Here’s the second installment of our interview with Jerry Lappier of The Trout Shop in Craig; here’s the first part and introduction if you missed it yesterday.
Your recent newsletter article and blog post (Have You Been to a Good Fly Shop Lately) has caused a bit of stir in the FF retail world. What’s the next chapter in the story going to be?
OK, you asked for it and here it is. After a month and a half of absorbing information, fielding inquiries and doing more research, I’ve completed the next chapter. Thank you for asking. FYI, the third chapter will follow the International Fly Tackle Dealer Show (IFTD).
What are the best features of the Missouri as a fishery?
Flat water dry fly fishing is the allure of the Missouri. Not only can you regularly fish dry flies to trout, you get to fish tiny dry flies to big and wild trout – the champagne of fly fishing. Under normal conditions, you will be able to easily wade the river and stalk your target.
In the 34-mile stretch of blue ribbon water, you have at least 3 sections that vary in character. The first 11miles are picture perfect dry fly water. Islands and back channels dot the river. The next section (15miles), the canyon section, has steep cliff walls made out of volcanic formations. When the wind comes out of the south or west, the canyon will often provide a reprieve. Recreation floaters love this section. So do fly fishermen. When the river leaves the canyon, it opens up into grassy plains. The river moves slower and has a new character. Perhaps more seasonal than the other sections, it can provide spectacular results when the rest of the river seems to be asleep. In the fall, the baetis fishing is off the charts. Watch out for a north wind. It will bite you.
The number one feature, that doesn’t get as much credit as it should, is access. For over 20 miles, anglers can follow Recreation Road and pull over at many public access sites. A friendly rancher allows access across his property for nearly 11 miles on the upper river – all of it is prime dry fly habitat. He should get an award. While a guide is nice to have, once you know the techniques it takes to successfully fish the river, you can do it on your own. If you want even more access, you can rent a boat and float it on your own. As a bonus, the excellent access on the Missouri provides you with the opportunity to fish the river within a personal and wide ranging budget. You don’t have to go broke to fish here. You can camp, rent a room, rent a house or stay at an exquisite lodge.
As unimaginable as this might be, if you guys weren’t running the shop in Craig, where would you be?
I’m sure my partner would be doing all that he could to stay in Argentina. It’s like his home away from home. While he hasn’t practiced geology in quite some time, he still maintains strong relationships in the exploration geology field. His contacts extend from Canada to Chile to Peru to Colombia. His heart, however, is in Argentina where he has met and befriended many people. If he didn’t have a fly fishing business to run, I’m sure he’d take a geology job wherever trout swim.
Since I was 1-hour old, I’ve wanted to travel. With the help of a few of my industry friends, we started Castafly Travel. Still in its infancy, this represents where I plan to be as I head into retirement. With a little luck and a lot of hard work (it’s a very competitive industry), I hope to share the international fly fishing travel world with my friends and clients. Getting culturally rich is my goal. New and different is what I seek all the time.
The bulk of the current winter excepted, winters of late have been long and cold in your neck of the woods. What’s your recipe for sanity during the dark, cold days?
The Trout Shop jumped on the internet bandwagon the day it started. For the most part, I manage The Trout Shop and Castafly Travel’s web sites. In the winter, I jump head first into our web sites. As long as I have an internet connection, I can work most anywhere and any time. It took a long time to get there, but I’m there. Working in my pajamas is pretty nice. Staying out of the cold is pretty easy. Sometimes, my family and I brave the cold and hit the ski slopes of Big Sky. Kelsey, my 12-year old daughter, keeps us grounded a little during school time. My partner, Chris, does not have children and manages to find the slopes much more than I do. He can and does go skiing on a whim. Living close enough to a ski resort has its advantages. When the conditions are right, he can go. Chris maintains our facilities and spent most of last winter remodeling our lodge. When it gets really bad, we go fishing (in the ocean).
If you could pick one week to fish during the year (no work and no other worries), what window would you carve out for yourself?
October fishing on the Missouri is as good as it gets. Blue Wing Olives and midges are thick. Streamer fishing for huge rainbows and browns is excellent. Only serious fishermen are on the Missouri at that time. You won’t see any recreational floaters on the river. It’s too cold. Historically, our fishing season ends around October 23. Statistically, you can fish the river until November 15 when it truly turns to winter. My favorite time to fish the river is October 24 – 31. Walleye fishing is really good then too. Yum, yum.
If you could encourage fly fishers to do just one thing in terms of stewardship this next year, what would that be?
As you know, I’m an advocate for fly shops. When it comes to managing a resource, fly shops have a built-in duty to maintain their local resources. Long after the tourists are gone, fly shops are fighting the good fight on behalf of their customers and themselves. Local fishing clubs work closely with fly shops as well. I firmly believe that supporting fly shops will lead to the best possible results regarding stewardship. Sorry, but I had to get that in.
Passing the sport on through the generations can only be accomplished through education. Fly fishing is a life long sport with countless benefits. I’d much rather see kids get into fly fishing than mischief. Children think that fly fishing is magical. By capturing their imagination at an early age, we can show them that there truly are good things in life. Embracing fly fishing is easy. It only takes one fish on a fly to get the job done. Take a kid fly fishing and get them hooked on the finer things in life.
Many thanks, Jerry and Chris, and kick some ass this upcoming season. – Mark and the Chi Wulff Gang
