Fall on the Beaverhead
It's good to go home and get away. This was the case this weekend on a family trip home to Dillon, MT. I was fortunate enough to grow up on a large ranch that offered all sorts of opportunities and taught me valuable lessons that are still with me today. However, I may have been just a little too busy growing up and focusing most of my attention to all things horse related to realize the recreational advantages I had right there in my back yard, literally steps away from my door.
The coveted access to the lower Beaverhead was probably the one single thing I took for granted the most. Fly fishing the Beaverhead is a must when I go home now because I feel we have so much time to make up, and to be honest, my home waters are probably the most challenging for me. It is the one river that I fish frequently that I know very little about. I go out with a plan in mind, but usually come back ultra-frustrated. For some reason the section of the Beav' that runs through my old stomping grounds is just difficult for me. I really think it's because I want it so bad, and have high expectations from her. However, the last year or so I've started to chill out and just appreciate all the good memories here' mostly just taking it easy and enjoying my time on the water. I can't begin to tell you what a difference this has made in amount of hook ups. I'm pretty sure fish can sense bad attitudes and will only come to you when you are deserving.
So it was this weekend that I found myself way back in the corner of the "clover field" where I first learned how to drown a worm. It's a relative short section of river with some deep pockets and undercuts, surrounded by classic lower Beaverhead foliage, fantastic during hopper season. But it's the end of September, with snow on the mountains, wind howling, not a hopper in sight and only two hours to make the most of it. Instead of doing what I usually do, I was determined to stick to my own time budget and be back home when I said I would be, regardless of fish or not. As luck would have it, the Beav' gave up a couple of browns and then we were done. No fishing on the way back, no negotiating for extra time and managing to keep the peace. Not a bad way to spend two hours. It's good to be home.
Click on the interactive pano from Photosynth for more views from the Beaverhead.