2006 Flanigan

2006 was a great season for "Fly Fish McCall." Our first trip of the season was June 8th and 9th with Mike Flanigan and his two sons, Franklin and Cooper.

Often times we find that if we can get to a lake as soon as the ice melts we can have extraordinary fishing. Taking that into consideration we decided to take a goat packing trip with Ed Allen, our resident goat packing guide, to a trophy lake we suspected no fisherman had been to yet this year. Our suspicions were confirmed when we saw no other tracks as we made our way through many snow drifts along the trail. On arrival at the lake it was cold, wet and rainy. 

The lake had the feeling of not being visited for many dark wintry months. As soon as we arrived at the lake, Ed "Firemaster" Allen put up a quick rain fly and built a fire that made it very comfortable to put on waders and inflate boats.

As we entered the lake, I noticed there were still large sheets of ice that had slid down the shear granite wall into the lake and as of yet had not begun to melt. Although the water was very cold and the fishing slow, this trip had a feeling of being very remote and the adventure of just getting there over shadowed any disappointment of lack of fish….We had several opportunities at fish and Mike landed a very nice cutthroat. 

As we approached the trailhead at the end of the day I told Mike that if he did not want to fish the next day I would not be disappointed. Mike and his sons asked "will the goats be going tomorrow?" I answered yes, and they said "then sure we want to go!"

The next day Mike Schlegel, our Llama, fly fish guide, and Ed Allen took the Flanigans, and the goats, and hiked to a trophy lake we fish frequently during the summer with drift boats. It was too early in the year to drive to the lake so they drove as far as they could then unloaded the goats and hiked for a few miles through snow drifts and down fall around the edge of the lake all the way to the inlet where they did finally find good fishing and landed several rainbows and cutthroats the ranged from 12 to 17 inches. They also were able to witness nice rainbows and cutthroats spawning in creeks so small they could step over them.

I want to thank Mike and his sons for being the type of fisherman we, at Fly Fish McCall, enjoy so much. Mike, Cooper and Flanigan enjoyed the adventure of the trip as much or more than the fishing. They were willing, and able, to go the distance and finally find what we were all looking for, good fly fishing, in a remote, pristine environment, shared with people we truly enjoy.

2006 Frier Featured Trip

Chris and Barbara Frier are good customers of Fly Fish McCall. During our 2006 season they fished four different trips with us. Chris started out fishing small mouth bass with Ron and as evidenced by the picture, he managed 
to catch one of our local pigs.

Chris loves to spend time catching fish with his family so he and his father and two brothers joined us for a day in drift boats fishing a local lake. I do not know how many rainbows and cutthroats we caught that day but it was a bunch and as I remember they were mostly on big dry flies. Chris was our last trip of the season in mid October with Mike Schlegel as the guide. When I asked Mike how they did he simply said it was the best day of fishing he had all season. Thank you Chris for sharing your McCall fly fishing experiences with us.

“As an outfitter 30 years ago in Montana I can appreciate professionalism. Fly fishing with Ron Howell is not only a thrill, but a learning experience. If you take this spectacular McCall area and add the expertise of Ron Howell you can expect the trip of a lifetime. Get that casting arm in shape because he will give you all the fishing a person can take. I have brought expert and complete novices and they have all been challenged. One cannot go wrong with Fly Fish McCall”.

- Chis Frier, December 2006

Featured Trip - 2006 Cohenour
Cohenour 4 Day Llama Fly Fish Trip October 2006

When Mark Cohenour contacted me and said he wanted to do a four day back country trip in early October I had mixed emotions. I knew that October would offer some of the greatest fishing of the year but October at over 6000 feet elevation could create some weather issues. After quite a few questions I determined that these guys were tough enough that even if the weather turned bad they would do just fine.

Mike Schlegel went in with his llamas and set up a very nice camp in the old growth timber next to a very productive lake.

Home sweet home in the old growth timber at 6975 ft elevation

Our main camp was two miles from the trail head and many more lakes lay beyond our camp. The idea was we could fish the lake next to camp then hike out to different lakes each day. The flaw in my plan was that the fishing 
in front of our camp was outstanding. 

I know we had some 50 fish days with most fish 12 to 16 inch cutthroats We did head out to different lakes twice but never found better fishing although the last day at a different lake we did find the biggest fish of the trip.

As it was, we experienced great weather, great fishing, great friends and absolutely majestic scenery enhanced by amazing fall colors. This is truly Gods country! Four days went by way to fast but if I am lucky I will be able to spend time with these guys again someday experiencing the back 
country lakes of central Idaho….Ron Howell

“The four day llama packing fly fish trip my family and I booked with Fly Fish McCall was the best combination of fly fishing, incredible scenery and hospitality I have enjoyed my entire life. 

When I arrived, my fly fishing skills were a little rusty. In very little time, Ron had me casting in fine form. I plan to come back soon and make it an annual event.”

Featured Trip - 2006 Crooked Island


In March Jodi and I joined 6 of our good friends at Pittstown Point at Crooked Island in the Bahamas. This has to be one of the finest bonefish destinations anywhere in the world today. Crooked Island is the southernmost of all Bahama Islands, just 150 miles North of Cuba islands just 150 miles north of Cuba.

This destination was professionally ran with very good resident guides in nice flats boats. The guides are always willing to work with people who have not fished bones before. We had wonderful fishing on the flats for bones and also were able to take a center console boat out one day for an assortment of reef fish.

The food was outstanding and the accommodations were not extravagant but certainly comfortable. We ate fresh lobster, grouper and the best cheeseburger and fries I have had anywhere. We were all surprised when Jimmy Buffett flew in his private plane for a “Cheese burger in Paradise.” Jimmy Buffett proclaimed this is his favorite bonefish spot and Bonefish Shakey his favorite guide.

Big Fish of the Year

"Not very often do I catch the big fish of the year but this Tiger Musky was approx 35 lbs. I caught this fish here in the McCall area while fishing with my wife in September. This was truly a spectacular fish. Sight fishing...watched the fish eat my fly...great battle and thanks to my wife, great pictures...Ron Howell

We all want to share our best fly fishing experiences with our family. I was blessed to be able to fish with my 13 year old daughter this summer and be able to net this incredible smallmouth Hunter caught on her fly rod. I have guided a lot of smallmouth fishing in Hells Canyon, the Salmon River and in McCall area...this is the largest smallmouth I have seen caught by anyone in my boat...just over 7 lbs...Hunter spotted the fish and we spent the next two hours trying to 
figure out how to catch this fish. 

We finally watched the fish eat the fly then went on a wild chase with boat around all kinds of stumps and structure but Hunter did a stellar job of fighting the fish and we were finally able to bring the fish to net for a quick picture...we released all these bass unharmed...Hunter made her dad very proud that day!