The southern Caribbean is certainly a special place. The sailing was perfect, the breezes were consistent and the fishing was a learning experience. I had assumed that there would be some fly fishing, but the islands in the south east caribbean do not lend themselves to much flats fishing. The ocean floor tends to drop off very quickly from the rocky shores of the windward islands. This meant that I had to test out my knowledge of trolling the open ocean, which most of you know is slim, and none. Regardless of my lack of experience, we managed to provide enough protein for the boat almost every night. I had some shots at some big fish but each time something would inevitably fail, whether it was the hooks, knots, crimps…….ugh.
Fishing was only a small part of the trip in retrospect. The time with the family was great, easy going and care free for 2 whole weeks. The water was the most dramatic blue I have ever seen, which made the snorkeling fantastic. We ate a few fresh lobsters, drank all the local brews, and partied with a few of the locals. The south east caribbean was much different from the high traffic islands to the north (USVI, BVI). The folks seemed to be more likely to help and less likely to hassle the further south we went. The island of Grenada was the icing on the cake. We visited the land that Lia’s grandfather purchased long ago, stumbled around an old Spanish fort, hiked a couple waterfalls, and stuffed our face with awesome local food (lambi roti is awesome!) and drink. The rest of the stories will only be told on the river.
Speaking of the river, we have been having spring like weather in Montana for the second February in a row. The temps have been in the mid 50’s in Dillon, and mid 40’s in Divide. The snow pack is still doing well in the Pioneer, and Pintler ranges with the reported pack between 106% and 139%, depending on the station. It looks like it is going to stay warm and dry for a few more days, so those numbers may fall off a bit by the beginning of next week.
Now for the good stuff. The fishing report has been phenomenal for this time of year. The Beaverhead is a bit muddy around town, but above Barrett’s the water looks good. The best bugs have been san juan worms of course, mixed with a little black bugger action, and some blue wings if the wind isn’t blowing the smile off your face in the afternoon. Poindexter has also been fishing well, but the flows in the slough have been dropped down so that the reclamation of the channel can be finished. I will keep updating on the slough situation. The Big Hole is looking fantastic. The nights are still very cold up high, so the best fishing has been in the heat of the day. The nympho’s have been taking the most fishing on the san juan worm (red) and pats stones (#10, Black). The streamer bite has been a little slow, but should pick up as the days get longer. I have not heard anything good about dries yet but I will keep everyone posted. The shop is going to be open for business April 1st @ 9 am ’til 3 pm. The special is still available for spring fishing @ $325/day for 2 anglers (byob and lunch). We are currently running shuttles by appointment. Call the shop at 406-267-3346 or get ahold of Craig at 406-544-9815.
Here are a couple of pics of the fish we caught. The ocean is always an adrenaline rush for me because I never know what I am fishing for!
