Announcing the Line Up for Group Three!!!

Sweeping along the tarmac soon will be the Inimitable Threes, to be joined on their last evening here by the equally inimitable honky-tonker Bob Wire, who, fifteen strong, will look to keep up the breath-taking fishing pace of their predecessors, the Magnificent Ones and the Tattoos. Heading up this veteran-laden travelling troupe from Houston, Texas, are commercial realtor Martin “Madman” O’Malley and his beautiful attorney spouse Cynthia “Houston” Day Stratton who will be resident in our equally one of a kind Blackfoot house with returning Louisianan veteran Dick “DH” Seale and Pt. Richmond community foundation director Jim “Fishbecker” Becker and his rookie bride Leah, all of whom will be joined by South Carolina rookie pharmacist Gary Jones.

“The Sailors” are also among the returning Threes (lock in those outside animals and wandering souls, all!) star lined by Scott “Not So Flash” Gordon (so named for his propensity to miss air flights), Susan “Mamadore” Hubbard and that special couple of “Little Richard” Deveau and his bride Cynthia each of whom will be returning to be rejoined with that wonderful South Carolina “Z Couple”—financial advisor Mark “Z-Man” Zion and his bride and “Z-Woman”, Julia.

Mopping up the decks are son Tyler “Lefty” Clausen and my long, long, long time wonderful Santa Barbara travel agent extraordinaire Brian “Capt’n Four” Robertson and his rookie sidekick, Bay Area deep water explorer Dirk “Mare” Rosen.

Now THAT is a deck to draw from, folks, as my full expectations are this this troupe will pick right up where their predecesors left of and, if they do so, make this the most fish prolific Extravaganza ever!!

Best to all from the scene of it all,

Rock Creek Ron
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Group Three Wrap Up

The Tattoos came right on here into western Montana and picked up where the Magnificent Ones and their fly fishing machines had left off!! The weather for Dem Twos was perfect, except for a tad bit of wind (the “W” word in these here parts!) on the last day with the boat reports on Day Three touting anywhere from 20 to 50+ fish—a magnificent bounty in anyone’s record book, the rock star of which (again!) was Mardi “C.T.” Rodgers with her 21” lower Clark Fork rainbow being the beast of the day. Mardi is shown above with her second Yellow Hat in three days with Bob “Manyfish” Corpening who impressed all, including yours truly who awarded him an honorary Yellow Hat for the sixty (count ‘em) fish that he landed in his very first day ever of fly fishing—thereby bestowing upon himself the Indian-rooted name of Manyfish!

Also shown above is mustachioed Group Two Yellow Shirt winner Tony “No Neck” Pantaleo for his all-Extravaganza record setting 32 ½” Blackfoot bulltrout. Word has it that once No Neck gets home he, like others before him, is going have his shirt framed and hung much as you would a sports jersey. And take a gander at the assembled Tattoos in front of the Montana Natural History Center’s elementary education bus that was collectively purchased for them by last year’s Extravaganza groups and this year, via the auspices of E-16’s collective generosity, will have a to-be-children’s naturalist aboard funded by E-16’s largess!

Yes, like the Ones before them, the Tattoos came, fished and conquered and have left the scene of it all well teed up for the incoming Threes, who arrive this Saturday to abundant fish surrounded by perfect weather and an Extravaganza staff that simply can’t wait until they get here!!

Best to all from the scene of it all,

Rock Creek Ron
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The Governor Comes A-Callin'!

The Governor Comes A-Callin’!

How special of an evening it was after Day Two of Group Two when, as shown above, Montana Governor Steve Bullock arranged his schedule specially so that he could join the Tattoos for dinner on Rock Creek and “see first-hand what this Extravaganza is all about.” We were honored to receive Steve and treat him with co-equal-to-all irreverence, bestowing upon him (in addition to a bevy of other E-16 regalia) an Honorary Yellow Hat to commemorate his visit with us.

As past MT Attorney General and general counsel to the MT Secretary of State, Steve has been stalwart in supporting and defending Montana’s stream access laws—a topic that has become key in his current re-election campaign. In addition to appointing our great friend Jeff Haegener as his Director of Fish, Wildlife and Parks, Steve’s administration has been a strong supporter of “access to nature for all” for not only Montana’s residents but also for its 11 million annual visitors. Oh, by the way, Steve also oversees the most fiscally sound state government in the nation.

Thanks, Steve for not only being with us but bringing key members of your staff to join us last evening—your ethos and your down-to-earth demeanor reflect well upon all that is good and wonderful in this special part of the earth.

Bravo!!
RCR---<’//:><

Group Two, Day Two

Group Two had a marvelous day on the river, thank you very much, on Hump Day for Extravaganza 2016! Lighting up the Twenty Inch Board were Tony “No Neck” Pantaleo with his record setting 32 1/2” Blackfoot bulltrout (see separate posting) followed eleven inches behind by “Montana Tim” Foster’s beauty of a 21 1/2” Blackfoot brown, both of which are shown below. Most appropriately for a record setting fish (it is the largest trout ever caught [and released] in Extravaganza history, btw], MT Governor Steve Bullock was on hand to present No Neck with his Yellow Hat (we also gave Da Gov an Honorary Yellow Hat to commemorate his visit with us!).

The Tattoos have kept the fish count volume set by the breathtaking pace of Dem Ones, averaging over thirty (count 'em!) fish per boat (that's 15 per fisherperson for anyone mathematically challenged--a BIG number!) with the Blackfoot River finally opening up. The Bitterroot river has yet to make an appearance in E-16, but is any day now from exploding with golden stones and resulting majestic fish. The SS Rodgers led the pack with over 50 fish aboard, followed closely by the tag team of "Montana Tim" and Gary "Big Cheese" Edwards.

Novelty went out to my co-National Wildlife Federation Houston board member, Mary Van Kerrebrook who took to her book and a kayak a-pacing her son Bob's boat where, on his second day of fly fishing ever, he boated (again!) over 20 trout.

Other big fish were accounted for via Day One Yellow Hat winner Adam "Iron Man" Eichorn with his 19 1/2" bow and Brad "Maven" Miller with his 18 1/4" trophy--his son Jack being nicknamed "Zorro" that day by Extravaganza veteran guide Brian Grand due to the caped crusader's propensity to make zees in the air as he nonetheless accurately casts! Watching it all is the father-son tag team of "Good Earth A'" and "Son of Good Earth" Dakota Baylacq who, this Extravaganza, have specialized in smaller fish, but nonetheless in the 20+ volume quantity.

The Tattoos are currently on the water mid-way through their third and final day and I am sure Da Gov is going to be following this blog to see what this wonderful day has to unfold for this special group.

Best to all from the scene of it all,

Rock Creek Ron
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32 1/2"E-16 Bulltrout Caught and Released!!

On the day that Montana Governor Steve Bullock came a callin’ (more on that separately), look what showed up on the end of Tony “No Neck” Pantaleo’s Blackfoot fishing line: an all-Extravaganza largest fish, record setting 32 ½” bulltrout, and what a story it came with. It seems that Tony was minding his own business, hooked into a 12” cutthroat and, as seems to happens every Extravaganza, the quarry was attacked and grabbed by the bulltrout that you see above. Usually, however, a bulltrout will grab what appears to it to be an injured fish and swallow it whole, only to let the eaten fish go just as both are about to be netted. Not the case here, as guide Trevor Anderson witnessed the bulltrout grabbing the cutthroat sidewise (“t-boned” as Tone described it), to then release the grab as the boat neared only to attack the cutthroat a second time—this time not letting go just as Trevor’s net grabbed the otherwise would-be escapee .

You can see the result above—an proud guide, an ecstatic fisherman and a somewhat disgruntled fish who not only lost lunch but also got some air time for pictures prior to its release. “What a thrill”, No Neck reported to the assembled boat reportees, which, for the first time, included a governor (who was duly impressed, btw, asking me at the end of the evening if he could return for E-17 and even fish with us then!).

Bravo, bravo, bravo!!
RCR---<’///:><

18" Double Previews Group Two, Day Three!

Da Tattoos!