E-14 Baja Fishing Report

 

 

Well, folks, the cards and letters keep coming into Extravaganza Central from E-14ers traveling all over the world, the following from Group Three's Chuck "Heleena" Ballweg:

 

Hi All,

 

Just got back from a 3 day quickie fly fishing in Baja at Playa del Sol on the East Cape. Spent the first 2 days fishing dorado and caught over a dozen. We trolled flashers, teasers and rigged ballyhoo all without hooks. When the dorado came up in the lures I threw a popper fly on them and since they are pretty aggressive they are not that hard to catch.
Different story with roosterfish. I fished rooster the 3rd day and we slow trolled a live mullet along the shoreline. We had roosters come up constantly trying to take the mullet. My guide, Merry, would yank the mullet away and I would toss the fly. Normal rooster behavior is to ignore the fly and drop off. Put the mullet back and up would come the rooster. We did this over and over, dozens of times until the rooster finally hit the fly. I ended up catching three of them and had a 4th one on. No monsters but as they say any rooster on a fly is a challenge.

I fished with Baja FlyFishing Company and my guide was Merry Waugh. They did a great job and I recommend them highly. Not many women guides in Baja but Merry can hold her own with anyone.

 

Chuck

Chuck Ballweg

 

Bravo, pal!!!

 

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

FW: E-14 Recommended Fishing Sandal

From veteran fisherman radical Group Oner Josh "B 'Gosh" Genser who knows of what he speaks:

 

These are so much better looking than the ones we bought three years ago, but those older, ugly ones are also indestructible and, so I just don't need another pair.

 

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

FW: E-14 Recommended Fishing Sandal

From Group One's "Not To Tarry" Winfrey:

 

.Love them!!

E-14 Recommended Fishing Sandal

 

Gang: 

 

Attached is a photo of the recommended fishing sandal for your E-14 usage.  Provided by Simms out of Bozeman, MT, this versatile shoe is perfect for both land and boat use while you are with us this summer (and will last for many, many summers thereafter). 

 

As part of our arrangement with our land provider, the Rock Creek Mercantile (where we will go on your arrival day to get you MT fishing licenses and a gaggle E-14 extravagant goodies courtesy of yours truly) has a stock of these sandals and, with an advance order from you, will assure that your size is in stock upon your arrival. 

 

Normally priced at $100 + sales tax, Der Sandal is available to you through the Merc at an E-14 discounted price of $90 (and there is no sales tax in Montana!).  We spend 99% of our E-14 time fishing from drift boats and these close-toed waterproof beauties are perfect for getting into and out of boats and for potty and shore breaks during your fishing day(s).  They are also cool to wear all day and evening long during your stay with us.

 

If you are interested, let me know by reply email with your men’s shoe size and I will assure that your sandals-to-be will there when you arrive…yes, this is a full-service Extravaganza, rookies!!

 

Best to all in awe of the nearness of it all,

 

Rock Creek Ron

     ---<’///:><

 

 

Annual Pre-Extravaganza Lower Sac Trip

Fellow E-14ers:

 

You know that an Extravaganza is getting close when our annual one day to-fro fishing trip to the Lower Sacramento River outside of Redding, CA occurs!  And that was the case this past Friday when a veteran group of Extravaganzers made the trek to fish with The Fly Shop last Friday—witness above Group One senior citizen John “SOS” Reimann practicing his  cast, er pour, as we launched early Friday morn with his fishing partner uber-banker Scott “Crack” McAdams and I with equally grizzled veteran Cam “Mend” Carlson.

 

As an omen to E-14 (which this trip has proven to be for the past several years):  (i) SOS will catch few fish; (ii) the weather will be hot (it was in the mid-90’s for us) and (iii) the fishing (except for SOS) will be equally hot, hot, hot…the remaining three of us landed upwards of 50 fish averaging upwards of 20” in length, as demonstrated by Mend above with his bountiful beauty of rainbow trout nettings!

 

Getting close, now gang…very, very close!!!

 

RCR---<’///:><

 

 

FW: Iceland

Considered for what, Group Tattoer Tim "Squawfish" Rodgers?!? Ice
cream...icicle...icescapade...icescapes?? Certainly not the coveted E-14
Twenty Inch Board that has its sights on mo Mo fish than three years ago!!

RCR


Ron, 26" brown in Iceland, should be considered!!!

Tim Rodgers

FW: Der Slow Flow

...today is 3,180...getting up there but not what we need to see for either
Group One or Two.

Where things have to end up come June 14th for Group One and come June 21st
for Group Two, is that ALL of the accumulated water in the hills has to get
downhill and the Rock Creek flow needs to be reading about half of what it
is today.

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

FW: E-14 Twos: It's Official--To The Mo We Go!!!

Well put, veteran Tattoer Lori “Fawn Lady” Ware!!

Hi Ho Hi Ho!  We go with the flow!

Lori

E-14 Twos: It's Official--To The Mo We Go!!!

 

 

Well, here it is, your OFFICIAL NOTICE…Extravaganza 2014’s Group Two will be fishing the Mighty Missouri River out of Craig, MT for at least two of its three E-14 fishing days (I am holding out hope that if the runoff gets itself underway and downhill, just as we did in 2008, we may be able to fish our last day on our local waters)!!!  Hence, indeed, it is “The Mo We Go”!!

 

And, as you veteran know, that is not a bad thing….so here is the new program:

 

1.        Arrival Day, June 21st, remains unchanged-- I will meet and greet each of you at Missoula Airport upon your arrivals, from which we will have vehicles for you to (a) go to the Montana Club for our traditional first day luncheon, (b) then go to our Blackfoot House for a Group Meeting, (c) then head up to the Rock Creek Mercantile to get licensed and geared up (remember, all, we reserve the right to treat you extravagantly during your stay with us!), and (d) continue up Rock Creek Road to Headquarters to get moved in and spend the afternoon practicing our casting and getting acclimated to your new digs.  That evening, Hank Fisher will present on the goings on of the National Wildlife Federation and the Montana Natural History Museum.

2.       Each of our  Mo fishing days, (a) we will arise early and leave with our boat provisions (rain suit, polarized glasses, change of clothing all in your water proof boat bag) to meet our motor coach at 5:30 a.m. sharp; (b) the 50 person motor coach, under the supervision of our favorite driver, Commander Cliff, will depart at 6:00 a.m. sharp arriving in Craig, MT (just north of Wolf Creek, MT, the nearest weather station for those who might want to check it out in advance) around 8:30 a.m. where we will meet up with our guides (who will already be on site and waiting for us); (c) we will fish the Missouri River just below the Holter Dam with guide lunches provided to you, getting off the water and back to the bus no later than 5:30 p.m.; (d) the bus will leave to retrace its tracks at 6:00 p.m. sharp, arriving back at the Merc around 8:30 p.m.; from which (d) we will head immediately back to Headquarters for drinks, dinner and some down time.  Blessedly, except for a special E-14 Jack Hannah video presentation for you on our last fishing day, I have just cancelled the gaggle of speakers that I otherwise had set to present to you après dinner each of our evenings together.

3.       Departure day remains unchanged—we will have our traditional closing breakfast at Headquarters that morning and I will take you back to the airport in time for you to collapse on your homeward bound flights.

 

A word about the Missouri—true to the adage “when he is good, he is very, very good; when he is bad, he is very, very bad!”, that sums up the lay of the water on the Missouri River.  A curse upon anyone on the bus ride over who mentions the “W” word…don’t even think it or spell it (w…i…n…d), as that is the downside of fishing a river within a W tunnel when the weather kicks up.  This early in the season, “W” is not as normal an occurrence as it is later in the summer when the thermals develop, but, “’W’ happens” on The Mo (remember those of us Ones in 2011 who were on the water one day and got caught up in a blustery half hour downpour that impressively deluged us!!).  That being said (as in, yes, rain gear is a must to have with you as well as a change of clothes), get this:  below Holter Dam which regulates the water so it is fishable even in high water years, the fish count is 7,200 trout to the river mile (that’s 1.25 fish to every river-foot, Ones) with the average size of the brown and rainbow trout residing in the Mo being over 18”, with the plurality in the twenty inch range, and, as I mentioned to you before, during E-11 when we fished The Mo all nine of our fishing days, we caught and released 111 Twenty Inchers, as is well reflected on our Twenty Inch Boards (we needed three of them!) yet here with pride at Headquarters.

 

So, yes, Tattoos, it is official:  “To The Mo We Go”…viva la Extravaganza!!  Reach out to me via email if you have any questions; feel free to call me as needed.

 

Best to you all from the scene of it all,

 

Rock Creek Ron

   ---<’///:><

 

Ronald K. Clausen
Clausen Law Group
1160 Brickyard Cove Road, Suite 201
Pt. Richmond, CA  94801
(510) 234-0010 (direct)
(510) 234-5155 (main)
(510) 234-4578 (fax)
rclausen@clausenlawgroup.com

 

 

FW: Damn bear!!!

A note and observation from Group Two's Gary "Big Cheese" Edwards:

Maybe the Bear wants to be on the Board of Directors?

FW: Damn bear!!!

A good question from Group Two Veteran Al "Good Earth" Baylacq:


Is the hostess with the mostest up in the tree?

Al Baylacq, Partner
Good Earth Natural Foods, INC.

Damn bear!!!

From first-hand knowledge, it's not nice to upset your Hostess With The
Mostess (again), Mr. Bear!! Fish, Wildlife & Parks has been put on notice
to facilitate your immediate relocation...

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

Up, Up, Up Goes The Flow!

Today is 2,790 cfs; as you can see, we lost 10 days in the runoff due to
unseasonably cool MT weather!

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

Our E-14 Bear, Oh My!!!

Look who came a-callin’ this Saturday afternoon here at E-14 Headquarters!  Yep, right on, off, and around our back deck (we were wondering why (y)our E-14 mascot black lab Ma’am was barking crazily!), from where, after destroying your Hostess’ bird feeder, Mr. Brown Bear abled down to check out the horseshoe pit in the back yard before heading upstream.

 

Never a dull moment here in Extravaganzaville, folks!

 

RCR---<’///:><

 

 

E-14 Log-O-Meter Update

Gang:  As predicted, with the recent rise in temperature (finally!) comes this year’s runoff in earnest, as witnessed by the attached update of our Log-O-Meter taken today, showing that, with the flow now at 2,360 cfs (up almost 50% from just a week ago), Rock Creek has risen to the lower level of the horizontal measuring log…watch the runoff this year soon soar to crest the top of the log at around 5,000 cfs!!

 

RCR---<’///:><

 

 

E-14 Ones: It's Official--To The Mo We Go!!!

Well, Ones, here it is, your OFFICIAL NOTICE…Extravaganza 2014’s Group One will be fishing the Mighty Missouri River out of Craig, MT all three of its E-14 fishing days!!!  Hence, indeed, it is “The Mo We Go”!!

 

And, as you veteran Ones know, that is not a bad thing….so here is the new program for Group One:

 

1.        Arrival Day, June 14^th, remains unchanged—except for the Rosenbaums who are doing their traditional “Spokane thing”-- I will meet and greet each of you at Missoula Airport upon your arrivals, from which we will have vehicles for you to (a) go to the Montana Club for our traditional first day luncheon, (b) then go to our Blackfoot House for a Group Meeting, (c) then head up to the Rock Creek Mercantile to get licensed and geared up (remember, all, we reserve the right to treat you extravagantly during your stay with us!), and (d) continue up Rock Creek Road to Headquarters to get moved in and spend the afternoon practicing our casting and getting acclimated to your new digs.  That evening, Hank Fisher will present on the goings on of the National Wildlife Federation and the Montana Natural History Museum.

2.       Each of our three fishing days, (a) we will arise early and leave with our boat provisions (rain suit, polarized glasses, change of clothing all in your water proof boat bag) to meet our motor coach at 5:30 a.m. sharp; (b) the 50 person motor coach, under the supervision of our favorite driver, Commander Cliff, will depart at 6:00 a.m. sharp arriving in Craig, MT (just north of Wolf Creek, MT, the nearest weather station for those who might want to check it out in advance) around 8:30 a.m. where we will meet up with our guides (who will already be on site and waiting for us); (c) we will fish the Missouri River just below the Holter Dam with guide lunches provided to you, getting off the water and back to the bus no later than 5:30 p.m.; (d) the bus will leave to retrace its tracks at 6:00 p.m. sharp, arriving back at the Merc around 8:30 p.m.; from which (d) we will head immediately back to Headquarters for drinks, dinner and some down time.  Blessedly, except for a special E-14 Jack Hannah video presentation for you on our last fishing day, I have just cancelled the gaggle of speakers that I otherwise had set to present to you après dinner each of our evenings together.

3.       Departure day remains unchanged—we will have our traditional closing breakfast at Headquarters that morning and I will take you back to the airport in time for you to collapse on your homeward bound flights.

 

A word about the Missouri—true to the adage “when he is good, he is very, very good; when he is bad, he is very, very bad!”, that sums up the lay of the water on the Missouri River.  A curse upon anyone on the bus ride over who mentions the “W” word…don’t even think it or spell it (w…i…n…d), as that is the downside of fishing a river within a W tunnel when the weather kicks up.  This early in the season, “W” is not as normal an occurrence as it is later in the summer when the thermals develop, but, “’W’ happens” on The Mo (remember those of us Ones in 2011 who were on the water one day and got caught up in a blustery half hour downpour that impressively deluged us!!).  That being said (as in, yes, rain gear is a must to have with you as well as a change of clothes), get this:  below Holter Dam which regulates the water so it is fishable even in high water years, the fish count is 7,200 trout to the river mile (that’s 1.25 fish to every river-foot, Ones) with the average size of the brown and rainbow trout residing in the Mo being over 18”, with the plurality in the twenty inch range, and, as I mentioned to you before, during E-11 when we fished The Mo all nine of our fishing days, we caught and released 111 Twenty Inchers, as is well reflected on our Twenty Inch Boards (we needed three of them!) yet here with pride at Headquarters.

 

So, yes, Wonderful Ones, it is official:  “To The Mo We Go”…viva la Extravaganza!!  Reach out to me via email if you have any questions; also, I will be back in my Bay Area office come Monday so feel free to call me there as needed.

 

Best to you all from the scene of it all,

 

Rock Creek Ron

   ---<’///:><

 

Ronald K. Clausen
Clausen Law Group
1160 Brickyard Cove Road, Suite 201
Pt. Richmond, CA  94801
(510) 234-0010 (direct)
(510) 234-5155 (main)
(510) 234-4578 (fax)
rclausen@clausenlawgroup.com

 

 

Where Did the Flow Go, Mo?!?

E-14ers:

This delayed flow in a high water year is not getting us where we need to be
in a timely manner, gang. It was (finally!) in the low 70's here in
Missoula yesterday, so look for the flow to reflect that two days later with
a spike upwards, BUT there is still over 200% of 20 year median snow water
content in the upper MT mountains, so...

Visualize To The Mo We Go (at least Groups One and Two), Mo!!

Mo to follow!!

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


The Rock Creek flow is just 1,740 cfs today.

These E-14 Buds Are For You!

Best from HQ!!

 

RCR---<’///:><

 

 

E-14 Log-O-Meter

Well, rookies, here it is…our world famous Rock Creek Logo-O-Meter, created during the high runoff of 2011.  This collection of woodwork is a good pictorial of just what high water this year’s runoff will create in the weeks ahead.  Right now, at 1440 cubic feet per second, you can see Rock Creek’s somewhat docile water flow.  When the water touches the bottom of the tree laying over the stream, the flow will be right at 2,000 cfs.  In the high water year of 2011, when the flow exceeded 5,000 cfs, the water was free flowing over the top of the cross log, leaving its remnant reminders of that high water year (something that we may witness again this year)!

 

The bonus shot is of the dusting of snow that, upon arrival, greeted us last evening atop the Sapphire Mountain range that makes up Rock Creek valley’s western ridge (Rock Creek flows from the south northward parallel to Rock Creek Road)—they are the second largest (to a range in Australia) depository of sapphire’s in the world!!

 

As you veterans know, Montana is home of some of the most marvelous vistas in the world…that is why we our second home is here, a place that we look forward to welcoming you to with open arms in now just a few weeks.

 

Best to all amid the evolving glory of it all,

 

RCR---<’///:><

 

 

And Now a Word From Our E-14 Double Up Outfitter!

Say hello  to John “The Great But Propaneless” (so named for his propensity to forget propane to cook our erstwhile hot river bbq lunches) who has been fishing virtually every day this early spring, either on our local waters or, as shown above, over the Continental Divide on the Mighty Mo.  John was to remind of two things: (1) Day One for each Group is Hawaiian Shirt Day—wear the worst one that you can find, gang AND (2) Day One is also Guide Gag Gift Day when, as you meet your guide for the next three (count ‘em!) days, you will have the chance to make an indelible impression on him (in the past such gifts have included homemade expand-o-matic fish measuring devices, fur and lure studded toilet seats for shore-side contemplation, guppy nets for landing Da Big One, and any assortment of alcoholic beverage that you can imagine [although all of our (substantial) imbibing is shore side in the evenings only—starting with our gathering point each evening at Hooters]]. 

 

Typical of Propaneless, however, he forgot the gag gift propane, so begin your search now for the appropriate gagging gift for your guide—we have found re-gifting, garage sales and Salvation Army as wonderful sources in that regard, btw!

 

So now speaks Sir John, our Outfitter (he is cc’d above so you can pepper him as well!):

 

Greetings from your outfitter once again for this years fishing festivities with Rock Creek Ron. Suddenly there are just over 5 weeks before the first day of the 2014 extravaganza, which is hard to believe since we were snowed on while fishing twice last week. Don't panic though, we also had five days where sun burns were possible as well. We have had a winter to remember here in western Montana this winter, avalanches and road closures, and some of the best skiing conditions ever! Cooler than average conditions have continued through March, April and May here. With our snow /water equivalent at 190% and our normal accumulation of precipitation at 120% we are probably looking at the motor coach bringing this year's fisher folk the the mighty Missouri river again as we did in 2011. Feast or famine? Last year's lower water had us worried, but late snow saved us and the fishing was great here. Only by the end of May can we be truly sure of how much water we will have here in June and July, but the smart money says we will travel to a whopping 7,200 trout per mile on the Missouri again. Some of the smaller rainbows from 2011 have put on some extra weight, and even some of this season's youngsters look like they're changing their diet to the occasional Nerf football for sustenance as illustrated in the attached photo from this week on the Mo'! We are of course keeping with tradition and doing our Hawaiian Shirt Day on the first day of each group again! Dig through the closet and pull out that Hawaiian shirt from your cruise in '95 and pack it along! Most annoying shirt wins a XXXL Double Up shirt to cover it up! Optional second day of each group may be ugliest fishing shirt day, but haven't discussed it with the captain yet... Truly looking forward to seeing you all here in Montana in a few weeks, old faces and new! As always, plan on dressing in layers, bring some extra sunscreen and get ready to see Montana in all it's all it's greener than life glory this June and July! The fish are growing as you read this, and we are all ready to make this year's extravaganza one to remember. Safe travels and see you all soon... Fish on, Your friendly neighborhood fishing outfitter John Gould-----<’///:>< ---------<’///:><

 

FW: Your E-14 Friday Flow Report, Flo!

Here you go, gang, the updated 2014 flow chart is attached. With all of the water yet in the hills (well over 185% of norm), we have one heck of a lot of water top get downhill within the next month...yep, we are rapidly approaching the 30 day warning bell for the arrival of the Wonderful (some would call them "Drinkingly Debauched", I might add) Ones.

Looking at historical highs and lows this May 9th (my mom's 90th b'day, btw...happy birthday mom!), the maximum flow in 1976 was 3090 cubic feet per second, the lowest was 389 cfs in 1991 and we are sitting right at 85% of mean average at 1630 cfs today. With temperatures forecast to be below average for the next week, the tea leaves are more and more trending towards a motor coach ride for Dem Ones and, perhaps, even for the Tattoos.

Your Hostess With the Mostess and I do our annual 20 hour drive to Headquarters tomorrow and Sunday, from where I will get first-hand updates and will send you photos of our famous Log-O-Meter so you are kept well abreast of this year's slow developing runoff.

Happy Friday, all!!

Rock Creek Ron
---<'///:><

E-14: Why is this man smiling?!?

Once again fisherman extraordinaire Group Three veteran Chuck  "Heleena" Ballweg checks in with the attached beauty of an 11 (count 'em!) pound cutthroat (a mule-esq cross between a rainbow and a cutthroat trout) that he caught and released on Pyramid Lake in Nevada last weekend.  THAT would certainly set the high bar mark if caught during E-14, all…congrats, Chuck!!

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

E-14: The Runoff Begins!!

Well, gang, the long-awaited runoff is now off and literally running, downhill that is!! We will be providing you multiple updates on this important report card in the weeks ahead, the latest installment of which is attached.

As we begin this process which will dial in our E-14 fishing conditions, we begin with roughly the amount of accumulated snow water in our upper elevations as we did during the high water years of 2008 and 2011 (the cream colored years on the attached charts). That is, by E-14's Opening Day of June 14th, in order for our local hometown waters to be safe for fishing, we need to get downstream MORE water than happened in each of those two years and, from the get-go at least, we are headed in the right direction.

We will be updating this chart for you three times a week (Mon, Wed and Fri) so that you can live the experience and see what is actually happening in the western Montana climes. Again, our model river is our own Rock Creek and the measurement is in cubic feet per second (CFS). When your Hostess With The Mostess and I get on site this coming Sunday, we will supplement this graph with our Log-O-Meter--a visual landmark that we use of a fallen log that measures the water flow visually for us.

Looking ahead at Missoula's forecasted weather (which, as you seasoned veterans know, is a true fool's errand), the guesstimators are calling for below average high temperatures for the next 8 days, whereafter temps are projected to soar into the upper 70's for a sustained period of time. Literally, you will be able to trace the high temps with higher runoff flows two days later, remembering that Missoula is based right at 3,000 ft in elevation and that you lose 3 degrees per every additional 1,000 increase in elevation. With most of our runoff snow at the 6,000+ elevation, that means that when it is 60 degrees in Missoula it is only 50 degrees way up there and when temps soar to the upper 70's in town we then get the full runoff impact with higher temps in the upper 60's.

As I mentioned to you earlier, "we shall see what we shall see" and, regardless, are prepared to handle with élan whatsoever Mother Nature may deal us!!

The attached chart is now posted and updated to Der Blog, www.montanaextravaganza2014.blogspot.com ,which you should now post to your favorites as, very soon now, almost all of our E-14 communication and pictures will be via that wonderful vehicle.

Best to all now in the flow of it all,

Rock Creek Ron ----<'///:><