Welcome to Montana, we got it good
By BEN PIERCE Chronicle Outdoors
Last Saturday I went fishing along the Madison River in Bear Trap Canyon with three rookie fly fishermen. We camped out Friday night at Trapper Springs Recreation Area and had hopes of landing a few trout on salmonflies the following day.
Of course we stayed up too late drinking and laughing and watching the stars. The next morning we didn’t get out of camp until 10 a.m.
I remember the days back in college when I’d drink and laugh too much and still be up at the crack of dawn to go trout fishing. It was a point of pride back then.
In their defense, my green fishing companions have yet to witness the enormity of a giant salmonfly, much less felt the pull of a large trout.
I have no such excuses.
As we pulled into the gravel parking lot at the mouth of the Lee Metcalf Wilderness to begin our day, we were joined by a rental car loaded with two gentlemen from Belgium.
As I rigged up my rod in the sun, I struck up a conversation with the driver.
The Belgians had been fishing above Ennis on Friday with some success. We talked about fly selection for a bit and they seemed to have the right idea … they were both fishing big brown nymphs with smaller trailing flies. The passenger said they caught their attention with the big nymph, but most of the trout were taking the smaller trailing fly.
I nodded my approval.
I showed them my favorite fly for the Madison, a flashback pheasant tail nymph. They didn’t seem very impressed.
I then showed them the large salmonfly pattern I hoped to catch a trout on. The driver commented on its size, but failed to offer the astonished expression I’ve come to expect from anglers fishing the hatch for the first time.
I asked if they had fished the salmonfly hatch before and the driver nodded his head.
“Oh, yes, we have fished it,” he said. “We come to Montana every year.”
Having spent a little time fishing in Europe, particularly the Loire River in Central France, I asked where the good trout water was in Belgium.
“We don’t have any,” the driver said with a sorry laugh. “That is why we are here.”
I looked out at the Madison flowing high and proud below the parking lot and at my friends fumbling with their fishing rods. I wondered if we’d see any salmonflies.
“We are lucky here,” I said.
“Yes you are,” replied the driver.
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