She Who Must Be Obeyed and I had the pleasure of spending a little time in the Bitterroot valley last spring, almost a year ago this week.

Knocking around in ‘downtown’ Hamilton after a day’s work we stumbled across what is likely the niftiest eatery in town – the Spice of Life.

Particularly for Montana they offered a courageously innovative menu with probably the best olives we’ve ever enjoyed anywhere; the entire meal was a feast.

As we relished our meal in walked a party with a couple of guys who looked quite familiar;  chance led them to be seated at the table next to ours.

It took a few minutes to put the faces together; it was Yvon Chouinard out with friends.  They animatedly spoke of their day on the Bitterroot and the fish they’d caught.  YC was clearly the most jocular guy at the table;  he was quick to laugh, self depreciating and overtly appreciative of his host’s efforts that day.

Our long time Bitterroot native Al the Pal has commented many times about what a gentleman and enthusiastic fly fisher Chouinard is.

(That’s high praise coming from a guy who’d (figuratively) run over most of his other ‘‘rich and famous’ Bitterroot neighbors in a heartbeat.   You have to wonder if life in the Bitterroot just might come to that as much of the impetus for HB 309 appears to stem from the wrangling over Mitchell Slough.)

You just never know who’s going to wander in and sit down at the table next to you.

Tags: Friday Feast

By this time you’ve no doubt seen mention that Arnold Richardson, the Montanan who played the aged but still fishing Norman Mclean in ‘the movie’, recently passed on.

There have been several good write ups about Arnold offered up in the past few weeks; probably the best we’ve seen was done by a local Montana paper – the Helena Independent Record.   Read their story Cast of a Lifetime here;  it offers some thoughtful background information about the man and his fly fishing legacy.

Last night a friend from Helena fired over an email adding a bit more to the story.  Our Helena friend is a physician who has practiced in Helena for some time now; he’s a pain management specialist who is probably one of the kindest men I’ve ever met.

And of course he fly fishes.  A lot.

Here’s a part of his email that adds a nice touch to the story:

…..I wanted to make sure you had seen that Arnold Richardson expired on the 6th last month.  He was the Montana actor who played the elderly Mclean in the River Runs Through It.

I had the pure pleasure of meeting Arnold more than fifteen years ago.  He had fairly impressive degenerative disc disease in his lumbar spine; years of construction work and aggressively banging around the Northwest (including an impressive stint in Alaska) had wrought extensive degenerative changes in his spine.

There wasn’t much I could do for him and he was loath to consider any type of stabilization surgery (good for him) but we did strike up a bit of a friendship and fish together some.

He was 80 or 81 then and not really spry enough to wade; he was fishing Canyon Ferry a fair amount then and was still a demon on the water.   The man loved to be on the water with a fly rod in his hand.  We floated the Missouri a few times and the Big Hole at least once together.

I’ll never forget one day with him.   One glorious sunny fall afternoon, prime time Missouri River, he grew quiet in the front seat of the boat as we eased through the Canyon section.

To my surprise he was weeping quietly.   This was quite out of character for Arnold and had me bewildered for a moment.   I can’t recall his exact words, but Arnold simply said he was thankful, deeply thankful, of his days spent on beautiful rivers fishing, and that he was saddened that his aging body couldn’t keep up with his heart and his will.

We eddied out, had a sandwich and a beer, and talked about his times in Alaska and Montana.  The day ended well with a spectacular afternoon Caddis hatch that had Arnold all smiles again.  Even at 80 (more or less) he was all business that afternoon and boated fish until the sun dipped below the ridge.

May we all have those kinds of days to look forward to, and please tip a glass sometime in the next few days to the memory of Arnold and Frances.

Well said, Dr. K, well said.

Tags: Fish Stories

Took in the ‘world premier’ of Confluence Films’ Rise last night at the Emerson right here in Bozeman along with a hoard of other enthusiastic fly fishing movie buffs.

Suffice it to say now that Chris Patterson (director / cinematography) in particular shines again, and the flick offers up what was probably the funniest line I’ve ever imagined being uttered in a fly fishing movie.  You’ll have to see it to appreciate it fully.

Great locations and good stories.

And dammit, I’m going for Tarpon and Redfish this year.

Tags: Culture, Books, Art

Stuck in the office here in Bozeman on what should be the first real BWO day of the fall season.  Damn.

A quick scan of some of my favorite sites during an early lunch (waiting on ad copy for further design work) led to some further serious time wasting and discovery of a new, interesting and probably to be damned useful blog.

First, the useful.

Admittedly this is a bit of shameless promotion for new friend and kick-ass writer / photographer Alex Landeen.  And no, Alex didn’t ask for a plug here.  Alex has started a new photography blog – The Landeen Photography Blog – and he’s off to a promising start.  Well worth a look, and we’re expecting great things here.

Now, to help fill your time sink hole today, first from Buster….

And via Moldy…..

I sense a new project in the works for our next fly fishing camp…..

Tags: Culture, Books, Art

It’s become somewhat of a tradition around our camp to celebrate the birthday of my lovely wife – The One Who Must Be Obeyed – by a ‘tourist day’ in Yellowstone.  She is not subject to the whims of fisherfolk on this day – we traditionally start the day with a hearty breakfast at the Running Bear in West Yellowstone (ran into John Jurasek and his lovely wife Mary there) and then enjoy the drive along the Madison into the Park.  Here are a few pics from yesterday’s run – starting with a couple of the little geysers at Firehole Lake….

As usual there were fish and bison in the upper Gibbon meadows at Norris….

Smiling construction signs in the Gibbon Canyon…

And sparkling water on the Madison in the afternoon…

We left West Yellowstone in bright sun and temps in the high 60s, and by the time we got back to Bozeman it was raining and in the low 50s. 

Jake talked me into an ealry evening run to the lower Madison to finish the day – it was 50 and raining over there as well.  Flows are up a bit given the rains – the biggest fish we saw was landed (and eaten) by a pelican.  A bit of road time all in all yesterday – but Montana is wearing her emerald green coat this time of year and every mile is beautiful….

Tags: Events

Yesterday I introduced to you Camille Egdorf, fly fisher extraordinaire.  Today, I would like to go into a little more detail about her experiences in the wilds of the Alaskan bush.

Like I had mentioned earlier, the Egdorf family owns and operates two fishing camps in the Bristol Bay region of Alaska.  Dave and Kim Egdorf, Camille’s parents, have owned the camps almost continuously since 1982.  The main camp is located on the Nushagak River, while a smaller camp, called the Wilderness Camp, is situated on the banks of the King Salmon River, a major tributary of the Nushagak.

The Egdorf camp is the farthest one up the Nushagak River, close to 200 miles upstream.  This means that the camp has access to a jaw-dropping amount of water that sees an incredibly low number of fishermen every year.  It is still possible to find stretches of river that no one has ever fished before, where the trout and salmon are still innocent and unspoiled. 

When the camp first opens in June, the Egdorfs and their staff must follow the river upstream from the town of Dillingham in their jet boats to reach the camp.  Camille told me a little bit about this trip, saying it takes two, maybe three days to complete.  From what she said, it sounded amazing!

The camp is designed to hold a maximum number of 8 guests per week.  Camille said that usually there are only about six guests in the camp at any given time.  This allows for a much more personal experience.  The guides are less pressured, the water is more open (although with that much area, it could never be called busy), and the whole atmosphere is much more relaxed.  Up until this past summer, Camille would spend the days helping out around camp both as a cook and a camp jack. 

This last summer was Camille’s first year guiding.  She said that she enjoyed the experience, and plans to guide again this summer.  Having spent so much time in the area, she knows the waters and the fish pretty dang well.  It is a lucky guest that gets Camille as their guide for the day.  One aspect of guiding that sounded like a lot of fun is driving the jet boats.  These things can go anywhere there is water. 

It was here on the Nushagak that Camille got her first real look at spey casting.  A couple of guests from the UK, ancestral home of spey casting, brought their gear during their stay.  I could tell the experience had an impact on Camille, as her face took on an awed expression when she spoke of it.

There are a variety of sport fish to catch on the Nushagak.  Perhaps the most obvious choice is the monster rainbows, many of which have never seen a fly before.  And these are not little fish either.  The average size of the rainbows is pushing 16-18 inches.  Remember, that is average size.  Much bigger fish are caught every year.  There is also an abundance of grayling in the river, as well as salmon during their run.  Camille was telling me about how much fun it is to fish for these trout with mouse flies.  Sometimes the fish will attack the fly five or six times before eating it.  It would be pretty easy to get spoiled off of that kind of fishing!

The Egdorf camps and indeed the entire Bristol Bay watershed are under the threat of the Pebble Mine.  The Pebble Mine project would be among the largest open pit mines in the world.  If it goes through, it will most certainly have a negative impact on the fisheries, and at worst could shut it down.

When asked about bears in the area, Camille didn’t bat an eye.  Even though the area must be crawling with them, she didn’t seem to think they were that big of a deal.  She did say that all guides do have a sidearm with them, usually a 12-guage shotgun loaded with slugs.  I found it somewhat amusing that a 19-year old girl is much more nonchalant about bears than most of the hard-core hunters and fishermen I know.  But then again, Camille Egdorf is no ordinary 19-year old girl.  Far from it.

As Camille talked about Alaska and her experiences there, I could tell that this is something that means a great deal to her.  We are all shaped by our experiences and opportunities, and it is clear that Alaska has helped mold this young woman into who she is today.  The Alaskan bush country has helped produce a wonderful person and an incredible fly fisher.  For more information about the Egdorf fishing camps on the Nushagak, visit The Fly Shop.

Tags: Women in Fly Fishing

It is rare to meet a young woman with skill, incredible passion and active involvement in the sport of fly fishing.  It is even more rare when that young woman has been fly fishing almost since she could hold a rod, and spends four months of the year in the Alaskan bush country.  Until just recently, I would have laughed at even the vague notion that such a person might exist.  But, my friends, she does.

Her name is Camille Egdorf.  She was kind enough to agree to meet for an interview recently.  This being the first time I had ever interviewed a better-known personality, or really anyone for that matter, I was understandably nervous.  But her easy-going attitude and ready smile quickly put me at ease. 

Amid the noise and bustle of the popular Rockford Coffee, I could immediately tell this is someone who is passionate about fly fishing.  The happy smile, the spark in the eye, the excited tone of voice all combined to say this is a subject close to her heart.  It is always a pleasure to talk to someone who has such obvious love for what they do.

Camille is the daughter of Dave and Kim Egdorf.  The family owns and operates fishing camps on the Nushagak and King Salmon River in Alaska.  This lucky girl has spent almost every one of her 19 years travelling back and forth between the wilds of the Alaskan bush and her home in Montana.  I can think of scores of people off the top of my head who would consider that just about the perfect arrangement, myself included.

Camille spent her first summer on the Nushagak at the tender age of six months old, living in a box in the kitchen.  From that early age, she has been surrounded by fly fishing.  Her first fly rod was a gift from a guest at the camp, and she picked the sport up with enthusiasm.  It must have been incredible, learning to fly fish on an Alaskan river that hardly sees any fishing pressure at all and is chock full to massive rainbows, salmon, grayling and more.  In comparison, I learned to fly fish in my front yard.  Not quite the same, is it?

Many of you have probably heard about Camille and her family’s fishing camps in the Felt Soul Media film Red Gold.  This excellent film about the threatened Bristol Bay watershed features a segment shot on the Nushagak.  I would highly recommend this film for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is raising awareness of threat Pebble Mine poses to the Bristol Bay watershed, but also to get a feel for what summers are like for Camille, her family and the people that sacrifice their everyday lives to live the dream.

But fly fishing is not the only sport that demands her attention.  Camille is an accomplished hunter as well.  Last year, she took her first bull moose up in Alaska.  She was gracious enough to tell me the story of that hunt, it sounded pretty amazing.  I think amazing would be a good word to describe a lot about Ms. Egdorf.  She also enjoys hunting birds and deer on her family’s place on the Bighorn River.  In fact, the Egdorfs operate a hunting and fishing guiding business here in Montana: Last Stand Outfitters.

Last fall, Camille was in Redding, CA for six weeks with an internship with The Fly Shop.  It was here that she fell in with some diehard steelheaders and first learned to spey cast.  It is pretty obvious that chasing steelhead with a spey rod is something that she greatly enjoys.  I even asked Camille straight up if she would rather go after trout or steelhead.  After some hemming and hawing, she chose steelhead.  As she was talking about it, her eyes lit up and she got that excited look on her face that anyone who fishes knows well.  It is the look of sheer joy.

Camille has also joined the blogosphere, with her blog RIP LPS.  This entertaining blog will give you a look into the life of someone who is probably more hardcore about fishing than most of the people reading this.  Be sure to check out the awesome photography on the blog as well.   

I asked her about the name RIP LPS, as those two words are on her truck’s license plates as well.  She laughed and told me how she always wanted personalized plates.  One day, she and her dad were trying to think of a good thing to say on there, and he suggested rip lips.  (For those of you who haven’t heard that expression, it pertains to catching fish.  Obviously.)  Camille didn’t think the name would be open, so they went down to the courthouse and checked it out.  Sure enough, it was free. 

Camille is currently in college down here in the metropolis of Bozeman.  Studying business management, her impression of Bozeman has been pretty good so far.  She enjoys all the activities and events that are going on in the area.  Coming from Hardin, MT and Alaska, I am sure Bozeman seems like the big city.  She laughed about the traffic and said she tries to ride her bike everywhere in town.  Not a bad idea, actually…

I have met a lot of folks over the years who fly fish.  Some of them do it just because their friends do it or they consider it fashionable or chic.  And then there are those who fish because they truly, deep down, have a driving passion for it.  It is a main focus of their life.  I believe that Camille Egdorf falls into the second category.  Not only is she an amazing fly fisher, but am enjoyable person to be around.  I was greatly impressed by this young woman, as anyone who meets her surely must be. 

Tags: Women in Fly Fishing

Though today her name might not immediately cause the sun and beer addled brain of the average fly fisherman in America to make all necessary connections for immediate recognition – that’s soon to change in the case of Camille Egdorf. 

Anyone who’s seen Red Gold and the Drake’s Fly Fishing Film Festival this year has seen Camille Egdorf.   She’s the now legendary fly fishing babe young lady who works with her folks (Kim and Dave Egdorf) guiding at their camps in Alaska. 

Camille happens to be going to college here in the metropolis of Bozeman, and Jake was lucky enough to meet her yesterday for an interview.   He’s polishing off the write-up of the interview and should have the first installment posted tomorrow. 

Camille can fish, handle a jet boat, row, is a budding photographer, has a brain and a great smile. 

Stay tuned for a multi-post story and more pics. 

(Why is it that I always interview the people that look more like the gentleman above (no offense), and Jake gets to interview Camille???)

Tags: Women in Fly Fishing