I managed to pick up 4 or 5 bamboo rods over the winter but a bathroom remodel has kept me from getting them out fishing. Luckily I had a two week road trip planned that was going to involve some fishing.
Left Auburn CA and Made it up to visit my sister in pullman. Caught the Cougars Vandals game and saw how much growth had happened since I went to school there. From there I stopped by the Red Shed on the clearwater but missed Poppy. Was hoping to test cast some of his Poppy cane he is now making. Camped and fished along the Lochsa for a couple days and used my Sweetgrass Mantra 8' 3" 3pc 5wt to catch some nice cutthroat. This is a fairly fast rod and loved both the DT ultra 4 SA line and a Wulff long belly line. Very light in hand and a joy to fish.
From here we headed to Sula MT and stayed in a cabin and fished the East fork of the Bitteroot for a couple days. We were too late in the Day to fish the Bitteroot with the hoot owl regs in place but the east fork had some nice sized fish for the size of the stream. Fished a RK Bolt 7' 3" 3wt that is a taper of Gary Howells. This rod was finicky with lines and I did not think I was going to like it until I put on a Cortland peach DT and it came alive. Perfect rod for the East fork.
Lots of mountain goats around Sula as well.
From Sula we headed up to Helena to visit friends and on the way we were able to stop by and visit Glenn Bracket at Sweetgrass. We was a wonderful person and took time to come down and open the shop and walk us through how he makes the rods.
I was able to hit the Missouri for a few hours near Helena and there were large trout porpoising everywhere. They were keyed in on a trico hatch and really did not want what I had to offer. Got a couple to rise at a hopper pattern but missed both. I got rid of anything tied on a 22 in my box. Can't see them anymore.
Headed to West Yellowstone after that and fished outside the park on the Madison. Different sections by foot fishing a Chris Raine 8' 6" 3pc 6Wt. Chris had to fix the ferules for me on this rod and he did not ask for any money to do it. He told me this rod was a taper of Jim Reames. It was a powerful rod and it did not seem all that great with a SA DT but Came alive with a Wulff Long belly. Also fished streamers with a Teeny 130 line and streamers are what most of the fish I caught there were after.
A great trip and I was able to catch fish on all of the rods I brought. I really enjoyed the way these rods fished and can't wait to get a little more use out of them this year.
Left Auburn CA and Made it up to visit my sister in pullman. Caught the Cougars Vandals game and saw how much growth had happened since I went to school there. From there I stopped by the Red Shed on the clearwater but missed Poppy. Was hoping to test cast some of his Poppy cane he is now making. Camped and fished along the Lochsa for a couple days and used my Sweetgrass Mantra 8' 3" 3pc 5wt to catch some nice cutthroat. This is a fairly fast rod and loved both the DT ultra 4 SA line and a Wulff long belly line. Very light in hand and a joy to fish.
From here we headed to Sula MT and stayed in a cabin and fished the East fork of the Bitteroot for a couple days. We were too late in the Day to fish the Bitteroot with the hoot owl regs in place but the east fork had some nice sized fish for the size of the stream. Fished a RK Bolt 7' 3" 3wt that is a taper of Gary Howells. This rod was finicky with lines and I did not think I was going to like it until I put on a Cortland peach DT and it came alive. Perfect rod for the East fork.
Lots of mountain goats around Sula as well.
From Sula we headed up to Helena to visit friends and on the way we were able to stop by and visit Glenn Bracket at Sweetgrass. We was a wonderful person and took time to come down and open the shop and walk us through how he makes the rods.
I was able to hit the Missouri for a few hours near Helena and there were large trout porpoising everywhere. They were keyed in on a trico hatch and really did not want what I had to offer. Got a couple to rise at a hopper pattern but missed both. I got rid of anything tied on a 22 in my box. Can't see them anymore.
Headed to West Yellowstone after that and fished outside the park on the Madison. Different sections by foot fishing a Chris Raine 8' 6" 3pc 6Wt. Chris had to fix the ferules for me on this rod and he did not ask for any money to do it. He told me this rod was a taper of Jim Reames. It was a powerful rod and it did not seem all that great with a SA DT but Came alive with a Wulff Long belly. Also fished streamers with a Teeny 130 line and streamers are what most of the fish I caught there were after.
A great trip and I was able to catch fish on all of the rods I brought. I really enjoyed the way these rods fished and can't wait to get a little more use out of them this year.
