Salmon Fly Hatch Creates Wild Times Along Montana’s Big Hole River
©Bert Gildart: They’re only about three inches in length, and they appear along the banks or in the waters of the Big Hole River but for a few brief weeks each year. When they do appear — usually about the second week of June — their emergence creates a call heard globally, at least among certain groups (Holy S—). In fact, Chuck Robbins, who guides on these waters, says he has fishing clients from countries such as Japan and from most every state in the union.
At long last, salmon fly desert the "shuck," leaving behind only a dried out case
The tiny creature responsible for this fanaticism is the salmon fly, and when it emerges, trout go wild. Their cyclic nature, however, can be slow and it is a finely tuned biological phenomena.
Eggs are deposited by females atop the river’s rushing waters. Eggs then drift to the river’s bottom where the nymph stage begins to develop. Three years later mature nymphs head toward the river’s banks and then crawl up onto shoreline vegetation where they struggle to break free, leaving behind a “shuck.” The shuck is essentially an exoskeleton.
When the insect finally struggles free it it spreads its wings and flies to nearby bushes where mating occurs. They often crash land onto the water’s surface and when they do, fish to go wild.
ASalmon fly about to take wing.
That’s what’s happening now, though not quite as dramatically as in most years because heavy atypical rains have affected the Big Hole River water levels. Still, in a day or so from now, when currents are a bit safer, I hope to join Chuck for a day of angling on this fabled river. If so, I’ll be joining a group of sportsmen about as passionate about the sport of fishing as the fish are about the sumptuous dinning that awaits them during the brief but frantic season of the salmon fly.
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THIS TIME THREE YEARS AGO:
4th ed. Autographed by the Authors Big Sky Country is beautiful $16.95 + Autographed Copy What makes Glacier, Glacier? $16.95 + Autographed CopyHiking Shenandoah National Park
Hiking Shenandoah National Park is the 4th edition of a favorite guide book, created by Bert & Janie, a professional husband-wife journalism team. Lots of updates including more waterfall trails, updated descriptions of confusing trail junctions, and new color photographs. New text describes more of the park’s compelling natural history. Often the descriptions are personal as the Gildarts have hiked virtually every single park trail, sometimes repeatedly.Montana Icons: 50 Classic Symbols of the Treasure State
Montana Icons is a book for lovers of the western vista. Features photographs of fifty famous landmarks from what many call the “Last Best Place.” The book will make you feel homesick for Montana even if you already live here. Bert Gildart’s varied careers in Montana (Bus driver on an Indian reservation, a teacher, backcountry ranger, as well as a newspaper reporter, and photographer) have given him a special view of Montana, which he shares in this book. Share the view; click here.Glacier Icons: 50 Classic Views of the Crown of the Continent
Glacier Icons: What makes Glacier Park so special? In this book you can discover the story behind fifty of this park’s most amazing features. With this entertaining collection of photos, anecdotes and little known facts, Bert Gildart will be your backcountry guide. A former Glacier backcountry ranger turned writer/photographer, his hundreds of stories and images have appeared in literally dozens of periodicals including Time/Life, Smithsonian, and Field & Stream. Take a look at Glacier Icons
