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Reel Time on the road: Big Sky and Red Lodge, Montana

Reel Time on the road: Big Sky and Red Lodge, Montana

Written by Rusty Chinnis on . Posted in Outdoors, Reel Time.

This past week was spent mostly sightseeing near Big Sky and then later in the week exploring Red Lodge, Montana. After parting company with my fishing partners and picking up my wife, Christine, in Bozeman, we drove to our accommodations in Big Sky. On our first day we hiked the Spanish Creek trail near Ted Turner’s spectacular Flying D Ranch and the Lee Metcalf Wilderness. The 113,613-acre ranch operates as a working ranch managed for the production of bison and wildlife. The ranch is home to established populations of mule deer, Rocky Mountain elk, and the Rocky Mountain grey wolf, to name just a few of the native populations of wildlife the ranch protects. The Lee Metcalf Wilderness adjacent to the ranch was named after the late Montana congressman who was instrumental in the creation of the Wilderness Act. The day was a bit smoky from wildfires to the west but the hike still offered impressive views of the Spanish Peaks, the vast Flying D ranch and sparkling Spanish creek.

On our second day, we traveled south towards Hebgen Lake, an impoundment on the Madison River, and Quake Lake, the location of the tragic 1959 earthquake and landslide that killed 28 unsuspecting campers. The 190-foot deep, 6-mile long Quake Lake was created when the landslide dammed the Madison below Hebgen Lake. The views along the lake are spectacular and only surpassed by the incredible sight of the landslide very much in evidence today. On the outing, I visited Kelly Galloup’s Slide Inn Fly Shop, one of the west’s most famous fly shops. I got some local intel from the shop and purchased some flies they recommended for the nearby Gallatin River. I spent only a couple of hours on the Gallatin the next day and although I got only a couple of looks from the trout, the spectacular views were the highlife of my time on the river.

Reel Time on the road: Big Sky and Red Lodge, Montana
An aerial view of Quake lake created by the slide, still very much in evidence in the distance. – Rusty Chinnis | Sun

We traveled to Red Lodge, Montana from Big Sky on Wednesday and settled into our cabin on Rock Creek about four miles from town on the Beartooth Highway. We spent the next few days exploring the area and spent Friday driving the Beartooth Highway to Cooke City and the entrance to Yellowstone National Park. The Beartooth Highway was described by the late Charles Kuralt as “The most beautiful drive in America,” and was the reason we decided to stay here. Our experience validated that description and we were awed by the scenery at every turn. I did manage to fish two days on Rock Creek and on my first day managed to land a beautiful 14” rainbow trout behind the cabin. Rock Creek is a crystal clear stream that flows extremely fast and is difficult to fish, so I was pleased at catching a rather small trout that fought fiercely and sported beautiful colors. On our next hike the following day, our trail followed the west fork of Rock Creek and featured much more manageable waters that I plan to return to next week. Stay tuned for the final installment and hopefully some fish pictures!

Reel Time on the road: Dillon, Montana

Reel Time on the road: Dillon, Montana

Written by Rusty Chinnis on . Posted in Outdoors, Reel Time.

This past week I fished the Big Hole, Madison and Beaverhead Rivers in Montana with a group of anglers hosted by Captain Rick Grassett at Montana’s Medicine Lodge, a working ranch near Dillon, Montana.

Over five days we fished the three rivers from drift boats, casting dry flies and nymphs. This is Grassett’s 20th year hosting the trip and the second time I’ve joined the group in what is evolving into an annual event. We fished with Dave King Outfitters, based in Dillon. Grassett fished with King as a guide for many years at another lodge that eventually closed. After the closure of that lodge, King decided to become an outfitter and hooked up with Grassett and Montana’s Medicine Lodge, which provides a unique western working ranch atmosphere.

The group of seven anglers fished with King’s guides, changing partners and guides each day. On the first day, I fished with Dennis Kinley, who I first met 15 years ago in the Bahamas on a bonefishing trip. Dennis is a regular with the group. Our guide was Jake Heinecke, a fishing and hunting guide who teaches school in Dillon when he isn’t guiding. Over the day we landed a number of brown trout, including some quality fish from 16-19 inches. During our float we watched thunderstorms build over the mountains, eventually overtaking us in a downpour about a half-hour before our float ended at 4 p.m.

Reel Time on the road: Dillon, Montana
Anglers pause for lunch along the Madison River. – Rusty Chinnis | Sun

Because we had an odd number of anglers, each angler fished solo one day. On the second day float on the Madison, I volunteered and fished again with Heinecke. I took the opportunity to learn from Jake and was fascinated with his mastery of the fly rod. In particular, I asked him to help me with my mend and reach casts that feed fly line up current to assure a drag-free float of the fly. He actually combined the two into a cast he calls the reach-mend. The fishing was a bit slow that day but the weather and scenery were spectacular and I managed to hook and land a 20” brown trout on a dry hopper imitation.

On my third and fourth day, I fished with Nick Delledonne, from Pennsylvania, and Grassett on one of my favorite rivers in Montana, the Big Hole. We launched both days at about 7,000 feet, where the temperature hovered in the high 40s and floated two of the river’s most scenic stretches. Our guide both days was Mark Moreni, who guides for King during the summer season and teaches high school history in the winter. Although the fishing was a bit slow both days, we did get a chance to fish the Trico hatch, where millions of these small-winged insects emerge from the river in a buffet of food for the local trout. During this brief (about an hour) time, fish go on a feeding frenzy allowing anglers a chance to target rising fish with small dry fly imitations.

After fishing each day, anglers returned to the ranch where chef Annie Walz Kubiac had hors d’oeuvres ready to accompany cold beverages and cocktails on the outside deck. It was a perfect place for anglers to unwind and recount “tails” of the day. Dinners each evening featured chef Kubiac’s scrumptious special side dishes that accompanied the entrees like prime rib, elk meatloaf, baby back ribs and shrimp.

On the last day of the trip, I fished with Grassett on a different stretch of the Beaverhead with Heinecke. The morning started with cloud cover and the promise of much-needed rain. We dodged all but brief showers and spent the day fishing streamers along the fast-moving river. Action was a bit slow but we managed a few nice brown and a couple of rainbow trout to 16 inches. The float took us through some beautiful scenery and ended near the landmark “Pipe Organ.” We were lucky that we missed much of the hot weather that had plagued the region earlier in the summer and only got a haze from fires burning to the west. As we parted company on Saturday morning, everyone was already talking about a return trip in 2022. For information on joining one of Grassett’s yearly trips (Montana and the Bahamas), contact him at 941-350-0318. Next week, Big Sky and  Red Lodge.

Reel Time on the Road: Yellowstone and the Madison River Valley

Reel Time on the Road: Yellowstone and the Madison River Valley, Part Two

Written by Rusty Chinnis on . Posted in Outdoors, Reel Time.

When I planned my trip to Montana, visiting and photographing Yellowstone was one of my main objectives besides fishing. The day after fishing Lake Ennis and the Madison River, I returned to the park, this time exploring the diverse and magical landscapes of the geyser basins, Yellowstone Lake and the majestic “Grand Canyon of The Yellowstone,” where the Yellowstone River plunges 1,000 feet into a 20-mile multi-colored canyon. Once again, an early start was rewarded with relatively uncrowded roads and attractions where one could more fully appreciate the natural wonders of our first National Park. I was blessed throughout my trip with clear sunny skies and temperatures that ranged from the mid-30s to the low 80s.

The following day, I returned to the Lamar Valley with Ed Chiles and Bradenton attorney Jim Knowles to fish Soda Butte Creek near the eastern entrance to the park. This time I was afforded the luxury of being able to really absorb the wonders of the park as a passenger. The creek was accessed by hiking across an open sage prairie framed by towering mountains draped in verdant green forests. The amazing scenery there, arguably some of the most picturesque in the park, made it hard to concentrate on our dry flies but we all managed to land a number of cutthroat trout and brown trout. Chiles and Knowles each landed cutthroat trout to 18 inches.

On my last day, I elected to fish again on Lake Ennis with Captain Harrison King and this time we spent the day there. A mirror-smooth lake greeted us that morning as we targeted rainbow and brown trout that were taking insects from the surface. This was exciting and demanding fly fishing, requiring quick, long and accurate casts. The highlight of the day was filming King as he got out of the boat and stalked rising “gulpers” along a channel of the Madison that fed into the lake.  He deftly placed his dry fly just up current of a group of feeding fish, landing a beautiful rainbow trout we estimate at 20 inches. It was a fitting end to a memorable Montana vacation.

If you haven’t experienced the wilds of Montana, I highly suggest you do. I’ll always remember the days floating rivers and exploring soaring landscapes, of rounding a corner on a rushing river to see moose, wild turkeys and antlered mule deer drinking from the river and watching antelope, wolves, bison and elk roaming the vast western landscapes.

- Rusty Chinnis | Sun

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Reel Time on The Road: Yellowstone and the Madison River Valley

Reel Time on The Road: Yellowstone and the Madison River Valley, Part One

Written by Rusty Chinnis on . Posted in Outdoors, Reel Time.

Rounding a corner outside of Virginia City, Montana, I pulled to the side of the road to marvel at the vista. From horizon to horizon the Madison River Valley stretched out below, an invitation to one of the most geologically and ecologically diverse regions on earth. For the next week I would be fishing and exploring an area anchored to the south by Hebgen Lake, Earthquake Lake and the Madison River flowing from Yellowstone National Park.

The world’s first national park and the largest in North America, Yellowstone sits atop North America’s largest volcanic field. The caldera (a large cauldron-like hollow) was formed when land collapsed following the last of three super-eruptions that took place over the past 2.1 million years. It’s a land of steaming springs, geysers, bubbling mud pots and soaring landscapes that almost defy imagination.

I began my adventure the next morning entering the park at West Yellowstone in the pre-dawn hours. I explored an area I had not ventured into in my past trips to the area, heading towards the Lamar Valley to the north. Usually crowded with tour buses and visitors in August, I was treated to large stretches of road and scenery devoid of cars and people, a rare and unexpected benefit of the pandemic. That morning felt like the first day of creation and I marveled at the vast volcanic-sculpted landscape, the fields of grazing bison, antelope, mule deer and soaring eagles. Over the next week I would visit the park two more times, but as I left the park that day, I was looking forward to exploring the fishing opportunities afforded by the Madison River and Lake Ennis.

This past summer I had spoken with Captain Harrison King, a friend based in Cortez who splits his time guiding locally and in Montana. When I told him I would be fishing near Dillon, he suggested I let him introduce me to fishing opportunities in the area near Ennis, Montana. Situated on the banks of the Madison River, and flanked on three sides by the Gravelly Range, the Madison Mountains, and the Tobacco Root Mountains, it’s one of the west’s most iconic fly-fishing destinations. I took him up on his offer on Monday and was joined by friend and local restaurateur Ed Chiles, who has a summer home in the area.

We began the day on Lake Ennis, a large impounded section of the Madison River where King specializes in targeting large brown and rainbow trout that cruise the lake, rising to the clouds of mayflies and other insects there. Known as “gulpers” for the sound they make as they feed, this is one of my favorite ways to catch trout. The wind was down as we started and we all were able to feed brown and rainbow trout as they picked from the surface. When the wind came up, King returned to the ramp and we trailered his drift boat to the Madison, where we fished a long segment of the river.

Once again, I spent quality time just sitting back and absorbing the amazing scenery. Although the fishing was a bit slow that day, Chiles managed to entice several quality rainbow and brown trout to his dry flies. At the end of the day we both agreed that the combination of experiences that day was one of the most unique adventures we had ever had.

During my visit I stayed at the Driftwaters Resort, just downstream from Earthquake Lake and facing the magnificent Gallatin Mountains. This RV park features six cabins and the Drift Wood Restaurant where I spent my evenings enjoying the scenery and the culinary creations of chef Tim Sylvester and the service and hospitality offered by his wife, Trudy.

The amazing scenery and fishing opportunities afforded by Montana’s vast wilderness should be on any angler’s bucket list.

For accommodations, contact Driftwaters Resort at 406-682-3088 and visit their website at www.driftwatersresort.com. For an expert introduction to the fishing opportunities in Montana or locally, contact Captain Harrison King at 941-525-8495. Check out King and his wife Laura’s Facebook Page at 941 Outfitters.

Next week: More fishing adventures in Montana

Reel Time on the Road: Montana’s Big Hole and Beaverhead Rivers

Reel Time on the Road: Montana’s Big Hole and Beaverhead Rivers

Written by Rusty Chinnis on . Posted in Outdoors, Reel Time.

When Robert Redford introduced fly fishing to popular American culture in the 1992 movie, “A River Runs Through It,” he also introduced them to the storied trout streams and rivers of Montana. Although I had been a fly fisher for some time this, like so many other anglers, was my introduction to this beautiful part of the world. Since then, over the years I have had the pleasure to fish many of the iconic trout rivers and streams in Montana, Idaho and Wyoming.

While I was always enthralled with the scenery that a float trip opened up to anglers, it was a trip to Oregon last year that expanded my horizons. My wife Chris and I were on the Deschutes River when we found out that you couldn’t fish from the boat there. The fishing consisted of stops to wade for trout and steelhead. What that trip taught me was to take breaks from fishing during a float to sit back and really appreciate the scenery.

When I had the opportunity to take a trip to Montana and experience some famous rivers I had never fished, I signed on. My friend, Captain Rick Grassett, has been leading trips to Montana every year for the past two decades and this year I joined him on the trip. This was an opportunity to fish the Beaverhead and the Big Hole Rivers near Dillon, Montana. The group was hosted by Dave King of King Outfitters and stayed at the Hansen Ranch, a working cattle ranch, an hour southwest of Dillon. Over five days we fished various sections of both rivers as well as a day on a private section of the Beaverhead that included a spring creek. Not only did we have wonderful fishing, but we were also treated to some spectacular scenery and wildlife only available during a float. I did my share of catching wild rainbow, brown and cutthroat trout but also took breaks to just sit back and take in the scenery and the moose, wild turkeys and mule deer that were visiting the river to drink.

We fished dry flies with nymph droppers which gave us a chance at explosive surface strikes from aggressive trout but also allowed us to explore the deeper sections of the river where trout feed on various stages of insects that develop there. My largest trout, a 22” brown, was taken on the private section of the Beaverhead and attacked my hopper imitation with a vengeance. We were alternately guided by King and Dan Allen on our drifts and they provided excellent instruction in reading the river and working the fly line to deal with the various seams and back eddies, to create a natural drift for our flies.

The days of fishing were the highlight of the trip followed closely by the appetizers and meals we enjoyed back at the lodge courtesy of Annie Waltz Kubicka. Kubicka prepared food that combined eye and palate appeal, a consistent topic of conversation and praise from the group.

If you haven’t experienced the fishing and scenery along one of America’s wild rivers, I highly recommend it. Grassett runs yearly trips to Montana. For more information and to experience this fantastic fishery, contact him at 941-350-9790. Contact King Outfitters at 406-596-0209 or visit his Facebook page at King Outfitters. Next week Yellowstone and the Madison River Valley.