BilletHead

Yes those poor, poor Canada geese gave their life last season so that I could make them into a mountain (batch) of goose jerky today. Poor Tasty geese you bet! BilletHead

Todays meal and cooking for the week, plus smoking more peppers for winter use. Today early picked fifty chilies and thirty jalapenos. A bunch of cubanelles too. The hot peppers went into the smoker to get happy. These will be vacuum sealed in small batches for cooking this fall, winter and spring until next years garden will repeat the cycle. The Cubanelles were stuffed, covered with cheese and also put in the smoker for eating this week. I really do like to cook during the week and have a nice meal waiting for the Mrs. to arrive home to after her work day but hey I get busy too so pre cooking can be a good thing It was fried wild turkey yesterday and this week too there will be turkey wraps. We also found chicken thighs on sale. Two big packages were boiled for the meat and broth. Six were left hole for me to grill this week and the rest picked for chicken in salad and maybe chicken salad for lunches. Set for the week we are. Now for todays feast. With teal season almost upon us and duck season getting closer it was time for winged beasts to be cooked. So we had some bacon just waiting to be used too, can't just let bacon wait too long . So the Mrs. wrapped the breast halves as I fired up the grill. Coals ready I threw on some white oak pieces and then on got the birds, As the bacon drippings and wood ignites the lid went on, flames out and smoking happens. A bit later remove lid and flip the birds and repeat. Meat and salad is all a man needs some days. Some of the garden peppers and a few lingering cherry tomatoes top the salad, Good eats right here guys and gals and all the weeks menus ready to go. No leftover duck though . BilletHead

This is why I like the folks you have on your Forum Phil , BilletHead

I got me a bag of some:) Ronnie maybe you are not living right? Oh but I see you might be soon! BilletHead

Camera man just excited. Found out fish fry grease will be lard and then fried taters with onions and cheese. Ok I like fried taters with onion and some cheese too BilletHead

Happiness is a pile of bones and two dead soldiers, Being it is getting close to dove season it was time to grill what we had left. So the little breasts were bacon wrapped for the grill, Got a new gizmo this morning and decided to try it. For the gas grill. Fill the tray with soaked wood chips and throw on the grill. When wood begins to smoke add top/cover and grill getting smoke on your desired meat or veggie. We did some onions, cubanells and a couple of chili's. Added a grilled baked potato and the feast was on, A nice day for sitting on the back porch to eat, BilletHead

Onion and poppy seed buns. Ketchup was added right after the photo too:)

Time to do some garden work. Kind of behind the fall lettuce crop but it is in. Got maters pulled and plot tilled. The Mrs. got it planted and a sprinkle to set the tiny seeds in the dirt. A nice inch of rain last night pounded it tight so we will begin to let the magic happen and hope for the best. We had a neighbor keep the garden watered while we were absent for two weeks and the peppers went bonkers. I still go out to the garden daily and pick and feast on the peppers daily. The sweet ones and a chili now and again but will not tackle the jalapenos raw. BilletHead

Good eats going on here. Back to cooking some after our trip. Got to hankering for some burgers and fries. Venison was on the menu yesterday. While charcoaling the meat paddies on one side of me I had a mix on onion, cubanell and chili pepper rings on the gas grill on my other side. Multi tasking on the back porch, Paired up the results with some garlic and chive onion fries topped off with asiago cheese. It was mighty tasty, BilletHead

A thank you to all for checking this thread out and for the responses. Here are some final thoughts. Montana's trespass laws on water are neat and I wish we could adopt them here. As long as you enter the waterway on public access and stay below the high water mark regardless of the stream/creek/river size you are good to go. This being said it is not always the answer. There are large private land holdings and some of the best water may be literally miles of wading to get there so not worth it in places. If deciding to keep fish streams are low bag limits except for brook trout and most places limit of twenty brook trout. Stocked lakes more liberal harvest. A Note that streams statewide are not stocked and have not been that way for many, many years so all fish in them are stream born whether native fish or introduced species. I like this train of thought. Wyoming waters are stocked off and on stream and lakes. I am sure just where needed? Wyoming Trespass is a no go and if even floating through private ground you cannot even drop anchor or even touch the stream bottom. Out of the hundreds of fish we caught we kept one meal out of a stocked lake but seen many fishermen/women string up fish for meals. This trip was not about big fish it was specific native in their native range. and we did it! For those that have not and are wanting or thinking of making a trip like this do so. The biggest expense is fuel. Camping can be cheap or free and tents work well. We seen some rather large family groups from all states breaking tents out of cars for the night especially those traveling in and out of Yellowstone Park. Were to fish? We did some research of the fish we targeted, streams in the areas on maps and even just seeing streams along the road. Get out tie on a fly and cast. You will soon know if there is something in there and even small waters you can step across have fish to be caught. If a couple of flatlanders in their mid fifties plus a year or two can do it most everyone can. Too much of a physical limitation will have some effect in some places. If it wasn't for a wading staff or the Mrs. and I navigating hand in hand or with arms locked in places travel in the creeks would not happen. Thank goodness felt soles were legal in both Montana and Wyoming or a slight slip would be disastrous on these bolder ridden waters. This time of the year waders are not really needed although wading boots and neoprene socks help. We did wader up a couple of times though. There were places we did not go without bear spray. We hear it works on mad moose too . The need for speed! Some of the speed limits out there are down right crazy. I understand on flat out open spaces eighty MPH but on secondary highways with out shoulders it was seventy-five in Montana. Curves and hills up and down. There were suggested signage in yellow that say lower but the white law signs said seventy-five. We drove slow and easy but this caused folks making bad scary passes around us slow pokes. So to be kept from being ran over we soon started driving like the locals. Even doing this the bad passing stopped. I guess in big country you have to drive fast to get somewhere. There are roadside white metal crosses put out buy the transportation department I suppose all over the State. I mean a bunch and there are places we seen multipile crosses like six or eight on curves where their had been fatalities. Any questions that I can answer just PM me and I will answer and even share places we went, BilletHead

This had my fever worked up but too much to recover and do just getting back off vacation. Good post and it won't be long until I go, BilletHead

Yes read it on the internet got to be fact! Either fact or fiction all it takes is a small board that may or may not save a high dollar battery. I choose a small piece of wood. BilletHead

Chief I think you should tie up a ned fly, BilletHead

Lancer, Got a yearly license for Montana. When are we leaving? BilletHead

This last fishing post we will title "Fishing with a Legend" HA! After checking in the Ponderosa campground for a three night stay they gave Mrs. BilletHead a Welcome to Cody guide. We got showers and proceeded to do laundry. While the laundry started going we were shooting the breeze as she thumbed through the pages. Pretty soon she found the North Fork Anglers page from Tim's shop. Then she started stuttering and could hardly get the words out of her mouth. What are you trying to say? Look, look she said and in the lower right hand corner I was with Tim in a trip in the past, Oh boy I am going to catch some crap for this I thought. So I wondered if I should be receiving for this or have a book signing? We than laughed and the Mrs. got a handful of the booklets. You know in a previous post I talked of the kid at the Sweetwater fly shop in Livingston referring to Tim Wade as a legend. There will be some mileage with this quote and we got him good. Met him at the fly shop Wednesday morning after taking Sadie to dog jail as I refer to it. The Bed and Biscuit. When we dropped her off she looked at us like what the hell? She only gets kenneled once a year if we get to make this trip for two nights. Of course Pat cried when we drove off. So walking into the shop we asked where the legend was. We got funny looks and he popped out of his office. I told him we were going to fish with the legend today and tomorrow and he was it. Told him the story and he popped back he was going to be fishing with the dynamic duo. Touché I thought. Mrs. BilletHead supplied lunch bot both days. Smoked duck with jalapeno cream cheese and smoked chilies and cream cheese. Both peppers from our garden and duck from our skies. We were going to do a different meal for day two but he liked day one so much it was like can we have this tomorrow too? So we gathered our gear and threw it in the back of Tim's rig and headed off. We fished a river/creek or whatever you call it. We have been there before on our own and with Tim in the past so we know it pretty well. I will not tell you the place out of respect for him and his business. All of this is on public ground and can be found pretty easy with some research. Hint I will show a few pictures. From the two days. Tim carries a rod too and we all fish leap frogging up the creek sharing netting jobs etc. Some places the bank is steep and the valley choked with willows. It was easy to loose track of each other. Bear spray was carried. To find each other you looked for rod tips or listened for who thought was in the lead for " Hey Bear, hey Bear" letting them know we were coming either for them to get out of the way or set their tables for a snack of fishermen, women. It was a free for all and I want you to know Mrs. BilletHead spent most of the time in the lead picking her spots and doing it by herself. I could not have been a more proud husband. I hope if I am taken out of this short life early she keeps this going. Inn a quiet moment I asked Tim how she rated with all the women he has fished with. He responded she is on top of the list, I once took out two lesbians from California who were pretty good fishing but Pat has them beat he said. I thought hummmm I have never had the wife compared with lesbians but this will work . He then said on that day at casting for recovery all though years back when I got to take her out I knew she would be doing this. What a complement. On the way out on a steep climb I got this, She really hates the rear in shots and at the top, Look at that red face. So after two great days fishing with a friend we said our goodbyes and headed to the campground for our last night . Did I mention there was a dairy queen next to the campground? Well there was and we treated ourselves. Next morning fueled up the truck for the long ride home and then drove around looking at the residents in Cody while waiting to get Sadie at the kennel. I am telling you these look both ways before crossing the road, Got to the Bed and Biscuit and while paying for the stay I looked into the hall to see Sadie laying next to the stall fence in her "Suite" She still had that what the hell look on her face. I tapped on the glass door, she seen me and came alive. When the lady retrieved her I though she would break down the gate to get to us. Then it was homeward bound and we relived the trip all the way home. One more post will follow with some thoughts. Thank you for letting us share our most excellent adventure, BilletHead

Yes Lance the grayling are neat. Small but hey we got them caught. When you are ready for details on exact locations send me a PM . Not a secret but easier to do on a PM. BilletHead

Leaving Beartooth back down to a couple of lakes. Luce and Hogan. Cold water in warmer sagebrush environment. You can camp at Hogan but have to make a short quarter mile walk to Luce. Luce is managed for catch and release Kamloops rainbows lures and flies only. Hogan stocked with cutthroat anything goes. We sat up and made a rod less walk to Luce for a look see. Really windy. Have been there before for sight fishing and blind casting with small buggers damsel flies. I will be darned if that guy that has been stacking rocks in Missouri had been there before us doing the same. See what is waiting in the water above the rocks? Back to the camper for a meal, There were folks in and out of the camping spot at Hogan all afternoon and evening. Some swimming,some dunking worms and a few throwing spinning lures and flies. Right at dark everyone was gone. Still windy it was time for a dunk in the lake for a clean up. In the water we go and soap up. Good grief it was cold and the boys sucked up tight Then it happened we heard in the wind what we thought was a vehicle. Uh oh and the Mrs. peeked over the bank. She squealed and we wrapped up in little towels all soaped up and scurried down the lake shore to a small point behind some driftwood. Crap. The car left and back into the water to rinse off. Burrrrrrrr Up early next morning and walked to Luce. Fishing pretty slow. Caught some very picky fish. They would swim over to our dries and then snub the offering. We managed a few and could not get a taker at all on buggers. As promised no tattoo but "The Brand" See what happens when the wading socks don't get the tops rolled down? We laughed our butts off! After this stop we dragged up again. Back through Cody and then up the North Fork of the Shoshone to the Rex Hale campground. When we passed the Buffalo Bill lake we noticed how low it was. Lowest we have ever seen it. Then past Bob the big boy guarding the valley and to Rex Hale. Low water there too again lowest we have ever fished it. A bit off color from last rain and mud plug but we thought fishable. Set up. Did some more people watching as we got ready to eat, Cutthroat from Lily on the menu. Stockers and not sure how long they had been in the lake but their flesh was red orange and sooo tasty. After eating and letting the weather cool off we hit the water. Going upstream from the campground we caught rainbows on dries, whitefish on droppers, An evening around the fire, A nights rest and on the river early for another round, Fun fishing for sure lots of small rainbows and a few sporting whitefish. We did a hopper dropper and the small fish preferred the dropper. Big fish hit the hopper. One last fishing post and then a post on thoughts of the trip and we will be done, BilletHead

Got me there Ness! Darn I am not sure if I should ask that question or not? Next stop Wyoming! Well with the river muddy it was time to drag up and head south. To get to where we were going we had to go Yellowstone park. In the North entrance and out the North East gate. We were up at 4AM cranked the camper down and hit the road. Running up the paradise valley in the dark we came upon fifty or more cow and calf elk in the middle of the road and strung into a hay field just before Dome mountain at the beginning of Yankee Jim Canyon. Al being a part time resident knows just what I am talking about. They did not hurry getting off the roadway and we did not push them either. It then started to rain pretty hard. Bummer I thought for seeing game in the park. As we got to the Tower Junction it was pouring buckets of rain out of the sky. We had planned on stopping road side to fix breakfast in the park and suck in the clean cool air. So I decided Breakfast at the Roosevelt lodge would be in order. This was the only bought meal on the whole trip. As we walked to the door folks were in line and the doors opened at seven AM. Good food was consumed and people watching was done. Funny as you could pick out families from all walks of life from bikers in leathers too yuppies and well off tribes with stuck up privileged kids whining about the food. Common people too watching their pennies as the food was quite pricy. The young and old folk that are annual workers with their name tags saying what state they were from. All making small talk with the customers. Ours was from Missouri and had relatives in Springfield. Out the door still raining soon we started getting into Bison road slowdowns of buffalo traffic jams, A fine pair of pronghorn young bucks, Then right out of the park in Silvergate and then Cook City. At Cook city stopped at an outfitter shop looking for our Wyoming license. Cook City is in Montana and we were hoping we could get one but no way so all the way to Cody to get it and then all the way back up gain to our destination. We picked out a high smaller lake called Lily. It is stacked with grayling and cutthroat. We sat up the camper and took a walk. Found a covey of family of grouse, Raining off and on we grabbed the rods and headed to the lake to fish. Caught grayling and cuts when again it started raining harder. Back to the truck for rain jackets. Should of been smarter but being in a hurry we get. Back to fish more in the rain. We kept a few stocker cuts for our one fish dinner. Back for an evening meal and a nights sleep, Next morning back out early again to the lake, On the way up there we stopped to take a shot of Beartooth Falls on the stream coming out of the lake. Photo does not do justice, Getting to the lake we seen bookoos fishermen/women around the shore trying their luck. We geared up choosing the exit stream where no one was. Big boulders, skinny water with nice places to put a fly. We caught brookies, rainbows and more cutthroat. So pretty. As we walked and fished I began to hear loud water, I mean loud! We had came upon the top of the falls! Again photo does not do this justice. Mrs. BilletHead got to the side for a shot. I wanted to hold on to her that close to the edge, Looking straight down, Fished our way back to the lake, Ever fly rod targeted fish under a bridge. Right at the outlet of the lake, The lake, Chowed down on a peanut butter sandwich and headed to next stop and the "Branding"

Ha yea she looks like a sour puss there but the sun was intense looking into it.. More later I think three more posts will wrap this up if you all can stand it, BilletHead

Nice Chief! Wonderful shots. Isn't it neat to get out of Dodge and experience a different part of the country? BilletHead

With our wish list done we decided to book it back to Livingston MT. Would like to fish the Yellowstone. We have done it in the past some but wanted to do it again. We called ahead to the KOA again and made a deal for three nights. Well this is what we saw when we go to the river, Our hopes went muddy just like the river had. So much rain up the drainage. A mud plug or as some call it a slug of mud. After checking in we hit some of the local fly shops to look for bargains. While at one the fellow behind the counter asked many questions of where we had been and caught. We told him and he took notes, that was a change being asked questions instead of the other way around. The fellow was amazed we caught bulls on dries, He had never done that. Asked what was next for us and I told him a few days messing around and then to Cody to fish with our friend Tim Wade. Man he said that guy is a legend. Ha we thought I will be getting many miles from that remark when we get to Cody This shop was the Sweetwater fly shop. The guy has his own line of glass rods and when he found out where we were from he asked if we knew Chris Barclay. No but we know of him. He had a lot to say about Chris including that he had ordered one of Chris's rods an thought it was the best. Hit a shop in Emigrant and the lady asked some of the same questions. Told her what we had done. Then she asked what guides we had used in our catching? No guides and she did not believe us? We don't need no guide just research and exploring. Anyone can do what we do and I mean that. I will help anyone on here do the same just ask. Then to Gardner to poke around some then back to the KOA to eat. I want you to check out the fancy wine glasses there. Seared Mallard breast on the charcoal grill. Tasty my friends, tasty. Also want all to know Mrs. BilletHead likes the cheap stuff. A good thing! Up early to hit Big creek a trib to the Yellowstone opposite side of the valley to Mill Creek first place we fished. I will make it known this day was our 38th wedding anniveresy day. YES 38 years with the same woman. I got a keeper the first go around. I am one lucky guy. I have fished this creek a couple of times before and it is the Mrs. first time. So we get geared up, We then slipped into the creek to fish, Mrs. BilletHead working up the creek among boulders and deep pockets. We were smart to use our wading staffs, All we caught this trip was rainbows, fat little fish, Lots of raspberries to be picked for a taste treat, Back to the KOA to see if we could get out of the third night because of the muddy Yellowstone. Tomorrow was another day and more places, BilletHead

More you say Lancer? This last fish on the list would be somewhat the hardest to find/catch. We wanted to catch an artic grayling. Montana has two types of grayling which I suppose are one and the same fish. The Adfluvial and the Fluvial. We really wanted to catch the Fluvial in the last stronghold for them, the Big Hole River. The fish is in the river in places and in it's tributaries. The best places were from just upstream of Wisdom to the Dickie Bridge. One of the books I had been reading also told of a couple little creeks in the Wisdom area also. We found the creeks but they were low and very dry. Did some more searching and found a small plot of BLM ground to camp on and stomp around. This section of the river was shallow, weedy/ mossy and slow. Once and a while you could see a ring where a fish of some type had hit something. We ate a bite of stuffed cubanelle peppers, Than hit the stream. Nothing, nadda a couple of hits is all. I suspected whitefish. We did this until just about dark then found a deeper hole with lots of fish hit rings. Here we proceeded to catch some rather nice whitefish. Hummmm? What now? Next morning we drove down river early towards the Dickie Bridge looking around. At one access we found a couple of young men/teenagers leaving the stream. Residents of Anaconda MT. Not far off. We visited and told them of our quest. Oh my they are hard in the river they responded. One had never caught one and the other only one in their short lives. They recommended we go to a lake high in the Pintlar Anaconda wilderness. Said it will be easy pickings, sure I thought We left them and on the way back towards Wisdom seen one corner in the river where there was a dozen fishermen. Looked like Bennett Springs! Back at Wisdom we stopped at a forest service office. Visited with a lady and then a worker "Bob" that looked like he had just got off of a trail ride. No cowboy hat but did sport an old Simms hat that needed it's oil changed. He said there is a deep corner in the river where you might stand a chance if you beat others there. Seen it we told him. Other than that you might try Mussigbrod lake. Same lake the boys had mentioned. The Mussigbrod creek outflows this lake and it is one tributary that feeds the Big Hole. We made a plan to try here but first seen another little creek we wanted to try on the way. This creek was La Marche creek. A tiny stream. We found a place, rigged the rods and dropped in. We found some Brookies and little rainbows in the deeper pockets, A fun distraction but grayling were on our mind so twenty miles later on a slow bumpy ride on County, BLM and forest service roads in the rain we made it to the lake. Set up the camper and while it was raining made heavous rancheros (sp) Beans and eggs. This dish really hit the spot in the cold rain. Beans, three over easy eggs covered in home made green pork chili and then topped with shredded smoked cheddar cheese! Sadie keeping watch, Soon the rain stopped and we went for a walk along the lake. Big and daunting. So how does this work? We see a fish ring. I told Mrs. BilletHead to cast to it and she did. Fish on I screamed and she brought it in. When I seen it I was bummed. A Brookie? What the heck we were told all that was in here was grayling. Crapola we then started seeking a deeper drop off. As the water started calming we seen more rings and we started casting. Then it happened Grayling for me and later one for the Mrs. Hitting little dries. The fish would come clear out of the water like a dolphin I thing either hitting the fly on the way out of the water or on the way back in? It did not matter how it happened just that it happened. A couple of views of the lake fish, Hard to get them to extend their fin for a good look. Then we hit the creek below the lake and caught there too again a tributary tot he big hole so technically we caught an Adfluvial and an fluvial fish by default. Hard to hook with their tiny mouths. Many fish missed. Whatever works I thought. So when done there was a campfire and a blue moon to be had, Sadie seen something we did not? The quest for native fish had been done and everything else would be gravy and here was gravy to be had. More later, BilletHead

Thanks for the responses guys. It means allot I get to share this with you all. Don't have many to share this with but nice to know you like seeing this. More coming soon, BilletHead

Bonus fish species coming up! So after a rest in Libby we contemplated what to do next. Headed back to the East wondering what to do. We got to Kalispell. Looked at a book I had got before the trip for maybe a place to head. I had read before about a creek North of here called Grave. Good report in the book but no mention about this bonus fish. So north we went looking for Grave. Something to mention about this fish. Only a couple of places that this fish can be targeted as it is a species of concern. Any guesses yet? This fish spends most of it's adult time in large rivers and lakes only making it's way to streams to spawn in late summer and fall. The juvenile fish are in streams and that is what we wanted. Only thing is it illegal to target the fish. What you say? Yes illegal but while targeting other species a by catch can happen so a release is what you do. As we turn off the highway to the stream this is what we see, Wow seeing this I immediately got goose bumps. So up the creek we go and find a road dropping down to the creek. There we find a picnic table, fire pit and camping spot surrounded by tall trees. We sit up camp with the creek out our back camper door. I grab a rod and hit the creek and on first cast catch a West Slope Cutt. Turn over some rocks and find clinger mayfly nymphs, A view of the creek. Big boulders and a steep gradient. So back to the rig to get the Mrs. Ready. Off we go fishing. Soon our first bull is caught. These fish are crazy will not hardly calm down for a photo but finally got the shot. Between the both of us we caught five. After the catch quickly back into the water safe and sound. Also caught numerous West slopes. All on dries. More Grave creek photos, After a day of navigating all these rocks this is what your legs look like. Mrs. BilleHead says you are not going to show my beat up legs! Sadie doing her job! Time to eat again! Jalapeno brats, peppers, Missouri home grown maters and more of that good bread, A note to say I thought this bonus fish would be the hardest to find. Not so maybe we were lucky? Next fish and stop I thought was harder, Next morning we headed South, BilletHead

We then headed for the Yaak Valley by way of the town of Yaak? Town would be a stretch it is a very small mercantile and two bars . The Yaak has three forks before becoming the Yaak itself and then dumps into the Kootenai River. We trucked to the East Fork for bucket list fish number one. The Columbia River Redband rainbow. This part of the country is what should be North West Rainforest. It is but this year really dry and I mean dry! The moss was dry and dying on the logs and ground. Real thick pines, spruce and what I think were hemlock. Pretty, dark and when it is sunny it is dark in the timber and on the stream. The stream itself was low with very little pocket water. The fish were there though. Beautiful pure native fish, Sadie again doing what she does best, Dinner for the night was Potato Chanterelle soup with some kind of cheesy onion herb bread, Next morning I checked the water temp and it was 54 degrees. Air temp 39 that morning but it was getting into the high eighties to low nineties during the day. Smoke was bad in the air due to all the fires in Montana and surrounding states. So with Fish number one checked off it was time for number two. Now we picked up and headed over to the West fork of the Yaak. By the way we were three miles from British Columbia at one time and that close to Idaho too. Number two fish was the West slope Cutthroat. For out 100% genetically pure fish we had to be above a set of lower falls. We found the upper falls and dropped in, Below the falls looked like this, We did not catch in this hole but did directly below where the river started to move, Local fish food, Next a series of five pictures. I knew there had to be a fish behind this tree but how to get it out? Some of the trees and boulders we had to navigate. Well what goes down must get back out and we did make it out, We than found the lower West Fork falls and checked them out, We than got out of there and followed the main fork of the Yaak to it's falls and then down to Libby for the night. At Libby we found a good campground for a recharge and much needed shower! Food after the shower was fried wild turkey and cabbage wraps, I think we will try for the bonus fish next! BilletHead