Some days on the water you earn. This one, we just got to enjoy.
Day two of our April run with Jake — Missoula Fly Guy — we pointed the truck away from the bigger water around town and made the drive out to a stretch of Rock Creek. I'll be honest about where exactly: I can't tell you. Both Jake and Drew made me promise to keep the location to myself, so we'll call it a secret spot and leave it there. Some water is worth protecting.
Drew Baker rode along to shoot — stills and video both — so there's a YouTube piece coming from this day. Stay tuned for that one; the footage is going to be special.
Drew got the drone up — this is the kind of canyon you get to fish through out here.
Rock Creek is a smaller, more intimate piece of water than the big rivers outside Missoula, and it is flat-out gorgeous. We didn't see another boat all day. Not one. Just us, the canyon walls, and rising fish.
We had the place to ourselves — well, mostly.
And the fishing? About as good as a spring day gets. The fish were looking up and eating dries, but honestly they ate everything — we got them on nymphs, on dries, on streamers, on whatever we put in front of them. When a day lets you fish every tactic in the box and they all work, you know you've hit it right.
A cutthroat to hand on a day they ate just about everything.
Steady fish from put-in on.
It also turned into a bit of a rod day. I had the whole El Rey G6 lineup with me and ran through it — the 3-weight, 4-weight, 5-weight, 6-weight, and 7-weight all got time in my hands. We were grabbing some promo shots and marketing footage while we were at it, so it was the rare trip that was equal parts work and pure fun. No complaints there.
A bit of a rod day — the whole El Rey G6 lineup got a turn.
The real star, though, might be the scenery. This stretch runs through some incredible canyon country, and Drew got the drone up for it — you'll want to see that on the video. He also came away with some of the best marketing shots we've ever had, plus a few photos we'll just keep forever.
Keeping one wet before the release — Drew's eye at work.
One thing that always makes me laugh: there are a lot of Rock Creeks. There's one near Missoula, one way out past it, one up in northern Montana, one down by Bozeman… I've lost count of how many Rock Creeks there are in this country. But every single one I've ever set foot on has been beautiful. Make of that what you will.
Tight line, blue sky — a spring day you don't forget.
If there's a takeaway from this day, it's this: when you get the chance to fish a new piece of water — especially one the locals quietly tell you is special — go do it. The drive is always worth it. This one sure was.
Native cutthroat colors, up close.
And back she goes.
Next up — Day Three, when the weather had other plans.
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