THE FREEDOM TO FISH AND HUNT

Today is Independence Day. We have many "Freedoms" in our beautiful country. Many of those freedoms folks take for granted. One I think, that many don't think about is our ability to hunt and fish. We are able to hunt and fish in most places in this country on Public lands and on Private lands(If we ask for permission or pay a fee). All we have to do is pay for a license and follow the regulations, it is very easy to do.
A few days ago i visited with a gentleman from the U.K. He was here to fish the many rivers that Montana is blessed to have. He asked why in the U.S. we have to buy a fishing license for every state you fish in. I told him that we have a Federal Government made up of Sovereign States. That may be a simple answer, I'm not an expert on government. We got into a conversation on fishing and fishing access. In Europe you are not allowed to just walk up to a stream and start fishing. There are many more regulations to follow, some countries even have tests you must take before you can get a permit. Most land is private and you must join a club or have permission from the land owner. You have to be rich to fish most of the private or club waters. Most people that fish the fabled waters of England are very well heeled. In the USA we have abundance of public lands. We have more miles of public waters and more public lakes than most countries in the world. We should stop and think right now about what that means to us, and the people that will inherit that resource.
When you go on public land to fish do the following:
1. Follow all fish and game regulations
2. Don't litter. Pack out what you pack-in.
3. Treat other anglers with respect and give them their "space".
4. Treat all wildlife with respect and don't abuse or intimidate them. Release most of your catch. If you must take some fish home, promptly dispatch the fish and prepare them for cooking.
5. Share outdoor ethics with the youngsters, show them the proper way to enjoy the outdoors.
6. Don't cross onto private land without asking.

When you fish or hunt on private land do the following:
1. Ask for permission from the landowner.
2. Close all gates after opening them.
3. Don't litter
4. Leave livestock and property alone.
5. Follow all Fish and Game regulations if they apply.
6. Always stop and thank the landowner after the day is over, they are usually very interested in your results.

Teach your children outdoor ethics. This is important, because you will be showing them respect for our great outdoor treasures. Fishing and hunting in the USA is not a "Right" it is a "Privilege". Don't take it for granted.
Happy 4th of July!

Fishing the Sluices

I went fly fishing up at Sluice Boxes State Park, Sunday. I had been a frequent angler up there in my youth, but this was the first time i had fished it in twenty years. It is still the same beautiful limestone canyon that Belt Creek meanders through. It is not a large creek, but there are many beautiful ledge pools, drop pools and large rocks in the stream bed that fish love.
I got there early and set-up my St Croix, Avid 3 wt. I wore my light weight Simms waders and wore my vest. I packed a sandwich and brought along a bottle of water. The walk to the stream is beautiful, going up through the canyon. I walked to the first ford in the creek by the old youth camp, which is now a dilapidated wreck. I used to stay at that camp, attending youth retreats given by my Church. I met my first Wife there. That was a long time ago.
I started my fishing there. My first choice was to put on a dry fly. There were no insects visible at that time. I had no results with dries so i changed to nymphs and caught one small rainbow. I thought things were looking up, but being so early in the day the fish were still mostly uninterested. I fished up the stream and caught a few more small fish. As the day warmed up i started to see more insects. The fish began to feed on the surface, sucking in small mayfly spinners, yellow sallies and other insects. I was able to catch and release a few nice fat Rainbows and one beautiful Cutthroat Trout on dry flies. I used a quill bodied Flav imitation. I didn't see any flavs on the water, but i believe they are in the area, the spinners i saw falling on the water looked like they may have been from a Flav mayfly. It was fun catching those small trout. The largest one was about 16". Belt creek has Brown, Rainbow, Cutthroat and Brook trout in it. You never know what you will catch. I was surprised to catch the Cutthroat. It looked a lot like the Yellowstone Cutthroat I have caught in Idaho.
Belt Creek is not really a Blue Ribbon Fishery . It has a lot of problems, due to it's history as a stream located in a rich mining area. There used to be several mines operating in it's upper drainages. There is a lot of leaching from old mines going into the stream. The bio-mass of the stream is very low. There used to be a great fishery years ago, but over fishing took it's toll. The narrow gauge railroad that used to chug up the canyon had a fishing train that brought anglers up there from Great Falls, Belt and other communities. In those days anglers used to fill their creels.
I feel that Belt Creek is a great stream to fish. It won't give you tons of catching, but it has a beautiful setting, rich history, and solitude.