Missoula Montana next week

[PaulC]

If you're travelling in the US with gear somewhat frequently, you could always call your homeowners insurance agent and look into personal articles policies. I did that with most of my travel rods and I think it was something like 60 bucks a year. No deductible if lost and hey....even UPS loses stuff.
If you're not remote at least you can get a replacement quickly and salvage the trip.
-Paul

PS. Never had any problems shipping rods/reels/flies in suitcases non-carryon in country or not, but I could just be lucky.

[Mike Churchill]

Thanks for all the suggestions.

I'll post a report once I manage to get out on the water.

Mike

[Mike Churchill]

Well, I made it to Missoula and have spent several hours on Rock Creek (about 20 miles east of town) the last two evenings.

The good news is: the scenery is great and the water is beautiful.

The bad news is: haven't seen a fish either day 'cause the rivers are blown out and cold.

And did I mention that it rained and hailed on me yesterday?

Weather has been cool and showery. All the rivers are running high and the cold weather put the kibosh on the salmon fly hatch.

On the advice of two fly shops, I've been fishing the side channels on lower Rock Creek, which is about 20 miles east of town. Today, the water was 47 degrees and rippin' even in the side channels in the meadows. Saw a few small pale mayflies and a couple of ovipositing caddis, but the fish are making themselves scarce.

I did have a couple of "maybe that was a fish" "hits" on an olive "rubber bugger" yesterday. The "rubber bugger is a size 6 flashabugger with rubber "legs" sticking out all over the body and a large cone head. Casting one with a 5-weight is not pretty.

More rain in the forecast tomorrow.

The good news is, I may have to come back in three weeks.

[Sturmer White]

Mike
Sorry you hit the Rock in a bad time. Try it in August.
I fidh it Way south,Up stream ( I know ! It's crazy, the river runs north up there) Great hopper country.

[Mike Churchill]

Survived my trip to Missoula.

Got out for a couple of hours each afternoon/evening. Tuesday through Thursday I hit Rock Creek with another guy attending the same deposition as I was. I smelled like skunk all three days. He caught one brown Thursday evening about 5 minues before a roaring thunderstorm came over the ridge and chased us off the water. We jumped in the car and drove back to Missoula in our waders.

On Friday afternoon, I had just a couple of hours to kill before heading to the airport, so I drove up the Blackfoot River to do some sight seeing. Stopped to look at a fishy looking spot which turned out to be occupied, but the young guy their took pity on my fishless ass and suggested I try Gold Creek, which is a small trib of the Blackfoot.

7 miles up a dirt road I hit the creek and a locked gate. Had the meadow to myself for the hour and 15 minutes I was there. Weather was finally really nice and the wild cuts attacked both a Stimulator and a Humpy. Landed 4 plus one dink so small my hookset looked like a backcast with a streamer. LDR'd and/or missed about seven more.

All in all, it was a great way to end the trip. I went to the airport with a smile on my face (and sweat in my pits 'cause I was afraid I'd stayed to long and might miss my flight).

And, it looks like I might have to go back for more sessions of that deposition in two weeks.