FW: E-14: The End is Now The Beginning

Ron, my eyes, heart and brain were opened to a whole new world thanks to  Brad, you and your entire team! Thanks...talk soon, Sockless! 😎

(Group Two's) Jordy Miller

"Attitude is a decision"

 

Note from Gary "Big/Bug Cheese" Edwards

 

E-14: The End is Now The Beginning

As we put a cap on Extravaganza 2014, I want to reach out to each of you who joined us here in Montana this year and to thank you for spending as much quality time with us as you did.  Most importantly, as you recall with affection the smells, sights and sounds of Montana that you were blessed with, I would like to pass on to you the following wizened words from famed fishing author Thomas McGuane (appropriately, a resident of Sweet Grass County, MT) from his book The Longest Silence—A Life In Fishing—words that you have now taken to heart in your wonderful E-14 support of both the National Wildlife Federation and Montana’s Outdoor Legacy Foundation:

 

                “We have reached the time in the life of the planet, and humanity’s demands upon it, when every fisherman will have to be a riverkeeper, a steward of marine shallows, a watchman on the high seas.  We are beyond having to put back what we have taken out.  We must put back more than we take out.  We must make holy war on the enemies of aquatic life as we have against gillnetters, polluters, and drainers of wetlands.  Otherwise, as you have already learned, these creatures will continue to disappear at an accelerating rate.  We will lose as much as we have lost already and there will be next to nothing, remnant populations, put-and-take, dim bulbs following the tank truck.”

 

In your name and stead, and with your continued support, I will continue my work with both of our E-14 supported groups in the hopes that each of our grandchildren, when they attain our ages, will have the same bountiful and unobstructed opportunity before them as each of you had during E-14.  United together, along with thousands of other likewise kindred and appreciative souls we will bring to the cause, we will protect and preserve what today’s Montana proudly showed off to you this past month, in response to which your grandchildren in concert with their grandchildren will look back and say, “Thank God that they not only cared but they acted and were not mere ‘dim bulbs following the tank truck’”…to that end, to the best of my ability, I’ll work to keep the light on for y’all!!

 

Best to all in the concluding scene of it all,

 

Rock Creek Ron

   ---<’///:><

 

 

 

Onfer and Twofer Thanks!

George "Onefer" Choe and his bride with baby-on-board Mira "Twofer" Choe report in après Extravaganza with their new-found Extravaganza spirit in hand:

 

 

Ron

 

You and Kathy were terrific hosts and the extravaganza will have a special place forever in our hearts and we both thank you dearly.

 

Twofer send her regards and thanks you again for letting us stay a couple of extra days at the Blackfoot house, she's now officially all in Montana. 

 

We did  connect with some great new people and lifelong friendships were forged on your porch this week. 

 

Thanks again for everything Ron! 

 

 

Ps is my nickname onefer now? –Yep!!!

 

George 

 

 

 

Thanks!

Thanks Ron and Kathy,

 

Edi and I had a great time.  I might even be able to get her to fish again sometime.  Thank you for the good time, the great food and all the great presents.

 

Chuck & Edi

Chuck "Hellena" Ballweg

 

RCR---<'///:><

 

 

E-14 - WOW!

A(nother) nice note from Group One’s Armistead “Mobow” Browning on behalf of the Denver Four:

 

Ron……..What a great time we all had in MT with you and your wonderful entourage. Everything was perfect from the minute your smile greeted me at the airport. I get many inquiries about the RC logo on all my new clothing and equipment. As you wind down Group 3 l hope you enjoy a well deserved rest. The effort you put into these events is incredible.

 

Please tell Kathy that her culinary skills were only equaled by our super fishing experience! I truly gained 7 lbs! I enjoyed getting to know both of you.

 

Again thank you for a wonderful trip.

 

Regards,

 

Armistead

 

J. Armistead Tyler Browning CLU

 

 

E-35 In The Making!

Thanks, E-14 Group Tattoer Greg “Clueless” Livengood!

 

Hi Ron,

 

Hopefully the Three's are treating you better than the, "Terrible Two's."  I want to thank you for putting on yet another extraordinary  extravaganza.  Joe, Adam and I had a wonderful time last week, and I always feel renewed and refreshed (and perhaps just a little bit pickled) after spending a few days in your wonderful Montana home.   The fishing was great, the natural environment unbeatable, and the guides again fantastic.  All made possible by the effort that Kathy and yourself put forth year after year!  I found the Grizzly bear conversations to be extremely interesting, and I look forward to hearing future updates on the projects. (See you in Napa!)  

 

Also, the attached photos are of my two little ones, Adriana and Hudson.   They are busily preparing themselves for E-35!

 

Thank you again for a truly remarkable experience.

 

Best regards,

 

Greg "Clueless, but teachable!" Livengood

Group Two Thanks!

Group Two’s Joe “Papa” Brown weighs in:

Ron,

After surviving the long travel day home with delayed flights I made it into work first thing this morning to get back into the swing of things.

Spending the morning making my rounds visiting the projects that I have going on I finally made it into the office to go through the emails and saw the link to the photos.

 

Looking at the pictures of our trip made me reflect on how fantastic this trip really was and that I had really had a great time.

I really appreciate the warmth with which you and Kathy bring a group of people into your home and treat them all like longtime friends, especially the new ones.

Family is very important to me and I felt like that you made us part of your family.

 

Thank you again for all the effort that you put into this and I hope to make this a tradition for as long as you keep doing this.

 

Thanks,

 

Joe

 

By the way there is a picture of me with a fish so I did catch one!

 

 

 

 

Montana

Salutations from Group Two's Chris "Full Rainbow" Sweeney:


Dear Ron and Kathy,
Thank you for my wonderful introduction to Montana! I am a fan. I appreciate
your kindness and taking care of every detail. We really enjoyed our time
with you and Cathy.

Most Sincerely,
Full Rainbow, aka Chris

THANK YOU!

A nice note of thanks from Group One’s Mick “Frick” Stephan:

Hi Ron,

 

Thank you (and lovely Kathy)….. Oh-Great-And-Wonderful-Wizard!  You generous hospitality and courtesy in your home on the Blackfoot River in Missoula, Montana, was very much appreciated.  What an EXTRAVAGANZA 2014!  And fly-fishing the mighty Missouri River was a dream come true.  My entire fly-fishing wardrobe has been replaced with your generous gifts.  Thank you for a wonderful time, Ron, and all the good work you do to serve and protect Montana’s healthy environment and wildlife.  Your work with Jack Hanna on the Grizzly Bear Project was particularly interesting.

 

Thanks, again –

 

Mick & Fay Stefan

Castle Rock, CO   

 

 

 

Johnsrud Panorama

 

FWP MT Bear Pics!

Hello Ron and Kathy:

Thanks so much for inviting us to the Extravaganza and for helping us out so
much! I have enjoyed meeting everyone and I must say the food is wonderful.
I have attached some photos that folks might enjoy seeing from some of our
rub post sites.

Take care, JJJ.

James Jason Jonkel
406-544-1447
MFWP R2
3201 Spurgin Road
Missoula, MT 59804

Prevention is the key---teach bears and other wildlife to keep away and not
to come and stay!

As Seen at Hooters!

 

Group Three, Day Three - Big Fish!

 

Group Three Beauty with a Beauty!

 

 

 

Yellow at Three

Day Two Yellow Hat recipients Jimmie "The Hawk" Hagle and FWP Director Jeff Hagener commune on the porch on Day Two

FWP Brass Pays a Visit to Group Three!

Dem Threes were honored by an in-person visit by Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks Director Jeff Hagener (left) and FWP Chief of Enforcement Jim Kropp (right) who provided the assembled Threes an overview on the complexities of supervising the diverse fish, wildlife and parks that bless Montana with their presence and provided clips of the hit series "Wardens".  Each were awarded honorary E-14 Yellow Hats for the service that they provide to this great state.  Thanks both for taking time out of your busy lives to bless us with your presence!

How Sweetgrass It Is!!

Sweet Grass rod guru Dave Delisi returns from Twin Bridges, Montana to update the Threes on new developments in bamboo rod construction and to provide hands-on training to Dem Threes, including Chelsea "Osprey" Pollak, as shown above!

Trapper Badovinac Wows The Threes

Author, guide, camp cook and great friend Trapper Badovinac presents slides on the Missouri River and on inside fly fishing techniques après dinner to the Wonderful Threes!

21 3/4" Group Three Brown Trout!

Check out this 21 ¾"beauty as shown with captor (and releasor) Chuck "Heleena" Ballweg and his primo guide Burke Holmes.

 

'Tis a beautiful thing here in Extravaganzaland!!

 

RCR---<'///:><

 

Coveted Osprey With Fish Pic!

For twelve (count 'em!) years I have been looking to get the above picture
of an osprey with fish--here at the foot of Rock Creek Road mama is
delivering the goods (notice how the head of the fish aerodynamically faces
forward!) to her two new additions to the osprey world. Congrats, to
Chelsea Pollak who took this pic with her camera--a shot that earned her the
first Yellow Hat for her Group Three!

Bravo, bravo, bravo!

RCR---<'///:><

Group Three Pics!

 

Group Three Pics!

 

Group Three, Day One Big Fish!

Say "Hello" to Group Three veteran Chuck "Heleena" Ballweg who smiles both at you and his 21 3/4" brown—the Yellow Hat winner for Day One in Group Three and the only entry on the Twenty Inch Board that day. 

 

Congrats Chuck!!

 

RCR---<'///:><

Announcing the Line-Up for E-14's Group Three!

 

 

The Tattoos have come and gone, making their mark on the Twenty Inch Board (as well as anything else that could our would move, btw!), and now it is time for our special Group Three to make its way to the Promised Land of fish and honey!  Moresoever than any prior Group, E-14’s Threes is a group of couples, six in number to be exact, and we look forward to their arrivals starting tomorrow, Friday, with veterans Martin “Mad Man” O’Malley (guru commercial realtor) and beautiful bride Cynthia “Houston” Stratton, Esq. coming in early from Houston, Texas, and rookie business succession planner and CPA Mindy Jones and beau  Joe Di Naso coming in from Phoenix, Arizona.

 

Returning veteran 401k plan manager par excellence (and world traveling fisherman of the same caliber) Chuck “Heleena” Ballweg returns again to us this year, this time with his bride of many years Edie Klecker, and is dragging along with him (not kicking and screaming, btw, as he, too, is an avid world-class fisherman) George Choe and his new bride Mira (who is now expecting their first child—likewise an Extravaganza womb first!).  New-to-Montana and coming in all the way from  Massachusetts, are Don & Karen Irving, who will meet up with my long-in-the-Extravaganza son Tyler “Lefty” Clausen and his paramour Chelsea Pollack.

 

Having shifted from their traditional, heavy wine drinking Group One to the more mellow Group Three, we also welcome back Santa Rosa builders Jimmie “The Hawk” Hagle and his business partner Doug “Big D” Pacatte who will be joined by returning Montana MD Jeff “Doc” Georgia and Richmond, California rookie non-profit ED Jim Becker.

 

And then, in this august group of twenty who arrive in June and depart in July, that leaves the dreaded “Sailor Four”—a mini-group of reprobates headed up by my engineering brother Kers “Dead Drift” [so named, unanimously, last year by our guides for his propensity to fall asleep every time he sits down!] Clausen and his soul/sailor/business mates veterans (kinda, that is, because he missed half of E-13 by missing his outbound flight!) Scott “Not So Flash” Gordon and State of Washington AIA Mike Gentry together with rookie sailor and alleged fisherman Rich Deveau.  My goal this year is to have all of the Sailor Fours be in the same state of the union, let alone locale, at the same time—something that never happened during E-13!!

 

The weather and rivers for the Threes is shaping up just nicely, thank you very much, so bring it on Threes and top the very high bars (and bottles) now left for you by the E-14 Ones and Twos!!

 

Best to all from the scene of it all,

 

Rock Creek Ron

  ----<’///:><

 

 

 

Andrew Brown Signs Into The Twenty Inch Club!

 

A Fishy Yummy Cupcake Dessert