Big Sky Country 2.0 - Day 2

Our second day in found us headed toward Yellowstone National Park and more of the Madison river. After a beautiful drive from Ennis up to West Yellowstone we found a hearty breakfast and some good input from the helpful guys at Blue Ribbon. 

Schultzy gettin' it done on the Madison below Yellowstone!

First stop was just outside the Park (to avoid paying for an additional fishing license). This location was unlike the Madison we'd experienced the first day - broad, fairly slow, and a bottom of sand and gravel. Super easy wading! After rigging up for streamer pitching, we headed downstream. A sudden Blue Winged Olive hatch sent us scrambling back to the truck for dry flies. Unfortunately despite some great looking water and a solid hatch, this was not to be a hot spot. Schultzy stuck a few dinks, while Reid and I got skunked. 

Time to move on downstream toward Quake Lake. If you're never visited this area, Quake Lake is pretty amazing! Formed as a result of a 1959 earthquake that actually re-routed the river after 80 million tons of rock fell into the valley, the lake is 6 miles long and 190 feet deep!

The Madison above Quake Lake; pretty, but tricky wading.

This segment of the Madison was especially beautiful. But with this beauty came some tough wading. Some seriously FAST water, combined with basketball-sized ankle-breaker boulders, and slick algae growth was the recipe for scary. Early on I made the mistake of deciding the fishing would be better on the far back. Mid-crossing I realized I was wading in a spot that was above my skill level. Unfortunately, when you find yourself in these spots, turning back is often worse than completing the crossing. After a few tense moments of slick footing, fast current, and heart-racing adrenaline, I made it across. 

Though beautiful, this stretch left us all fishless. And it helped me address an important gear issue. Rocking Simms HardBite star cleats is the only thing the kept me upright in the fast-flowing Madison. Later in the week I also found them tremendously helpful wading some of the algae-slick portions of the Big Hole river. Previously I'd only used cleats in Ohio. The issue with cleats comes into play when fishing from a boat. A good way to be unwelcome quickly is to clamber aboard in your cleated boots, scratching the crap out of your host's boat. After this trip, I've decided it's time to add a second pair of boots sans cleats for boat-based fishing. I love my Simms Riversheds, so I think a second pair will be on-order shortly. While I like the idea of Korkers interchangeable soles, I have serious doubts that they'll hold up like my Simms have.

Back at the truck, I found that not only had I gone fishless, so had Reid and Schultzy. But we did get the pleasure of meeting a true Montana bullshitter who claimed to take 90 yard bow shots on whitetails, and hunt grouse with his bow. Uh huh, sure you do. Of course. And your 11-year-old daughter will kill her first elk with a bow at 60 yards...

A quick drive over to Twin Bridges got us to The Stonefly Inn - our home base for the next few days. A fine dinner of Rooster's coffee steaks followed by a few Moscow Mules had us all happy and energized for some great fishing starting on the next day...

  

Review - Simms Rivershed Wading Boot

Now that I have a few days in with my Simms Rivershed boots, I think it's time for a review. I picked these up last Fall to replace my aging Simms L2's. While the L2's are a great boot, they have a couple of key drawbacks. First, they're pretty lightweight for any serious hiking. And, second, the Aquastealth were an early rubber sole. The traction is OK, at-best. All of that aside, they've been comfortable, durable and served me well. It's just time for something more.

Last weekend I did my first serious hiking in the Riversheds down in Eastern Ohio's Steelhead Alley region. We waded a lot of water and hiked a lot of trails -- easily over 10 miles. The best praise I can give these boots? No blisters, no hot spots, and no stubbed toes. They were supportive, grippy (more on that in a moment), and remained comfortable all day. The conditions in Steelhead Alley are a real challenge - from flat ledge rock in the rivers to a super-slippery muddy clay on the banks. The Rivershed did it all.

Another benefit is the toe box. Stubbing a toe into a surprise basket-ball sized rock mid-stream can help you uncover some new words in your vocabulary quickly. The Rivershed toe box offers a nice rigid design and great protection -- while remaining flexible enough for good performance while hiking.

One issue you'll want to pay attention to is fit. I find the forefoot is considerably larger than my L2s. Initially I was concerned it was too large, but I've found a couple of things help. First, I added a liner sock which adds volume. But, more importantly, I've really made an effort to lace the lower up very tight. Both make a world of difference. I'll be trying an additional insole on the my next trip to see if that helps reduce volume without impacting comfort.

But the best upgrade was the Hardbite Star Cleat. These things are bad ass! Simms claims the offer equivalent grip to 5 conventional studs and I believe it. The shale ledge bottoms of Steelhead Alley are notoriously slick, difficult wading. No problem with these cleats! I'm eager to try them in some other tough spots.

Another benefit is my L2's will now have a new life -- as my boat boots, or for use in hot weather in easier conditions like the AuSable where the Rivershed might be too much boot.

If you're looking for a great boot at a great value, I highly recommend the Simms Rivershed.

-Sean-