.....
Day one of my 3 Days off...
I decide to bear hunt in what I know to be "elk country" (first mistake)...
The mountain I must climb...
The 'view' from as far as I'm willing to go, as big and out of shape as I am...
Tight courters in pure Griz Country had me on-edge the whole day, so I was glad to be packing my .270 instead of my bow; which I left back in the truck (mistake number 2)..
...And of course after four hours of stalking through dense underbrush and over rocky terrain with 'my gun at the ready', I grew tired and stopped briefly at an outcropping to rest, take a few pictures, and have drink...Only to look down the trail I'm actually standing on, and see a huge cow elk heading my way...
"%$#@"
At this distance she's at 30 yards and completely unaware I'm in the world..
She's now at 25 steps and wondering what that 'thing' is over there taking snappy pics of her and decides to get the hell out of town before I can take anymore..
Or shoot her with my gun, which I'll admit did cross my mind for a split second or two..
The hike back to the truck wasn't nearly as long as the lonely ride home - empty handed - and cursing myself' the entire way...
...
Day two - and I slept till 3, then decided spontaneously to go back after that big buck on the Boulder (not entirely convinced the first try' was a bad idea afterall) Or that a big muley was neccessary as apposed to just a big buck of any species; given its been four years since I've taken one over a yearold.
Upon arrival (1.5 hours later) though I was surprised to see not one, but three helicopters parked next to a dozen firetrucks "right exactly where I intended to hunt and was not pleased..."
"WTF"?!
A 'prescribed burn' apparently got out of control and required the presence of 200 firefighters from across the state. So after hearing this, I said "%$#@ it!" and hualed ass into 'bear country' to try and slavage another hunt if I could help myself....
I essentially 'road hunted' till dark and the futility of the entire evening began to sink in like the crappy pizza I had on the long ride back home..
End of Day 2 and "Bust number two" as well.
.....
On Day 3 I'd reverted to what I now 'do best'; when I'm not hunting all that well..
I called Tom and we floated from Sheep Mountain to Springdale (below Livingston)...
..And had a blast!
This fish was a bit of a challenge and refused to be netted at one point, wading as we were at the time. The big brown swam into a hole in the undercut bank and with the sediment we'd both stirred up neither of us could still see the fish.
At this point we changed roles and I held tension on Tom's fish (or snag we weren't sure); and he threw the net on shore, removed his hat and vest, and began to 'noodle the big boy out' by hand where it once again ran for 20 feet till I brought it back in and he finally caught his prize.
While I too at one point prior to this had "a big one on", Tom decided it a good time to pull up anchor and move in such a way I had no chance in Hell of catching it. This manuever which threw us into a 180 and was completely unexpected, since we'd just pulled in to an island when I hooked him, now cut off any chance the fish could run downstream or I could climb out and 'play it'.
Instead the boats' position, which was only now a few feet from the fish, forced it to head toward the branch covered bank instead; which of course broke me off in the process.
Tom immediately began apologizing even before the fish got off or I had a chance to curse at him; and has me thinking 'this kid might not be right in the head afterall..?!'
I found the whole thing suspect as a bit of jealousy perhaps with me finally catching a bigger one than him (as I'd witnessed similar attitude when his girlfriend caught one much bigger than either of us have so far); or just plain stupid I'm not sure? But because of this he's on temporary rowing suspension and/or floating at all until further notice..(he just doesn't know it yet).
He did however get a chance to redeem himself when I later "hooked the fish of a lifetime" and screamed it so loud he came running across the island we were on; thinking I 'was being attacked by a bear' (he told me later)..?!
When this massive fish that fought even better than my first, or his fish had, took out 90 feet of line and another twenty into my backing I was at a loss for what kind of monster I'd stuck in too...?
I fought him and regained only 60 feet of line before it was 'a draw' as he gave no indication it would EVER swim back upstream and I didnt want to lose him by unhooking him either. I was by then stuck on a bar and faced with a deep bottomless run between myself and the fish, Tom thankfully waded around 50 feet to net 'the beast' and when he yelled back "its a huge foul hooked whitefish.." I almost cried from the frustration of the last 3 days combined.
The rest of the trip we caught a dozen more small ones on hoppers and nymphs, but was uneventful otherwise; (except for nearly hitting this old bridge above)..which scared the shit out of me as we got closer looking through the viewfinder!?
...
...And so, after looking at the new schedule, I now have '3 more days off this week'.
What on earth I will choose to do during this time is still up in the air...Should I go back after that cow elk (which of course will never stand in that exact same place ever again), or maybe chase after whitetails, or muleys instead, or rainbows and browns on a big river here in Montana...
Hell, I dont know...we'll see...together I hope...
- Thanks for loggin-in weekly guys...I know there's a couple hundred of you doing so..and appreciate it..
Later
Moe
