Paws Up Resort, Montana

On August 11, 2024 we were driven to the airport by our private Uber/Lyft driver, Krystal.  We received a complimentary upgrade to first class, which was nice. It was just a short, one and a half hour flight to Missoula Montana. We were met at the airport by the Paws Up representative who took us on a forty minute drive to the resort. He gave us a tour of the resort by van and then dropped us off at one of the restaurants, The Trough. We then hung out at the Shed, another restaurant that was open air. When our tent cabin was ready we were transported there and settled in until dinner at our “camp”  called Creekside. We were early to bed in preparation for our day of fishing the next day.  When we arrived back at our tent after dinner, we found a fly and a fly box on the bedside table. This would be a nightly event and gave us something to look forward to each night. The fly waiting for us was a Girdle Bug which imitates the nymph before iit becomes the giant stonefly. It is fished in early spring and late winter.  

Monday August 12, 2024: Fishing Day. We had breakfast at our camp and caught a ride to The Wilderness Outpost where we met our fishing guide, Cass. The water level in the Blackfoot River was low due to the lousy snowpack they had from last winter. Our vessel was an inflatable raft with seats fore and aft and Sam rowing between us. It was a slow day of fishing. We were rigged with a dry dropper and no fish ever went for the dry. I ended up with about 6 fish for the day all on the dropper. Diane picked up a few fish on the dropper after lunch. We had to quit fishing at 2 PM due to the Hoot Owl Restriction. This regulation was put into effect to protect the fish when the water temperature remains high for several days. We headed for the take out and then back to Paws Up. We had dinner at the Shed  and then headed back to the tent. . The fly we found waiting for us this night was a San Juan Worm. It is used when the water is a little dirty with high water and rides near the bottom. It is fished as a second nymph or on a dry dropper. Nighty night. 

Tuesday August 13,2024. We had breakfast at camp and then caught a ride to the Spa Camp where we hoped to find the trail to Jones Pond. We did not find it right away and ended up doing a loop hike through the forest that brought us back to where we started. We then found the Jones Pond trail. It was a mostly steady uphill climb through the Lubrecht Forest. We got to the pond which had an electrified fence around it. We headed back down and encountered some folks on horses heading up. We spotted a beautiful bird, a Western Tanager. Our total mileage(with the loop hike) was about 5 and a half miles. Once down we called for a ride to the Trough where we had lunch. Our afternoon activity was river kayaking.We were shuttled to the put in at the confluence of the Clearwater and the Blackfoot rivers. There was a huge rock there and it is said that Lewis and Clark had their picture taken at that rock on their adventure westward. Diane and I, of course, had our picture taken there as well.  We went in an inflatable, two person kayak and with the low water we had to dodge lots of rocks. We got a good view of a golden eagle in a tree along the river. We got to the take out just as it started pouring rain. We got into the van while the guides loaded the rafts on the trailer. When we got back to camp we discovered that the entire resort had lost power. Diane and I were wet and cold and we were looking forward to a hot shower, however, the water pressure was supplied by an electric pump and therefore, no hot shower. At our tent we got out of our wet clothes and got in bed under the covers. Later we went to our Camp pavilion where they had a fire going. While there the power was restored and we got our hot showers. We decided to have dinner at our camp that night. When we got back to the tent the fly we found was the Wookie Hopper. There are many grasshoppers on the river in the summer. Fly tyers are always coming up with a new way to tie hoppers and trick the fish who have been to fish school. The Wookie Hopper rides smoothly on the water and entices the trout to take a bite. 

Wednesday August 14, 2024: Second Fishing Day. We had breakfast the camp and then got a ride to the Wilderness Outpost to meet our fishing guide, Sam. We talked about the plan for the day and found out that the Hoot Owl Restriction had just been lifted so we could fish past 2 PM. I think we got in the river at the Nine Mile Prairie Campground. We started fishing the run right near the campground where Sam felt sure we would get into some fish but no deal. I brought something into the boat on my backcast and had caught the smallest trout I have ever caught: two inches. But, it was a fish, it was a trout, and the skunk was out of the boat as they say when the first fish is caught. Again, the fishing was slow due to the low water but we began picking up several fish, mostly whitefish. I landed a big fish that was a pike minnow and then I caught a bigger pike after that. At one point Diane was getting out of the boat to pee. She slipped on a rock and went into the drink. She had a sore neck and was wet but was ready soldier on. We ended up having a better day fishing this day and got to fish past 2 PM. We got to the take out and headed back to camp. We ate dinner somewhere  and went back to the tent. Our fly tonight was a Prince Nymph. It is an underwater fly and represents a mayfly as it turns from an egg coming up to the surface to emerge into a mayfly. 

Thursday August 15, 2024. Today would be our last full day. We had no early morning activities planned so we went to the Wilderness Outpost to shop for the grandkids. Our activity at 11 AM was an mountain ebike tour of the nearby mountains and a route along the Blackfoot River. It was fun but a little bouncy on the bikes. The ride along the river was beautiful. We had lunch at the Shed and made it back to the tent as a heavy rain shower began. Our dinner was at the Pomp Restaurant, the fine dining restaurant. It was still raining when we finished and made it back to our tent. The fly waiting for us was the Chubby Chernobyl. It is one of the best all around flies for the fly box. The big wings make it easy for both the fisherman and the fish to see. We went to sleep listening to the rain.

Friday August 15, 2024. Travel Day. Breakfast. Airport. Home