BAJAMEXICOOmak Lake» Catch Large Lahotan Cutts on the FlyMono vs Fluoro» Learn to Choose Better Tippet

JULY 2012 Farm Store Fly Fishing

2012

Artist Interview: Tom Dean» Carving His Own Path, One Trout at a Time

July 2012 • Volume 5, Issue 6

CONTRIBUTORS Keaten Labrel, Stephan Avena, Tom Dean, Bob Warneke, Calvin Fuller, John Ewald.

To keep current in fly shop happenings and the latest fishing reports, visit us @ www.bigrflyshop.com

Big R Fly Shop Magazine is a free monthly electronic publication bringing the latest perspectives, events, blogs and products related to the sport and art of fly fishing. This magazine is published online @ www.bigrflyshop.com every month. To receive email notifications when new issues are released, enter your email address HERE. All email addresses will be kept strictly confidential and will only be used for purposes connected with Big R Fly Shop.

© Copyright 2012 CSWW Inc., dba Big R Stores. All rights reserved. No portion of this maga-zine may be reproduced without the written consent of the publisher.

Sam WikeAlfonso MartinezJohn Ewald/Rob Guevarrarobg@csww.net/john.ewald@csww.net

EDITORPUBLISHERDESIGN & LAYOUTGENERAL INQUIRIES

Editor’s Angle Fishing is Red Hot in July!

iFish Playlist Music Currently Playing in Our Ears

Rifishulousness Fishing Video of the Month

Baja Mexico Roosters Crow on the Beach, Not the Farm

Fly Shop Gear Nautilus, Bugslinger Buffs, Fish Pond and Redington!

Omak Lake A Cutt Above the Rest

Bugshot A Closer Look at This Bug’s Mug

Fishing: A College Problem Cornfed’s Insight on College

Hidden in Plain View We Review Extraordinary Eateries

Killer Trout Candy Snack Time!

Gear Showdown Tippet Tips - Mono vs. Fluoro

Creature Feature CDC Rusty Spinner by Cornfed

Artist Spotlight We Interview Great Falls Native Tom Dean

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ON THE COVERCalvin Fuller and Justin Crumpwith a Baja RoosterfishBaja, MexicoPhoto by Tim Pask

A Division of Big R Stores

iFish Click to Listenplaylist

BIG R FLY SHOPPonderay, ID(208) 255-5757477181 N Hwy 95Ponderay, ID 83852

BIG R FLY SHOPOmak, WA(509) 422-98401227 Koala DrOmak, WA 83852

BIG R FLY SHOPGreat Falls, MT(406) 761-79184400 10th Ave. SGreat Falls, MT 59405

Keaten “Cornfed” LabrelJerrin Uecker

Calvin FullerDustin Bise

Stephan AvenaGreg BennettTom McCormack

Jul 2012 3EDITOR’S ANGLE

EDITOR’S ANGLE If you are reading this right now, then please tell me you are at work or it’s past fishable light because fishing is red hot right now. Montana, Idaho, and Washington rivers and pick-up trucks are covered in bugs. We have had an unseasonable cool and windy spring so far in Montana but winds are beginning to subside and we are starting to see some warmer temperatures.

Calvin led the crew on an adventure down to Las Barrilles, Mexico in search of Roosterfish and Dorado. Some were found, and many escaped for next time but this issue has more on that straight from the horse’s mouth. We then traveled to the Fall and Henry’s Fork rivers for the Pata-

gonia dealer camp and found Salmonflies, yerts, Yvon Chouinard (founder of Patagonia), the spring 2013 line of Patagonia, Kaala’s (our

clothing buyer) first fish on a fly, and Tenkara rod aficionados parked on the banks. And so we were fortunate enough to camp

beside them for a few days. If you are a steelhead fisherman or have a difficult time wading on slippery rivers; buy the

bar boot from Patagonia. I was a skeptic, and I am now a major fan.

If you are still seeing some run off, and fish streamers like it’s a religion, you must check out

the new Coffee Cat we now have in the bins. I can’t take credit for this, but the re-design

came from some of our fishiest staff members, Paul Bloch (now fishing his

heart out down in Livingston) and Keaten “Cornfed” Labrel. The

fly needed to be heavier and have a wider hook gap. Both of which the new re-design of the instantly famous Coffee’s sparkle minnow now has to offer.

Go Carpin’

Roosters,Sam

Editor’s Angle Fishing is Red Hot in July!

iFish Playlist Music Currently Playing in Our Ears

Rifishulousness Fishing Video of the Month

Baja Mexico Roosters Crow on the Beach, Not the Farm

Fly Shop Gear Nautilus, Bugslinger Buffs, Fish Pond and Redington!

Omak Lake A Cutt Above the Rest

Bugshot A Closer Look at This Bug’s Mug

Fishing: A College Problem Cornfed’s Insight on College

Hidden in Plain View We Review Extraordinary Eateries

Killer Trout Candy Snack Time!

Gear Showdown Tippet Tips - Mono vs. Fluoro

Creature Feature CDC Rusty Spinner by Cornfed

Artist Spotlight We Interview Great Falls Native Tom Dean

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Amos Lee - Windows Are Rolled Down

iFishWhat we currently listen to.

Alex Clare - Too Close

Zion I feat. Kay Flay - Coastin’

Fun. - The Gambler

Gary Clark Jr. - Bright Lights

The Black Keys - Tighten Up

Grizzly Bear - Two Weeks

The Beautiful Girls - La Mar (the Ocean)The Beautiful Girls - La Mar (The Ocean)

Steve Earle - Willin’

Citizen Cope - Let The Drummer KickCitizen Cope - Let The Drummer Kick

Amos Lee - Windows Are Rolled Down

The Civil Wars - Barton Hollow The Civil Wars - Barton Hollow

Primus - My Name Is Mud

4 Jul 2012

Of Monsters And Men - Little Talks

Dirty Projectors - Stillness Is The MoveDirty Projectors - Stillness Is The Move

Click to Listen

Justin Townes Earle - The Ghost Of Virginia Justin Townes Earle - The Ghost Of Virginia

The Tallest Man On Earth - Pistol Dreams

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qc_B_kDDVRY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4_E7BRzc68&feature=related

rifishulousness [ri-phish-yuh-luhs-neyhs] ri•fish•u•lous•ness-nounridiculously fishy, causing or worthy of ridicule; absurd; preposterous; laughable, insane, full of awesomeness: That fly fishing video was so sick, it was rifishulousness!

RIFISHULOUSNESS

Jul 2012 5The entirety of this production was created by: Travis & Zack Boughton ©Montana Wildwww.montana-wild.com

EDITOR’S ANGLE

BAJA

MEX

ICO

BAJA, MEXICOWake Up to Roosters Calling on the Beach

This year we made our annual trip to the Baja peninsula. After a short drive north from Cabo we ended up in Los Barriles on the East Cape of the Baja Peninsula. This was my 5th time to Baja, but I was especially excited to chase roosters from the beach, as a concept that was completely new to me. Our arrival in Los Barriles brought us to the beautiful Palmas de Cortez Hotel. Our room had an ocean view directly above the infinity pool with a swim up bar. The sights were amazing. The sea of Cortez was magical and still, balls of bait were busting right out in front of the hotel. Excited we rigged our gear for the next day and headed down to the pool to shake off the short flight from Spokane.

Stories by Calvin Fuller and Bob Warneke

BAJA MEXICO

Jul 2012 7

We had 13 clients join us for the trip this year. Eight were guided and the rest, non-guided. We made it a point to be sure to rent a couple of jeeps so we could explore the many beaches in search of Roosterfish. During the first two days we were greeted with an un-seasonably north wind. This colored up the water and made any chance of sighting fish on most beaches tough. On the third day the wind switched and started to blow out of the south east allowing the water to clear up. We started seeing fish right away. Large fish were cruising up and down the beach within casting distance. We were averaging 20-30 shots a day at nice roosters….but we were having trouble getting any takers. On the 4th day Sam finally hooked into a nice fish from the beach. The fish was around 20 pounds and put up a great fight on the fly from the beach.

This year we made our annual trip to the Baja peninsula. After a short drive north from Cabo we ended up in Los Barriles on the East Cape of the Baja Peninsula. This was my 5th time to Baja, but I was especially excited to chase roosters from the beach, as a concept that was completely new to me. Our arrival in Los Barriles brought us to the beautiful Palmas de Cortez Hotel. Our room had an ocean view directly above the infinity pool with a swim up bar. The sights were amazing. The sea of Cortez was magical and still, balls of bait were busting right out in front of the hotel. Excited we rigged our gear for the next day and headed down to the pool to shake off the short flight from Spokane.

© Tim Pask

Boat fishing was pretty tough due to the lack of Sardinas in the area. Most of the big Roosterfish were feeding on mullet. Day five and six the boat fishermen got into a few really nice schools of Dorado. 10 to 20 fish days with shots at big fish kept the anglers excitement. On the final day, I met up with some friends who have fished the area for years. They “kidnapped” me and showed me around. During the short five hours I was with them, I learned more than I had the previous six days.

Baja is such a beautiful place. Gorgeous beaches, rugged landscapes, crystal clear waters, amazing food, and hearty fish. I can’t stop thinking about Baja since I have been back and I can’t wait for next years trip.

Calvin Fuller

ola Amigos, back to reality from the sunny and breezy East Cape of Baja. Traveled to Los Barriles, BCS, Mexico with Big R Fly Shop and Yellow-dog Flyfishing Adventures from May 26 to June 2, 2012. The week was full of fishing, relaxation, and sun. This was my first saltwater flyfishing trip, so wasn’t to sure how it would go but I was on vacation and knew the trip would be awesome no matter what. My only goal was to try to catch a Roosterfish and a Dorado.

We stayed at the Hotel Palmas de Cortez. The resort is awesome and I would highly recommend this resort to others. I booked the trip for three days of beach fishing and three days guided in a panga. My first two days

8 Jul 2012

Sam Wike’s Rooster from the beach

BAJA

MEX

ICO H

ola Amigos, back to reality from the sunny and breezy East Cape of Baja. Traveled to Los Barriles, BCS, Mexico with Big R Fly Shop and Yellow-dog Flyfishing Adventures from May 26 to June 2, 2012. The week was full of fishing, relaxation, and sun. This was my first saltwater flyfishing trip, so wasn’t to sure how it would go but I was on vacation and knew the trip would be awesome no matter what. My only goal was to try to catch a Roosterfish and a Dorado.

We stayed at the Hotel Palmas de Cortez. The resort is awesome and I would highly recommend this resort to others. I booked the trip for three days of beach fishing and three days guided in a panga. My first two days

were beach days. The two days were windy, like Great Falls windy. It is a tough way to fish, but fun and I’d do it again in a heartbeat.

My third day was on a panga. I fished with Don Helms from Idaho, Baja Flyfishing Company Guide Toby Upping-house and our boat captain, Trino. We motored to the area in front of the Hotel Punta Colorada. Toby threw out a mullet and almost immediately a Roost-erfish appeared. It was amazing, the rooster came in behind the mullet and his comb rose out of the water. He started chomping at the mullet. Toby reeled the mullet in and I cast directly in front of the rooster. I stripped the line twice and he took the fly. All I worried about was whether my knot would hold. I landed a 20 pound Roosterfish and I would have been content with just that fish for the rest of the trip.

The last day of the trip, I was again on a panga with the same crew as the first day. We boated out to shark buoys about 40 minutes away. We found Dorado around the buoys and started casting to them. I hooked a small Dorado. We continued fishing and I hooked up with a 35-pound Dorado.

I knew immediately, when he hit the fly that he was big. It was an experience! He wrapped around the shark buoy. We backed to the buoy and unwrapped him. Then he went under the lateral line marking the buoy and we backed to the rope. Don, Toby, and Trino lifted the rope up and over the boat and gear and backed under. We moved away from the buoy. Thanks guys, I still can’t believe we didn’t lose him. The fight took half an hour. Dorado go airborne and we got to see him jump numerous times. While I was fighting the fish we saw a whale breaching several times on the horizon. It was just amazing. In all, Don and I caught 10 Dorado.

This was an amazing trip and I highly recom-mend everyone try it at least once. If for nothing else to recharge your batteries, life is to short. Sam Wike and Calvin Fuller did a great job of hosting it and making sure everything was taken care of. Thanks guys for everything and the great memories.

Bob Warneke

BAJA MEXICO

Jul 2012 9

Bob Warnake’s First Rooster

Nice Dorado!

GEAR

UP

Just because you're a beginner, doesn't mean you shouldn't start with quality gear! The Crosswater Outfit is an easy to cast, Medium-fast Action set up that's ideal for the fly angler who is just getting his or her toes wet.

• Medium-Fast Action• Fresh updated color and trim package• Alignment dots for easy rod set up• Durable anodized aluminum reel seat, ideal for all fresh and saltwater applications• Outfit comes with blue durable fabric rod and reel case, and a Crosswater reel pre-spooled with RIO Mainstream fly line• Available in 9’ 5wt 2pc and 4pc kits

$9999

10 Jul 2012

Crosswater Fly Fishing Outfit

ola Amigos, back to reality from the sunny and breezy East Cape of Baja. Traveled to Los Barriles, BCS, Mexico with Big R Fly Shop and Yellow-dog Flyfishing Adventures from May 26 to June 2, 2012. The week was full of fishing, relaxation, and sun. This was my first saltwater flyfishing trip, so wasn’t to sure how it would go but I was on vacation and knew the trip would be awesome no matter what. My only goal was to try to catch a Roosterfish and a Dorado.

We stayed at the Hotel Palmas de Cortez. The resort is awesome and I would highly recommend this resort to others. I booked the trip for three days of beach fishing and three days guided in a panga. My first two days

cs9052692012

Great Falls and Ponderay and Omak stores only.We reserve the right to limit quantities and correct printing errors. Prices are subject to change without notice. Some items limited to stock on hand. Prices quoted in US currency.

GEAR UP

Just because you're a beginner, doesn't mean you shouldn't start with quality gear! The Crosswater Outfit is an easy to cast, Medium-fast Action set up that's ideal for the fly angler who is just getting his or her toes wet.

• Medium-Fast Action• Fresh updated color and trim package• Alignment dots for easy rod set up• Durable anodized aluminum reel seat, ideal for all fresh and saltwater applications• Outfit comes with blue durable fabric rod and reel case, and a Crosswater reel pre-spooled with RIO Mainstream fly line• Available in 9’ 5wt 2pc and 4pc kits $23999

FWX seriesTo come close to this quality of workmanship and performance you will likely have to spend twice as much as what these reels cost. Made in USA! Trout to Bonefish. Fresh Water Light, Salt Water Safe!

The FWX series has become the best selling fly reel on the market today.The FWX reels differ from the FW series in that they are almost a half ounce lighter due to their new spool design, making them the lightest ma-chined aluminum disc drag fly reels in the market. Like the NVG reels, the FWX has a Giga arbor design that pro-motes faster line pick up and backing drying. In addition to the advanced spool designs used in these reels, Nauti-lus has added a new stainless steel 1-way clutch that is housed in their proprietary TORQ-X™ clutch drive that ensures instant drag engagement with no slack, allowing the retrieve direction to be easily switched, and they have converted the new reels to be push on and click tab

release. Finally, one of their newest creations to come out of the Nautilus think-tank is an industry

first LaserID™ line identification system: They have laser etched a white spot on the back of

each FWX spool so that you may write the line type and weight that you are using on that spool. Write it on with a permanent marker and wipe it off with alcohol when changing lines. Also good to use to write

your name or phone number in case you lose the reel. No more washed out or lost line stick-

ers!

Available in 3 models: FWX 3/4, 5/6 and 7/8.

ola Amigos, back to reality from the sunny and breezy East Cape of Baja. Traveled to Los Barriles, BCS, Mexico with Big R Fly Shop and Yellow-dog Flyfishing Adventures from May 26 to June 2, 2012. The week was full of fishing, relaxation, and sun. This was my first saltwater flyfishing trip, so wasn’t to sure how it would go but I was on vacation and knew the trip would be awesome no matter what. My only goal was to try to catch a Roosterfish and a Dorado.

We stayed at the Hotel Palmas de Cortez. The resort is awesome and I would highly recommend this resort to others. I booked the trip for three days of beach fishing and three days guided in a panga. My first two days

were beach days. The two days were windy, like Great Falls windy. It is a tough way to fish, but fun and I’d do it again in a heartbeat.

My third day was on a panga. I fished with Don Helms from Idaho, Baja Flyfishing Company Guide Toby Upping-house and our boat captain, Trino. We motored to the area in front of the Hotel Punta Colorada. Toby threw out a mullet and almost immediately a Roost-erfish appeared. It was amazing, the rooster came in behind the mullet and his comb rose out of the water. He started chomping at the mullet. Toby reeled the mullet in and I cast directly in front of the rooster. I stripped the line twice and he took the fly. All I worried about was whether my knot would hold. I landed a 20 pound Roosterfish and I would have been content with just that fish for the rest of the trip.

The last day of the trip, I was again on a panga with the same crew as the first day. We boated out to shark buoys about 40 minutes away. We found Dorado around the buoys and started casting to them. I hooked a small Dorado. We continued fishing and I hooked up with a 35-pound Dorado.

I knew immediately, when he hit the fly that he was big. It was an experience! He wrapped around the shark buoy. We backed to the buoy and unwrapped him. Then he went under the lateral line marking the buoy and we backed to the rope. Don, Toby, and Trino lifted the rope up and over the boat and gear and backed under. We moved away from the buoy. Thanks guys, I still can’t believe we didn’t lose him. The fight took half an hour. Dorado go airborne and we got to see him jump numerous times. While I was fighting the fish we saw a whale breaching several times on the horizon. It was just amazing. In all, Don and I caught 10 Dorado.

This was an amazing trip and I highly recom-mend everyone try it at least once. If for nothing else to recharge your batteries, life is to short. Sam Wike and Calvin Fuller did a great job of hosting it and making sure everything was taken care of. Thanks guys for everything and the great memories.

Bob Warneke

Jul 2012 11

Starting at

Great Falls and Ponderay and Omak stores only.We reserve the right to limit quantities and correct printing errors. Prices are subject to change without notice. Some items limited to stock on hand. Prices quoted in US currency.

GEAR

UP

The Bug Slinger™ UV Buff® is where seri-ous style meets serious function. Born somewhere between the Florida Keys and the Driftless area of Southwest Wisconsin, it combines the unique artistic aesthetic and attitude of angling with Buff® head-wear's functionality and versatility. And because the UV Buff® is made from Coolmax® Extreme fabric, it will block 95% of UV rays and wick sweat quickly away from your skin keeping you comfort-able and protected hour after hour on long, sun-filled adventures.

• Blocks 95% of UV rays• Soft, breathable Coolmax® Extreme fabric• 100% seamless• 12+ ways to wear• Polygiene® active odor control• Moisture wicking• Thermal Protection from cold & wind• Quick-drying• 2-way lateral stretch• One-size-fits-all adults

12 Jul 2012

$2199

Jul 2012 13

GEAR UP

Featuring a lightweight design, waterproof fabric, and Fishpond's signature zip-down fly bench, the Dragonfly Guide LTE Chest/Lumbar Pack is the only pack you need to for day-trips to your go-to river or lake.

Dragonfly Guide LTE Chest/Lumbar Pack

• Shell fabric made with a waterproof breathable membrane to shed wet weather and keep your fly-fishing kit sheltered from precipitation• Padded, contoured lumbar panel provides load control and carrying com-fort• Unique design lets you convert the rear pocket into a zip-down fly bench for easy fly sorting and line rigging• Compression straps let you adjust the pack's volume to fit your load• Tabs and webbing straps provide attachment points for pliers, snips, and other tools• Bottom cinch straps let you carry an extra layer or rod tube• Front zip pocket helps keep necessities acces-sible• Two large water-bottle pockets help keep you hy-drated with your beverage of choice (water bottles sold separately)

dclp

$5999

14 Jul 2012

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LAK

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Omak LakeA Cutt Above the RestThe pod of big Omak Lake Cutthroat Trout finned along like a gang of bul-lies. They hunted in packs along “Beer Can” beach that morning, scanning the shallows for easy prey, moving parallel to shore. The glassy water and tailing fish forced us to keep our distance but keep enough line coiled in our hands, ready to hit the target. “Cutts” were easily seen that day and nearby anglers could be tipped to their approach. “OK yeah, got a gang of five bigguns’ headed your way, and they look ready to rumble...”

written by Stephan Avena - Big R Fly Shop of Omak

Jul 2012 15

hen a group of three cutts appeared from the depths rather than coming down the line, I had to react quickly and put it in the zone. With a few flicks of my 6 weight, I managed to drop an orange size 4 Morlock’s Carp Breakfast close-by. “Damn, too close!” But wait, a moment later two of them wheeled around for another look; strip… strip… “Ooooh, one’s on it...” twitch, “yes!” I strip set into a nice four pounder and the fight was on.

Just down the beach, my fishing partner had just hooked one too, this one on a Damsel nymph. We rode those fish down the beach and landed them together for a good photo of a double. One fish was bright and speckled like a Yellowstone Cut-throat, the other had entered spring mode and was colored with beautiful crimsons, olives and golds looking more like a “Dry Side” Steelhead. A quick high five and we got back to scanning for approaching fish.

How lucky am I that my hometown lake, only seven miles away, is my favorite piece of stillwater to fish in the state? Not to men-tion, the best cutthroat fishery and current state record holder!

Omak Lake is surrounded by wilderness and remains pristine in a modern world. Without a home-site in view, dramatic basaltic cliffs dive to the water’s edge and plunge to depths of 300 feet. This former Columbia River channel, closed off by some ancient geologic event, is over six miles long and contains 3,300 acres of cutthroat habitat dotted with islands, feeder streams and fish-prowled beaches. Indian legend claims the “Ogopogo”, also lurks here. This Loch Ness Monster sort of being has not only appeared to Native Americans here through the centuries but also, more recently, spooked a Dentist friend of mine. And no, alcohol is not allowed at Omak Lake.

Monster or not, this “go to” lake is open year ‘round under selective gear regulations but, the best time to fish it is during the March 1 – May 31st catch and release season. That’s when those large Lahontan Cutthroats come into easy range of the beach going fly fisherman and readily feed on hatching insects, unwary shiners and sculpin. Sight fishing to these awesome fish can get you really excited and also really frustrated when a nice seven pounder refuses a perfect presentation.

Morlock’s Carp Breakfast

OMAK LAKE

Double Cutt spring mode Lahotan Cutthroat

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16 Jul 2012

Omak Lake is highly alkaline. Therefore, the Colville Con-federated Tribes has chosen to stock the Lahontan Cutthroat for its ability to thrive in such water. This species can grow to 18 lbs. (the current Washington state record) in Omak Lake and weigh three to seven pounds on average.

5 to 7 weight rods for flinging larger streamers (sizes 2-10) in sometimes windy conditions are a good call. It’s okay to go with a brief level leader around 10lb. test to tussle with these fish using shiner patterns, buggers of all kinds or my current favorite, the Carp Breakfast. However, when the insect hatches come off, these meat-eating fish will some-times key on them and you’ll have to switch up your game. Mostly midges will appear and sometimes a largish black caddis or even a mayfly will be seen. If your streamers don’t seem to interest them, you can bet they’re looking for bugs.

John Arterburn, Fish Biologist with the Colville Confed-erated Tribes monitors the creel census that anglers are asked to log after fishing Omak Lake. The “Colvilles” aim to continue the lake’s reputation for big cutts and have made fishery management a high priority, stocking judiciously and striving for size over sheer numbers. “I monitored the pro-gram at Omak Lake for 12 years or so and we seem to be in a really good cycle right now. The dominant cohort at the lake is about five or six years old and there are a lot of “Big Mouths” out there. These fish may last another couple years before the cycle turns over again”, says John.

With the Colvilles in charge, you’ll likely find me fly fishing “Beer Can” again and again. If the midge hatch is on, I’ll be in my camp chair with a cold beverage watching my strike indicator drift out in an offshore breeze. I’ll know it won’t be long until “bobber down”, and I’ll be into a rumble again with a heavy Omak Lake cutt. As for getting a million dollar photo of the Ogopogo? Well, I always bring a camera. Stephan Avena of Big R Fly Shop of Omak, WA lives in Omak with his wife and two sons where he loves to fly fish.

Greg Bennett and Sam Wike

Greg shows off another nice cutt

BUGSHOT

Jul 2012 17

Pteronarcys Californica: SalmonflyA salmonfly hatches on streamside vegetation on the banks of the Fall River,Wyoming, Idaho.

Bugshot

“If you enjoy the outdoors, stay in Montana; if you enjoy fashion, go to California.”

- Keaten Labrel

by Keaten Labrel - Big R Fly Shop of Great Falls

Fishing: A College Problem

18 Jul 2012

COLL

EGE

FISH

ING

COLLEGE FISHING

Going on my eighth year of college, I find myself continually questioning why I have spent so much time, money, and effort on my education. The immediate and most obvious answer is that Pharmacy school is expensive and extremely chal-lenging, but thinking deeper into the answer I find myself coming up with answers that evolve around my hobbies; fishing and hunt-ing. I have had multiple opportunities throughout my college career to move towards “greener pastures” as far as career choices, but for some underlying reason I continually declined. As I reach the ever-so close end to my college education, I find that the reason I chose to stay in Mon-tana wasn’t for the education (hell I could’ve gone anywhere in the nation to pursue a degree in Pharmacy), but more so for the experiences that I’ve gained on and off the water. There is nowhere else in the

country you can go and be fishing a #8 foam bug under blue-bird skies, get off the water and enjoy a few pitchers of cold bev-erages with friends and the next day be fishing a blanket March Brown hatch in the rain. Going to school in Missoula, I’ve had exposure to some really nice water, really fun nightlife, and a lot of different lifestyles that had either had a positive impact on my lifestyle or reinforced who I am. That’s the thing about college; it’s a time to step out-side the box and experience different things. You could say there was a little lag-time for me in becoming comfortable with my surroundings in Missoula. Coming from a small, conservative farm town in north central Montana, it took a little time for me to get use to the aroma of body odor and smoke. Once I was comfortable with my surroundings, I was able to breakout and meet a pretty neat group of guys (of course while experiencing the nightlife of the town)

who have the same passion for fishing as I do. Whether it’s chasing big fish on dries, beating backwater sloughs for warm-water species, or heading over the pass to fish for sea-run fish, we all have drive to be on the water as much as possible.

It’s hard to say whether or not I would’ve enjoyed going to school some-where else. One thing that I do know, I’m glad that I chose to go where I did. I know for a fact that I wouldn’t have met a better group of friends. This article isn’t intended to be informative at all, but more so to shed some light on those who are thinking of leaving the state to pursue their college education. If you enjoy the outdoors, stay in Montana; if you enjoy fashion, go to Cali-fornia. Find the destination that suits you and go for it and live with no regrets. It is possible to pursue your career dreams while enjoying your hobbies. Enjoy it while you can.

Duck HuntSteel Slabs

Drift Boating the Asphalt River

Jul 2012 19

2 K’S

KAF

E 2 K’s Kafe is a quaint little homestyle kitchen that sits just off the heart of downtown Great Falls. Open for business for only 5 years, it has an atmosphere that feels like it has been there all along. The restuarant is run by a mother and her two daughters who really love and enjoy running a business and working together. Karen is the cook, daughter Kim works as prep cook while daughter Karla keeps the customers happy while bringing them great homecooking with a warm smile as the one and only wait-ress. 2 K’s has a reputation for doing everything on the menu BIG! One look at one of their burgers or pancakes and the word big becomes an understatement! “My favorite thing to see are the people's faces when they order a hamburger or pancake for the first time, it's priceless! You would not believe how many people take pictures of the food!” says Karla. Everything they make is made to keep it as homemade as possible. They make soups and pies from scratch. The burgers have become famous to the regu-lars who eat at 2 K’s, but they also offer other delicious favorites and lunch specials like omelets, chicken fried steak, lasanga, pork chops, hot turkey and hot beef sandwiches just to name a few. 2 K’s is a hidden gem that you must try if you live or are ever in the Great Falls area. If you go for lunch, be sure to get there 10 to 15 minutes before noon as the boothes fill up quick. It took three attempts going in right at noon before I finally got there early enough to get a booth, but it was definitely worth the wait!

Location: 406 3rd Avenue South Great Falls, MT Phone: 406.727.2053 Hours: 7am - 2pm, Mon-Fri2 K’s Kafe written by John Ewald

20 Jul 2012 Street view of 2 K’s

“If you enjoy the outdoors, stay in Montana; if you enjoy fashion, go to California.”

- Keaten Labrel

Jul 2012 21

2 K’S KAFE 2 K’s Kafe is a quaint little homestyle kitchen that sits just off the heart of downtown Great Falls. Open for business for only 5 years, it has an atmosphere that feels like it has been there all along. The restuarant is run by a mother and her two daughters who really love and enjoy running a business and working together. Karen is the cook, daughter Kim works as prep cook while daughter Karla keeps the customers happy while bringing them great homecooking with a warm smile as the one and only wait-ress. 2 K’s has a reputation for doing everything on the menu BIG! One look at one of their burgers or pancakes and the word big becomes an understatement! “My favorite thing to see are the people's faces when they order a hamburger or pancake for the first time, it's priceless! You would not believe how many people take pictures of the food!” says Karla. Everything they make is made to keep it as homemade as possible. They make soups and pies from scratch. The burgers have become famous to the regu-lars who eat at 2 K’s, but they also offer other delicious favorites and lunch specials like omelets, chicken fried steak, lasanga, pork chops, hot turkey and hot beef sandwiches just to name a few. 2 K’s is a hidden gem that you must try if you live or are ever in the Great Falls area. If you go for lunch, be sure to get there 10 to 15 minutes before noon as the boothes fill up quick. It took three attempts going in right at noon before I finally got there early enough to get a booth, but it was definitely worth the wait!

Location: 406 3rd Avenue South Great Falls, MT Phone: 406.727.2053 Hours: 7am - 2pm, Mon-Fri

BIG burgers Karla’s welcoming smile

22 Jul 2012

TROU

T CA

NDY

killer Candy Tany trout

strike instigator strike instigator

coffee catCoffee Cat

Heavy MetalWormHeavy Metal Worm

parachute Antparachute Ant

Last Chance CripplepmdLast Chance Cripplepmd

BloomsBloomsCoffeesCoffees

Grillos

Big R Fly Shop

Exclusive!

Jul 2012 23

TROUT CANDYTantalize SAVORY trout with this fine selection of

synthetic morsels.

parachute Antparachute Ant Parachute Royal WulffParachute Royal Wulff

Sally sulferSally sulfer

Last Chance CripplepmdLast Chance Cripplepmd Military MayflyMilitary Mayfly

HogansHogans

MON

O VS

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ORO

Tippet ShowdownWhat are the differences between Monfilament and Fluorocarbon tippets and how do they vary between popular brands on the market? Lets start this discussion by getting to know the general differences between mono and fluoro. There are four main differences between the two which are broken down into these catagories: Density, Strength, Visibility, Cost.

Keaten “Cornfed” Labrel breaks it down for us

- Monofilament is less dense, meaning it will float. Floating line = more relaxed line (more slack in the line, less feel) - Fluorocarbon is much more dense, it sinks. Sinking line = more tension (less slack in the line, more feel)

- Monofilament has more dynamic strength meaning is has stretch or give. Mono also is permeable to water over time which means it will weaken over time (this is why you don’t want to leave spools of mono out in the rain) - Fluorocarbon is more abrasion resistant than mono meaning is has little to no stretch. Limited stretch means more sensitive line (sensitive line = more feel). Fluoro also has zero water permeability

Mon vs. Fluor

Density

Strength

- Monofilament is larger in diameter than fluoro, therefore it is more visible in the water - Fluorocarbon is smaller in diameter…nearly invisible to fish

Visibility

- Fluorocarbon is more expensive than monofilament (and rightfully so…it’s better quality)Cost

24 Jul 2012

MONO VS FLUORO

Rio: this is probably the most popular tippet material among consumers and comes in a variety of monofila-ments and fluorocarbons. I will break this one down by the individual products available.

Powerflex: this is your middle of the road mono, most used tippet material on the market. It incorporates excel-lent knot strength, while maintaining stretch and supple characteristics. Pretty small diameter compared to pound test.

RioMax Plus: this mono incorporates medium stiffness and abrasion resistance. Large in diameter compared to powerflex, but also has higher pound capabilities.

Suppleflex: this mono incorporates strength while having incredibly soft and supple characteristics. Good for dry fly fishing. Smaller in diameter as well as pound test.

Extreme: incorporates extreme strength while maintaining sensitivity. Absolutely no stretch with this mono. Ex-tremely small diameter when compared to pound test (i.e. .008” = 20lb whereas powerflex with .008” = 8.2lb)

Fluoroflex: middle of the road fluorocarbon with medium stiffness.

Fluoroflex Plus: hands down the best fluoro on the market right now for all around use. Extremely supple with excellent knot strength. Smallest diameter compared to lb test. I have switched to this material this year and have seen a great improvement of hookup rate as well as landing bigger fish on smaller flies.

Jul 2012 25

30 Jul 201226 Jul 2012

Maxima: the go to tippet for strength. Probably the strongest monofilament on the market. A lot of anglers use Maxima when making their own leaders because it is available in a lot of different sizes. Although is it extremely strong, it is also extremely large in diameter when compared to other brands. Not a good option for fishing dries or to finicky fish.

P-Line Shinsei: the strongest fluorocarbon available on the market today. Like Maxima, Shinsei is the go to tippet for anglers looking for superior strength while incorporating fluorocarbon into their lead-ers. What it adds to strength, it lacks in diameter (much larger diameter than other fluorocarbons on the market). This tippet is ideal for the streamer crowd. This is the stuff we use steelhead fishing.

Scientific Anglers: available in both fluoro and mono. The rep tells us that we will be receiving their new spools shortly which has line cutter welded onto the spool. This is your middle of the road tippet when comparing strength and diameter

Trouthunter: available in both mono and fluoro. The cool thing about this brand is it is available in “in between” sizes (3.5, 4.5, 5.5x) as well as normal diameters. Additionally this tippet material comes in spool sizes of 50m whereas others are 27m spools.

Climax: Again, available in both mono and fluoro spools. Climax prides themselves on superior knot strength capabilities when compared to other brands. While they may have this, they lack in the diam-eter to strength ratio.

MON

O VS

FLU

ORO

GEAR NIGHTGot an issue!?We have back issues!

Not those kinda back issues, previous issues you can read if you missed one!

JANUARY 2012

HONDURAS PERSPECTIVE» A Brief Q&A With Friends That Came Along

WE ALL HAVE OUR VISES» We Review Renzetti and Regal Vises

FLY FISHING FILM TOUR» Coming to Great Falls, MT and Sandpoint, ID

Farm Store Fly Fishing

SLOTS STILL AVAILABLE BOOK TODAY!

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FEBRUARY 2012

SATURDAY MORNING FLY OR DIE-HARDS» Find out what goes on Saturday mornings in the Big R Fly Shop

FARM BOY TO FARM STORE » Brief Bio: Who is Big R Store Manager John Teini?

NEW WINTER FLY PATTERNS» The bins are full of the newest winter tailwater fly patterns

LAKE PEND OREILLE

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Farm Store Fly FishingFLY FISHING OPPORTUNITIES:

CREATURE FEATURE

MARCH 2012

A New Take on an Old Standard » New Gear Review: Hardy Reels

Chasing Skwalla» At the End of winter, in Hot Pursuit

Killer Trout Candy» Devistating Early Spring Flies

Farm Store Fly Fishing

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We Mean Business in Omak» Meet the Crew, The Third Big R Fly Shop is Now Open! Freshwater Wolves» Spring Pike Fishing is in Full Moon

Rod Sense» Our Rod Inventory Makes Sense

MAY 2012 Farm Store Fly Fishing

CREATURE FEATURE next month

CREATURE FEATUREKeaten Labrel ties up the CDC Rusty Spinner

CREA

TURE

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Fly Recipe:Thread: 8/0 brown MT Fly premier threadHook: TMC 100 size 16Tail: tailing fibers whiteBody: rusty spinner turkey biotThorax: amber antron dubbingWings: white or natural cdc puff

28 Jul 2012

Have you ever wondered how that Royal Wulffor Parachute Adams you use so much was tied or how to tie it? EMAIL US. We would be more than happy to tie up the pattern as close to the original as possible for your viewing pleasure. Describe the fly as best as possible or better yet, send along a pic of the fly and the name of it.

Don’t forget to check out the fly tying section up on the Big R Fly Shop website HERE. We upload a new fly tying video weekly as our featured Fly of the Week, and the fly tying section continues to grow with some of our most popular fly patterns.

The rusty spinner is the true "trusty rusty" fly when referring to the PMD hatch. With the insanely large amount of PMDs that hatch during the summer months, this is an absolute must pattern to have in your arsenal while fishing during the spinner fall. This pattern incorporates CDC as the wing material, which gives the wings additional flow in the water much like a natural. You can fish it on the surface or let it sink a little into the film. A truly versatile fly that will increase your success when fishing over finicky fish. This fly will get you into the game.

Did you Know?!The Big R Fly Shop Website Provides Up-to-Date Info on :Area Waters, Fishing Reports and Stream Flows.

You Can Also Find Other Fun and Informative Info :Photo & Video Galleries, Fly Fishing Destinations,

Quick Tip Videos, Fly Tying Videos, Fly of the Week,Bug Blog and Upcoming News and Events!

Photo & Video Galleries, Fly Fishing Destinations,Quick Tip Videos, Fly Tying Videos, Fly of the Week,

Bug Blog and Upcoming News and Events!

Photo & Video Galleries, Fly Fishing Destinations,Quick Tip Videos, Fly Tying Videos, Fly of the Week,

Bug Blog and Upcoming News and Events!

UPDATE YOUR

MIND NOW!

30 Jul 2012

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Tom Dean is a completely self-taught artist from Great Falls, Montana. His custom, one-of–a-kind woodcarving sculptures have sold to private owners, corporations and collectors across the United States. Tom has taken his 40 year passion of fly fishing in Montana and has turned that into another passion of his; hand carving native trout, dragon fly’s, cattails/reeds, frogs, other fish species and more recently, full sized bison skulls out of exotic woods from around the world; including woods from Africa, Aus-tralia, Brazil, Central America, Hawaii and elsewhere, setting them into their natural river environments. Tom does not paint the wood nor does he use fillers. It is an amazing story to tell, about Tom Dean’s woodcarving sculptures and artistic talent. A talent he found later in life. Tom started to carve only in 2007 as a stress reliever from his previ-ous corporate sales positions.

Mike Goss, an art collector from Montana says this about Tom’s talent…”I knew Tom was born with a special talent. Through his younger years, he was fishing and hunting. Now, he has taken his talent into his hands and is sculpting so we all can enjoy it. Until you share your talent, you do not understand the impact you have on people. His talent is not something he picked up, but something he was born with.” Tom found his gift and his passion in life at the age of 45 and is now reaching new heights with every new piece he completes. His artwork, under the name of Milo Creek Carvings Fine Art

has been exhibited at the esteemed CM Rus-sell Art Auction of Western Art in Great Falls, Montana since 2008. He was also juried into the 2009 Western Design Confer-ence in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. This event is an exclusive juried art show where arti-sans from across the county are juried into the show. Thousands of artists apply, but only 100 are chosen for this exhibit and sale. He has sold his work to private owners in the

Tom Dean: Carving His Own PathOne Trout at a Time

Jul 2012 31

TOM DEAN

exclusive Yellowstone Club in Southwest Montana as well as from collectors across the country. In his first year as a professional full time artist in 2008, Tom was nominated for the Montana Circle of American Masters, an honor that denoted his significant cultural and artistic stature on both a state and national level for traditional art.

Tom Dean’s Signature piece at Big R Stores in Great Falls, Montana(10 x 5 x 6ft) which took 18 months to complete. It weighs over 2,500 lbs. and has 11 hand-carved fish, 117 hand-carved cattails/reeds, two hand-carved dragonflies, one frog, and 1,800lbs of real river rock simulating a true river bed on a slab of Bubinga wood.

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32 Jul 2012

TOM DEAN

Steve Burke, CEO of NBC Universal, owns two of Tom’s fish sculptures and has this to say about him…”I love to fish more than almost anything. Seeing one of Tom Dean’s carvings makes me think of fishing. He is a great artist”.

Steve Holmes of St. Louis, Missouri, who is a collec-tor and owner of many of Tom’s work wrote…”Tom Dean’s gift is so much more than carving a piece of wood into the image of a fish. Tom’s sculptures are magically different…they take me below the river, under the mystery of the river and put me in a world that looks up at the guy in a drift boat work-ing so hard to see into my world. The pictures of the pieces in a magazine or on the website get you about half way there. To see these pieces in person is required. The craftsmanship is better than I imagined. Only in person does the emotion come at you. I got to spend the evening with Tom and his wife Patti, and came to appreciate an artist pursu-ing his genuine passion and insight for his art. He is the real deal and one of the few people I know who has figured out how to pursue his passion without having to compromise in any way.”

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34 Jul 2012

In August of 2011, Tom exhib-ited his artwork at the IFTD show in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Interna-tional Fly Tackle Dealer’s show is the world’s largest show dedicated to the fly fishing industry. He was able to exhibit and talk with leading fly fishing enthusiast from all over the world. Because of the international presence and saltwater enthusiast at this show, Tom has been requested to try his hand at carving saltwater fish species out of exotic woods, including Red Fish, Permit and Speckled Sea Trout.

This December, Tom was humbled to be awarded one of the highest awards given in the art’s by the Montana Art’s Council and co-sponsored by the National Endow-ment for the Art’s– Montana’s Circle of American Master’s Award. This award was given to Tom and three other recipients in 2011 for their Artistic Excellence, Craftsmanship and Technical Skill, Authenticity, and Contribution’s to the community.

Trout carved by Tom Dean in a piece for Wayne Wike called “The Posse”

TOM DEAN

Jul 2012 35

Big R marketing team member John Ewald interviews Tom Dean

JE: Your carvings are largely influenced by your passion for trout and fly fishing. How long have you been fly-fishing and what are your favorite waters to fish in Montana? You do still have time to fly fish, right?

TD: Fly fishing is still my passion and has been since I picked it up at the age of six in 1968. I started to fly fish with my Grandfather’s bamboo fly rod on the Smith River and the bug has never left. My favorite two places to fish for trout are the Missouri River up by Cascade and on the Smith River. We’ve had a cabin on the Smith since 1964 and it is a magical place to fish in the limestone cliffs. I don’t think anyone has enough time to fish!

JE: What is your favorite species of trout to catch? To carve?

TD: To be honest…either catching a big Rainbow or Brown on the end of your line is always a rush. It really doesn’t matter to me. Just being out there on the waters of Montana is a gift. As I always say…”A bad day of fishing is better than no fishing at all”. A long time ago my dad and I went fishing at Lightening Lake down by Cooke City and we caught these amazing Golden Trout. I would love to take my kids there and catch them again. Carving any trout is special to me. Each one has its own charac-teristics. I love to carve a big brown trout with the hump on the back and the mouth wide open in anticipation of its next meal.

JE: In the June 2012 issue of Wood Carving magazine you men-tion a very large sculpture. Is this the one you created for Big R Stores in Great Falls?

TD: Yes. The sculpture I did for Big R is still my Signature piece. Wood Carving magazine is published out of Sussex England and is read in 57 countries around the world. I was humbled to be a contributor to this world class publication. Big R’s sculpture has now been seen and read around the world. Pretty cool.

JE: How did it come to be that you would end up creating the sculpture for Big R?

TD: I met Wayne Wike through some mutual friends back in 2007. Wayne shared with me that he always wanted to show-case talent right here in Great Falls and that a person didn’t need to be from a big city to have talent. A “Montana” wall if you will. He and I had many, many different discussions of how, what and where a sculpture would end up in the store. Origi-nally, I had planned for the sculpture to be hanging from cables in a vertical manner over by the fly shop. After thinking about this in nausea… I decided that this probably wasn’t going to work because of the weight. Long story short, Wayne and I decided to place it where it currently stands. Gerald Hinton, who did all the log work in Big R, and I got together on how to structurally secure the sculpture. I decided to pitch it at 30 degrees so that I could get the “feeling” of a river environment. Gerald made a 30 degree jig for me in my garage. I ended up finding a large slab of Bubinga wood out of Portland, Oregon. For the next 1 ½ years, I worked on this piece in my garage. Let me tell you, It was quite the process to move this from my garage up to Big R. There were 12 Big R employee’s who helped lift it onto saw horses in the back of a 14 foot cargo trailer and then used a fork lift to lift and secure it in place with 26 large lag bolts. The entire sculpture weighs approximately 2,500 lbs.

JE: At what point in your carving career did you create this sculpture?

TD: I owe a huge amount of gratitude to Wayne Wike for believ-ing in my passion and my dream to create a large piece like the one at Big R. I knew what it was going to look like in my mind, but no one else did. So, huge thanks to Wayne. This sculpture was at the very beginning of my art career and literally pro-pelled me into my new career as an artist full time.

JE: Typically how long does an average sized trout take you to carve? Those trout spots must take many, many hours!

TD: Depending on the exotic wood I use for a trout, it can take anywhere from one to two weeks to complete say a 15 inch trout. What takes more time, is if the trout has a lot of motion to it. In other words, if the trout has a big “S” curve or a right or left curve. Those take longer. A straight fish I can do in about a week from start to finish. The “spots” are the thing that I least like to do. It takes a lot of hand and arm strength to complete. I place the fish between my legs and press a cylinder drill bit into the wood. I start at the nose and work my way back to the tail. As far as time, it doesn’t take that long… just a lot of muscle.

JE: Is there any history of artists in your family or are you the first?

TD: Yes. My dad and my sisters are great artists. My oldest sister is the only other family member that has pursued art full time. I was a late “bloomer” so to speak. I had no desire, inter-est or “training” to become a full time artist. It just kind of hap-pened.

JE: You also carve cattails/reeds, dragon flies, and frogs to accompany many of your trouts’ environments. You also recently began carving beautiful bison skulls out of exotic woods. Do you plan on challenging yourself to anything new anytime soon and what might that subject matter be?

TD: Carving fish, specifically trout, will always be my first love of carving. A couple of years ago, I challenged myself to see if I could carve a bison skull. I’ve always loved them, so I set out and completed one. I ended up selling my first one to the owner and founder of the video game Guitar Hero. That was pretty amazing. Since I carved one and it came out pretty good, I had to do another one to see if I could improve. I did and still have this one. My next carving I’d like to do is an elk head and attach real sheds to it. I think that would be a pretty amazing piece. I’ve seen others do that in pine, but never in exotic woods. I’d also like to carve the bust of a Big Horn Sheep all out of exotic woods.

JE: Now that you have found this newly acquired passion, how much longer do you think you will continue to pursue it?

TD: For the rest of my life or until I accidently cut too many fingers in the process!

36 Jul 2012

JE: Your carvings are largely influenced by your passion for trout and fly fishing. How long have you been fly-fishing and what are your favorite waters to fish in Montana? You do still have time to fly fish, right?

TD: Fly fishing is still my passion and has been since I picked it up at the age of six in 1968. I started to fly fish with my Grandfather’s bamboo fly rod on the Smith River and the bug has never left. My favorite two places to fish for trout are the Missouri River up by Cascade and on the Smith River. We’ve had a cabin on the Smith since 1964 and it is a magical place to fish in the limestone cliffs. I don’t think anyone has enough time to fish!

JE: What is your favorite species of trout to catch? To carve?

TD: To be honest…either catching a big Rainbow or Brown on the end of your line is always a rush. It really doesn’t matter to me. Just being out there on the waters of Montana is a gift. As I always say…”A bad day of fishing is better than no fishing at all”. A long time ago my dad and I went fishing at Lightening Lake down by Cooke City and we caught these amazing Golden Trout. I would love to take my kids there and catch them again. Carving any trout is special to me. Each one has its own charac-teristics. I love to carve a big brown trout with the hump on the back and the mouth wide open in anticipation of its next meal.

JE: In the June 2012 issue of Wood Carving magazine you men-tion a very large sculpture. Is this the one you created for Big R Stores in Great Falls?

Jul 2012 37

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