How To Get A New Flyrod!

Step 1 Convince you spouse that a 10 day flyfishing trip to southwestern Montana is a really great idea. This requires special negotiating skills as she doesn't fish and cares even less for mountain roads.

Step 2 Drive 950 miles west on I-90 with the popup camper to Big Timber, Montana. Drive an additional 50 miles south, on a rutted gravel road, into the Beartooth-Absaroka Range, on Mt. 298.

The Boulder River is one of Montana's best blue-ribbon trout streams. It can be tough wading (lot of boulders!) but the rainbows, cutthroats, browns and brookies, in a beautiful stream and valley, make it all worth while.

Step 3 Make sure spouse is looking the other way when you pass the big red & yellow THIS IS GRIZZLY COUNTRY SIGN along the road.

Step 4 Set up your camper at Hicks Park, the last campground on the dead end highway.

Step 5 Fix supper. Take a walk to the Road Closed sign. It's a wilderness designation closed  road south to Cook City. Daring locals still make the illegal trip with 4 wheels, winches and chain saws. I'll stick with fishing.

Step 6 Go to bed. Get up early. Dream of the giant brown & rainbow trout in the Boulder River.  Sleep well. Dress quietly so as not to disturb Mrs. T. Ultralite waders, felt bottomed wading boots, flyvest, sunglasses etc. All set except for one thing.

Step 7 Unlock the topper on pickup for your flyrod. OMG! Where is it???? Panic!!!
Step 8 Return to camper......

Mrs. T:  "What's the matter dear? I thought you were going fishing.

Troutbirder: "Well I was but I can't find err. well maybe I ah.... see the flyrod... um

Mrs. T:  "You didn't? You did. One thousand miles to the middle of nowhere and you forgot to bring your  fishing pole."

Troutbirder:  " I wanna go home..."

Mrs. T "No way. Well go back to town and get you another one."

Later:  Fifty miles back down the rutted road and then a left to Livingston Montana. It's the former residence of famous Troutfisherman Ernest Hemmingway and Dan Bailey's troutshop. It was a tough job picking a new

flyrod out from a fabulous collection but I managed to do it.

Moral of the Story: I married an angel.