Last weekend marked the spring Yellow Dog Flyfishing Adventures retreat… we headed out of Bozeman Friday afternoon, meeting up at Great Waters Inn near Melrose, Montana, on the banks of the Big Hole. What followed was a night of good stories, some serious partying, and a few intense sessions at the pool table.
The next day everyone rallied for a team float down the Beaverhead. We lost a few folks to commitments back in Bozeman, but still managed to fill four drift boats. Our little flotilla bopped down the river, podding up now and then for conversation and simply some high-quality chilling. Fishing was slow; I got into a few mid-size browns, but nothing to write home about. Sometimes days like that are nice; they serve as a reminder of why we really fish — good people and stellar scenery.
We pulled off in the middle of a rainstorm, and Yellow Dog’s Jake Wells and I departed, heading off to spend the night at a new lodge offering and check it out. I photographed the new lodge (high class and gorgeously appointed… look for more on that coming soon) and we met the owners — it’s a multi-generational affair with a fun family at the helm.
After an evening, night, and subsequent morning shooting the exterior and property (sleep a few hours, get up and shoot, sleep a few hours, get up and shoot, repeat) I felt like we’d captured the feel of the place. I was excited to find that in the middle of the night, exposures were showing a band of Northern Lights along the horizon. They were too faint to see with the naked eye, but a long exposure brought them out. It’s always fun little surprises like that (and tromping through the woods at 1AM) that keep things interesting.
Jake and I headed into Melrose to meet our guide for the day at Sunrise Fly Shop. Shawn Bechtol showed us a great, chill day and despite high water and rough fishing, Jake landed enough fish for me to photograph, and we called the day a success. Quick stop in Helena for dinner, then back to Bozeman and the pile of emails waiting to be dealt with.
Sometimes a bit of time out on the water is all you need to set perspectives right again. Friday, after logging a stupid number of hours already in the workweek, I packed up and headed out to the Lower Madison. It was in the high 30s in the canyon; windy, overcast, and just generally gloomy. Fishing was slow, but one little ‘bow came up to play, and that was all that was needed. The drive back to Bozeman was relaxed, and even better once I regained feeling in my fingers.
Just goes to show that water — fresh or salt — sets the equilibrium right once again.
