Cuatro!

Hello again Friends! It is Sunday and Group Four is out on the rivers of Montana, hunting the wily trout. So, I thought this would be a good chance for Der Blog to update the world on the events up to this point.

Now that Group Four is here, the cat is all the way out of the bag, the brand new custom rods and reels have been distributed to all Extravaganzers! Thank's to all in Groups One, Two and Three, who kept the secret under their Extravaganza 2007 hats, Yellow or Otherwise, so that subsequent Groups could enjoy the surprise!

The balance of Group Four drove or flew in Saturday, and we made the traditional procession to the Grizzly Hackle for licences, apparel, and rods n' reels. Ron sets up Doug Caulfield, Jim Krieg, Haden Ongaro and Mary Reilley with the goods:

Ron Beeler, Don Valdez and Scott McAdams about to pop into the official Extravaganza hats and shirts:

Then, I'm sure most of you recognize by now our kitchen away from home, the MacKenzie River Pizza Company. For those loyal readers of Der Blog, Sandy wasn't working that day. Sigh...

The stroll to the pizza joint:

Group Four then motored out of Missoula to Rock Creek, where it was time for some casting lessons.

Like a snake in the grass I crept close, hoping to glean some of Tyler's casting wisdom:
Later, Ron gave the blow by blow on camera operation, the Prestige of the Yellow Hat, and the news that we'd be fishing 2 hours earlier to beat the heat.
Fred Johnson offers his Yellow Hat for comparison purposes. It reads, "Extravaganza 2006" a small but important difference from the Yellow Hats that Ron holds.

The local paper headlines: Mercury in Missoula Cracks Triple Digits. Tyler Clausen shows his disbelief:

We did get one Report from the Boat, as Dave Studeman and Lynn Turnbull did get out for the day on the Clark Fork. They bagged about 20 fish, almost all in the morning, trout ranging from 14 to 16 inches. There were only two fish reeled in, under the blazing afternoon sun, but they were both longer than 20 inches! Unfortunately, they were both Filthy Pike, which soon became birdfood on the bank. Since this was not a Extravaganza Sanctioned Fishing Day, these pike do not qualify Dave for the 20" Club, but he's still got two days to work on that.

Lynn Turnbull and Dave Studeman with the advance scouting report:

What a good looking Group!

I spotted this on the back of guide Kurt's rig out behind the Hackle. Pretty much sums up his guiding style and the Extravaganza:

Der Dave