FW: An Extravaganza Overview

Fellow 2010 Extravaganzers:

As the beginning of a soon-to-be if not already steady stream of emails to each of you, particularly for you rookies out there who will be experiencing your first Extravaganza with us, I thought it would be helpful to begin this year with an overview of the Extravaganza and, a full six months early, to provide a backdrop to what we are all in for this coming year.

As you know by now, our 65 participants are divided into three groups (Group One, Group Two and Group Three), with 23 participants in Group One, 22 fisherfolk in Group Two and 18 in Group Three (the reason for the reduced number of Group Three-ers is that our Extravaganza Coordinator Extraordinaire Patty Gallia and her two wonderful daughters are going to join us for the Fourth of July bash). Each of our groups will fish three days, two to a boat with their own assigned guides. With only a few exceptions, our pairings each day with fisherfolk and their guide will be the same, such that, regardless of your fishing prowess, at the end of your three days fishing with the same guide everyone will be fishing at a higher level than on day one (with perhaps the exception of my old SRHS '64 high school buddy, veteran Group Oner Brad "I Go United" Colton , who, after multiple years of Extravaganzas, proudly fishes at the same [low] level as he did on day one, year one--when you see him, ask him about the fish that, year after year, he continually catches on his back cast--arm swings of "10 to 2" being perpetually illusive to this left-hander!).

As with last year, the Extravaganza is blessed to be served by our two land-based operators: (1) Doug Persico and his Rock Creek Mercantile (the fly shop located at the foot of our own Rock Creek Road) who handles all of our licensing and ground purchases and (2) our outfitter John "The Great But Propaneless" Gould and the (wonderful) cadre of guides associated with his Double Up Outfitters, LLC ( for your rookies, a "double" or "double up" is when both fisherfolk in a boat have a fish on at the same time). This coming year we will launch well over 100 drift boats during E-10, making the Extravaganza one of the single largest fishing clientele in Western Montana. To provide you a(nother) measure of just what that means, with each of our boats drifting an average of seven miles a day, if our first boat were to launch in San Francisco Bay, our last boat in tandem would take out in San Diego Harbor.

By "drift boats" we mean just that: each of our fishing vessels is quietly and blessedly engine-less. Each day you will travel with you guide to the "put in" spot and (depending on your guide and river conditions) either your two-person-plus-guide raft or hard-bottomed drift boat will be launched at the location chosen by your guide on the river du jour selected by him and, from that point, you will drift downstream to a pre-determined "take out" spot (where, during the day, the guide's truck and trailer will have been "shuttled" downstream to meet you upon your end-of-the-day arrival. During that eight hour experience you will witness rivers just as Lewis & Clark did over 200 years ago, fish for all-native Montana trout (rainbows, cutthroats, cutthroats, bull, and cuttbows--the latter a cross breed of the former two) with barbless hooks, ALL of our fish being caught and (post photo) released to return to their environs.

While with us you will fish one or more of three rivers (more on each of which to follow at a later time): (a) The Clark Fork of the Columbia River; (b) The Bitterroot River; and (c) The Big ("A River Runs Through It"--yes, the river written of in McLean's fabled book of the same name) Blackfoot River. Which place on which river, you ask?? Well, that is decided by your guide on a day-by-day basis depending on weather conditions, fishing conditions, recent experience and his "guesstimate" of just might be the best locale for that particular day. Regardless of the river, your guide will provide you with any and all necessary fishing gear that you might require (including rods, reels, line and flies), tie your flies on for you, land your fish for you and, were that not enough, mid day cook you a hot streamside lunch.

As part of the Extravaganza, all transportation and lodging is included. We will have a gaggle of vehicles available for our collective use, you will stay either at our house on world-renowned Rock Creek (about a 45 minute drive from the Missoula airport) or the 3500 sq. ft "Bunk House" located a half mile further up Rock Creek Road that we rent for the Extravaganza; evening festivities are at our home, where you are treated to the wonderful Southern Hostess hospitality of your Hostess With The Mostess, my bride 'Kocktail Kathy" and at a place where the bar is always open.

Do we catch any fish, you ask?? Well, yes, indeed, we do--over the past several years, our Extravaganzas have averaged landing over 1,750 fish (or over 25+ fish per participant) averaging over 16" in length which, as any veteran fisherman will tell you, "ain't too shabby".

As with prior Extravaganzas, Kocktail Kathy and I reserve the right to treat you extravagantly from the moment of your arrival until the time of your departure, so, as you finalize getting your deposits posted and as you purchase your air line tickets, veterans and rookies alike, "strap it on" as you are in for one extravagant time!!

(Much) more to follow, with the above designed to whet your appetite for this year's extravagant event!

Best to all early in the timing of it all,

Rock Creek Ron