Δ: It’s really the angle…LOL

I met Peggy and Jeff at the end of my float on the boat ramp on my second day on the Missouri. We all had one of those unforgettable days when you can’t stop catching fish. We started to chat about our day as our guides took care of their boats and the next thing I knew, my guide was patiently waiting to take me back to my vehicle.

As luck would have it, when we returned to the fly shop, Peggy and Jeff were in the parking lot and invited me to join them for dinner. Our friendship bloomed and I am sure we will meet up again when I make my next visit to see my grandson in Seattle near to where they live.

Peggy was unsure about fly-fishing but after her great day on the Missouri and hearing about my trip, she felt more confident that this was something she might want to pursue more. Secretly I thought to myself – “Yes! Another friend to fish with!”

Can’t wait to see you both again.

I repeat myself when I say how remarkable are the guides in the business. One of the most fascinating stories Jared told me about his past was about his young life on an avocado farm in Orange County, CA. He used to go rattlesnake hunting and carried around a bag of the rattles. So for those of you who want to feel assured that you will have a brave and talented and kind person to fish with – think about Jared.

Southern Montana. May 26, 2013.  The rain continued at my campground in Craig near Helena, but the mountains received more snow. The verdant countryside encircled by white powder made for a picturesque drive down to SE Idaho.

As I travel between rivers with thinking time, I realize that I am actually giddy from my adventures. I feel somewhat disoriented at the same time desperate to remember all the details of each day.  I tell myself that I must be assimilating everything and certainly hope this is happening. I can compare this to the growth and development of my five grandchildren. With visits spread out 3-4 months, the changes I see in them are profound, whereas their parents are unable to see the changes happening in such a dramatic way. I feel like a parent with myself right now.

Back in the 90’s I spent a summer in southern France trying to master my French. I studied four mornings a week and then took two full day field trips to various places throughout the region. As I sat on the airplane to return home, I felt completely transformed – my attitude, my daily habits, my dress – and I fantasized that no one would recognize me. Of course I reintegrated myself within weeks to my old life – children, work, chores but I was left with a feeling of empowerment. I can change course when necessary and learn to love anew.

Besides being one of the best trout fisheries I have ever visited, the Missouri River also provides history buffs with some impressive landmarks and stories. The Lewis and Clark Expedition is known to have passed through Southwestern Montana in June and July of 1805 including spots where I was fishing. The journals of Meriwether Lewis describe their exciting “Corps of Discovery” – a mission to explore the Louisiana Purchase and claim the Pacific Northwest.

At one point my river guide pointed out Eagle Rock, which is the photograph for this post. In the Expedition Journal for the Lewis and Clark expedition, a large rock above their campsite is referred to as, “at this place there is a large rock of 400 feet high wich (sic) stands immediately in the gap which the missouri (sic) makes it’s (sic) passage from the mountains… and from it there is a most pleasing view of the country we are now about to leave. From it I saw this evening immense herds of buffaloes in the plains below.” Lewis is famous for his spelling errors but greatly admired by the likes of Thomas Jefferson who wrote of him, “of courage undaunted, possessing a firmness and perseverance of purpose which nothing but impossibilities could divert from its direction.” Interesting that Stephen Ambrose entitled his book about Lewis and Clark Undaunted Courage.

Although I didn’t climb the rock I was able to look out over the plains and imagine herds of buffalo and elk with beaver dams and other undisturbed wildlife. I felt privileged to have a peak into the past and think about the courage of these pioneers who settled this country that we now call the Rocky Mountain west. We have not been good stewards of these natural resources that provide us with so much although many organizations are trying hard to influence the public at large and our legislators not to be so short-sighted. If you haven’t started your bucket list yet, these grand western rivers should be somewhere in the lineup.

Δ: Shrinking numbers of them

Mark and I share a love for photography and in addition to our fishing day together, we shared a lot about our Nikon D7000 cameras. Like me, Mark has the responsibility of updating his website and doing the necessary social networking for his business. He will guide all day long and then return home where he has to spend hours downloading photos and writing.

I learned a lot from Mark – especially his most famous line of the day, “mending is a synonym for love!” Without a good mend, you don’t have a good drift. Without a good drift, the fish will know something is fishy – or rather not good for fish. So make love!

The rain subsided for a couple days while I fished the beautiful Missouri River near Craig, Montana and enjoyed some dry fly fishing. Dry fly fishing has a certain stigma about it because in southern England it was seen as the only acceptable way to fish rivers. Although that does not hold true in the US, there are still some anglers who think other styles of fishing, e.g. nymph or streamer – do not hold a candle to dry fly fishing.

For me, it’s incredibly exciting to watch a fish rise to the surface of a river and try to slurp your fly as it gently drifts along. Although I had an evening of successful dry fly fishing with Bob Krumm on the Bighorn while wading in the river, I had some difficulty in a drift boat on the Missouri. The requirement to have a pretty much perfect cast the first time around makes it challenging enough but to wait that extra second to actually set the hook gets the better of me often. There’s so much to becoming a good angler. Newbies like me must accept that it takes time to develop all the skills to be successful. I love that something so fun has this dimension that requires book learning, practice and patience. I believe in all three.

In Patsy’s words… “I began running about 12 years ago.  I was inspired by my son who was running cross country and track in high school at the time.  I enjoyed running in “fun runs” with him, although he was quite a bit faster!  As time went on, I began to run farther, and entered longer races (10Ks and 1/2 marathons).  Running, which began as a way for me to keep in shape, turned into a passion.  I thrived on the joy of running in my beautiful surroundings and the excitement of the races.

 In the fall of 2012, Ben Hahn moved to Mancos and started the “Run Mancos Club”.  He brought a lot of excitement for running and being healthy, and I was inspired by his enthusiasm and knowledge.  Early in 2013, I decided to set a goal of running a marathon, 26.2 miles, with Ben as my coach.  I registered for the Colorado Marathon which was held in Ft. Collins, CO on May 5th.  I began 4 months of training in January under Ben’s guidance.  I ran in single digit temperatures, show, ice, and chilling wind for the first few months.  I steadily built up my fitness, endurance, and speed.  My marathon training journey included running in various locations including different parts of Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, and Florida.

I learned many things during this preparation time about the training, fitness, nutrition, and how the human body responds to them.  Running the marathon was an awesome experience, shared with like-minded individuals along the Poudre River canyon.  My training was the journey; the marathon was the icing on the cake!”

I left the Bighorn around 9:30 a.m. to make the 6 hour drive up to Craig just north of Helena. I drove uncharacteristically slow to think about my days on the Bighorn and also because the rain started up once again. As I made my turn north on 287, I saw a truck and drift boat pass me on the left rather slowly but I didn’t bother to look over at the driver. The rig passed me and pulled in front of me and I saw this hand come out of the sunroof with a finger pointed to the side of the road as the right blinker was turned on.

I followed the lead thinking that perhaps I had a problem with my brake lights or some other vehicle-related problem. When the truck’s door opened, there was Bob Lay! With a stroke of luck, we happened to be on the same stretch of the highway at the same time after our brief introduction. We went off to have lunch together and enjoy a little more history. I hope that kind of luck happens again soon. Thanks for the lunch and company, Bob!