Tuesday, July 12, 2016
Monday, July 4, 2016
My Extravagant Thanks to you E-16ers!!
As I have the privilege to do each year, après Extravaganza from here in my Montana office, I have the opportunity to sit back and reflect on the Extravaganza that has just washed over all of us. This year, more than any other of the prior thirteen events, I look back on what we did, how we did it and what we accomplished with abundant pride. Whether it was from the Filson bags, to the Circle C adorned fishing ware, the bamboo napkin rings, to the sumptuous meals that we enjoyed together or just having the privilege of being with each of you on this very special corner of this globe—“God’s own backyard”, as I oft call it—Extravaganza 2016 was everything I hoped it would be. Certainly, with our smaller groups and reduced number of speakers, indeed, it was “a kinder, gentler Extravaganza” and one that I hope filled each of your senses and hearts will all good that this wonderful place has to offer.
And look at what Mother Nature delivered to us: for our first two Groups, and still much so for Dem Threes, never in recent history has fishing in western Montana been as good as it was for us this year. As you know, mainly to make sure that each of you are getting the experience that I want you to have, each evening at Hooters I take a census of our daily fishing bounty, and what a total that turned out to be. This year, even with our 25% reduction in our number of boats, simply stated, we out fished all of Extravaganza 2015, catching and releasing over 1,775 pristine Montana trout. That averages out to over 35 trout per fisherperson or nearly 25 fish per boat for each of our nine fishing days.
WOW—each year we plan to be on Montana’s best rivers, at the best time of the year (right after runoff), with her best guides and boy did we hit the ball out of the part this year. The Clark Fork is now officially back and fully recovered from the removal of its Milltown Dam 8 years ago—just ask Group One’s Brian “Moraine” Shepard who, single-handedly landed over 150 fish in his three days of epic fishing, and, if you don’t think the other rivers aren’t likewise up to par, just ask Group’s Two Tony “No Neck” Pantaleo about his all-Extravaganza record 32 ½” Blackfoot River bulltrout (or, for that matter, Group Three’s Tyler “Lefty” Clausen’s 31” bull landed after an epic 45 minute battle on bamboo, no less) or ask Group Two’s “Montana Tim” Foster or Group Three’s Cynthia “Houston” Day-Stratton about their OVER twenty inch browns retrieved on the famed Bitterroot River.
And how about that home-based crew of Peanut, Larry and “Seattle Ed” who put out meal after sumptuous meal for our dining pleasure, doing so in a manner consistent with this year’s theme of being both kinder and gentler—GREAT job on that front, you triad!!
And, as it comes time to now put a bow on Extravaganza 2016, I want to extend a special thanks to each of you who took valuable time out of your lives to be with us here in Extravaganzaland. What we do, and how we do it, is very, very special—witness the presence of Montana’s governor who joined us here for an evening during Group Two, as well as our great friend (and soon to be State Senator, I do believe), National Wildlife Federation’s Rocky Mountains Executive Director Tom France who, on separate evenings, was mimed by Montana Wildlife Federation Executive Director Dave Chadwick—all of whom had a single resounding message that should yet be ringing in your ears, to wit: you Extravaganzers carry a special quality to you…you come with clear minds and pure hearts; you enjoy Montana for all it has to offer; and then you leave it in a better condition that you found it. In a word, you are the heroes of these wonderful servants of the wild—you give them inspiration, hope and purpose. You were here because you belonged here and you came, you partied, you conquered and you returned better human beings leaving this wonderful landscape and its stewards in better conditions that you found them.
Congratulations and heartfelt thanks to each of you—bless you all and may your travels find soon find you at this doorstep, the home of the one and only Extravaganza!!
Best to all in the now concluding scene of it all,
Rock Creek Ron
---<’///:><
And look at what Mother Nature delivered to us: for our first two Groups, and still much so for Dem Threes, never in recent history has fishing in western Montana been as good as it was for us this year. As you know, mainly to make sure that each of you are getting the experience that I want you to have, each evening at Hooters I take a census of our daily fishing bounty, and what a total that turned out to be. This year, even with our 25% reduction in our number of boats, simply stated, we out fished all of Extravaganza 2015, catching and releasing over 1,775 pristine Montana trout. That averages out to over 35 trout per fisherperson or nearly 25 fish per boat for each of our nine fishing days.
WOW—each year we plan to be on Montana’s best rivers, at the best time of the year (right after runoff), with her best guides and boy did we hit the ball out of the part this year. The Clark Fork is now officially back and fully recovered from the removal of its Milltown Dam 8 years ago—just ask Group One’s Brian “Moraine” Shepard who, single-handedly landed over 150 fish in his three days of epic fishing, and, if you don’t think the other rivers aren’t likewise up to par, just ask Group’s Two Tony “No Neck” Pantaleo about his all-Extravaganza record 32 ½” Blackfoot River bulltrout (or, for that matter, Group Three’s Tyler “Lefty” Clausen’s 31” bull landed after an epic 45 minute battle on bamboo, no less) or ask Group Two’s “Montana Tim” Foster or Group Three’s Cynthia “Houston” Day-Stratton about their OVER twenty inch browns retrieved on the famed Bitterroot River.
And how about that home-based crew of Peanut, Larry and “Seattle Ed” who put out meal after sumptuous meal for our dining pleasure, doing so in a manner consistent with this year’s theme of being both kinder and gentler—GREAT job on that front, you triad!!
And, as it comes time to now put a bow on Extravaganza 2016, I want to extend a special thanks to each of you who took valuable time out of your lives to be with us here in Extravaganzaland. What we do, and how we do it, is very, very special—witness the presence of Montana’s governor who joined us here for an evening during Group Two, as well as our great friend (and soon to be State Senator, I do believe), National Wildlife Federation’s Rocky Mountains Executive Director Tom France who, on separate evenings, was mimed by Montana Wildlife Federation Executive Director Dave Chadwick—all of whom had a single resounding message that should yet be ringing in your ears, to wit: you Extravaganzers carry a special quality to you…you come with clear minds and pure hearts; you enjoy Montana for all it has to offer; and then you leave it in a better condition that you found it. In a word, you are the heroes of these wonderful servants of the wild—you give them inspiration, hope and purpose. You were here because you belonged here and you came, you partied, you conquered and you returned better human beings leaving this wonderful landscape and its stewards in better conditions that you found them.
Congratulations and heartfelt thanks to each of you—bless you all and may your travels find soon find you at this doorstep, the home of the one and only Extravaganza!!
Best to all in the now concluding scene of it all,
Rock Creek Ron
---<’///:><
E-16: Montana Natural History Center Sends its "Thank You Montana Extravaganza.mp4"
Hey, gang, check out the link below to the wonderful hand-made just-for-your video from the wonderful children at the Montana Natural History Center. If you ever wonder whether or not all that we do here has long-reaching effects, this video of thanks to Extravaganza 2016 will remove those doubts!
Thank you E-16ers who have already contributed as well as in advance to those of you who have do so to this year's E-16 targeted charitable event: Getting children out into nature by putting naturalists on the busses that E-15 purchased for the Center!!
https://www.dropbox.com/s/eo4egciznwnwt5z/Thank%20You%20Montana%20Extravaganza.mp4?dl=0
Rock Creek Ron
---<'///:><
cc: Thurston Elfstrom
Executive Director
Montana Natural History Center
https://www.dropbox.com/s/eo4egciznwnwt5z/Thank%20You%20Montana%20Extravaganza.mp4?dl=0
Rock Creek Ron
---<'///:><
cc: Thurston Elfstrom
Executive Director
Montana Natural History Center
Another great one !
A note of thanks for Group Three veteran Brian "Capt'n Four" Robertson:
R4
R4
From good to great! Best ever! THANK YOU!!!
So happy to see you so happy!
Cads,
B4
Brian
Brian T. Robertson, CTC
Robertson International Travel Consultants
So happy to see you so happy!
Cads,
B4
Brian
Brian T. Robertson, CTC
Robertson International Travel Consultants
Thursday, June 30, 2016
Group Three, Day Three
Neither climbing temperatures not bluebird clear skies interfered with the final day of Extravaganza 2016’s fishing, as the eight boats were evenly spaced between the Bitterroot and Blackfoot Rivers, both of which provided ample product of their quarried fish, witness a 21” brown landed by Cynthia “Houston” Day-Stratton (shown above signing in onto the Twenty Inch board for the first time of her now-fifth visit to Extravaganzaland) and the 31” bulltrout that son Tyler “Lefty” Clausen (shown above ablaze in yellow—two Yellow Hats and the Group Three Yellow Shirt!) landed on his E-12 Sweetgrass bamboo rod [see separate posting and proud father above].
The SS Rosen/Robertson sported a 30+ fish day on the Blackfoot who were adjoined on that majestic river by the husband-wife couple of Jim “Fishbecker” and “Ms. Cry Dye” Leah Becker who exceeded their prior days’ fish count, and by h/w couple Mark “Z-Man” and Julia “Z-Woman” Zion who smiled all the way to Hooters après with their 20+ fish day.
Fishing on the sister Bitterroot, Scott “Not So Flash” Gordon was partnered with “Little Richard” Deveau who fished aside of the SS Mamadore Becker/Yellow Hat Cynthia /Deveau, the latter prophetically doubling the fish count of their all-male counterpart. Joining the latter on “The Root”, was our eighth boat of the day captained by our wonderful Double Up Outfitter guide John “The Great But Propaneless” Gould which saw no-longer rookie Gary “Hooters” Jones and sidekick Dick “DH” Seale gleefully swing and miss at a gaggle of 20+” root browns and bows. The only postings to the Twenty Inch board, as shown above, were by Cynthia and Tyler
All in all, the Threes, like the Ones and Twos before them, hit home run after fishing home run, making Extravaganza 2016 the most fish-prolific Extravaganza ever!!
Bravo, bravo, bravo from the now closing scene of it all,
Rock Creek Ron
---<’///:><
FW: 31" Blackfoot E-16 Bulltrout Landed on Bamboo!!
A nice note from our great friend Dave Delisi, nee of Sweetgrass Rods, who processed our 2012 epic bamboo order—the largest order of its kind in fly fishing history!!
RCR
RCR
---<'///:><
Congratulations are in order for…
a) you for placing that giant order with Sweetgrass and seeing it yield such an amazing fish,
b) Tyler, for properly handling both rod and fish,
Congratulations are in order for…
a) you for placing that giant order with Sweetgrass and seeing it yield such an amazing fish,
b) Tyler, for properly handling both rod and fish,
and
c) Scott A. for being a credit to his kind.
Wow.
Well done and congratulations to all!!
Dave
Wow.
Well done and congratulations to all!!
Dave
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