Something I Rarely Do...

[Big Sky]

I almost never keep trout. I don't have any issues with folks that enjoy keeping and eating them, I just personally do not care for the taste so I let them all go. However, my parents were up in Montana this weekend along with all my children, for my 3rd oldest son's high school graduation. My parent love trout and asked if I could catch some so they could take some back to Utah with them. So my oldest son and I went to a local creek that is not well known to the public on opening morning. The weather was perfect, the fish were biting, and we had the whole creek to ourselves. (I LOVE MONTANA!) Anyway we both had our limits by 9:15am. I have to say it is an absolute joy to have your kids finally old enough to be hunting and fishing partners rather babysitting expeditions. I loved every minute with my son and wish he lived closer, but right now gaining his college education is far more important. It's still hard for me to believe that he's grown up so fast and only has a little over a year of college left. Anyway, I have to admit it was kind'a fun to keep a few fish for a change and it made my parents very happy. It was a great weekend.

It really does seem like it was just a year or two ago that he was my little tiny fishing buddy. However, we've both grown quite a bit since this photo was taken. He's got a lot taller and hairy. Me, I got rounder and I'm now clean shaven.

Oldest son with a nice brown from a tiny creek.

What a perfect morning looks like.

 

[idnative1948]

Very cool! Makes me hungry, but streams where I fish running too high right now.

 

[Big Sky]

I hear that about the high water. We had to battle that around here as well. However we got lucky and one tiny creek that was managable and that is where we caught these fish. It was higher than it normally is as well, but we were still able to get around pretty good. It's a lot easier to fish in a month or two when the water goes down. Which can be said for most of the creeks in this area. Kind'a makes time drag while waiting for it though.

 

[BuzzH]

Nicely done, all the way around. There is nothing wrong with killing a few fish, in fact, its a GOOD thing.

IMO, catch and release in not healthy for the production of large fish. I know in the rivers I grew up fishing (Blackfoot, Clarks Fork, Bitterroot), the average fish size has decreased greatly. Lots more of them, but very few large fish.

But, thats what the fly fishermen and guides want, 50 fish days on a 3 weight with a size 20 knatsass, catching 10-12 inchers that anyone can catch. No skill required for their river runs through it fantasy.

 

[Ben Lamb]

Love the stringer. Is it Sitka?

Well done Big Sky. Nice to see someone keep a trout now and again.

 

[Big Sky]

Ben I don't even own a stringer so had to improvise with a willow stick. I might have to break down and buy a stringer when I switch to walleye fishing.

 

[1_pointer]

Well done! Time spent fishing with your kids, no matter if anything is caught, is definitely not wasted.

 

[Ben Lamb]

Ben I don't even own a stringer so had to improvise with a willow stick. I might have to break down and buy a stringer when I switch to walleye fishing.

Cutting down trees, killing fish - is there no end to this savagery?

 

[kansasdad]

Looks like a great day afield with a long time fishing buddy. Happy times I'm sure

 

[Big Sky]

One really cool side note that not everyone enjoys, but I do, is the variety of species we were able to catch. We both caught browns, brookies, and rainbows. The only other fish that would have been fun to round things out would have been a cutthroat. There are some in this creek but they tend to live higher up the mountain, but every once in a while one shows up down low.