Extravaganza Date Down!

Fellow E-15ers:

Yesterday I returned after a sprint of ten (count ‘em!) days doing the final prep for Extravaganza 2015 and I can tell you, with great excitement, that all is in order for a(nother) spectacular (ad)venture into the majestic flora and fauna of western Montana. As you can see from the above pics, I even had time to spend a special day on the water with Group Three’s George “Onefer” Choe, show above with a baby pike that he landed via streamer (a rare catch, indeed!) and a handful of little guys who occupied the lower Bitterroot and upper Clark Fork waters that we traversed that day. As is often the case with spring fishing, much less so that with the Extravaganza where we are purposefully on the water après runoff, we found ourselves on the water on a day after three days of heat, resulting in a “mini-runoff” with higher, rising cooler waters and resultantly, the fish “being grumpy” that day, as our “Great But Propaneless” Double Up outfitter would be wont to say—fish, like we Capricorns, do not like change and when that occurs we each go to ground.

That being said, fear not for E-15’s waters as we are perfectly positioned for one of the most outstanding fishing water years in recent memory. Soon, as in later this week, we will be distributing you our Flow Chart where we have personally tracked and charted the runoff for each of the last ten (count ‘em!) years, using our home Rock Creek waters as our baseline. Unlike last year where both snow levels and snow water content were each at 200% of normal, we are now in the wonderful and long-missed range of having just enough water at just the right time to have the best possible fishing fortunes for us. Specifically, year after year we schedule the Extravaganza for a year just like this one—where the May runoff occurs in a sane, stately manner and, thereafter when the snowmelt is well downstream, the water temperatures increase from there now 40 degree levels up to the mid 60 degree level whereupon the bugs (more on that later for you rookies out there) get the thermometer wake up call, begin the hatching cycle of their lives and make their appearance upon our water surfaces, opening “Joe’s Eats—‘come on in, food is on the house’” and all heck breaks loose in reply to our proffered flies, wetting nets that result in pics of fish far bigger than the early-season fare that blessed Onefer above—I was just along to carry his rod and to be his personal photographer, as it turned out—an outstanding day on the water ‘twas!

Gang: We are getting close, very close, as in just seven weeks from today Group One will be on the water with their first of three days of fishing and you Tattoos are just eight weeks out and you Wonderful Threes a pacing at nine weeks from right now. Look for your Camp List to come your way shortly—the short list of what you should consider bringing and the longer list of what you will not need—and, as I the past, Rock Creek Ron hereby warns each of you to leave PLENTY of extra space in your bags as you begin your packing (or, better, as you veterans know, just to pack an empty bag to be filled upon your return) for, as has been the case for each of our last twelve years, you will be taking home a LOT more than you brought with you, as I exercise my self-bestowed right to treat each of you exorbitantly and extravagantly upon your arrival(s)!!

More—as in much more—to follow as we get down to our final pre-Extravaganza 2015 days!!

Best to all in the final preparation stages for it all,

Rock Creek Ron

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