Clearwater Spey Clave

Denver asked me if I was planning on going to the Spey Clave this year on the Clearwater because he was meeting up with Calvin and Paul. I groaned about the seven hour drive, then about the hot weather, the amount of anglers on the water because of the clave, and so on. In then hit me like dumbbell eyes to the face that I was talking myself out of going steelheading, and Denver gave me that great and necessary reality check. 

Paul and Denver skated out of Great Falls on Thursday night and made it to the Clearwater at 4am.I had to hang back a day for work. I drove the 207 miles from Missoula early Saturday morning with glazed eyes at 4 am, squinting at the ''Turns for the next 26 miles signs" that show up every 26 miles from Lolo to Kamiah. I made it to the river by 7 am and swung a few runs before heading to Poppy's Red Shed Spey Clave (great event props to Poppy).

I was walking in to the Clave and Calvin, Denver, Paul- the jet boat and crew pulled up at the same time to let me know that I missed out on the lower river as Paul swung a fish, Denver had swung two fish, and another friend of ours had swung three already in a single morning. I pretended like I was happy for them, but let's be honest, happiness for others doesn't happen until you get at least one yourself. 

We got a chance to sit down with Loop Tackle and see all their new gear, as well as meet some of Team Loop from Sweden. We got to have a great conversation with Michael White from Simms, as well as Tim Rajeff with Echo Rods. Dexter from Patagonia was with us and just kept ushering us back to the river basically to tell us, "We can talk shop when it’s dark around the camp fire tonight. Go feeeesh, they're bitey." Hard to sit and talk about fishing with a river chalk full of steelhead running right in front of us. So we went fishing. 

With seven people piled in Calvin's jet sled we motored up to the famous runs on the lower Clearwater dropping us off and spreading us out. I swung my first fish river left, and Denver was nice enough to hoof it all the way to the bottom of the run to help me land it, as well as give me ''freshies" on the run. Then, across the run river right, Paul was hooked up, and landed a really silver fish. Calvin followed, and then followed again. We landed 13 steelhead that day by the time it was over. The cool rain water had fish on the move. We got off the river at dark and drove in to Lewiston to get three Hot-n-Ready's, some nutty bars, a carmello, water, etc. 

Dexter had finished his sales service to Patagonia for the day, and was campfire ready in his Ugg boots and Spey Pride water bottle he snuck out of the Clave. Unshareable stories and adventures proceeded late into the night that you must experience, and with luck, only in moderation- although it rarely ended that way. 

The next morning, I pushed my dog Hatch out of the tent and got my waders on for one last attempt before the trip back. Another perfect steelhead day, it was overcast and a little rain. I hooked one up that I didn't land, Calvin landed two, and Barrett one before having to head back. When I finally got all the way back to Great Falls, I texted the guys that I was ready to head back whenever they're ready.

Denver, thanks for the wake-up call.