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 Bermuda To Bozeman: Two Weeks I'll never Forget
Posted by FishKing7 on August 12, 2006
My first adventure began with a quick flight to a last minute trip to Bermuda. I was completely stoked and was so ready to catch fish, but wasn’t prepared for what I had coming. Bermuda is not a checkpoint on a flyfishermans list, it is rarely visited by fly fisherman, and there is only one guide on the whole island. I guess I now understand why. Because of the islands location and reefs, it is always windy and constant 4-8 foot breakers on a calm day. No doubt the most difficult place I have ever fly fished. Despite that however The first day I wanted to give it my all. I was soon rewarded with my only landed fish of the trip a nice solid blue runner. A first for me and a blast on the eight weight. The next few days I spent relaxing with the family and casting here and there, but it became frustrating and not even slightly fun, so I enjoyed the sun and snorkeling. I decided I would give it one last hooray as I doubt I will ever be back. So, I went out a rented a 15' whaler for the day and gave it my all. In the morning I had two huge fish smash my fly almost pulling me out of the boat. They were either large amber jacks or small tuna. Either way they were monstrous and really put me in my place. Throughout the rest of the day I spotted 4 Bonefish over 8lbs, a nice Barracuda, some more Amberjacks and King Mackerel. Tons of reef fish to look at and overall a nice family vacation. This didn’t get me down the slightest though because my trip I had been counting the seconds to was finally here. I got home repacked and left the same weekend for Bozeman Montana. After arriving I drove to Missoula and stayed the night. in the morning I packed my gear and biked 7 miles into the mountains in search of some cold water fish. The creek was loaded with small fish and I slayed they for a while on small hoppers. Nice little native cutthroats and rainbows and a few brookies to boot. After fly fishing for a few hours I made my way to a nice looking pool and landed a nice 14 or so inch Cutthroat. I was thinking it was very nice for this small creek until a half hour later in the same pool I spotted a monster. I mean monster. This Cutthroat went at least
8 lbs solid and was just making my legs shake so bad I could see straight. I fished for him for 45 minutes hooking anothernice 14incher in the process. But when he finally hit my fly I was humbled. He just turned and slowly swam away ending at a root ball and one swift head shake breaking my line with no struggle at all. After that I called it a day and began the bike back so I could go to the tour of University Of Montana. On my way back though I almost hit a deer doing about 15 mph and took a good digger. That night after going to the university I made the trek back to Bozeman. The next morning I fished the Gallatin and again was humbled by some nice trout. With large hoppers like I was fishing you really have to let them eat it. It took me at least 24 fish to really let them take it and then I landed a nice 16inch Rainbow Trout. More smaller fish and some large window shoppers ended the morning for me. After going back and hanging at a local fly shop. I met up with my buddy, Kray, from Wyoming and his buddy Chris. That afternoon we went up and fished the upper Gallatin though the canyon and got into a few more fish on hoppers. What a blast. The next day we went for a tour of MSU and then decided to join our other friend and a local guide with his buddies for a float down the Yellowstone River. I guess I hadn’t been completely humbled by hopper eating fish yet because I must have missed at least 2/3 of my fish, but did land a few nice ones. At one point Chris cast to the bank only to break a fly off on a bush. As the hopper made its way down the stream free floating a nice Brown Trout slowly sipped it and Chris just about cried. I know I would have. The next day we wasted most the morning at the fly shop waiting on some people but it was not in vain. In the evening, we ended up again on a different stretch of the Yellowstone River. On numerous occasions I had monster Brown Trout smash my huge streamers in only inches of water. I did manage a few nice Bows but had yet to land my trophy brown. Nearing the end of the light Chris hooked and boated a nice brown of 20inches that ate a nice big B&B. That night we camped on an island sitting around a fire and eating midnight stone flies to please the fish gods. The next day we set off for our 13 mile float trip and didn’t do much for a while. The fish weren’t cooperating. A fish here and there but not much until I boated a nice 18-19 inch Brown Trout in six inches of water. Soon afterwards and a few smaller fish later I landed yet another strong fighting Rainbow Trout that went close to 20 inches. Kray then hooked and lost what he claims to be a huge Rainbow Trout. Chris vouched that the fish went at least 25 inches. The fish snapped his 1x tippet clean off at the boat. Later, down the river as I rowed the drift boat for Gavin ( the local guide, and our buddy we were staying with), he hooked and landed a nice 20 inch Brown Trout that again took a dredged streamer in somewhat shallow water. That night we all went back to town and relaxed. The next day we fished a small creek landed a few small fish on tricos and then headed to the fly shop to make more plans. That night we floated the Yellowstone again with some guys from the fly shop and had a night I don’t think any of us can forget. Two miles into the 10 mile float I rowed Kray in the front and Chris in the back. Kray hooked a nice Brown Trout in some shallow water and ended up landing a nice 20 inch brown with a huge head on a nice big Brown Bow river bugger. Now I was the only one without a monster Brown Trout so Kray took the oars again. The fishing got slow and I missed a few nice ones, but that’s streamer fishing. At one point I had a nice Brown leap out of the water to hit my fly as I was beginning to recast. I quickly cast it back out and dead drift it like a stunned fish and WHAM! The trout smacked it so hard he broke my 13lb flouro leader clean off. After that I was a little disappointed and we didn’t fish too hard for the next few hours. Chris landed a nice 18 inch brown and a couple small rainbows but I had yet to bring my monster to boat. It was getting dark with only 2 miles left and I realized it was now or never , I had better get my game face on if I really wanted to get my big one. With a mile left and it was now pitch dark I was about ready to give up when a fish smashed my streamer in 6inches of water. As the fish begins to head shake it feels nice but not like a monster. I didn’t think it to be very large until it realized it was hooked and started screaming down stream. We had to unanchored the boat to chase it after it got into my backing in some faster water. After a nice few runs and some fumbling in the dark we boated the fish. A nice solid fish the we measured on the tape at 21" or a little more. A huge head, jaw and body just made it freaking awesome and I was happier then I have ever been. A monster for my standards and I was tickled pink. I rowed the next mile to the take out with a smile ear to ear and a trip I will never forget. Now I begin to count my days until I will make the move out there to enjoy fly fishing like this every day.....
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Re: Bermuda To Bozeman: Two Weeks I'll never Forget
by jeremy on August 12, 2006 http://www.ineedasimplesolution.com | wow - that sounds like an amazing trip .... funny to think that 2 years ago or thereabouts ... kray (from wyoming) stumbled upon fliesandfins.com at about the same time you and austin (from maine) did and that was, i think, how you met.... so with 3 thousand or so miles of distance between you guys ... fliesandfins.com was the conduit for you guys to connect ... and then to see that internet connectivity come to fruition in the form of a "fish-tale" like this ... is really cool stuf...
hopefully .. you guys will be fly fishing buds for life ... .. with caleb going to college at university of montana .. i am sure you guys will have many more killer west coast fly adventures .. such as this one ... nice work guys ... sounds like some of the best trout fly fishing the world has to offer ... .. now calebm you gotta get over here on the east coast -- get him into the salt and some landlocked salmon ... and return the favor ... |
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Re: Bermuda To Bozeman: Two Weeks I'll never Forget
by wrh on August 12, 2006 http://www.theanglersnet.com | | excellent well told story about the big sky trout. Brings back memories of the west. I have never fished in the Bahama's and it's good to hear what it is like. Keep the tales coming. |
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Re: Bermuda To Bozeman: Two Weeks I'll never Forget
by Steelie on October 01, 2006 | | Sick trip man. I wish it was me!!! If your ever around pennsylvania let me know and well go catch some steel or trout!!!! Im assuming your in the middle picture? but correct me if im wrong! You have no idea how stoked id be to go on a trip like that!!! Pm me if you got anything going on. |
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