Zip through the trees - Fly at up to 50 mph along wires on new Big Mountain attraction
WHITEFISH - “Zip One clear; ready for flier.”

Enjoy, respect our public lands, waters
Now, at last, the full bloom of summer is upon us. The Summer Solstice has passed, and the Fourth of July weekend looms ahead. Folks are taking every opportunity to head for the mountains, lakes and rivers to enjoy this wonderful place.

Fishing is picking up on rivers around Missoula
It’s the Fourth of July weekend! In between celebrating our nation’s independence with family, friends and fireworks, there are many places to go fishing.

Wildflower Walks - Wild licorice
Glycyrrhiza lepidota
Description: Greenish-white flowers 1/2-inch long form dense clusters on a shrub 1 to 3 feet tall. Leaves are made up of 11 to 19 lance-shaped leaflets up to 1 inch long. Blooms from June to early August. Grows in patches on cultivated land and in prairies, river bottoms and moist mountain draws. (“Peterson Field Guides Rocky Mountain Wildflowers,” by John J. Craighead, Frank C. Craighead Jr. and Ray J. Davis.)

Outdoors Briefs
Thursday, July 2, 2009

Angling for all: Fishing Without Barriers Day on Flathead reels in trout - and a tale
WOODS BAY - As fish stories go, it was a good one, and it quickly made its way late last week around the camp at Hidden Harbor and Woods Bay RV Park, home base for the 16th annual Fishing Without Barriers Day.

Fly, mate and die - An account of the final day in the life of a salmonfly
Last night was a weird night. I can’t really say what came over me. I just know that I was suddenly swept over by the desire to leave the watery world that has been my home for as long as I can remember. And that was just the start of it. As this bright dawn breaks, I feel like I’m going out of my antennae.

Fish fight a reminder state more than we deserve
Once upon a time, back when I was a fishing guide, I learned something from one of my customers that came to mind the other day on Rock Creek as I watched a friend lose a fine, fat trout before he could get it in the net.

Fish for walleye and a $10,000 prize on Canyon Ferry
This weekend marks the 11th year of the Canyon Ferry Walleye Festival. At 6 a.m. Saturday, Doug Breker will sound off the horn to signal the start of his final tournament as director.

Wildflower Walks - Wood’s rose
Rosa woodsii
Description: Pink flowers 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 inches wide are made up of five stamens, five petals and numerous yellow stamens and pistils. Grows on a shrub 3 to 10 feet tall with toothed compound leaves. Blooms late May to July. Grows in moist soil of draws, hills and open valleys. (“Peterson Field Guides Rocky Mountain Wildflowers,” by John J. Craighead, Frank C. Craighead Jr. and Ray J. Davis.)

Outdoors Briefs
Thursday, June 25, 2009

Dino tracks - Follow remnants of prehistoric creatures across state
While many tourists visit Montana for the scenic mountains, great fly-fishing and lush green plains, among paleontologists and dinosaur lovers, Big Sky Country is home to some of the most unique fossil digs in the country.

Son’s fly threading a sight for father’s older eyes
Small changes creep up on you with the years. Lately, it has become increasingly difficult to thread the leader material on the end of my fly line through the tiny eye of the fly. It’s a rare day when I can manage to do it on the first try. My old eyes just don’t work the way they used to.

River fishing is on in western Montana
The fishing news has finally turned its attention to the rivers in western Montana. All the rivers in the region are fishable now, and it should be the start of a great season.

Wildflower Walks - Blanketflower
Gaillardia aristata
Description: Flower is 2 to 3 inches wide with orange to purplish-red diskflowers surrounded by yellow rayflowers. Stands on a stem 8 to 30 inches tall with lance-shaped leaves up to 6 inches long growing from lower part of stem. Blooms June to early August in medium-dry to moist soil in open areas and on foothills. (“Peterson Field Guides Rocky Mountain Wildflowers,” by John J. Craighead, Frank C. Craighead Jr. and Ray J. Davis.)

Outdoors Briefs
Thursday, June 18, 2009

DIRTY FINGERNAILS - Leafy spurge-eating beetles not a threat to other plan
Q: Is the flea beetle cure for leafy spurge going to be a worse problem than the plant itself? We are already trying to deal with flea beetles.

Packable rafts - Madison River trip illustrates portability of one-person watercraft
THREE FORKS - Only seconds into my first packrafting trip, the boat flipped.

Krause Basin nature trail offers forest education
KALISPELL - A quarter-mile, a dozen stops, a timeless forest, a century of logging. A whole wide world of wonder, and a trail to take you, too.

Wildflower Walks - Canada violet
Viola canadensis
Description: Nearly 1-inch-wide flower has five white petals that are yellow at the base and purplish on the back; lower three petals have purple lines at the base, and outer petals are hairy at the base. Stands 4 to 16 inches tall with 1- to 3-inch heart-shaped leaves. Blooms May to June in moist woodlands. (“National Audubon Society Field Guide to Wildflowers n Western Region,” by Richard Spellenberg)

Dance to trout music with salmonflies
Pteronarcys californica - it’s that time again.

Get out for National Fishing and Boating Week
This is National Fishing and Boating Week, and although Montana has no official celebrations going on, just being able to fish and boat in the state’s lakes and rivers should be reason enough to celebrate.

Outdoors Briefs
Thursday, June 11, 2009

Rainbow rebound - In Madison River, new trout species makes whirling disease stand
ENNIS - An evolutionary accident - an unexpected biological treasure at the end of the rainbows - has saved a famed Madison River fishery from spiraling into memory.

Float offers reminder of rampaging river’s power
Late Monday afternoon found me slipping into the rear seat of a raft with my son Sander at the oars and his pal Grace riding along in the front. We had planned a cruise on the Big Blackfoot where, for reasons that were all too obvious, we discovered we were the only boat on the water.

Smoke your fish, with help
Fishing in Montana has it rewards. Catching rainbow trout, kokanee salmon and lake trout is a lot of fun and preparing them for a tasty meal is also a great reward.

Glacier unveils trout plan
WEST GLACIER - Hoping to save native fish from hungry invaders, Glacier National Park managers are looking to shore up stream barriers and to net non-natives from the last of the high-mountain strongholds.

Plan to move captured bison stalls
BILLINGS - A high-profile initiative to spare a small number of Yellowstone bison from slaughter has been delayed until at least this fall, after a Wyoming Indian reservation reversed its plan to take the animals.

St. Helens park advocates continue to press cause
VANCOUVER, Wash. - Advocates of turning Mount St. Helens into a national park aren’t ready to give up on the idea, despite an advisory committee’s recommendation to keep it with the U.S. Forest Service.

Outdoors Briefs
Thursday, June 4, 2009