OT Montana

[Reef Bass]

I took my kids to visit the grandparents in Montana last week. I snapped a few pics with my point and shoot. The image quality only hints at the actual beauty of the scenery.

Spring is just starting there. We saw sooo many animals. Living in suburbia it's a real treat to see bald eagles and deer while eating breakfast before even leaving the house. Also owls, foxes, marmots, golden eagles, rough legged hawks, geese, quail, sandhill cranes, night hawks and badgers without leaving the property. There was even a flock of several hundred gray capped rosy finches that were mobbing the feeders on their way migrating through the area.

Rainbow trout were spawning and those that weren't were rising to my dry flies as ice formed on my guides.

Not a great pic, but it provides evidence for my theory on the next shot

I believe this is a trail left behind by a beaver

 

[vetdog]

wow...beautiful

 

[TitusvileSurfer]

A fly fisherman, eh? You and I would have made fast friends. All of your pictures are great and have that down to earth feel. I loved the beaver reference!
What a beautiful place! These shots makes me think of Gordon Lightfoot's "Sea of tranquility".

 

[Reef Bass]

Thanks gentlemen. I appreciate the kind words.

Montana is a beautiful state, made even more wonderful and peaceful by the relative lack of human population. The label Big Sky state is completely appropriate.

While I am (finally) starting to feel relatively confident about macro reef photography, landscape photography is about as far from that as I can imagine. And with masters like Otto prowling the forum, I only hope I'm not giving him too hardy a chuckle at the results of my efforts.

The fundamentals of exposure and composition are still relevant however whether one is shooting an inch of coral or miles of mountains.

On the bright side I didn't rile a single rattlesnake or aggitate any alligators while poking around, unlike a certain individual from the Titusville FL area whose off trail photographic exploits I've read about on this forum. And I didn't have to wait long for the moutains to settle down and ignore me so I could shoot them!

I love fly fishing though my rod often stays in the tube when I'm not in Montana. Here in CA I fish mostly for bass (largemouth, smallmouth, spotted) with heavier rods and casting techniques. I do feel even more grounded when fly fishing, as I'm usually standing in the water feeling moving water flow around me, versus standing on a boat deck on a lake. I love floating rivers too while fishing. I have to remind myself to look up and appreciate the awesome scenery as it goes by from time to time instead of keeping my eyes always glued to a tiny floating piece of feather wrapped steel.

Here are a couple of my favorite images from previous trips. This was what I saw as I got off the water after a great day floating and fishing.

I went outside for a run at dawn and had to go back in and get my camera when I saw this:

 

[DEEC77]

Beautiful job Reef Bass. Really love the last 2. I guess I should put Montana on my list of places to visit.

~Dee~

 

[TitusvileSurfer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14778641#post14778641 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Reef Bass

:eek1: Great Find!

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14778641#post14778641 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Reef Bass

On the bright side I didn't rile a single rattlesnake or aggitate any alligators while poking around, unlike a certain individual from the Titusville FL area whose off trail photographic exploits I've read about on this forum. And I didn't have to wait long for the moutains to settle down and ignore me so I could shoot them!

Harharharhar

 

[Reef Bass]

Thanks. You can bet it is raining hard under that cloud. The locals call those "rain brooms".

And for the record, I enjoy reading about your off trail expeditions. So keep stepping on things and being patient. Your pictures are worth it!