Uncategorized
A perfect day: turns and drifts
Published
9 years agoon
By Patrick Straub
Explore Big Sky Fishing Columnist
I was riding the chairlift in early February when the gentleman next to me asked: “Six [inches] of fresh. Pretty good day today isn’t it?”
“They’re all good, these days,” I replied. “Ski in the morning and fish in the afternoon.”
Sliding one ski across the other, he removes some new snow off his boards, revealing the newest model of ski I’ve wanted since summer. I might have coveted his skis, but in a few hours I’d be on the Gallatin River, anticipating my toughest decision of the day: which fly rod of my ever-growing collection do I use? My medium-action dry-fly rod; my slow-action dry-fly rod; my longer nymph rod; my all-arounder; or perhaps the zero weight?
Fly rods are similar to skis: One’s ability dictates the level of enjoyment from specialized models. For fishing our local waters in winter, it’s nice to have a small quiver of fly rods to choose from. Here are some of my favorite line weights, lengths, and actions.
It’s a nympher’s world in winter. Winter angling is often nymph-centric and a longer rod will make things easier. With minimal hatches and fish holding on or near the river bottom, weighted flies and weight on your leader are staples.
Most anglers agree a strike indicator is important for fishing subsurface. With an indicator, weighted flies and some split-shot for weight, the rig is cumbersome to cast and manage. I suggest rods no shorter than 8 feet, 6 inches long, up to 10 feet.
I’m also a fan of a medium-action rod for winter nymph fishing for two reasons. A very stiff rod can feel heavy in the hand, making it difficult to feel the weight of the rig during your cast and detect subtle strikes if your indicator doesn’t move much. For most winter angling situations, a four or five weight is ideal. Six and seven weights – especially on the Gallatin – are an Escalade when you need a Camry.
Dry fly fishing is a privilege not a right. It’s a bitter pill for me to swallow, but fish rise infrequently in winter. Even on tail waters and spring creeks, fish feeding off the surface is like eating biscuits and gravy – not something to eat every day but when it’s good, it’s worth every bite.
Because of this lack of activity, the softest and lightest rods are used sparingly in winter. There’s a time and a place for the dry-fly rod in winter, when the midges hatch in abundance coupled with the proper weather. If the nightly low temps hover above freezing, winds are calm, and clouds dominate the sky, fish will eat hatching midges off the surface. If I see this trifecta forming, the two- and three-weight rods find their way into the car along with the 5X and 6X Rio Suppleflex or TroutHunter Finesse tippets.
Wind is a fact of life in winter. A few days this month were storybook fly-fishing days – a little sun in the morning to warm the water, clouds building in the afternoon, and calm wind. If February has a reputation for good snow, it also has the reputation for windy conditions on our local rivers. The snow cannot arrive unless something blows it in.
If one of these storybook days arrives, hit the river. One of my favorite beats is the Lower Madison in Beartrap Canyon – relax, it’s not a secret anymore. On most calm days you’ll be sharing the river with a few undergrads skipping class, some regular locals, and the random visiting angler. But in between these windless days, be prepared with a fly line that’s one or two line weights heavier than your rod. This allows you to fish a five-weight rod so you have better feel, but the rod will load faster and bite into the wind better.
It’s winter. You’re fishing. Be thankful. If you need a reminder that fishing is a fun respite from the daily grind, winter angling and its variables may not be your cup of tea. That’s OK, because it leaves more water for the rest of us.
Pat Straub is the author of six books, including “The Frugal Fly Fisher,” “Montana On The Fly,” and “Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Fly Fishing.” He and his wife own Gallatin River Guides in Big Sky and along with a partner owns a guide service on the Missouri River.
Megan Paulson is the Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of Outlaw Partners.
Upcoming Events
april, 2024
Event Type :
All
All
Arts
Education
Music
Other
Sports
Event Details
Children turning 5 on or before 9/10/2024:
more
Event Details
Children turning 5 on or before
9/10/2024: Kindergarten
enrollment for the 2024-2025 school year can be completed by following the
registration process now.
Children
born on or after September 11, 2019: 4K enrollment is now open for
families that have a 4-year-old they would like to enroll in our program for
the 2023-2024 school year. Please complete the 4K Interest Form to
express your interest. Completing this form does not guarantee enrollment into
the 4K program. Enrollment is capped at twenty 4-year-olds currently
residing within Big Sky School District boundary full time and will be
determined by birth date in calendar order of those born on or after September
11, 2018. Interest form closes on May 30th.
Enrollment now is critical for fall preparations. Thank you!
Time
February 26 (Monday) - April 21 (Sunday)
Event Details
Saturday, March 23rd 6:00-8:00pm We will combine the heart-opening powers of cacao with the transcendental powers of breathwork and sound. Together, these practices will give us the opportunity for a deep
more
Event Details
Saturday, March 23rd 6:00-8:00pm
Time
March 23 (Saturday) 6:00 pm - April 23 (Tuesday) 8:00 pm
Location
Santosha Wellness Center
169 Snowy Mountain Circle
Event Details
We all are familiar with using a limited palette, but do you use one? Do you know how to use a
more
Event Details
We all are familiar with using a limited palette, but do you use one? Do you know how to use a limited palette to create different color combinations? Are you tired of carrying around 15-20 different tubes when you paint plein air? Have you ever wanted to create a certain “mood” in a painting but failed? Do you create a lot of mud? Do you struggle to achieve color harmony? All these problems are addressed in John’s workbook in clear and concise language!
Based on the bestselling “Limited Palatte, Unlimited Color” workbook written by John Pototschnik, the workshop is run by Maggie Shane and Annie McCoy, accomplished landscape (acrylic) and plein air (oil) artists,exhibitors at the Big Sky Artists’ Studio & Gallery and members of the Big Sky Artists Collective.
Each student will receive a copy of “Limited Palette, Unlimited Color” to keep and take home to continue your limited palette journey. We will show you how to use the color wheel and mix your own clean mixtures to successfully create a mood for your paintings.
Each day, we will create a different limited palette color chart and paint a version of a simple landscape using John’s directives. You will then be able to go home and paint more schemes using the book for guidance.
Workshop is open to painters (oil or acrylic) of any level although students must have some basic knowledge of the medium he or she uses. Students will be provided the book ($92 value), color wheel, value scale and canvas papers to complete the daily exercises.
Sundays, April 14, 21 and 28, 2024
Noon until 6PM.
$170.
Time
14 (Sunday) 12:00 pm - 28 (Sunday) 6:00 pm