http://www.theflyfishingforum.com/forums/ Arizona, Utah, Idaho and Nevada. Post fishing reports, ask for information, discuss this area... en Thu, 23 May 2013 00:21:53 GMT vBulletin 30 http://www.theflyfishingforum.com/forums/images/misc/flyfishing_red/rss.jpg http://www.theflyfishingforum.com/forums/ http://www.theflyfishingforum.com/forums/western-u-s/320099-we-have-winner-i-guess-there-no-5-fish-limit.html Wed, 22 May 2013 12:08:03 GMT Kalispell angler wins Spring Mack Days tournament with record catch TOM BAUER/Missoulian Jason Mahlen, left, and Mike Benson fish for lake trout on Flathead Lake last week and recall the day two years ago when they first became friends. Mahlen and his brother had their boat capsized by a... Kalispell angler wins Spring Mack Days tournament with record catch

TOM BAUER/Missoulian

Jason Mahlen, left, and Mike Benson fish for lake trout on Flathead Lake last week and recall the day two years ago when they first became friends. Mahlen and his brother had their boat capsized by a sudden and powerful storm on the lake, and Benson and another angler raced out to rescue them.

Mack Days champion has friend to thank not just for title, but his life

ON FLATHEAD LAKE – When Jason Mahlen wins his first Mack Days championship on Sunday – there’s no way anyone in the field will catch him – he’… Read more

POLSON – Two years ago, Mike Benson and another angler probably saved the lives of Jason Mahlen and his brother after the Mahlens’ boat capsized in a freak windstorm during Spring Mack Days on Flathead Lake.

Over the weekend, Mahlen paid Benson back by beating him for the 2013 championship.

Mahlen, of Kalispell, set a record catch for the tournament with 1,651 lake trout this spring, and took home $9,100 in prize money in the process.

Mahlen fished all 34 days of the tournament and averaged 65.8 lake trout during his 18 best days on the water, the number used to determine the top 10 overall finishers.

No one else approached that. In fact, the “worst” of Mahlen’s 18 best days was a catch of 47 – more than anyone else in the field averaged over their 18 best.

Benson, of Lonepine, was second with 1,142 and a 45.7 average.

Mahlen’s total bested, by exactly 100, the record set by Don Beville of Lakeside last year.

***

Mahlen and his brother Scott were in a 14-foot boat during the 2011 tournament when, on a sunny, calm day, a sudden brutal wind swept over the Mission Mountains, uprooting trees on land and chasing anglers off the water.

Benson already had his boat on a trailer when a Montana Highway Patrol trooper pulled into Yellow Bay and said 9-1-1 had received a report of an overturned boat as the lake suddenly turned into violent 5-foot swells in the wind.

Search and Rescue, which was launching from Polson, was probably an hour away, he said.

Jason Mahlen had actually made the call, only able to report to the 9-1-1 operator they were off Yellow Bay and going down when a wave crashed into their boat, which had just been submerged by another wave.

It flipped them into the 38 1/2-degree water and abruptly ended the mayday call. The Mahlens estimated they then held onto the hull for 30 minutes, and weren’t sure they’d last another 10 in the rough, freezing water.

Benson, of Lonepine, re-launched his boat and angler Jason North of Stevensville joined him, and they were able to find the Mahlens despite rough seas and the fierce wind kicking up a spray that made it seem like they were in the whiteout of a blizzard.

Of course, the Mahlens long ago thanked Benson and North. Benson has become good friends with the brothers, whom he hadn’t previously been introduced to, and even showed them some of his favorite spots before this year’s tournament.


Tying for third place behind Mike Benson were his brother Steven of Four Lakes, Wash., and Craig Morigeau of Polson. Both averaged 41.39 lake trout over their 18 best days on the water.

Steven Benson, who fished five more days total than Morigeau, finished with 1,021 lake trout. Morigeau had 927.

Danny Smith of Hot Springs finished fifth with a 40.6 average and a total harvest of 931. Following Smith were Scott Mahlen of Bigfork, 37.7 (901); Dean Vaughan of Charlo, 33.1 (615); David McDaniel of Polson, 32.6 (774); Jerry Benson of Plains, 32.56 (744); and Bryan Long of Columbia Falls, 32.5 (641).

Susan Martin of Polson won the women’s division with 369, beating Julie Vacca of Missoula (239) and Nicole Peters of Missoula (196).

Danner Shima of Kalispell won the 13-17 age division with 411. Tanner Murry of Columbia Falls was second at 207, and Connor Kowalski of Florence was third with 204.

The under-12 title went to Garett Vaughan of Charlo with 391. Matt Guckenberg Jr. of Kalispell was second at 77, and Abby Hodgson of Kalispell had 51.

Spring Mack Days harvested 28,321 of the predacious and non-native lake trout from Flathead Lake.

First place was only worth $700 of Jason Mahlen’s total winnings. Mahlen, who also won money in a lottery-style drawing, for catching tagged fish and for catching one of the tournament’s two smallest fish, took home the bulk of his prize money in bonus payouts.

His record total netted him $6,700 there. ]]> Western U.S. fredaevans http://www.theflyfishingforum.com/forums/western-u-s/320099-we-have-winner-i-guess-there-no-5-fish-limit.html http://www.theflyfishingforum.com/forums/western-u-s/319809-southwestern-trout-wander.html Sun, 19 May 2013 14:58:50 GMT My brother got back from a deployment so we took nine days to circle the Southwest. We showed up in Durango after doing zero research to find most rivers obviously blown out. A little disappointed we spent one day on the Delores and then diverted the CO time to a couple more days on the San Juan.... My brother got back from a deployment so we took nine days to circle the Southwest. We showed up in Durango after doing zero research to find most rivers obviously blown out. A little disappointed we spent one day on the Delores and then diverted the CO time to a couple more days on the San Juan. Fishing was excellent as usual and surprisingly few crowds. From there we had our wives meet us at Lee's Ferry and spent a couple days with a jet boat up river.

Overall an awesome trip living out of the back of a Ford, sustaining off dehydrated food bags and trail mix. Below is a quick video I made of the trip.


https://vimeo.com/66199098 ]]> Western U.S. swampdonkey http://www.theflyfishingforum.com/forums/western-u-s/319809-southwestern-trout-wander.html http://www.theflyfishingforum.com/forums/western-u-s/319685-no-fork-up-black-canyon.html Sat, 18 May 2013 01:38:55 GMT Looking to fish this area early July and was told that it might be better to camp here as apposed to Kelly Forks campground. Problem is I can't find it on my Idaho Benchmark map. Can anyone point me to Black Canyon?

Also, how has the snowpack been and when might this area open to dry fly fishing?
Thanks ]]> Western U.S. gbanker http://www.theflyfishingforum.com/forums/western-u-s/319685-no-fork-up-black-canyon.html http://www.theflyfishingforum.com/forums/western-u-s/319526-strawberry-reservoir.html Thu, 16 May 2013 02:07:18 GMT hi all, after 2 surgeries on my knee and shoulder im finally back into the fly game!! ive been craving some still water fishing and to get into something other than the browns i always catch, so im heading to the strawberry reservoir on saturday, but i am sooooo confused on what is closed as of... hi all, after 2 surgeries on my knee and shoulder im finally back into the fly game!! ive been craving some still water fishing and to get into something other than the browns i always catch, so im heading to the strawberry reservoir on saturday, but i am sooooo confused on what is closed as of today, may 15th heres the guide book,

(b) The Strawberry River and its tributaries
upstream from USFS Road 124 (Bull Springs Road)
to the headwaters, Co-op Creek and its tributaries
upstream from US-40 to the headwaters, Soldier
Creek, Coal Canyon, Cow Hollow, Trout Creek, Sage
Creek, Chicken Creek, Little Co-op Creek, Clyde
Creek, Mud Creek, Bryants Fork, Horse Creek,
Chipman Creek, Trail Hollow, Broad Hollow, Pine
Hollow, Badger Hollow and Road Hollow.
•
CATCH AND RELEASE ONLY. (All fish must be
immediately released. It is illegal to fish if
you have any fish in possession.)
•
ARTIFICIAL FLIES AND LURES ONLY. (The use
or possession of bait while fishing is illegal.)
•
CLOSED May 15 through 6 a.m. on the
second Saturday of July, and from Sept. 1
through 6 a.m. on the second Saturday of
October.



sorry the font is small, the red font on the left is where mud creek runs, the right red font is where i want to fish, im not sure if its closed right now or not. ]]> Western U.S. TexUte Fly http://www.theflyfishingforum.com/forums/western-u-s/319526-strawberry-reservoir.html http://www.theflyfishingforum.com/forums/western-u-s/319243-any-northern-nv-folk.html Mon, 13 May 2013 01:23:39 GMT New to this forum and just curious if there's many other people in my area? ]]> Western U.S. amertens http://www.theflyfishingforum.com/forums/western-u-s/319243-any-northern-nv-folk.html