Cost: The Cost of the Spey Day will be $90.00 which includes provided rod/reel combinations for the day, lunch, refreshments and casting instruction. Classes are limited to six-eight anglers maximum. Coordinating classes that meets everyone’s busy schedules can be tough. If you are interested, feel free to sign up and remit payment as class dates will schedule accordingly. Happy Fishing from Bruce Berry 503.807.3221 mainstreamod@yahoo.com