A bottle of Rock Creek Merlot For...

...visitor # 750 to Der Blog @ www.montanaextravaganza2010.blogspot.com --we are currently at #716 (and counting!) gang!!

 

R--------<'/C//><-------R

 

 

FW: Your Daily Flow Report

Group Two's blessed Fawnlady weighs in with tips on her boat's (typically) unorthodox fishing/seining styles:

 

     Thanks Patty.  I suppose this is good news for some....as for Shanna Banana and I, we were hoping for the 'drag your net method' in very low water!  Nuts!  How are we to pick out the big ones now?

Thanks for the 'know' on the flow!

Fawn Lori

   

Subject: Your Daily Flow Report

 

1540 – Yes, it is rising!!

 

   

E-10 Flows, Cash & Guide Tipping

Fellow E-10ers:

 

Well you know E-10 is getting close when I am now down to just seven days left here in the Bay Area, and that's what today is for me...the One Week Countdown!

 

On my (short) list of items to chat about today is (a) water flows, (b) cash needs during E-10 and (c) guide tipping.

 

Regarding water flowage, as our Double Up Outfitter John "The Great But Propaneless" Gould mentioned yesterday in his note to each of us, even though the (non)runoff is a bit strange/non-existent this year, by the powers vested in me by absolutely no one, I can officially pronounce that "we are going to be just fine water-wise for E-10"!!  This is no small announcement as, each year, the foibles of Mother Nature reshuffle the deck of fishing cards that we will be dealt and, even with precipitation levels in the 60% of normal category, the unusually cool May weather has blessed us with an abundance of residual water that will flow right through our last E-10 fishing day, the Fourth of July.  Bueno, bueno, bueno (and phew, as a warm May would have bred a much different announcement!)!!

 

As to the other more mundane matters of cash and guide tipping, with the exception of purchasing your fishing license (approx. $40) upon your arrival [which can be done by credit card at the Merc, btw], the only cash outlay that you will have during E-10 are you daily guide tips, recommended @ $50/day/person.  Your guides are, literally, going to be your best friend(s) during your stay with us and treating them with personal and financial respect are two of the keynotes that (a) bring our guides to us year after year and (b) make the Extravaganza the truly special Western Montana fishing event that it is. 

 

"Fun in Fishing" is our motto and properly rewarding our guides that make it all possible is one of our endearing trademarks to and for them.  I know the economics of guiding and, sufficient to say, guiding is a true labor of love, not a get-rich-quick (or ever) endeavor.  That said, your guide will provide you a shore lunch each day and, more often than not, the tip that you bless him with one day will be the cash he uses to procure your lunch for the next.

 

Thus, best and strongly recommended practice is to tip your guides daily so that (a) they have disposable cash to do their lunch shopping for your next day and (b) being used to this E policy, they are not left wondering at the end of a tipless day if they somehow didn't measure up your standards...each day on the river is a 14 hour day for your guide, and thanking them daily is a great way to pave the way for an even better next one!! 

 

So put a "trio of Grants" ($50.00 bills) on your packing list and that will avoid the otherwise time consuming mad dash to the frustratingly few ATMs that bless the wonderful oasis of Missoula, Montana!

 

Best to all in anxious anticipation of it all,

 

Rock Creek Ron

    ---<'///><

 

 

E-10 "Quote Of The Day"!

"...our rivers are not half empty...they are half full!"

 

So sayeth (optimistic/realistic) Corey Fisher, Montana Wildlife Federation's Vice President of Issues (and he should know, as, for a day job, he is the Missoula Area Rep for Trout Unlimited [and an excellent fly tier/fisherman/friend!]).

 

R<'/C//><R

...And Now a Word from our Outfitter...

Hey Ron, Here's the update...

Greetings from "soggy" Montana, and the Bitterroot Valley! June is here, and the tide of E10 will soon wash back into the rivers of western Montana, with all of us on board! Hoist the flag and "tally-ho", the shear number of boats on the water from E10 this year may be enough to raise water levels a bit! All kidding aside, we are much lower on snow pack than we were the past two years of Extravaganzas, but not to worry. The coolest spring we've had in quite a few years continues here, and the amount of rain we've been getting is amazing. Painted Rocks Reservoir is full, and overflowing. This is the reservoir that generates a good percentage of the Bitterroot rivers flow. Experts agree that we still have enough snow, and rain in the forecast, to fill Painted Rocks at least three more times this season!!! All in all, we will be just fine for E10 this month and next. The funny part is, that we as guides, love fishing our rivers at any level. I especially like lower than average water conditions, as our quarry has far fewer places to hide from us! Add in the fact that we have had excellent flows for the past few years, and our trout here in western Montana are healthier and as strong as they can be, and you have a combination for success! No  one worry, we always get you into fish, AND we are going to be fly fishing in Montana, and I know that's all I could ever ask for...

    Don't forget to dig deep in the closet, or visit your local surf shop for the 2nd annual Hawaiian Shirt Day, for the first day of each group! Confusing to trout, and strenuous on the guides vision, Hawaiian shirt day will once again grace our boats, and later our camera chips, adding a few extra giggles to some of Ron's Blog postings!

    All of us here at Double Up are looking forward to another amazing time on the waters of western Montana with you all here very, very soon! Pack your bags, forget the rest of the world, and welcome back to Montana, Extravaganza style!!! See you all in a couple weeks and...

    Fish ON,

 

John Gould
Double Up Outfitters LLC
4209 Edgewater way
Stevensville, MT
59870

Phone:406.240.9498

Double Up Outfitters website
"The Daily Float"
Our Latest Video!!!

Group Two Men In The News: California State Varsity Lacrosse Champions!

E-10ers:

 

Shout out an Extravagant "CONGRATS" to Group Two's Doug "Popeye" Hamilton shown above with his two boys (Josh on his right and Ryan on the other right) after their weekend procurement of the California High School Varsity Club Lacrosse Championship---congrats Casa Grande guys!! 

 

"Popeye" returns this year for his seventh [count 'em] Extravaganza with son Ryan--unless, that is, sonny boy has a(nother) dance that he needs to attend--and reports:

So very proud of all our boys!   18 games of undefeated Lacrosse in California this year!

 

J. Douglas Hamilton

President

 

 

   

JUNE

 A nice note and pleasant reminder from Group Two's inimical Fawnlady, Lori Ware!

It's JUNE!

Fawn Lori VERY excited!

Thanks for the countdowns Montana Man!