Fathers' Day In Montana: It Begins

Happy Fathers' Day, Extravagant Ones, from Montana (where the stage is now being set for your imminent arrivals)!

In spite of my earlier protestations, Delta Air Lines did a fine job delivering me here to Extravaganza Headquarters yesterday--the flight service on their superb 50-seat Canadian Regional Jets is absolutely marvelous, it is only their reservations department that has provided us with this year's grief. And what an incoming flight it was: As each of you will witness, coming into Missoula, you will approach town from the south and fly right down the 50-mile-long Bitterroot Valley (which we each will fish) seeing off to the left Lolo Peak (its Lookout Pass almost was the undoing of Lewis & Clark 200 years ago when they de-wintered too soon from Travelers Rest in Lolo, their second winter's layover along "the Root," in an attempt to cross that mountain westward bound--they ended up having to turn back with their outgoing horses turning into their inbound retreating food stock); seeing off either side of the plane yet beautifully snowcapped peaks; and then, on your base and final legs into MSO, seeing the second of the two rivers that we will fish, The Clark Fork of the Columbia River. What a spectacle to behold!

For me, this is like "the week before" for each of the participants in the Indianapolis 500 or the Kentucky Derby--a week of final tune up and preparation for your much anticipated arrival(s). An early check-up on all fronts has us "right in the sweet spot" by all accounts: (a) Snow is in the mountains (although be it that the snow pack is but 40% of normal) and that guarantees us good water supply (that would not be the case, however, most likely this year, if the Extravaganza were to be held in August--that's why we have booked "the best guides on the best rivers at the best times"); (b) the clarity of the rivers is quickly to be fully found, with Groups One and Two right on the cusp of Prime Time (just as they were last year--remember, '06 Group Twoers that 256-fish day you had on your second day?? Not bad for just 7 boats on the water!); and (c) the weather is "doing its thing" just nicely, thank you (late yesterday afternoon the thunderheads rolled in and we had a thunder and lightning show to treat all [except for Extravagant mascot, trusty Sir, who quivers just at the thought!], along with several inches of new rain well into the evening hours).

Yes, indeed; things are progressing just nicely. And behold this: Suddenly, the Five Day Forecast on Der Blog becomes an item of greater relevance for those in Group One; quickly that Camp List becomes an action item for us all (just go to Der Blog's Search Box and type in "Camp List" and, voila, it will magically appear for you [or click on these two links]); and, silently, visitations to Der Blog are starting to increase with greater frequency (we are up to 435 visitations as of this early Sunday morning--remember, No. 500 gets a bottle of Rock Creek Red!). (This message is the first of the ensuing to be available only on Der Blog, by the way.)

Most importantly in this message from Extravaganza Headquarters: Hearty Fathers' Day greetings to all of you Extravagant dads out there. This year, more than any other, we will be blessed with father-son Extravaganza father-son combinations--seven such pairs, in fact. Highlighting that list is the entrance of rookie Michael Corcoran into Group One with his son Evan (and son-in-law Drew); the two-time return of Group Two's Peter and Alex Narodny father and son tag team; the two-time return in Group Three of Napa's Brian Shepard and BOTH of his sons this year (he brought Josef and Nicolas solo during each of the past two Extravaganzas); the introduction of Group Three rookie Jim Killin (who for each of his three children takes them on one special father-son trip, having chosen the Extravaganza for his finale with son Eric); and, of course, the return of my great fishing pal Tyler for Groups Three and Four this year. What fun.

One of the greatest gifts in this world is that of being a father; one of the greatest joys of being a father is being able to fish with your son and to pass on to him that great heritage, enabling him to pass that glorious bonding experience on to yet the next generation, just as it has been done for eons before us. With that in mind, what we built here in Montana for our family was built with the following instructions to our multiple contractors: "Make it last 200 years."

Happy Fathers' Day all from one happy father to the multitude of you Extravagant ones! May the blessings of the day be as many for you as the gifts of guidance and tutelage that you have bestowed on your sons and daughters.

Best to all from the scene of it all,
Rock Creek Ron