Distinctly Montana Magazine

d i s t i n c t ly m o n ta n a • s u m m e r 2 0 1 5 54 Fish love them. And fishermen love it that fish, like the native Yellowstone cutthroat, the brown trout and rainbow favor the cad- dis as it hovers over the water and touches the surface. It is then that fly fishermen and women tie one on — an artificial caddis fly tied via fisherman's knot to tippet. In Big Sky, several guide services such as the Orvis Endorsed Fly Shop at Lone Mountain Ranch, offer fly fishing lessons, float trips and walk-and-wade experiences. "We have several rivers to choose from," says guide John Hall. "And nice fishing spots just a few minutes from Big Sky on the Gallatin." e ranch's fly shop provides the Orvis waders, wading boots, fly rod and reel, to tease the Mayflies, stoneflies, yellow sallies, spruce moths and of course, the caddis that flourish in the Treasure State. Big Sky, the mountain town on the east slope of the 11,166-foot Lone Peak also emerges from quiet spring into a flower-flocked summer of golfing, hiking, biking, and other activities, so many in fact, it would take a week or more and long days to try all the active happenings — a worthy pursuit indeed. Red Indian paintbrush, purple lupine, and yellow arrowleaf balsamroot nod in the breeze as hikers explore a few of Big Sky Resort's 16 miles of trails, such as a self-guided trail from the top of a summer chairlifts or one of the resort's guided hikes from the mountain's summit. More trails meander through meadows and mountains, such as the locals' favorite, Ousel Falls Trail, a .85-mile canyon cruise to the cataract, aptly named for the "dipping bird," the ousel that flits here along the South Fork of the West Fork of the Gallatin River. Ousel Falls Trail is a pleasant introduction to hiking for folks not acclimatized to woodsy walks as well as a hiking primer for families who are rewarded with the 100-foot falls, and perhaps a glimpse at the rare fairy orchid at trailside. a B i g S S u m m E r K y i f Montana had a state fly, it would surely be the caddis. Like the state mammal, the grizzly bear and the state flower, the bitter- root, the caddis fly emerges from its aqueous hibernation each spring. e aquatic larvae cocoons all winter in stony enclaves at the Gallatin River's stream bottom until spring when water temperature warms. e caddis emerges winged and voracious. by jEaN arTHur DAx SCHieFFer

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