The Sale of New Bonny Quail Woods, Twickenham Campus and Twickenham South revives an Original Property
Live Water Southern, a division of Live Water Properties, is pleased to announce the sale of the New Bonny Quail Woods, and two separately offered portions of the historic Twickenham Plantation, labeled Twickenham Campus and Twickenham South. The national land and ranch brokerage firm brought the Buyer to this trio of adjacent properties, totaling 2856 acres and over $22M in last asking prices. Brokers Alex Maher and John Merritt worked on the transaction, collectively reassembling a piece of history and what was once a single property.
Located in the ACE Basin, midway between Charleston, South Carolina and Savannah, Georgia, 20 minutes from Beaufort and 45 minutes from Hilton Head Island and Bluffton, these three properties were not encumbered by conservation easements at the time of sale. Given the wildlife and bird habitat and their historic nature, the Twickenham assemblage is one step closer to being restored to its original size and nature, as opposed to being further subdivided and developed.
The Twickenham Plantation was founded in 1732, under a grant from England’s King George II and was assembled by Walter Izzard in 1733. The main home was burned down twice over time, both in the Revolutionary War and again later by General William T. Sherman’s troops in the Civil War. The home was rebuilt in 1878, by Major John Screven, and recently, the 4,000 sq. ft. historic Plantation house underwent an extensive three-year remodel, which was completed in 2018.
For the sportsman, the three properties now combine to include over 248+ acres of interior controlled rice fields with excellent annual migrations of teal, ringnecks, wood ducks, pintails, and other species. There are old growth quail woods with established courses to foster natural wildlife and ideal shooting conditions. The variety of quail courses will keep hunters active without undue pressure on coveys. The property boasts excellent turkey and trophy whitetail populations. Additionally, there is a 12-acre dove field, a pheasant “tower release” for the “highbird” shooting experience for larger hunting parties, and a five-acre stocked bass lake.
“It has been a thrill to work on these properties with such historical and ecological significance in the ACE basin,” says John Merritt Vice President/Broker at Live Water Southern. We are honored to have represented the Buyers along with their team of professionals, and they will be an exemplary land steward for this sporting property for generations to come.”
Top Big Game Hunting Ranches of 2021
As the West switches gears from summer to fall, one’s mind starts moving from rising trout in riffles to the many different big game hunting opportunities provided by the seemingly endless wilderness. The temperature drops and shorter days has a hunter thinking of hiking through aspen groves scouting for elk or sitting in a deer stand looking for that trophy of a lifetime. Many of our Brokers’ passions lie within big game hunting and they have studied and hunted these animals for many years. The Big Game Hunting Report offers our Brokers’ insights into the land and wildlife and explains how special each of these hunting ranches are.
Hunting Ranches for Sale in Montana
Harwood Ranch
Willow Creek, MT | 4,996 Acres | $25,000,000
The 4,996± acre Harwood Ranch is an end-of-the-road sporting property featuring excellent fishing and hunting opportunities. The amazing water resources on the ranch create a prolific ecosystem that supports a rich and diverse Montana wildlife community that includes several species of big game animals as well as upland birds and mixed waterfowl. Excellent bedding habitat on the higher ridges and along the Willow Creek riparian corridor – in addition to adjacent crop food sources – provide ideal conditions for Elk, mule deer and whitetail deer. Additionally, pronghorn antelope are found on the benches above Willow Creek Canyon. Coveys of Hungarian Partridge are scattered over the ranch and pheasants can be found along the riparian areas bordering the grain fields at the mouth of the canyon. The mountains and plains in the region harbor all of the recognized big game species in Montana, including elk, whitetail and mule deer, antelope, black and grizzly bear, mountain lion, moose, bighorn sheep and rocky mountain goat. The hunting and fishing opportunities on the Harwood Ranch are tremendous and would satisfy the most ardent sporting enthusiast. Click here to learn more.
Chief Joseph Cattle Ranch
Wisdom, MT | 2,545 Acres | $11,250,000
Chief Joseph Cattle ranch was once owned and hunted by Hank Williams Jr. who purchased the ranch as an elk hunting retreat. More recently the ranch has been primarily managed as a highly productive cattle operation. An abundance of water and the protein rich grass of the upper Big Hole, combined with the cover of aspen groves, dense riparian areas, and adjacent timbered mountains, support impressive numbers of elk during archery and early rifle seasons. The adjacent Beaverhead National Forest offers thousands of acres suited for hunting big game, and the ranch allows access to over 1500 acres of State land that is otherwise difficult to access. The ranch is also home to mule deer and moose are a common site throughout the acreage. Over-the-counter tags for elk and mule deer are available for both Montana residents and out of state hunters who draw the general elk or deer tag. Click here to learn more.
South Fork Dry Cottonwood
Anaconda, MT | 575 Acres | $1,500,000
Nestled within the famous Beaverhead National Forest, the South Fork Dry Cottonwood Creek Ranch offers endless opportunities for big game hunting. The rich mountain streams, wide-open grazing land and immense aspen groves are what make these 575 acres a refuge for wildlife. Whether one is looking for a mature elk, “Boone and Crockett” whitetail buck or a paddle-horned moose, this ranch can fulfill the hunting itch. This property is home to an ample number of elk and mule deer. The average bull elk size for this area ranges from 250 to 260 inches, but bulls in the 300-inch ranch have been harvested. There is a healthy mule deer population in this area that can produce bucks in the 160-inch range. For those who are lucky enough to draw a tag, there is a good population of moose onsite and in the surrounding state land. South Fork Dry Cottonwood Creek Ranch is in a general hunting zone, offering over-the-counter tags to Montana residents and tag drawings for nonresidents. Click here to learn more.
Hunting Ranches for Sale in Colorado
Golden Eagle Ranch
Iliff, CO | 2,074 Acres | $17,629,000
Golden Eagle Ranch consists of 2,074 acres embedding some of Colorado’s most pure and habitat-rich acreage for big game, waterfowl, and upland bird hunting. In particular, this ranch has “Boone and Crocket” caliber whitetail and mule deer as the property has been archery-only hunted over the past 30 years. This ranch borders multiple Wildlife Management Areas of which see heavy pressure. Given the ideal habitat on the deeded acreage in conjunction with pressure on the publicly accessible land nearby these trophy bucks find refuge on Golden Eagle Ranch. Along with five plus miles of the South Platte River, the lush agriculture fields and thick timber provides perfect habitat for these giant whitetail and mule deer. This ranch holds a very healthy population of deer. Ownership has seen deer that could score upwards of 190 to 200 inches. This kind of management over a 30 year period has paid off, as multiple “jaw-dropping” bucks over the 170-inch mark have been harvested. Golden Eagle Ranch is the mecca for managing and harvesting trophy whitetail and mule deer. Click here to learn more.
Buck Fever
Norwood, CO | 1,384 Acres | $3,995,000
Buck Fever Ranch is located in Game Management Unit 70, which is well known for its big mule deer bucks. This 1,500 square mile unit borders Utah, and it runs about 75 miles southeast, rising from less than 5,000 ft. to over 14,000 ft. above sea level. Mule deer and elk thrive in this unit. With an unlimited number of elk tags sold over the counter for the second and third rifle seasons, hunting pressure is heavy giving private landowners an advantage. The unit is nearly 70% public and consists of flat farmlands in the valleys, and “broken country” in the transition areas range from about 6,000 ft. to 8,500 ft. Some steep mountains measure over 8,500 ft. with imposing peaks above timberline ranging from 12,500 ft. to over 14,000 ft. Within view of the ranch is GMU 61, which is comprised primarily of the western half of the Uncompahgre Plateau. It runs about 70 miles from Gateway near the Utah line to Placerville west of Telluride. The massive 1,376 square mile Uncompahgre Plateau is a flat-top mountain range that varies between 8,300 ft. and 9,200 ft. above sea level and stretches about 90 miles from the northwest to the southeast. The plateau drops into huge canyons, several of them ruggedly steep and overlooking lowlands from 4,500 ft. to 5,500 ft. in elevation. This unit consistently yields and produces high success rates for big elk and mule deer. GMU 62 draws a great deal of attention, because it shares the Uncompahgre Plateau with Unit 61. The Divide Road separates Unit 62 to the northeast and Unit 61 to the southwest. A healthy number of tags can be purchased over the counter for elk in Unit 62. Click here to learn more.
Hunting Ranches for Sale in Wyoming
Solitude Ranch
Devils Tower, WY | 3,495 Acres | $12,300,000
Set in the Black Hills of Wyoming, Solitude Ranch offers world-class big game hunting for whitetail deer and mule deer and some turkeys for Spring. Solitude Ranch has been managed strictly for primitive hunting. Whitetails in the “Pope and Young” range are not uncommon for this ranch. More specifically, three of the top ten largest whitetail deer taken with a bow have been on Solitude Ranch. This property is ideal for anyone who wants to “bag” a whitetail buck of a lifetime. Although this property is managed for archery hunting, one can be very successful during rifle season. Rifle season stays open well into the rut, offering one of the best times to catch a giant buck slipping up during shooting hours. Mule deer hunting is another highlight of this ranch. There is a lower number of mule deer, but the size of deer makes up for the lack of population. During archery season, one could expect to get a shot at a mule deer in the 140 to 150-inch range and even larger during rifle season. Mule deer and whitetail deer require a general license to hunt. Solitude Ranch is granted a minimum of two landowner elk tags. Although the ranch is not known for its elk hunting, there is an opportunity to hunt the elk that occupy the area. Click here to learn more.
Long Draw Outfitters/Glamping of Jackson Hole
Jackson Hole, Wyoming | Forest Service Lease| $395,000
With over 80,000 acres of hunting area, Long Draw Outfitters offers ample opportunity for big game hunting. Over the years, with an exclusive and secluded location in the Bridger Teton National Forest, Long Draw Outfitters has produced bull elk upwards of 300 inches. Long Draw Outfitters offers two backcountry camps, located on the Bridger-Teton National Forest in the Snake River Range. Both camps offer outstanding bow and rifle hunting opportunities and are full-service during the fall hunting season. The comfortable camp allows one to get much needed rest after a long day of hunting and scouting. With raised sleeping platforms, access to electricity, heated showers and drive-in/out access, Long Draw Outfitters is a perfect camp for the big game hunting enthusiast. Click here to learn more.
Hunting Ranches for Sale in Texas
Helluva Ranch
Melvin, TX | 1,042 Acres | $6,200,000
There are not many ranches as unique as Helluva Ranch that offer high-class hunting and fishing throughout the entire year. This 1,042-acre high-fenced wildlife refuge provides an opportunity to hunt “giant” whitetail. There are few hunting properties for sale that are as customizable as Helluva Ranch. The current owner of Helluva ranch has made management his number one priority. Over the past couple of years, the owners have wiped out most of the whitetail population to start fresh with the best genetics in Texas. This ranch is now home to 20 to 25 doe, bred with bucks who embody South Texas’ famed genetics. Deer in the “Boone and Crocket” range are expected to be seen within the next five years. Along with these whitetail deer carrying impeccable genetics, the owner has plans to introduce exotic species to the ranch to offer an even more diverse range of big game to hunt. This blank canvas property offers any future owner the ability to personalize this habitat to suit their big game hunting desires. Click here to learn more.
Hunting Ranches for Sale in Idaho
Tincup Ranch
Freedom, Idaho | 159 Acres | $1,250,000
Tincup Ranch, although small, is quite mighty. This 159-acre ranch borders the coveted Diamond Creek hunting unit, home to some of Idaho’s best elk hunting. Anyone who draws a tag for this unit will have access to a healthy population of bull elk in the 300-inch range. With thousands of acres of the Caribou-Targhee National Forest bordering the property, the opportunities for hunting big game are nearly endless. Lush meadows and healthy stands of aspen groves provide ideal habitat for elk and mule deer. There is a good population of mule deer occupying the property and surrounding state land. One could expect an average buck to be in the 130 to 140-inch range with a chance of harvesting a larger trophy. The access to such coveted land and quality bull elk make Tincup Ranch ideal for the all-around big game hunter. Click here to learn more.
2021 Mountain West Hatch Report
Fly Fishing Ranches for Sale in the Rocky Mountain West
2021 has been such a curious year, not only for business, daily life, and travel, but also fishing! The West did not see the snowpack this year as it has in the past. Coupled with the extremely hot weather we have been seeing, runoff occurred and ended earlier than expected. Lower water flows and rising water temperatures have made this year’s hatch season come sooner than expected. Many of our Brokers are well-versed in fly fishing and have fished each of these properties themselves. This Hatch Report depicts their thoughts and experiences on Live Water’s prominent fly fishing ranches for sale.
Montana Fly Fishing Ranches for Sale
Harwood Ranch
Willow Creek, MT | 4,996 Acres
Willow Creek has been fishing excellent this year. Moving into the warmer summer months, early to mid-morning and late afternoon to dusk time slots are the most productive fishing periods. During the morning, look for fish in the deeper pools behind rocks, in the heavier riffle water and deeper bank runs. During the evening hours after the sun leaves the water, fish will be in the slack water, seams, and tailout portion of runs, aggressively feeding on mayfly duns and caddis adults. PMD’s are beginning to show up, and fish are also starting to look for terrestrials like ants, beetles and hoppers.
The fish in the creek are aggressive and receptive to a variety of fly patterns. Dry flies such as Royal Wulffs, Royal Trudes, Elk Hair Caddis, Purple Haze, Parachute Adams, and sulfur dun imitators are great choices. Any smaller, flashy beadhead nymph patterns fished with an indicator – Hares’s Ear, Pheasant Tail, Prince Nymph, Copper John – are always deadly in the creek as well. Oftentimes the best of both worlds is a foam pattern like the Chubby Chernobyl with a beadhead off the back, to fish both surface and subsurface simultaneously. Streamers, such as Wooly Buggers and smaller baitfish patterns, can produce a lot of fish and are especially productive on the brown trout.
If you want to live on running water, there may be no better place. The Bitterroot Bend features a mile of the world-renowned Bitterroot river and spectacular lodging built right on the water. Renowned by angling circles, the Bitterroot River’s main draw is its prolific insect hatches, which produce steady dry fly fishing for wild Rainbows, Browns, and native Westslope Cutthroats nearly ten months out of the year. Currently, the Bitterroot is dropping out of June’s higher flows and the fish are settling into their summer lies. Hatches of caddis, PMD’s, Sallies, and golden stones should keep the fish looking up through the summer months. Easy wade fishing access to some of the river’s best runs, which are within eyesight of the Bend’s main lodge, and a private boat ramp allow excellent access to a section of river highly regarded by the guides who know the river best.
As the West Fork of the Madison River winds its way through these beautiful 448 acres, one will find a couple of different bug hatches and fish species. This stretch of river has a prolific hatch of caddis and mayflies, allowing for fun dry-fly action. This river consists of mainly rainbow trout with just a few browns. The average fish size is expected to be around 12-14 inches. Flies such as Royal Wulff, Parachute Adams, caddis, and mayfly patterns can get the job done here throughout most of the summer. As runoff occurs, fishing might be delayed until mid-June as the water starts to clear up.
Riverbend Angler lies along one of Montana’s most famous rivers, the Bighorn. This river, in particular, is known for its quality of fish, where catching brown trout larger than 20 inches is not uncommon. Fishing in this area is best in June and July, where throwing subsurface nymphs such as sowbugs and scuds can be quite successful. This river is known for sight nymphing in shallow riffles, but dry fly fishing with PMDs and hoppers can produce fish throughout the summer. The flows on this river are best around 1750 CFS, which is held relatively consistent during the summer months.
The Little Beaver Creek Ranch has a sliver of Nine Mile Creek, where anglers can wade fish for rainbow and brown trout. This creek is a major tributary of the well-renowned Lower Clark Fork River. As a tributary to such a great fishery, anglers will find hatches of caddis, PMDs, Tricos and midges. Attractor flies such as Stimulators, Wulffs and hoppers can be thrown to catch these wild trout, as terrestrials are present along the creekbanks. The Lower Clark Fork River will find hatches of larger bugs such as Green Drakes, Yellow Sallies, and Golden Stones. The Clark Fork also has a special nocturnal hatch of Golden Stones where fish can be caught on larger foam flies early in the morning.
The Snake River Sporting Club offers excellent fishing along the Snake River. As the flows drop and tributaries start to clear up, one will begin to find more and more bug life towards the end of June and through the summer months. The Snake River will see prominent hatches of caddis, Yellow Sallies, and Golden Stones. The best time for fishing the Snake River is in June and July as the fish move into their summer patterns, sitting in shallow riffles and large dumps. These fish can be caught consistently subsurface, using small nymphs that imitate caddis, PMD’s, Golden Stones and other mayflies that join the hatch. With the right timing, one can catch these fish on dry flies and small foam flies. Streamer fishing can also be productive in those areas where the current is slow, and structure is present.
Bird Cloud and Rivers Edge offer quality fishing along Wyoming’s famous North Platte River. Because these ranches are located about a mile from each other, they have similar hatches and fishing. The North Platte River has a significant runoff season in late May and early June as the snow melts off in the Saratoga area. Fishing before runoff can be good, throwing streamers and nymphs for trophy brown, rainbow, and cutthroat trout. As it gets into the summer months, the fishing starts to heat up again with the usual summer bug hatches. Caddis, mayflies, Trico, and midge hatches can be seen throughout the summer and early fall. One can find weather-specific hatches such as Salmon flies, Golden Stones and Drakes shortly after runoff until the end of summer.
The Reserve on the East River has abundant bug life throughout the spring, summer and fall. Starting in the spring, midges and mayflies, such as PMDs and BWOs, kick off the dry fly season as the rising water temps allow for large morning and afternoon hatches. As the water temps rise more into the summer months, caddis and Stoneflies, such as Golden Stones and Yellow Sallies, join the hatch. Finally, the late summer and early fall months bring terrestrials such as hoppers, ants and beetles into the game. This area allows for fantastic dry fly and nymph fishing.
River Point Ranch sits along the famous Henry’s Fork of the Snake River, one of the most sought-out fisheries in the United States. From this property, one will find excellent wade fishing for trophy brown and rainbow trout among one of the most prominent sections on the Henry’s Fork. This fishery is best in late May and early to mid-June. Because this river is a tailwater, runoff does not affect this stretch of river as much as the surrounding waterways, allowing better fishing earlier than most rivers. With that being said, water temperatures rise with the heat of summer, making this section unfishable from July to mid-August, however, the fishing picks back up as the colder weather starts to set in. The most notable hatches are Salmon Flies, Golden Stones, and Green Drakes. Fishermen from all over the country travel in hopes of hitting these hatches at the right time for quality dry fly action. Other hatches such as caddis, PMDs, midges, and Tricos are available throughout May and June and produce world-class dry fly fishing. The average fish size is larger than most rivers ranging from 14 to 16 inches, with plenty of trophy fish over 20 inches.
Teton Canyon Farms
Tetonia, ID | 860 Acres
Teton Canyon Farms has over one mile of river frontage on the Teton River. This property, in particular, has one of the most remote and best fishing stretches of river on the Teton. Wade fishing access is the main attraction, but there is an option to float to or from this property on a raft. Because runoff is significant in late May and early June, fishing is best around mid-June to the end of summer. As runoff slows, hatches of PMDs, caddis, and Yellow Sallies swarm the river, making dry fly fishing the main event throughout the summer. Later into the summer months, anglers can throw hoppers and larger foam flies to attract and catch these wild trout. This stretch of river offers the possibility of catching rainbow, brown, brook, and cutthroat trout in a diverse range of sizes.
The Lower Teton River Ranch offers three-quarter miles of river access to the Teton River. This fishery can produce high-quality rainbow, brown, cutbow, and cutthroat trout fishing prior to spring runoff and throughout the summer months. Fishing is best post runoff in June and July, yet fall fishing can be quite productive as well. Hatches of Drakes, PMDs, caddis, Yellow Sallies, midges, Tricos, and hoppers will keep any avid fisherman happy throughout the fishing season. Along with wade fishing, this property offers boat access where one could float to or from the property.
The John Day River is well-known as one of the top smallmouth bass fisheries in the United States. Anglers in the know can hit triple-digit numbers of “fish to hand” in a single day. With increased temperatures in summer and with steelhead fishing still months away before their return, smallmouth appetites increase with abandon and readily attack anything in front of them. Fly anglers use both topwater and subsurface approaches to catch these fish. On the surface, tried and true Sneaky Pete’s, Dalberg Divers, and Boogle Bugs work exceptionally well. Terrestrial patterns such as Chernobyl Ant patterns and Damselfly patterns also work well along cut banks. When targeting the larger breeder smallies, go subsurface with Wooly Bugger-type patterns such as the Jawbreaker by Solitude Fly Co. in any color—tied like a wooly bugger, with a rubber tail and long rubber legs, giant smallmouth cannot resist. Also, crayfish patterns work well on this river too.
Father’s Day Fly Fishing Trip on Montana’s Bighorn River
By Brad Billingsley, Intro by Chris Faulkner, Live Water Properties Broker
As a kid who grew up in Colorado, I get asked quite a bit about my favorite place to fish or what I would consider my “home waters.” Many people are surprised when I tell them I have probably fished more days on the Bighorn River in Fort Smith, Montana than any other place in the Rocky Mountain West. I started floating the Bighorn River about 25 years ago as a destination fly fishing trip, which, after a few years, turned into multiple annual trips and roughly 12 to 15 float days each year. My boys, now 15 and 17, started joining me when they were about four and six years old, and both learned to row and fly fish on the Bighorn River. As a family-friendly river with incredible trout populations, the Bighorn River has turned into a place our family looks forward to making the short drive to in the early spring and mid-summer each year. So when I had the opportunity to share what I would consider my “home water” and the best fly fishing in Montana with a group of fathers and their young sons at the Riverbend Angler on an annual float trip two years ago, I couldn’t have been more excited for them to see what the Bighorn is all about.
My great friend Brad Billingsley incredibly captured our Father’s Day adventure in the following journal entry…
FATHER’S DAY FLY FISHING TRIP 2019
Every so often, a plan absolutely falls apart, only to piece itself back together to make something remarkable. That’s what happened on our Dad/Kid/Father’s Day fly fishing trip to the Bighorn River for three days in mid-June 2019. The plan was simple – get a bunch of fishy dudes (if they had a boat, all the better) and their kids and head to the Gunnison Gorge for the annual salmon fly hatch. We’d all been tying rogue foam stones, pool toys, and chubbys for months, created a custom “Gunnison Gorge Stonefly Palooza 2019” logo, placed it on Buffs for everyone, and picked June 13 to 16 as our assault. Then, Colorado experienced one of the great runoffs of the past 20 years. That week the Gunny flows crested at over 13,000 CFS. Ouch! It doesn’t matter how many life jackets and water wings we put on the children; it was not safe. So, we looked for a Plan B.
PLAN B – FLY FISHING IN MONTANA
That’s when my buddy Chris Faulkner casually suggested that he might be able to secure a cabin near the Bighorn River that could work for our group. Fears of some dumpy little rickety cabin filled my I’ve-got-to-control-everything mind. Chris assured me it would all work out. Boy – did it.
Our goal was to create a space for these busy Dads to unplug for a long weekend, deeply connect with their kids, make some new friends, and rip some big fish. And so five Dads and five kids headed north on I-25.
Gearing Up
Upon arriving at the Riverbend Angler sitting high above the Bighorn, we settled in and spread out. There was tons of space for all our gear, two dogs, maybe 30 flyrods, and enough food for a month. The dining room table became ground zero for our fly tying efforts. Jack and Austin proceeded to tie up scuds, Ray Charles, carpet bugs, and a few streamers into the wee hours of the first night. Austin tied his first fly that night. Six months later, he’s dang near production tying quality and learning from Greg Senyo back in Michigan. Without a doubt, one of the great aspects of a fishing trip is the camaraderie that builds over a whisky (or an orange soda for the kids) around the tying table.
DAY 1
Day one found us getting a feel for the river, doing two laps of the “Afterbay-3 Mile” section. Water temps were cool, and levels were in the mid-6000s. Not bad. Those that drove up late the night before hit the water late morning, and as more of our band of hooligans arrived, they hit the water and started figuring out the “Horn.”
Learning from Mishaps
Jack and I fished out of our new Alpacka Forager packraft. It’s a nimble craft, and it floated well on the mellow waters of the Bighorn except for two factors: The first was when Jack and I attempted to get in it to launch on our first trip. Jack got in the bow, sat up high on the inflatable seat, and I loaded my boat bag and proceeded to hop in. I sat on the rear tube and immediately began wobbling. The more we wobbled, the more I tried to overcompensate. Finally, after several backs and forth attempts to steady the boat, we flipped. Yep…face down in less than a foot of water. Soaking wet. Worst part? The entire gang from the pic above witnessed this and was merciless. I searched for excuses or at least a witty response to their quips. I had nothing. I tucked my tail and pushed off. Lesson learned: sit lower in the boat…at least until you have your bearings. And launch the packraft in obscurity on your maiden voyage.
For my second mishap, I had my Winston 5-weight strapped to the side of the raft. All was right in the world until the boat got a little soft by the afternoon. I thought about pumping it back up but got pulled into helping a buddy to rig up. Thus, Jack and I set off for our second lap of the first three-mile section, squishy boat and all. First set of small rapids we bumped our way down, only to hear a loud *SNAP*. I worried we’d popped the tube of the raft when I looked down and saw the butt section of my beloved green stick in two pieces. Hard to get angry when you make such a stupid move.
DAY 2
Hitting our Stride
On day two, we began to hit our stride. Jeff and Jon Jensen did a guided trip and absolutely crushed it. It was a 50 fish day, including a great Father/Son double on nice browns. There were times we’d see them on the river – both hooked up – and we’d be scratching out a fish here and there. We resisted the temptation to holler, “What are you catching them on?” and opted to keep soldiering on (and then ask, “What were you catching them on?” once we all reconvened at the cabin).
We all hit a few fish then endured a nasty windstorm in the afternoon. Fortunately, Jack and I had met up with the Faulkner boys to fish a run they’d scoped out through their 20+ years of fly fishing the Bighorn. Mason was hooked up to a nice fish when out of nowhere, a downburst of wind hit us. It flipped the packraft and dumped all our gear into the river. We frantically loaded all our stuff into the drift boat then towed it downstream. Chris was front rowing to get us off the river as lightning began crashing on the mesas to the west. Our little raft (which Jack dubbed “the Juicebox” – because it’s little, red, and sweet) was pirouetting in circles behind us as the 60mph gusts blasted it. I was glad the little man and I weren’t on the river in that boat by ourselves.
Montana Fly Fishing Tales
The highlight of each day was meeting back at the cabin and sitting on the porch to relive the day’s stories. The only rules for the trip were one, no jerks (we had no problems with that), and two, each family had to bring their favorite appetizer to share after a day of fishing. We got back to the cabin around 7:30, pulled off our waders, and cracked open ice-cold Modelos and Banquets. The Jensen boys had already made it home and cooked up their world-famous chicken tacos.
Gathering to share the day’s best stories of fishing on the Bighorn River
So we sat on the benches and Yeti coolers and told stories. Austin told us about the 22” brown he landed not long after pushing off from Afterbay. It ended up being the big fish for the trip. We cracked open another round of Modelos, the Faulkners brought out platters of enchiladas, and Justin, “the Good Times Man” Suddath, regaled us with a story about having emus as pets as a kid. Something about “never look an emu in the eye” and then how one day they escaped, terrorized the neighboring farm, and he had to hunt them down. If you ever run across Justin and have a few hours to kill, ask him about the man-eating emus of Missouri. Entertaining, if nothing else.
DAY 3
Saturday, June 15, 2019
Place: Afterbay to Bighorn Access; Bighorn River; Ft. Smith, MT
Game: Trout (and a huge carp too!)
Anglers: Brad Billingsley, Jack Billingsley, Chris Faulkner, Mason Faulkner, Riley Faulkner, Dave Shaw, Austin Shaw, Jeff Pemberton, Jeff Jensen, Jon Jensen
Water Temp: 53 degrees all-day
Flow: 7800 CFS. Ugh.
Clarity: Pretty good until the Bighorn Club, then a mess
Weather: 70s most of day, some clouds
“W”: Gusty late in the day…otherwise good
The Bighorn Angler in Montana
Bighorn River Fishing Report: Today, it finally came together…for a little while, at least. We headed into Bighorn Angler at 8am with Jeff and Jon Jensen to get some intel. Size 16 Carpet Bugs are the ticket. Tan in color, dubbed with a dubbing loop. Black flashback ribbed with wire. Gray Sow Bugs (aka Ray Charles) with ostrich in back and hackle in front. Maybe some Baetis nymphs if they pop in the afternoon. And the Pregnant Scud, tan dubbed body with pink dubbing in the middle. This was the money fly today and what Austin caught most of his fish on. We went back to basecamp and tied a bunch of Carpet Bugs to load the boxes for the day. Tough to tie enough for ten people just an hour before launch, but Austin and I did our best. Austin got a beautiful fly tying bench for graduation from college, so he was a quick study and eager to learn the finer points of tying a scud. He banged out a couple dozen. We hit the water around 10:30am and floated tight to the left bank, fishing to our right in the deeper current. Not all fish sit along the bank in the ‘Horn. We fished “Right Down Broadway,” as Faulkner calls it.
Jack led off with a bull whitey, followed by a nice brown. One of the youngest on the trip, he was on the board quickly and pleased with his progress. There were several noteworthy parts to our float:
3 Mile
Just above 3 Mile, Jack stuck a big brown and fought it like a champ. It pulled hard, and I had to spin the boat down rapids to help him fight it without wrapping under the boat or an oar. As we approached some braided channels and a bunch of boat traffic, we were able to anchor and net the fish. As several boats watched, Jack released a beautiful 18” brown to fight another day.
We then slid the boat down to the tip of the far island across from the launch ramp. Walking back upstream, we found a stack of fish below a drop-off. I heard there were still some rainbows spawning due to the cold-water temps and big runoff this spring, so we made sure to fish to feeding trout off the redds. We explained to the kids why we were walking away from these big spawning fish and focused our efforts elsewhere. We hit a few fish, including a beauty of a whitefish that Justin landed.
Behind our anchor spot was a big backwater pond from the high water. And there were big carp swimming in it. Chris tied on an articulated white streamer with heavy eyes. He cast out in front of a 20# carp and bounced it in the mud across its face. The carp went to eat, and Chris strip-set, sticking it in the dorsal. Thus, began the rodeo! His six weight was bent double and was going great until some seaweed junked up in the reel and *POW* – the fish snapped off.
The Faulkner Hole
We pushed on to one of Chris’ favorite spots for what became the best action of the trip. We pulled over river right and looked across the channel to see everyone hooked up. So Jack and I walked upstream, and on Jack’s first cast to the seam, a stud of a trout ate and jumped onto the highway heading south. Jack was quickly into his backing, and we started chasing it downstream. The boat was in the way, and as he reached to clear the line around the oars, it snagged, and the fish broke off. Just like that, it was over. He looked at me as if to say, “WTHD?” (What the heck, Dad?) All I could muster was, “some fish you just can’t land…”
We rowed across the channel and joined the party with everyone still hooked up and having a blast. Austin and his dad Dave were both hooked up for quite a while – these Bighorn fish pull hard – and eventually landed a great Father’s Day double. Mason Suddath and I ran from fish to fish with the net, trying to get fish landed and pictures taken (and a few detangles along the way). For about two hours, it was pure pandemonium! Then I looked over to see Chris crack open an icy Modelo, take a sip, pull his anchor and quietly glide off. He’s fished the ‘Horn over 150 days and has plenty of secret spots, so after landing a few more fish, we kept the Faulkner crew in sight and headed downriver.
The remainder of the float as we headed toward the lower reaches was uneventful. Still, we kept the Modelos rolling and listened to Cody Jinks, Lucero, and Colter Wall as we enjoyed a beautiful Montana summer evening boat ride to the takeout
Back at the Riverbend Angler
The Big Finale was back at Riverbend Cabins, where we told stories, ate insanely good Shaw Family Buffalo Chicken Dip and boiled shrimp. Hanging out in the cabin that night was one of the most special evenings I can remember. By now, all the kids were buddies, and great new friendships formed. We sat around the dining room table, reliving stories and making plans for next summer to eastern Montana. A little before midnight, most of us had called it quits, and we slept with the windows open and the sound of rooster pheasants cackling. I can’t wait to do it again.
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