Trout Tales - Western Swing 2022

Back from a pretty wild month in CO & MT.  Special thanks to Paul Weamer Flyfishing, Riversmith, Fisknat, Crested Butte Angler, Frying Pan Anglers, Fishermans Mercantile and Rock Creek Trout Bums for all their hospitality.  I logged over 7,000 miles of windshield time on this trip.  Heidi and I started the trip off with a week in Colorado (RMNP, CO Springs, Crested Butte, South Platte, Frying Pan, Black Canyon of the Gunnison, just to name a few).  It was nice to see some areas I had not seen in about 20 years.  Then it was on to Paradise Valley for a few days with our friends the Weamers, that included some exploring of the north entrance of Yellowstone.  I had seen plenty of photos of the devastation the flooding had caused, but to see it in person was mind blowing.  The north entrance road looked like something out of an apocalyptic movie.  

From the Paradise Valley, we headed over to Rock Creek (Rock Creek Trout Bums) for a few days before Heidi flew home and Brad arrived.  Smoke from the wildfires was pretty bad some days, and the Solomon Fire actually crept over the ridge a bit.  It got a little interesting for a day or two until the forest service dropped some water on it to keep it contained on the other side of the ridge.  

Mid-week, I made the run back to Bozeman for the airport switch and, of course, ran over something on interstate 90 just outside of Butte.  I ended up having to change a tire like a pit crew so Heidi could make her flight.  A special thank you to Tire Rama in Belgrade, MT for getting me back on the road super quick, especially when other places were less than helpful!  Once the tire was repaired, swung back to the airport to pick up Brad.  He had torn his calf a couple weeks prior to flying out, and we were going to test the limits of what an air cast can endure.  It held up surprisingly well, but I'm sure the physical therapist had questions when he got home.  Brad and I spent the next 8 days fishing the Missoula area, a few with Paul, before having to make the long drive back to PA.  Good fishing, good times, a few bears, and lots of smoke.  Hope you enjoy the photos, there are a lot.  I captioned some, but no way I could do them all haha. 

Colorado

Camp RMNP

Plenty of PBR, it was my kind of place

RMNP

Paint Mines Interpretive Park

Garden of the Gods

Black Canyon of the Gunnison

Black Canyon of the Gunnison

Black Canyon of the Gunnison

Montana

Tire Repair, THANK YOU Tire Rama in Belgrade, MT!!!

The Damage was just unreal.

Heidi and Ruthann Weamer with a nice cut. 

Paul and Ruthann Weamer

Ruthann with a nice cut

Rock Creek Trout Bums

Was getting a little close

Saviors

Ash the next morning.

Smokey

October Caddis

Spawning Bull Trout

Ever feel like you are being watched.  

Truck definitely needed a bath by the time I got home. 

The aftermath

TCO's 2nd Annual Outdoor Fest

After a couple year hiatus due to Covid, TCO held their 2nd annual Outdoor Fest at Allenbery Resort in Boiling Springs, PA.  Attendance was great, and it was good to see everyone.  Their was plenty to see and do and I am definitely looking forward to next year.  Below are a few pics from the event.  Now its time to head west for a bit.  

 

Updated Review of Riversmith's River Quiver (4 years, and a lot of fishing trips, later).

I get asked about my River Quiver a lot, and my original review is one of the most viewed posts on my blog.....so I thought I would do a bit of an update after having used it for several years. 

The Element with my old 4 banger.  Many a trip logged with that one. 

Three or four years ago I was in search of a rod holder for my, at the time, Honda Element.  I talked about trying to deal with other companies or building my own in my previous post here.  I finally decided on Riversmith's River Quiver and was glad I did.  Besides the rugged build quality, their customer service was beyond excellent!  At the time, I couldn't have been happier with my decision!  So where am I now, 4 years later?  Well, the original River Quiver has been sold, but not because I was unhappy.  I only sold it to get the "blackout" version when I bought a new truck.  My standard 4-banger in silver operated flawlessly and transported rods all across the country.   The new one has already logged a good number of trips with zero issues and looks great on the truck.  

New Blackout River Quiver

Locked and Loaded!  4 rods ready to go at the ramp.  

Being able to roll up to the river, already rigged and ready to go is a game changer.  This is especially true when we are in the boat.  Having to rig 4 rods every morning would be a real pain and very time consuming.  Also, knowing my rods are protected in sleeved heavy duty aluminum tubes instead of being strapped to the hood with a suspect suction cup or magnetic mount and getting chipped by rocks is comforting.  I've seen several stories where unfortunately, people have totaled their vehicles, but the rods in the River Quiver sustained little to no damage.  I'm obviously not alone here.  Take a look around the next time you are out.  It is amazing to see how many River Quivers are on vehicles anymore.  

Rigged and Ready.  Pairing the River Quiver with a Decked System is the ultimate in organization and keeping your gear ready to go.  

Riversmith now has a Quiver to fit just about every need and style you could want.  From the standard 2 and 4 bangers that will accommodate 10 foot rods, to extended versions that will accommodate up to an 11'4" rod.  They also have the blackout version, sage green, and recently announced a DeYoung series.  There are also some accessories you can now purchase, such as plain or trout pattern padding to give your reels a little extra cushion. 

New DeYoung Series. (Photo courtesy of Riversmith). 

 After 4 years of running the River Quiver, I have to say I am just as happy as I was the day my first one arrived.  I can't imagine not having one.  If you are in the market for a something that will protect your rods and make your life a lot easier, I encourage you to check them out.  Take a look at the technology that goes into the design.  My original post  discusses some of this andcontains a link to an installation video, which couldn't be simpler.  Definitely one of the best investments I have made when it comes to fishing gear!