The Wind is My Friend

That's what I keep telling myself - "The wind is my friend, the wind is my friend." But the wind can put a crimp in your casting ability. And knots in your fishing line.

Just yesterday we started dry fly fishing (yipeee!) and it's all about seeing the fish and putting the fly where the fish is. Most afternoons here in Montana the wind starts to blow - and blow hard! Yesterday we watched the tent campers almost lose their tent to the wind and another pop-up trailer's awning looked like a wind-filled spinaker on a sailboat. We've had to pull in our window awnings for fear that they would be ripped off the motorhome. (the wind is my friend)

When the temps get warm enough in the afternoon, the storm clouds build up to the south of us and we can see it coming. Since we are carrying graphite lightning rods as fishing poles, we stop fishing when we see the dark clouds headed our way. And we're headed for the motorhome when we hear the thunder. The lightning isn't too far behind the thunder. Of course by then the wind has made it difficult to cast a fly to a rising fish. Even with the wind blowing us off the river, we each managed to land a few fish on dry flies. (the wind is my friend)

The campground owners usually put on a huge 4th of July barbecue and spectacular fireworks display. For various reasons they did not host the barbecue nor the fireworks this year. And we think that was a godsend, given the dry conditions and extreme wind. There are enough wildfires in the west.

And the wind is not limited to the afternoons. A couple nights ago the wind continually pounded the motorhome while we slept. The back end of the motorhome is pointed to the south where the storms have come from, so we're not getting hit by the wind as we would from the broadside. But even so, we were gently rocked to sleep. And the wind is my friend.