Big Hole River: Another good day flyfishing for trout

I had planned a backpack trip for the weekend, but life got in the way as life tends to do. The heirlooms that my wife, Jan Munday, shipped back from Pennsylvania after her Mom's death arrived Friday, and so there was a sturdy crate (containing a lovley curved-glass china cabinet) to deconstruct. The delivery guy dropped it at our gate, and I felt like the guy in Christmas Story unpacking his "major award" with the neighbors watching; the crate was labeled "Fragile" so I think it was Italian. And 4 large shipping cartons to unpack. Which of course meant cleaning out the basement. There's something about the algebra of keeping house I've never been able to fathom, but as Jan likes to point out (and she's right, of course), if I weren't married I'd be living in a packing crate.

But Jan & I didn't work ALL weekend. After Saturday morning chores, we drove over to the Big Hole River for a few hours. It's nice having such good homewater just 1/2 hour away from Butte, Montana. Nothing like cool water on a hot day. Jan found a partly shady spot to place her chair and read, while I made a circle down one bank, across the river, back up, and across again. That gave old RTD a chance to take a good swim through a deep pool with gentle current. By the time I circled back to Jan, RTD was sound asleep and we felt bad waking her up for the ride home.

Two surprises: (1) I did NOT bring my camera for a change. This was mostly an accident of memory, but it felt good to just fish for a change and not feel compelled to document everything. And, (2) Fishing at high noon was surprisingly good. Normally, I avoid like the plague being on the river at that time of day. But both a big Royal Wulff and Hoppers caught trout, most in the 12" class.

Today was basement cleaning, parting things out for a yard sale, but saving lots too. We hadn't gone through stuff in some years, and there were many reminders of daughter Emily Munday's childhood. Meanwhile, she was off waterskiing near Bozeman with friends for the day. Hey, what's wrong with this picture? Oh well, youth is not always wasted on the young.