DATELINE: MONTANA informative Dateline from his recent winter, the snowpack in the mountains travels to southern Montana, where was about two times the normal amount. Bighorn River he managed to fish a couple different Then came the heat of summer and, you The Two-for-One notable rivers, find a new favorite fly guessed it, the high-water runoff lasted shop, and take in all of the beauty and through mid-July. Oh well, you have to Montana Special sights that only Big Sky Country can accept nature on its terms, not yours. offer. We arrived late Saturday night and t had been too long since I last booked into a very nice hotel. Sunday we visited my old home state of toured the city and also stopped to take IMontana, the birthplace of my two a look at the first home we had after we children. So, when my wife and I got married. I got out my DSLR camera received an invitation to visit from an and hoped the new residents didn’t see old friend in Billings, we jumped at the me in my rental car snapping photos of chance. I think it was in his book Life’s their house with my telephoto lens. Little Instruction Book that H. Jackson Then came the fun part; we visited Brown Jr. said, “Remember that the most East Rosebud Fly & Tackle fly shop valuable antiques are dear old friends.” to get some “blue flies.” I say that I asked for a date late enough in the because I have never seen a shop with summer to avoid the high muddy water flies of so many different shades of Editor Note: Subscriber Jim Aylsworth often found in early June. But due to an blue. I am not an entomologist, but I do is back with another entertaining and extremely heavy snowfall the previous study entomology and can safely say there are not many insects that live on rivers and have bright blue bodies. Yet, SUPPORT OUR CORPORATE SPONSORS sure enough, they work like magic on rivers like the East Rosebud. Another reason I love this fly shop is the owner. Richard Romersa is a devoted fan of the famous heavy metal band AC/ DC. Of the hundreds of rock and roll concerts I have attended, AC/DC’s were IN THIS ISSUE by far my favorite. They really rock! Montana Michigan So the entire store has everything a fly For Those about to Fish, Holy Water on fisherman would want, but it also has We Salute You the Au Sable an AC/DC look about it, including their Pages 1–3 Pages 7–8 logo, and various images of AC/DC Editor’s Column Hawaii front man Angus Young holding a giant Sometimes, Paradise A Few Reasons to rainbow trout. I was so impressed that I Just Isn’t Try the Aloha State went back two days later to make sure I Page 4 Pages 9–10 could meet the owner, who, I since have Cameroon Bahamas learned, always takes Sunday off to go Is Africa the Next A New Family-Friendly fishing. Fly Fishing Frontier? Bonefish Destination Pages 5–6 Pages 11–12 As always, I did extensive research on the water I was about to fish in THE ANGLING REPORT eastern Montana. I chose the Bighorn At last count, there were over 5,500 River, that famous tailwater that runs trout per mile, about 70 percent brown behind the 525-foot-high Yellowtail trout and 30 percent rainbows. Long ago Dam, which holds the 71-mile-long they tried to stock cutthroat trout in the Bighorn Lake at bay. Bighorn Lake is in river, but they did not survive—meaning a breathtaking canyon now designated that all the trout here are wild. The Bighorn Canyon National Recreation average brown trout we caught was 14 THE ANGLING REPORT Area, which makes it a unit of the US inches and the average rainbow trout was GROUP PUBLISHER National Park System. When launching 16 inches. I did land one fat rainbow that John D. Lunn the boat just downriver from the Afterbay stretched to just over twenty inches. 512-470-7447 Dam, I could hear pheasant roosters My second cast on the water ended EDITOR cackle from the bluffs above. After in a nice, hard strike and splashy netting Seth Fields floating less than a mile I saw a black of a beautiful brown trout. The next bear scurry quickly to the shore to hide 20-minute stretch was quiet, not a strike COPY EDITOR Gary J. Hamel back in the bushes on the bank. in our boat nor in any of the other boats The Bighorn River flows through near us. All of the fishing guides here LAYOUT & PRODUCTION an open and isolated landscape on the seem to know and respect each other. Ben F. Badger Jr. western edge of the high plains. There They all were commenting on how it ILLUSTRATIONS are few trees except along the riverbanks. was unusually quiet fish-wise. Then all Ed Anderson This river is in a valley that runs through hell broke loose. First, my fishing buddy a meadow of rolling hills covered with caught one, then I did, and that happened ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER grass, mixed in with some brush and about every five to ten minutes for the Michael Floyd trees. The trees along the river are mostly next seven hours! There were more than 706-823-3739 / [email protected] willows and cottonwood trees, and the five times when we doubled up. EDITOR EMERITUS and FOUNDER grass is mostly alfalfa. Although the Two more tricks this old dog learned Don Causey mountains are what western Montana is on this trip were about how to fish deep. known for, the grasslands section has its There was no surface activity despite a Subscription Inquiries: (Orders, address changes, problems) own particular beauty. caddis hatch, so we used a very small 800-283-9471 One of my other fishing buddies balloon line indicator, with a pink sow www.theanglingreport.com from Billings affectionately calls this bug or scud, followed by a very small Email: [email protected] river “The Horn.” It flows north 461 caddis pupa bead head nymph. This is miles from the Wind River Range in the first time I had seen a strike indicator Wyoming through Bighorn Canyon, of a miniature balloon. And then came A Publication of MCC Magazines, LLC a division of Morris Communications Company, eventually emptying into the mighty something I had not seen since my LLC 735 Broad St., Augusta, GA 30901 Yellowstone River in central Montana. pinewood derby days—tungsten putty to Because of the high snowpack, the add weight. In a fast river it quickly gets Donna Kessler, President lake was full, thus the flow of water two the fly down to the bottom, where the big Patty Tiberg, Vice President weeks prior to my visit was at 14,000 fish live. Scott Ferguson, Director of Circulation CFS. Keep in mind that normal flows Our guide from Bighorn Angler Donald Horton, Director of Manufacturing on The Horn are between 5,000 and in Fort Smith, Montana, was Bryen Karen Fralick, Director of Publishing Services 6,000 CFS. It had dropped all the way Venema, who loved this area more Morris Communications Company, LLC down to 8,500 when I floated it and was than the mountains he grew up in near William S. Morris III, Chairman still dropping while we floated it that Bozeman, Montana. I commented how William S. Morris IV, President & CEO ©2018 by MCC Magazines, LLC. All rights reserved. The Monday, July 9. much I enjoyed seeing the rim rocks and Angling Report (ISSN 01045-3539) is published monthly by MCC Magazines, LLC, 735 Broad Street, Augusta, GA 30901. You are never alone on the Bighorn valleys that make the 90-mile drive from Subscriptions are $49 for one year, $87 for two years. Canada and Mexico add $20 per year (U.S. funds only). Outside North River. First there was an inspection Billings to Fort Smith so beautiful. America add $40 per year (U.S. funds only). Periodicals postage paid at Augusta, GA and additional mailing offices. by the US Park Service employees As a professional guide for about POSTMASTER: Send address corrections to The Angling looking for an invasive species of foreign six years, he said he had witnessed the Report, PO Box 433237, Palm Coast, FL 32143-9616. Contributions in the form of manuscripts or photographs will mussels on the boat in order to prevent famous two-for-one Montana special be gladly considered for publication. A self-addressed, stamped envelope of the proper size must accompany each submission. them from getting into this water. Then, only a couple times in his career. Well Please write for editorial guidelines if submitting for the first time, and enclose a SASE; this is very important. We cannot as we approached the ramp parking lot I had never seen or even heard of it, but guarantee against damage or loss of materials submitted, but a little after 8 a.m., I counted about 20 my fishing buddy did it. we take great care in handling all submissions. Address all correspondence to The Angling Report, P.O. Box trucks and trailers of other fishermen The two-for-one Montana special 1207, Augusta, GA 30903-1207. For subscription inquiries or if you do not wish to have your name provided to qualified who were already floating the beautiful is when someone catches two fish at the users of our mailing list, call 1-800-283-9471.