The Rumor Of Spring

CATCHING IS GOOD

The Snow Is Deep

visitors are scarce

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.. There are fish to be had, (more about that in a moment.) Descending from our little village into the lowlands of western Montana gives one the feeling that Spring will indeed arrive.

.. It's interesting for us to visit the giant megalopolis that is Bozeman, Montana. We do it once a year to visit our tax attorney. A double dose of reality!
.. We enter a rat maze of elbows, autos, and hominids. The bustle is frightening. What can be so important that rushing about is mandatory?
.. We've endured Boston and New York at Christmas time. We felt the same frenzy in Bozeman.

.. The local residents thought that the 4" of fresh snow was intolerable and the dreary day made them grumpy. They were actually jostling each other in line as they rushed to pay money for their treasures.
.. There are things at work in the city that we don't understand. We didn't wait around to investigate.
.. The wonder of it all is that our whole village could fit in the parking lot of the Walmart store. In fact, the day we visited, there were more people in Walmart than live in our town.

.. We enjoy the thought that the people who live in the maze can buy more of everything in Walmart than is for sale in our little town. There are even souvenirs of Yellowstone; they don't even have to visit us.
.. We've received about 2 feet of snow over the past few days. It's rapidly melting and we can see the pavement of the streets in many places.
.. The trout in the Gallatin River are suffering withdrawals. There have been so few fisher folk that they are feeling neglected. They are eating anything that floats by in the hope it has a hook in it: they need to sharpen their reflexes for the onslaught that will come with the sun.

.. We'll say it just once: 53, 59, 66, 69, Taylor Fork! Fish near those mile markers and you will be surprised at your catching success.
.. We saw a few midges but didn't bother to tie any on. We fished late in the afternoon through the intermittent snow and broken clouds.
.. The fish were willing and were just where you would expect them to be.
.. Drowned Adams dry flies and Prince Nymphs were our choice. They didn't disappoint. Fish were gobbling things throughout the water column. and seemed unafraid of the surface or the thin water. The water is, according to local lore, too cold to fish. It was cold!
.. We've had our civilization-fix: thank you. But we'll be running down canyon over the next few weeks; at least until the good parking spots become crowded.
.. Yellowstone National Park opens this coming Friday. We'll visit for a look-around. There may be indications of new holes or debris piles. We, however, will wait until the massive discharge abates before selecting any ripe locations.

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The Good Fight

ALL POLITICS IS LOCAL

Please Take Heed

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.. Over the last three weeks we've spent the better part of two months rent on gasoline and motel bills, (and not fished for more than about 6 hours.) We've visited with some friends, neighbors, relatives and politicos.
.. We've traipsed from door to door and from staffer to staffer. We've visited with elected and appointed officials. We are disheartened and enlightened.
.. Under normal circumstances Helena, Montana would not be our choice of midwinter destinations; however this is decidedly not normal. The Montana State Legislature is in session, (once every two years,) and our seat of government is burbling with conversation ranging from medical marijuana to fishing in ditches.
.. Unless you've been asleep at the switch, you know about the ludicrous attempt by the Montana House of Representatives to redefine public water into private water. HB 309 is a top player in any search engine right now. Even blogs and images make the hit list. And they should.
.. We talked to our Representatives and Senators, (a perquisite of old age,) and visited with many staff persons.
.. We also visited with some DFWP servants and can now provide you with some enlightening news. The old adage "All politics is local," is the watchword in Helena.
.. While every person we talked with is acutely aware of the mini maelstrom surrounding this bill, they are also aware of the seeming nonchalance from citizens of the State of Montana and the deep concern of citizens from other states.
.. It may seem callous to note that there is, apparently, more concern from outside our borders than inside. We are awakened and a bit startled!
.. Our elected representatives need to hear from the citizens of Montana. Newspapers, Television, Blogs, and other "media" can only spotlight the issue. Citizens, however, must make their voice heard.

.. If you've never done it before, do it now! Write a letter, make a phone call, (or if you must send an email.) Our legislators need to hear from you. The more personal the form of communication, the more effective it is.
.. An email works. A letter from a constituent carries more weight. A personal visit is truly a heavy vote. And remember, there are people with a lot more money than us that have daily access to the law makers.
.. Although not a certainty, it looks like our Senate will drown this obnoxious piece of legislation. Write to your Senators and give them the reasons for doing so. Let them know that the citizens of Montana are as concerned as the citizens from other states.
.. For an excellent summation of the issue check out "Will Fish For Work." See also the interesting post in Chi Wolf!
.. Be direct, polite, and informed. Senators listen to cogent arguments: they can use them themselves.
.. Our Senator in SD 35 is Art Wittich: Phone = 406-444-4800, Email = senatorwittich@montana.com. It's going to be interesting to see the votes of the Senators. We've already seen the votes of the Representatives!

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