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Sunday, March 20, 2011

Bighorn - After Thoughts & Detour

I forgot to comment on how I did with Fish Pimp on my last post. I definitely love it!!!! During the course, other guys used Thingamabobber like I used to. Fish Pimp may not be as buoyant as Thingamabobber but it's still visible under the water and lets me know the take. Then again it does not make kinks as Thingamabobber does on my leader. Furthermore, I didn't lose any. I used only one during the week. If you have your own nymph rig with Thingamabobber and don't mind kinks on your leaders, it's OK. But if you are the one that cares kinks and wearing on your leaders and also the one that change rigging according to situation like me (dry-fly, nymph, soft-hackle, and streamer), Fish Pimp is greater than Thingamabobber.

There were nine attendants with different ages, characters, motivations, objectives, and fishing experience. Eric from Portland is a cool dude who lead the entertaining part of the team. I myself tend to be a quiet nature but Eric's machine-gun talk is a likable way. I even laughed while I was trying to sleep. My first impression on him was "is he BORAT?" Indeed he made all of us laugh as Borat does. On the very last evening of our stay, with some encouragement of Canadian whiskey, I finally said to him "I like you, do you like me?" in Borat's way. I'm sure Eric will be an entertaining and successful guide wherever he intends.

I was off duty from giving a ride for other students to Billings airport so I made a detour to Little Bighorn Battlefield. I don't have to explain what this place is about. I'm a great fan of American West history of 19th century. Last time I dropped by here was way back in 2002 on the way back from Colorado State University with an Animal Science meeting. It's really a spiritual place. This time I had more time and a better camera. Here's an outside wall of the visitor center.

There is a little museum inside. This is an Indian Warrior at this time.

And not to mention General George Armstrong Custer.

This was supposed to be Custer's Last Stand.......

Whatsoever, it's a vast country.

Very hard to capture its vastness by a camera.

A small river in the scene is called Little Bighorn River. Again it's a huge and empty country. I'd like to say if we close our eyes, we can imagine how the battle happened..........

There is a cemetery for horses also. Horses are noble creatures for me. In this case, I read about Comanche.

Park rangers told me that they built an Indian remembrance in 2o03. It was another cool memorial of the place.

Beautiful construction against the back of vast continent.

I seldom come this way from now on so it was quite an interesting detour.
This vast country and history soothed my feelings a bit. Now Japan is experiencing a tragedy and a disaster but there will be time when we all can stop and look back the history.
Someday soon Japan will be OK and lots of Japanese anglers will come to fish in Montana.
In that case I'm your huckleberry.

2 comments:

  1. Very good writing Satoshi...I enjoy the blog. You know the bighorn country is were the Padlock Ranch North Division is (Connoly Camp). Some of my most memorable days cowboying was in that country!

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  2. Chris,
    Fishing aside, I developed a habit to observe cows wherever I travel in Montana. Cows in that country look skinny compared to those in western MT. There was a herd of horses along the private section of Battlefield. They were grazing on the total open field, no fence at all. They were so beautiful and free. That's why I love those horse related arts in that place.

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