Category Archives: Culture

Observations on life in America, the environment, politics, and more.

Culture, Fishing, Fly Fishing, Leisure, Uncategorized

On the Fly: The Way We Were

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The more I learn, the more I realize what I don’t know.

A Fat Clark Fork River Cutthroat © Mike L. Raether

A few months ago I was asked to write an article about the history of fly fishing for Distinctly Montana magazine. I accepted the challenge thinking, “No sweat. I got this.” Until I found myself deep in the midst of research for the project. I now know more about fly fishing than I ever thought existed. In fact, I struggled to contain all the information I unearthed within the magazine’s suggested word count of 1,200 to 1,500.

I wish I could publish the article here on my blog, but doing so would violate the copyright agreement – not to mention plagiarizing myself. However, I can do you one better: I can give you a link to the article. This is where the “one better” comes in. By clicking the link, you’ll get a peak at a very fine magazine that wonderfully explores all things Montana. Why, you might even consider subscribing to the magazine!

Anyway, here ya go.

 

Culture, Leisure, Outdoor Recreation, Uncategorized

Grover Revisited, Kinda

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Quickly:

“Grover” – photo copyright by Mike L. Raether

You may remember a couple of months ago that Grover my packgoat hacked my blog with the intention of supposedly “getting even” with me for being such a “meanie.” Other than Grover’s very false accusation, the whole thing may have piqued your interest about using goats as pack animals. If so, I’ve got a treat for you. If not, I’ve still got a treat for you.

A couple of months ago I published an article in Distinctly Montana magazine called, “Don’t Let Them Get Your Goat” in which I discussed goat packing. If you’re interested, here’s the link.

By the way, Distinctly Montana is a very fine, full color glossy magazine which explores all things Montana, from wildlife and wild lands, to outdoor recreation, to people and places, to arts, culture, food, and fun (in my view, all food is fun except for carrots which I totally detest).

Anyway, check out the mag. I think you’ll like it. Mikey does.

Culture, Leisure, Life, Outdoor Recreation

The Hunting Dilemma

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It’s a paradox: “You say you love animals but you kill them. Why?” If you’re a hunter and a non-hunter asked you this question, how would you respond?

Photo “starry sky” courtesy of skyseeker. Licensed under CC BY 2.0.

Like many of us, I like to spend the last hour or so of the day with my feet up. I don’t have TV, but I do subscribe to Netflix as I enjoy watching some of the documentaries. Recently I watched a documentary called, Stars in the Sky: A Hunting Story and knew immediately I had to share this gem with my hunting friends. If you have Netflix, I encourage you to stream it. If not, you can buy the documentary from numerous places online. Trailers are also available online. But I’m getting ahead of myself.

Stars in the Sky: A Hunting Story isn’t an apologetic or a defense of hunting, but a look at the “whys” of hunting. It’s a view of hunting from a number of diverse perspectives. It’s a walk along different paths. Perspectives are offered not only from hunters, but from a conservationist, a retired schoolteacher, a rancher, an environmental historian, a U.S. senator, and a vegan philosopher.

My non-hunting (but meat-eating) wife watched the film with me, and at one point she turned to me and asked, “Why do you hunt?” As I said, she’s not a hunter so she assumed a couple of the draws might be recreation, and spending time in the company of other hunters. She knows I love my almost-yearly retreat to elk camp, where I spend a couple of weeks living in a wall tent with a few friends. Her assumptions were correct, to a point, but there is more. I shared that many hunters consider hunting a solitary thing, and that is very much demonstrated in the film. Yes, I enjoy my time living in a wall tent with friends, but when we leave the tent in the grey predawn, we each go our separate ways, and solitarily filter back to camp in the failing light of the day to greet one another, share stories, and enjoy a hot meal cooked over a wood stove.

Back to the film, it did an admirable job of exploring hunting as a link between generations: The film noted that rarely does one take up hunting unless initiated by another, perhaps a father, an uncle, or in my case a good friend. One hunter shared, “I was introduced to it as an act of love for the natural world.” Responding to the hunter’s call is a coming of age for many, a demonstration of gaining enough maturity and understanding of fair-chase ethics culminating with the right to carry a deadly weapon.

And so we return to the paradox: “You say you love animals but you kill them.” Paradoxical, yes. But it is what it is. However, this leads me to ask a question: Why do YOU hunt? Consider leaving a comment. All perspectives welcome.

Culture, Fishing, Leisure, Outdoor Recreation, Uncategorized

If You Don’t, Who Will?

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Copyright Mike L. Raether 2020

One of the things I really appreciate about Montana is that we don’t make laws to protect people from themselves. For example, if you want to ride a motorcycle without a helmet, it’s your business and perfectly legal. You’re free to spill your brains all over the highway if you like. After all, they’re YOUR brains. Where I live, as long as you have a sewer and electrical permit, your abode need be nothing more than a tarpaper shack.

The beauty of Montana is that you can do whatever you want. But that’s also the ugly thing about Montana: people do whatever they want. Which is fine, unless your neighbor has a dead car collection.

Here in Montana, you’re expected to police yourself which can have a huge negative impact on the environment if you’re a slob. For example, in Mineral County where I hang up my waders, there’s one game warden for all of the county. If I choose to hike into a mountain lake for some fishing, my odds of seeing that game warden are pretty slim. With nobody looking over my shoulder, the responsibility for being legal is mine. Should I decide to scoff the laws, I have to live with myself. As former basketball player and coach John Wooden once said, “The true test of a man’s character is what he does when no one is watching.”

I was reminded of this on a backpacking trip to an alpine lake. This lake offers a wonderful camping spot – or did, before it was trashed by some miscreants. The campfire ring contained some blackened tin cans. Someone had packed in a couple of cans of chili, then tried to burn the empty cans. Empty plastic water bottles defaced the place like pimples on a pretty girl’s face. Nearby I saw where a driftwood log had holes blasted in it by some firearm. I had to shake my head. Those empty cans of chili: Someone packed them in full; couldn’t they have packed them out empty? Same thing with those empty plastic water bottles: How much could they possibly weigh? A couple of grams each maybe? And then there was the piece of bullet-blasted driftwood. A gun range would have been a better choice for target practice, rather than explode the piece and quiet of this pristine place.

So it all comes down to the old adage: pack it in, pack it out, even if it means packing out someone else’s garbage. A little respect for the laws and environment doesn’t take away our pleasure; it adds to it. Let’s all do the right thing. Take home the garbage.

Culture, Fishing, Leisure, Life, Outdoor Recreation, Uncategorized

Life in Montana

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Steve Shadley on Gold Peak – Copyright Mike Raether 2019

It’s not called The Last, Best Place for nothing. Fly fishing for trout in Montana is legendary, and with a population of just over a million people in the fourth largest state in the nation it’s not exactly crowded. In fact, some counties in Montana have so little population that the U.S. government classifies them as “frontier.” Sure, the blue ribbon trout streams of Montana such as the Madison, the Big Hole, and the Beaverhead attract quite a few folks, but visitors to Western Montana’s mountain lakes will often experience complete solitude combined with great fishing.

But compared to what it’s like to VISIT Montana, what’s it like to actually LIVE here? I’m glad you asked me that question –

  • First off, I live in Western Montana and—don’t tell anybody—the winters are not as bad here as some say. Rarely do we have snow on the ground all winter, although we might see -20 degrees Fahrenheit during a January cold snap.
  • Second, in many places the only building permits required for private residences are for sewer and electrical. If you want to live in a tarpaper shack, well, that’s your business. We don’t believe in making laws to protect people from themselves. For example, if you’re an adult helmets aren’t required for motor cyclists.
  • Third, one of the advantages of Montana is that you can pretty much do whatever you want—which is also one of the disadvantages of Montana: people here pretty much do whatever they want.
  • Fourth, concealed carry permits for firearms aren’t required except in incorporated cities, and deadly force is allowed if you feel your life is threatened—just make sure you’re right. Of course, like elsewhere, firearms are never allowed in places like banks, bars, and government buildings.
  • Fifth, if you like big reservoir lake fishing you might be interested in East Central Montana’s Fort Peck Lake, which has more shoreline than the state of California.

If this sounds like it might be your kind of place, first consider this story my wife told me recently—

A tourist stopped at the antique store where she works part time. The tourist needed a new fitting for his RV hose, and asked where he might find one in town. She answered, “You won’t.”

He asked, “Where would I need to go to get one?”

She told him, “The next town, which is 14 miles.”

“Round trip?” He asked.

”Nope. One way.”

 

 

Culture, Leisure, Life

Get Out There

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The fruits: cancer, cirrhosis, heart disease, and suicide just to name a few. But these are just symptoms. The root is chronic stress.

Ward Creek Trail, copyright Mike L. Raether

As Deborah S. Hartz-Seeley noted in her article in the Miami Herald regarding chronic stress, “According to the American Psychological Association, chronic stress is linked to the six leading causes of death: heart disease, cancer, lung ailments, accidents, cirrhosis of the liver and suicide. And more than 75 percent of all physician office visits are for stress-related ailments and complaints.” (Bold face mine).

Scary, huh? Especially if you’re one of those who’re chronically stressed out. Somebody says, “That’s not me. I’m not stressed.” Really? How do you do in heavy traffic, especially if you’re late for an important meeting? Or perhaps you’ve lost a loved one recently, been divorced, or maybe had to relocate? WebMD has an informative article on the symptoms of stress. Check it out. See yourself there?

Assuming I’ve rang your bell, let’s talk about dealing with chronic stress. Dealing with chronic stress just might help you avoid cancer, cirrhosis, heart disease, suicide, and more. How? The solution is simpler than some might think.

Go fishing. Or hiking. Or hunting. Or camping. Or whatever. Just get out there.

Think about it: When you get out into nature, how do you feel?

  • The pressures of everyday life evaporate.
  • Your appreciation for the beauty of creation is renewed.
  • You have time to think and plan without all the normal distractions.
  • You’re more aware of the value of relationships as you enjoy time with friends.
  • The fog clears from your perspective. Things fall into place. Life makes more sense.

So for the sake of your health, stop making excuses. Get out there. Yeah, I know, you’re busy. So am I. Business is the curse of our age. Make time for some outdoor recreation. Especially if you don’t have time for a heart attack.

Culture, Faith, Fly Fishing, Life, Uncategorized

I AM

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Mission Mountains above Flathead Lake, Western Montana. Copyright Mike L. Raether

I’m enthusiastic about many outdoor pursuits, but my first passion is fly fishing. For some reason I feel closer to God while working out a fly line and floating down a bit of fluff and feather to kiss the surface of sparkling waters. Of course, I realize that just because I feel closer to God at those special times doesn’t mean He isn’t just as close at other times.

When God sent Moses to Egypt to lead his people out of Egyptian slavery thousands of years ago, Moses asked God, “Who shall I say is sending me?” God replied, “Tell them I AM WHO I AM has sent you.” This prompted me to do a little Bible study —

I found that “I AM WHO I AM” translates a word in the original text, actually a name, which basically means “I am He who exists, is, and will be.”

In my words God told Moses, “Tell them the eternal, self existent One has sent you.”

If you know the story of Moses in the Biblical book of Exodus, you remember that Moses went to Egypt and led his people out of slavery, but he certainly didn’t have a very easy time of it.

I got to thinking about that phrase, “I AM.” I remembered that God is not just present in the outdoors, but in all the experiences in life.

  • I AM.
  • I am present.
  • I am present in your sickness, and I am present in your health.
  • I am present in your weakness, and I am present in your strength.
  • I am present in your grief, and I am present in your joy.
  • I am present in your groaning, and I am present in your salvation.
  • I am present in your poverty, and I am present in your prosperity.
  • I am present in your defeats, and I am present in your victories.
  • I am present in your tears, and I am present in your laughter.
  • I am present in your fears, and I am present in your faith.
  • I am present in your doubts, and I am present in your confidence.
  • I am present in your play, and I am present in your work.
  • I am present when you sleep, and I am present when you awake.
  • I am present in your past, I am present in your present, and I am present in your future.
  • I am present.
  • I AM.

Care to share your thoughts? If you like, you can leave your views by clicking the “Leave a Comment” button under the title of this blog.

Culture, Life, Uncategorized

A Sportsman Looks at Gun Control

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I hate to admit I even thought of this – it’s a horrible thought, but it could be true.

“I guess we’ll just go home” by Elipongo, licensed under CC 4.0

Let’s suppose that in order to restrict access to guns, the anti-gunners are willing to consider students and other mass shooting victims as sacrificial lambs. You know, sacrifice the victims in pursuit of what they feel is the greater good: the removal of our constitutional right to keep and bear arms.

Every time there’s a school or other mass shooting we get a knee-jerk reaction from some on the left: “We have to have more gun control! We have to outlaw ‘assault weapons!’ We have to make it harder for people to get guns!” And so it goes, on, and on, and on…

Seems ironic – to put it politely – that many progressives would like the Supreme Court to revisit its ruling on the Second Amendment, but certainly NOT its ruling on Roe v. Wade.

I’m old, so I remember when you could buy a gun from a mail-order catalog and have it delivered to your home. The thing I don’t remember is a bunch of mass shootings as a consequence. But then again, like I said I’m old so maybe I don’t remember correctly (but I do remember when the Boy Scouts . . . ).

To me, the bottom line is this: the problem isn’t guns; the problem is sick people.

What if more time, money, and effort was focused on identifying dangerously sick people and finding help for them instead of pushing for more gun control laws? Of course, first we have to make it safe to reveal mental illness struggles, but that’s a whole different issue. More laws are not the answer; some of the places in our country that have the most restrictive gun control laws also have the most gun-related crimes, such as murder.

I’m fortunate to live in Montana, where we have the some of the least restrictive gun laws. For example, I can carry a concealed weapon without a permit anywhere in Montana except for in incorporated cities (and of course, banks, government buildings, bars, and so on).

Got a story for ya. I live in the country and offer an RV site to tourists and others. A man once knocked on my door and asked to pitch his tent overnight. I didn’t really like the looks of the guy, and I noticed California plates on his vehicle (not that I have anything against Californians, per se), so I declined and suggested some free local options for camping. His expression revealed fear. He said, “But people in Montana have guns don’t they?”

Yeah, over 20% of us do, and that’s why a guy doesn’t have to worry much. A person with a gun is just as likely to protect you as herself. And bad guys usually don’t mess with Montanans as they just might be risking their lives by picking on a legit gun owner. In Montana, we can use lethal force against an assailant if we feel our lives are threatened, even if we’re not at home.

These are my thoughts – what about yours? You can leave a comment by clicking/tapping “Comments” under the title.

Culture, Fly Fishing, Leisure, Uncategorized

Just Launch It

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It’s called a boat launch, which might give you an idea of what it’s there for. But rather than talk about what it is, it might be better to talk about what it isn’t.

First off, it’s not a place to park your boat while you rig up your rod. Second, it’s not a place to park your boat while eating a sandwich. Third, it’s not a place to park while you scratch your backside. In short, the launch isn’t your personal parking spot. It’s called a “boat launch” because it’s supposed to be used to launch your boat, not rig your rod, eat your lunch, or scratch your butt.

To avoid the ire of the guy behind you who’s waiting his turn to launch (that cranky guy who just invited you to have a drink of water even though you’re not thirsty), check these tips to get you out of the way of crabby dudes –  

  1. Remove your tie downs, but do have a safety bow line attached.
  2. Have your fenders in place if using.
  3. If your boat uses them, place your oars in their locks.
  4. Have your ice chests, boat bags, rods, anchors, electronics and such on board and already situated on your boat.
  5. Oh, yeah, did you put the plug in?

Now that you know all this (or in case you already knew), you’ve earned the right to pass along this valuable knowledge to the guy in front of you who’s hogging the ramp. Unless, of course, he’s the cranky type who might invite you to have a drink of water even if you’re not thirsty. In which case, just get ready to launch. 

Okay, so I’m a crabby curmudgeon. Got anything to add? Just click “Leave a Comment” under the title of this blog article.

Culture, Fly Fishing, Leisure, Life

Flyfisher’s Guide to NW Montana’s Mountain Lakes

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How about taking your fly rod on a hike into Montana’s  backcountry and catching wild mountain trout? Or maybe you’d prefer  reading about it while relaxing in your recliner? Maybe you want to both read up and plan that self-guided fly fishing trip into the remote mountainous areas of the Last, Best Place?

If you find yourself in one of the above groups, (or somewhere between) you might enjoy my new book, The Flyfisher’s Guide to Northwest Montana’s Mountain Lakes soon to be released in print by Wilderness Adventures Press. The first 40 or so pages contain valuable information for fly fishers from beginners to experts, including tackle info, backcountry navigation, guidance on how to rig up for backpacking, tips for camping in bear country, information about using goats as pack stock, and much more. The remainder of the book is dedicated to individual reports on some of the best mountain lakes of Northwest Montana, including driving directions, trail info, GPS coordinates, and best-in-class maps by Wilderness Adventures Press. You can sample it as an e-book online  at Amazon and Google Play, and purchase it there if you like. Or you can buy a signed print copy here.

The online samples will give you a peek at the first 40 or so pages, but I thought you also might want to see a sample lake report from the book. So with permission from the publisher, here ya go –

Trail Lake

GPS:  

Trailhead: 47.00634, -115.01147

Lake: 47.00603, -115.04137

Summary: Probably the best eastern brook mountain lake in Mineral County, Trail Lake covers about 12 fishy acres.

Location: 17 miles south-southwest of the town of Superior

Maps: USGS 7.5-minute quadrangle Illinois Peak (for reference only—trail to Trail Lake not shown on topo map). USDA Forest Service map Lolo National Forest, Superior Ranger District; DeLorme Montana Atlas and Gazetteer, page 52; Benchmark Montana Road and Recreation Atlas, page 61

Elevations:

Trailhead: 4,723 feet

Lake: 5,740 feet

Round-Trip Hike: 4.4 miles

Hike Difficulty: Moderate

Sometimes you just hit the jackpot, and the jackpot in this case was fat, feisty, eastern brook averaging 10 to 12 inches.

Knowing that mountain trout don’t usually get up early, I didn’t arrive at the trailhead and start my hike on a bright and lovely July morning until 11 a.m. The forecast was for light and variable winds and a sunny afternoon in the low 80s. Nice.

I took my time hiking in, enjoying my time on the trail just as much as the prospect of sampling a new lake. It was two p.m. by the time I arrived at Trail Lake, unpacked, and inflated my little boat. My hiking partner for the day had arrived at the lake before me and was already out on the lake fishing and catching fish. He kept hollering, “Got another one, Mike! Got another one! Hurry up and get out here!”

But I’m never in a hurry when I’m in the mountains. I want to savor every moment. So with my friend still hollering, “Got another one!” I found a comfortable perch on a log, shared a PBJ with my poodle, and had a cool drink.

After lunch, I rigged up double flies on my 3-weight with a size 16 green foam beetle and a size 14 Royal Wulff as the caboose. I walked my boat down to the lake shore and eased it into the lake. Just then a mayfly hatch exploded.

Suddenly there were mayflies everywhere: in the air, on the water, landing on my boat, my shirt, and my dog. I pulled out a fly box and searched for something to imitate the hatch. I found a size 16 Callibaetis (mayfly) spinner with a green thorax. The color wasn’t a match to the hatch, but the size was right on. Remembering that size is more important than color, I hurriedly clipped off the Royal Wulff, replaced it with the mayfly spinner, and shoved off.

My first two casts didn’t produce, but after that it was cheesecake. I had two takes in a row on the mayfly spinner, but I foul-hooked both fish. Thus began a lesson in flyfishing adaptability.

I removed the beetle, replaced it with the spinner for a one-fly setup, and settled my offering a few feet from shore. Trout were rising all around the fly, but they ignored the spinner. Try something different, I thought. I gave the fly line a little tug to sink the fly and started a slow, stripping retrieve. Fish on.

I landed and released the fish and figuring the fly was too slimed up to float, I decided to send it back to work. But after I double-hauled the line back out, the darn bug dried out and floated. No takers. Once again I tugged the line to sink the fly and repeated the slow retrieve. Bam. Fish on.

Okay, you idiots, I thought, you want it wet, I’ll give it to you wet. I retrieved the fly and clipped off the white spinner wings which were drying out and causing the fly to float. I sealed the deal by dousing the fly in sinkum.

I sent the fly back on the job with a smug smile. This time it sank. I repeated the retrieve. This time no fish. Another cast. No fish. Hmmm. I retrieved the line.

I sat in the boat thinking for a moment as a gentle breeze nudged me along the shore. What had I learned so far?

1. They want it wet.
2. They want the white.

I had one of those “light-bulb-over-the-head” moments.

I clipped off the mutilated fly and tied on another identical to the first. After a good soak in sinkum, I sent the fly on mission. Bam. Fish. Bam. Fish. Bam. Fish. And so it went as long as the mayfly hatch lasted. Ahh…. Sometimes you just hit the jackpot.

Getting There

From Interstate 90 at the town of Superior, take Exit 47, travel east on FR 250, which is also named Diamond Match Road and later becomes Trout Creek Road. Continue about 17 miles from Superior to FR 7813 and turn right (north). At 1.9 miles, turn south (left) on FR 388. Follow FR 388 about 1 mile to the trailhead for Trail 256. The trailhead is not signed, but it starts just before you cross the bridge over the North Fork of Trout Creek.

Caution: That last mile on FR 388 is kind of nasty. You won’t need four-wheel drive, but forget it if you’re driving a Corvette.

The Hike

For the most part, the trail follows the course of an old mining road. In fact, as I started the hike I asked myself, What’s a nice trail like you doing in a place like this? The trail ascended gradually until it crossed the North Fork of Trout Creek and then the switchbacks began. When I came to the switchbacks I asked myself, What’s a nice fisherman like you doing on a trail like this? However, the switchbacks marked the final ascent and only climbed about 0.25 mile to the lake.

Camping

There are a few very nice but primitive campsites at the lake.