Weekend on the Big Hole

While twitters, facebook messages, emails, and blog posts have been hinting the Skwala hatch on the Bitterroot starting to heat up, we went the other direction. Too much traffic there so we headed to the cold windy tundra on the lower Big Hole. On my lunch our on Friday I called the Sportman's hotel in Melrose for rooms for the next couple nights, and Roxanne got us winter rates in Melrose for $45 at night, staying 30 seconds from the Salmonfly boat launch and 15 seconds from the Hitchin' Post Bar and Restaurant. Christie and I left Friday after work about 7pm and made it down by about 10pm where we set up the vise in the room and got thing ready for the next day... 19 degrees.

Woke up about 9am and tied a number of stonefly nymphs after hearing no Skwalas have been flying yet...too cold. After coffee in the room, went to the Hitchin' Post for coffee and the largest $7 breakfast in Montana. Ate half..maybe. By about 12 we were in the water, and by about Noon:15 we were in to fish. We fished from Salmonly to Browns Bridge and then kicked our feet up to Glen and took out. 22 fish to hand. One over the 20' mark. Christie's 4th time with a fly rod. Sam's sunburnt. Daytime temp of about 60.

Adam and Greg from Montana Fly Company were up fishing the Bitterroot and did okay, but I texted them with our results and they go to Melrose by the time we were back to the hotel so they could join us in the morning.

Sunday, our two boats launched from Glen boat launch floating to my favorite' Notch Bottom. Lots of sun, a little breezy, but warm and two fish to hand before the boats left the ramp. The float to Notch Bottom on the Big Hole has lots of channel, short runs and fun water to fish and float. Almost all Brown trout on the float today for Christie and I... another 20 fish plus day. When we got to the ramp, Adam's boat reported all rainbows' go figure. Also, I now recommend the steak dinner at the Hitchin' Post to all that travel through Melrose, Montana at dinner time.