Stop The Haul

The part-time activist within me awoke again this week when I became aware of a situation that could potentially threaten some very pristine areas of Western Trout and Salmon country. Public officials from numerous state-run agencies have evidently been spending the past few years planning a program with numerous oil companies (such as Conoco-Phillips, and Exxon), to use rural roads and rivers in the Western United States as industrial corridors, transporting very large pieces of equipment. These "megaloads" (up to 30 feet high, 24 feet wide, 220 feet long and weighing in at 650,000 pounds), would be barged up the Columbia River system to the Port of Lewiston, Idaho, with an ultimate destination of the Tar Sands of Alberta, Canada. Once leaving Port Lewiston, these loads would be trucked along some very hollowed waterways, including the Lochsa, the LoLo, the Main Clearwater and the Big Blackfoot Rivers (the latter being made famous by Norman MacLean's "A River Runs Through It"). Many questions and worries come to mind when hearing of plans like these, especially considering the size and width of these loads, traveling along two-lane, rural highways. Not only should accidents and public safety be considered, but also the impacts on recreation in these areas. Please click here All Against The Haul to learn more and sign this important petition! Attached is a picture of a Conoco-Phillips coker drum, one of many items that could travel this route more than 250 times in the near future. The second photo is one of the Tar Sands in Alberta, Canada. “Alberta oil is conflict-free energy,” stated MT Governor Brian Schweitzer. Really? Lastly, a great shot of the Columbia River Gorge...the area where these megaload journeys would begin. I don't have much of an update yet on a recent post that I did on the Montana House Bill 309 (that could make your favorite fishing spot a "drainage ditch", and inaccessible). It looks like the MT house will vote on this in early March. Look for Montana Troutfitters
on Facebook to keep informed on this one.

The Healthy 'Mo

After a lengthy run of dry conditions around here, we woke up this morning to a report of 13" of new snow in the high country. Over the past few weeks, the snowpack/water equivalency data had been showing a steady drop in the snowpack (although still hovering just above 100% of normal). This blast of snow last night should bump our numbers up again. The deep snowpack around here typically translates into healthy fisheries. More water means happier, healthier trout and aquatic insects. It also means that during the longer runoff period, the fish are not harassed quite as aggressively by anglers. Successive years of high water is great news for river systems all over the inter-mountain west. Check out this article on the condition of one of my favorite rivers, the Missouri River. Back-to-back high water years is boding well for insects, and the 'Mo's healthy rainbows, like this one pictured here. Click here Missouri River Trout to check out the story. Here's another great Scott Smith produced short video below to get everyone out there thinking about another fishing season! Scott does a great job of letting viewers sample some of what the Jackson area has to offer, including some brief glimpses of No Tell Canyon. Enjoy!

The Cure For Cabin Fever

It can be a long winter in Western Wyoming. The rainy, snowy and cold weather can often last up to eight months here. Even an avid skier who usually enjoys winter, like myself, increasingly has thoughts of spring and summer and images in the head of some serious dry-fly fishing. The winter days are shorter and colder, and the opportunities to go wet a line are much more limited. Most anglers I know around here usually develop cabin fever by this time of year. Symptoms include restlessness, irritability, irrational frustration with everyday objects, forgetfulness, laughter, excessive sleeping, distrust of anyone they are with, and an urge to go outside even in the rain, snow or dark. Anyone else out there feelin' it? Not too worry...click on this video produced by my good buddy and co-guide Scott Smith. Nice work Scott.



Here's a few shots of Scott that should help as well...

Montana Stream Access

Thanks to Facebook, I became aware yesterday of a plan gaining fast momentum to rewrite Montana's stream access laws. Republican representative Jeff Welborn, of Dillon, has put forth a bill that would revamp the stream access law in Montana to "make any waterway that receives water diverted from a natural stream off limits to public recreation". Essentially, any water body that gets water diverted into it would be off limits to anglers. Apparently, the way that bill HB 309 is written, the entire Bitteroot River would be reclassified as a "ditch", IE, illegal to access. Many landowners in Montana complain of anglers abusing irrigation ditches, which they cannot legally fish. Welborn says that the bill is only a remedy to a recent Montana Supreme Court ruling on the Mitchell Slough, which was ruled to be a sidechannel of the Bitteroot, and not a ditch. Montana has always had very generous stream access laws that have favored both anglers and landowners; it would be a shame to see this change. Bruce Farling, the Montana Trout Unlimited Director, has said that "The measure is a sneaky attempt to undermine Montana's stream access law that guarantees the public the right to get to streams and rivers." The issue is on the way to the Montana Senate as I write. Whether you are a Montana resident or not, click here to send your comments: Tell the Montana Legislature



Also, check out this article from the Montana Standard to learn a little more:Montana Standard



I'll certainly be paying close attention to this over the next few days. The access laws in Big Sky country make it possible for myself and many others to experience some truly magnificent places and fishing. Stay tuned. Here's a couple of nice shots of accessing some fine Montana water and releasing its resource.

Guide Wars

I came across an ironic image recently on the internet via the Drake Magazine online website. As many readers may remember, the issue of Jackson guides going "over the hill" into Idaho to legally take clients fishing on the South Fork of the Snake has been a hot topic of conversation around here. There are numerous guides that live in Wyoming that are legally licensed to guide anglers on the lower section of the Snake River in Idaho (commonly referred to as the South Fork). It is typical for many local guides, myself included, to offer the South Fork as an option to clients who want to experience this incredible fishery. Yes, we have plenty of water over here, including the Green, Snake and Yellowstone. The reality is that during certain times of the season, the South Fork can be red-hot, and our clients would simply like to fish it. By licensing ourselves legally through Idaho outfitters, we pay annual fees and taxes to take folks over. Even though we are contributing to the local Idaho economy on these day trips (shuttles, flies, licenses and beer purchases), there are a handful of guides and outfitters over there that just don't like us coming over. In fact, there is one operation in particular that has tried to make it very difficult for us over the years. Even though we are legal, they often harass us and display poor river and boat ramp etiquette in our presence. They have gone so far as to make claims on certain guides that they are doing things illegally, when they are not. Click here Drake Magazine Online to see what these guys were caught doing last year. Very ironic. Many thanks to the Drake.


For those of you that missed this week's edition of the Jackson Hole News, Paul Bruun had a great column on the dire situation that native Yellowstone Cutthroat trout are facing in Yellowstone lake and its tributaries (which I posted on a few weeks ago). Click here to check it out: Paul
Bruun

Also, check out my buddy Brad Schwarm's great website exhibiting some truly fine regional photography...good stuff Brad. Click here to take a look:Brad Schwarm Photography


I ran into town a few nights ago to practice some night photography. Enjoy a few photos from Jackson's famous town square, as well as a shot of my wife Rachael displaying one of the reasons we love the South Fork so much. More soon!