"Skwala" wrote in message
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"Charlie Wilson" wrote in message
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"Fred Lebow" wrote in message
et...

I was on the Gallatin River and I saw something that I have never seen
before.
Crushed old vehicles used for river bank stabilization.
I guess if it works - great-??

There was an ad in the FF magazines about ten years ago, it featured a
guy standing in the river with that old cars in the background. I'm can't
remember who's ad it was, but I'm thinking maybe it was Simms.

It was a Simms ad, however I believe it's was shot on the Bighole river.

Yeah, and if I recall correctly, the river was the Bitterroot, (I may be
wrong)... when I first hit the Bitterroot, Car rip rap was very common in
the lower river, there was a '49 Packard submerged in a hole below
Stevensville, that was home to a 26"+ brown that all the guides tried for.

I've fished that stretch several times, one of my favorite floats on the
Bitterroot. I have also heard the big brown in the trunk of the Packard
story...

One time while floating that stretch, we had all but finished the float,
there were several people ahead of us at the launch, so I dropped anchor
about 50 yds. up to stay out of the way. It was quite dim by this time, my
buddies and I were kicked back drinking a beer. We noticed a couple small
birds (sparrow size) standing on a rock drinking out of the river. About 5
seconds latter a *large* brown came out of the water after one of the
birds... We all looked at each other in disbelief, thinking, did you just
see what I saw...

That next afternoon/evening when it started getting dark, I tied on a mouse
pattern in hopes of pulling a large brown, but had no takers.

JT