Wet or dry, many got hooked

After the morning hailstorm, the fish seemed a little shy. Regardless, the scene behind Snappy Sport Senter in Evergreen teemed with people focused on the piscine.

“We would have an annual banquet, which could get up to $100 a ticket,” said Wade Fredenberg, president of the local chapter of Trout Unlimited, whose members created last month’s Fin Fest. “But then we thought, ‘Let’s do this.’”

The free May 16 event offered just about everything related to angling and was especially aimed at encouraging kids to take up a pole and try their luck.

As the sun struggled to break through the cloud cover and Johnny Cash crooned over the sound system, kids and adults lined the loaded trout pond, learned how to cast and swapped gear. Inside, in Snappy’s back room, attendees watched demos and talked bugs, both real and representational. 

Steve McDermott and Jim Borowski sat elbow to elbow at the vises, tying flies. McDermott looked up from his fine work and said, “We’re trying to fool a brain this big,” as he nearly pressed his thumb and forefinger together. 

“They can be very picky,” Borowski added, winding thread around his latest project. A featured Flybrary (“take a fly, leave a fly”) display showed the range of skill and creativity involved in tricking a fish. I wondered how many would fall for the big purple puff. 

Across from them, Justin Smith and Pat Van Eimeren showed off the bugs that were rounded up that morning at Ashley Creek and the ponds at Grandview, including dragonflies, crustaceans and leeches. Seeing them up close with instruction helped me learn to differentiate between mayflies (three tail filaments) and stoneflies (two, plus more body segments). Smith also mentioned that stonefly presence points to cleaner, well-oxygenated waters. 

Van Eimeren, a retired fish biologist with Flathead National Forest, said, “Bugs are a great indicator of changes in our environment.” 

Back outside, I heard the satisfying whistle of a line cast toward targets on the lawn as a 7-year-old took a turn. Fly casting instructor Jeff Kalwara, who guides for the renowned Dave Blackburn on the Kootenai, taught the art to a nonstop stream of kids. Some adults stood close by to pick up tips. 

A din broke out at the pond as Banks Bailey, 5, brought in his first fish. Fredenberg handed a rod to a girl fresh from a match in her bright green Flathead Valley United soccer kit, then hustled over with a net to retrieve the rainbow. After Banks got a picture with it, Fredenberg handed over the catch. “You want to let him go?” he asked. “Just don’t squeeze him.” 

Banks and his mom, Jenn, retreated to a nearby bench to absorb the milestone. I asked him how it felt, but it was all too ineffable, for now. Jenn said they take their pontoon boat out on Lake Koocanusa, and last summer Banks had done a bit of complaining. She had the feeling this year would be different.  

Hopefully the day served to launch some long fishing careers — Banks’ included. In other words, it was way better than a banquet. 

Margaret E. Davis, executive director of the Northwest Montana History Museum, can be reached at [email protected].