bacota
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Hello fellow anglers,
I'm heading to Missoula for St. Patty's day weekend this year to visit a friend who just recently moved out there. From there, we are going to head down to Butte for a couple days. I plan on bringing the fly rod along and doing some fishing out there. Does anyone have any any recommendations on places to try in the Missoula area as well as on the drive from there to Butte? Thanks!
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The Dude abides.
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BorntoFish
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Bitterroot River south of Missoula has some prime fly fishing I'm told. I'm not a fly-guy. Some nice looking water and very scenic country.  
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CCA Member
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Team Moose Drool
Team Old Phart
   
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Mojo
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Should be about Prime Time for Skwala Stones on Rock Creek and the Bitteroot. It's worth the 10 hour drive just for that alone. St. Patrick's Day in Butte is one of the biggest parties I have ever been to. I'll pray for your liver, and the drag on your fly reel.
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Tight Lines,
Mojo
TEAM MOOSE DROOL
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TEAM JACKSON BALDWIN
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CaughtSteelin
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lookin for some fish mojo
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rock creek is on the way to butt.flint creek is good water to.
you'll be needing some rest for St.pattys in Butt,and even more after. 
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Let our kids enjoy fishing...Join CCA today
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bacota
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That's what I've heard about Butte - should be interesting. I'm pumped already (and a bit scared- ME-->  ) Bailey's in the coffee and Guinness for dinner.
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The Dude abides.
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Mojo
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Add Bushmills and tying flies for a nightcap, and you have the makings of a fine road trip. Good luck, and post pics!
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Tight Lines,
Mojo
TEAM MOOSE DROOL
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TEAM JACKSON BALDWIN
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CaughtSteelin
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lookin for some fish mojo
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try stumbling around town at 3am with a falling apart 12 pack lookin for your hot tub.
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Let our kids enjoy fishing...Join CCA today
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Lilfisher
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The Big Hole River south of Butt has some big Browns fished it a couple years ago with good success! Get some of the Green bread when you are in Butt that is good stuff!! LIL
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Lil Cat man/TR-Kevin
Team HARDCORE
"Live every day as if it were your last"
Team Jackson Baldwin
Edited by Lilfisher (02/10/07 01:07 AM)
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bacota
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Thanks LIL, I'll have to try the bread and the Big Hole River - this vacation is taking forever to get here! I'll be sure to post pics
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The Dude abides.
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Dustin2
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hook nose
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I have a buddy that is going to collage in Missoula. His famaily lives in the Flathead valley, and the Flathead river has some big cutties in it when i fished it with him. There were also some big dollies that we never hooked. But we got some nice cutties out of there. I dont think its that far of a drive but thats the only river I have fished over there. have a good trip Dustin
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Pinch_of_Snuff
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Patty's in Butte... hahaha, talk about a sh*t show. Hope you and your liver have been training hard.
No joke on the Stones although Rock Creek is getting real crowded. Had good luck on the Bitter about the same time last year.
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Take It Easy. If It's Too Easy, Take It Twice..
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slim
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sockeye
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I posted under your fly fishing post.
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"The fishing was so good, I thought I was there yesterday." Dave Engerbretson
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alanmikkelsen
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The Bass Ackwards Captain
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If you're in Butte, hit I-15 south to Dillon, fish the Big Hole on the way down, and then the Beaverhead. Both really great.
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50 years of foolin' fish.
Bass Ackwards: The art and science of hurtling blindly in the wrong direction with no sense of the impending doom about to be inflicted on one's sorry ass. Usually applied to procedures, processes, or theories based on faulty logic, or faulty personnel.
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bacota
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Alanmik,
So is the access from the highway?
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The Dude abides.
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alanmikkelsen
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Rock Creek excellent, Bitterroot, Big Hole, and Beaverhead all fish best from a boat or raft, but all have fishing access that will allow you to fish large portions. Montana has a stream access law, as long as you stay below the high water mark, you can go any where along the stream.
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50 years of foolin' fish.
Bass Ackwards: The art and science of hurtling blindly in the wrong direction with no sense of the impending doom about to be inflicted on one's sorry ass. Usually applied to procedures, processes, or theories based on faulty logic, or faulty personnel.
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KingSamo
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if you just want to catch fish and not work to hard, hit the tail race at Opportunity Ponds on the way to Butte. Rock Creek and the Bitteroot will both be full of wanna be "river runs through it" snobs right now, so be aware. I would also guess that if you get to far up Rock Creek you will run into winter.
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Hug it out Bitch!
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bacota
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Thanks Samo,
What do you mean by "river runs through it" snobs? People who don't want to share the river?
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The Dude abides.
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KingSamo
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Fly fishing wanna be's that never fly fished until they saw the movie:) There all about the "look" and thats about it. You put some fancy clothes and gear on them and all of a sudden they think there experts. I thank Robert Redford for that.......
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Hug it out Bitch!
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bacota
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Well I'll be darned if this trip actually got here - I thought it never would. I'll be heading east here in a couple hours, and I just wanted to say thanks to all who offered their advice, both here and on my other post in the Fly Fishing forum. I'll be sure to get pics posted as soon as I return to the wetside (that is if I survive Butte on St. Patty's Day).
Cheers, Andy 
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The Dude abides.
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Mojo
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I hope your liver and kidneys are in good shape. Take pics of the night life if you dare...
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Tight Lines,
Mojo
TEAM MOOSE DROOL
TEAM SMOKIN' MERC
TEAM JACKSON BALDWIN
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bacota
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Well,
Sorry it took me so long to post these, but that's how long it takes to recover from St. Patty's day in Butte. Like one of my buddies said the day after, St. Patrick's day has definitely moved up a few knotches on my "coolest holiday" list.
Fishing was not as good as it could have been. We got in two solid days, one on the east fork of the Bitterroot, which produced the largest fish, a nice 18 inch brown. And the other day was at Rock Creek, which picked up a few bows and a cutt.
Thanks to all for the advice, here's a few pics.
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The Dude abides.
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bacota
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Try that again....
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The Dude abides.
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bacota
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Out of order, but you get the picture
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The Dude abides.
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Pinch_of_Snuff
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Nice looking fish. Good times as well.
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Take It Easy. If It's Too Easy, Take It Twice..
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bacota
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Well, this trip was so much fun last year, we're going again! Heading out a week from today and time seems to be crawling.  Might be a longshot, but i gotta ask - Anyone doing any fishing out in the Missoula and Butte area? I know there's a few folks on the board that live out that way.
I'm looking forward to the party too, last year was effin crazy. My buddy didn't lose a single shotgun contest - although the next morning, he was definitely the loser.
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The Dude abides.
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bacota
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Leaving tomorrow, I will post a report...if I make it back. 
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The Dude abides.
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Mojo
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Good luck, and we'll pray for your liver again...
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Tight Lines,
Mojo
TEAM MOOSE DROOL
TEAM SMOKIN' MERC
TEAM JACKSON BALDWIN
Alaksa Nitro Baits Pro Staff
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bacota
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Well, we had a great trip again, but this time we had a bit of bad intel on the part of my buddy who lives in Missoula. He thought that the Butte party would be going down on Saturday because St. Patty's was on a Monday, but that wasn't the case. Big thanks to the guys who helped us out with that tidbit of knowledge. Our first day of fishing provided these few fish.
So instead of making the trip to Butte, we partied at the Jack (Lumberjack Saloon). Rented a cabin up there and pretty much had the bar to ourselves. This was by far one of the coolest bars I've ever been to. It's an old log cabin bar that's been there 74 years (if my drunken memory serves me correctly). I met some really cool dudes out there including a skydiving cowboy named Chuck who taught me how to drink crappy tequila. Chase it with Clamato Juice and you don't even know what hit you. This is the deadliest combination I have yet to drink due to its taming of even the cheapest of Tequilas. Here's chuck showin' us youngsters how things are done.
Things got a little hazy but that tends to happen...thank God the camera has a better memory than I...
Though in Doogie's case, the camera's memory might not have been a good thing:
The final day of fishing turned up another whitefish and a brown
After releasing the whitefish it just sat there looking exactly like the bottom of the river.
Can't wait to go back when things warm up and try a few other rivers.
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The Dude abides.
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Mojo
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Nothing worse than being T-Bagged by a dog.
Congrats on another successful trip. Glad to see your liver is still alive and kicking.
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Tight Lines,
Mojo
TEAM MOOSE DROOL
TEAM SMOKIN' MERC
TEAM JACKSON BALDWIN
Alaksa Nitro Baits Pro Staff
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bacota
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Round 3, drink!
So a week from today we're heading out for the third round of this Montana fishing/drinking extravaganza. This year though is going to be a bit different in that we're gonna be camping. My buddy is the one with the specifics on where, but I know we're either camping on Rock Creek (I think he said near Philipsburg?), and if that's too iced up, we'll be somewhere on the Bitterroot (I think he said by Hamilton, but again, I'm not positive on that). But, as always, I'm open to suggestions (other than dress warm and not wash my colors and whites together ) if anyone has any , especially where we might find some decent fishing. I know a lot will probably depend on what happens to the weather after the current storm passes.
Also, anyone think there might be any sheds around this time of year? I've never really tried shed hunting and only found one incidentally last year while on my first deer hunt, but I figure if the fishing stinks, we could just hike around and try to see some critters.
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The Dude abides.
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Mojo
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Bring skwalas. Fish a "hopper/dropper style combo with a foam bodied skwala adult and a nymph about 18 inches below. If the fish are on the dries, cut the nymph off. What a gas, big fish on big dries this early in the season.
Good luck and post pics...just not canine T-Bag photos.
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Tight Lines,
Mojo
TEAM MOOSE DROOL
TEAM SMOKIN' MERC
TEAM JACKSON BALDWIN
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bacota
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Is it still considered Canine T-Bagging if said canine was neutered?  How did Pug's quote go from his Clearwater trip? "I cannot be held responsible for the things I do while intoxicated," I think that was it.
Sounds like a good idea on the hopper dropper combo. So the hopper plays two parts as a possible fly offering, but also as a strike indicator - I like that idea.
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The Dude abides.
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Mojo
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Yep, but instead of a hopper, use a foam bodied skwala stone imitation.
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Tight Lines,
Mojo
TEAM MOOSE DROOL
TEAM SMOKIN' MERC
TEAM JACKSON BALDWIN
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alanmikkelsen
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The Bass Ackwards Captain
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Phillipsburg is a great place to stay, but not for fishing Rock Creek. It's pretty cold here, right now. Still a lot of ice. Georgetown lake ice fishing is the place to go if you're in P-Burg. But it's really started to tail off. Stay in Missoula or Rock Creek Lodge, and fish the lower 20 miles of Rock Creek. Same with the Bitterroot. No need to go any further than Stevensville.
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50 years of foolin' fish.
Bass Ackwards: The art and science of hurtling blindly in the wrong direction with no sense of the impending doom about to be inflicted on one's sorry ass. Usually applied to procedures, processes, or theories based on faulty logic, or faulty personnel.
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adam376
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king
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joe, i think its still a little early for the skwalas. bring some march browns though. Ive been seeing a few on the fork already. Thats about it.
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Castawayflyshop.com
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Mojo
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We are seeing them on the little creek I fish sometimes. I got a buddy that fishes them on ROck Creek every St. Patricks day week. Things running late this year?
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Tight Lines,
Mojo
TEAM MOOSE DROOL
TEAM SMOKIN' MERC
TEAM JACKSON BALDWIN
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alanmikkelsen
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Been pretty cold, most of the winter. We haven't had a mid-winter warm-ups. Just got hit with more snow and cold, too.
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50 years of foolin' fish.
Bass Ackwards: The art and science of hurtling blindly in the wrong direction with no sense of the impending doom about to be inflicted on one's sorry ass. Usually applied to procedures, processes, or theories based on faulty logic, or faulty personnel.
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adam376
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king
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yeah things have been late this year since its been so cold lately. Hopefully things will start to warm up in the next couple weeks. i need to go fish.
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Loop tackle prostaff
Castawayflyshop.com
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bacota
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Hey Alan, are there any places to camp along the Bitterroot or Rock Creek in those places you mentioned above?
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The Dude abides.
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alanmikkelsen
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There's some campgrounds up Rock Creek, that I think would be your best bet. The Bitterroot is a little sketchier, until you get south of Hamilton, and that's really out of your way. Problem is that a lot of the Forest Service campgrounds are closed and behind locked gates this time of year. Kinda irritating......
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50 years of foolin' fish.
Bass Ackwards: The art and science of hurtling blindly in the wrong direction with no sense of the impending doom about to be inflicted on one's sorry ass. Usually applied to procedures, processes, or theories based on faulty logic, or faulty personnel.
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bacota
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Hmm, sketchier doesn't sound good. Rock Creek might be our only option - Thanks!
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The Dude abides.
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alanmikkelsen
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I'd turn off the interstate at Rock Creek and stop at the store to ask about campgrounds that might be open. The Bitterroot is a lot more out of your way and the fishing should be just as good on Rock Creek. Don't want anything to interfere with that run to Butte! Have you tried the Testicle Festival at Rock Creek? Weather is a lot warmer then, and you can have a ball!
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50 years of foolin' fish.
Bass Ackwards: The art and science of hurtling blindly in the wrong direction with no sense of the impending doom about to be inflicted on one's sorry ass. Usually applied to procedures, processes, or theories based on faulty logic, or faulty personnel.
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bacota
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We actually aren't doing the Butte thing this year, I just keep reviving this thread year after year to keep a detailed log of our drunken bafoonery. As luck would have it, we found a primitive cabin that we rented located just west of Rock Creek off of County Road #348. I'll be sure to post pics of the Tom-foolery, and hopefully some nice feesh.
I've heard the "Festival" can get even wilder than Butte, though after doing the Butte thing, I don't see how anything could get crazier than that.
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The Dude abides.
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alanmikkelsen
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The Festival makes Butte look like an English tea party with the Queen.......Butte is about a day of green beer, the Festival is about having a ........well, you know what......
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50 years of foolin' fish.
Bass Ackwards: The art and science of hurtling blindly in the wrong direction with no sense of the impending doom about to be inflicted on one's sorry ass. Usually applied to procedures, processes, or theories based on faulty logic, or faulty personnel.
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alanmikkelsen
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14 below here this morning.......
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50 years of foolin' fish.
Bass Ackwards: The art and science of hurtling blindly in the wrong direction with no sense of the impending doom about to be inflicted on one's sorry ass. Usually applied to procedures, processes, or theories based on faulty logic, or faulty personnel.
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bacota
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I hope the NOAA website is right about it warming up a bit for the next couple days. I think I'm glad we found the cabin rather than having to tent it. Scatch that, I KNOW I'm glad.
Is the Festival this weekend?
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The Dude abides.
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alanmikkelsen
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The Bass Ackwards Captain
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No, festival is late summer. Used to be around Labor Day, but they moved it into August a year or two ago, to coincide with the Hells Angel rally.......
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50 years of foolin' fish.
Bass Ackwards: The art and science of hurtling blindly in the wrong direction with no sense of the impending doom about to be inflicted on one's sorry ass. Usually applied to procedures, processes, or theories based on faulty logic, or faulty personnel.
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Tally
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They had a "T" festival in Jordan one year when we were there deer hunting. They put a piece of plywood on the pool table at the Ranchers bar and some nice local ladies made potato salad and coleslaw. Tom was out back frying nuts and half the town was there eating them. Some old guys were playing the piano and fiddle, man, it was a great time. That's the way things should be. No Hell's Angel's........Just cowboy's
Bacota, don't forget about the Beaverhead in Dillion.
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There's only one other thing I'd rather be doing than fishing......Gettin' ready to GO fishing
Member, Friend's of the Cowlitz
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bacota
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That went by way too fast. I won't be able to post pics until tomorrow, but fishing was awesome. Used nymphs the whole time under an indicator with either another nymph dropper or San Juan worm, but fish were definitely on the feed! I caught and released at least 20 over the two days of fishing (if it's acceptable to include whitefish in the total) with some really nice bows, cutts and browns. Saw tons of deer, one herd of elk, a coyote and even a couple turkeys (which is the first time I've ever seen one in the wild before). Like I said, I'll get pics up tomorrow.
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The Dude abides.
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bacota
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Here are some pictures
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The Dude abides.
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fishingmom
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that looks fun - nice pics,,,and a new fishing report  this winter is getting wayyyyy long....
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No Farms - No Food
CPR saves lives....
Team FISH 'N' CHICS
A FISHERMANS PRAYER
God grant me the SERENITY to accept that the "big one" might get away...
PATIENCE to keep fishing if they aren't biting today and WISDOM to know that hooked on fishing is OK.
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Tally
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Those wild Montana fish are gorgous. Good times
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There's only one other thing I'd rather be doing than fishing......Gettin' ready to GO fishing
Member, Friend's of the Cowlitz
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