Ennis, Montana – Slippery Fish, and Smoky Sunsets

Under clear skies, we departed Big Sky, Montana, and drove 60 miles to Ennis RV Village, our home for the week. During our stay in Big Sky, smoke from distant wildfires occasionally drifted overhead but never presented much of a problem. Eventually, the smoke found a resting place in Ennis.

This visit to Ennis RV Village was our second in two years. We enjoyed a delightful experience last summer and booked a return trip for 2021. Last summer, a storm in the valley gave me a great afternoon of fun with my camera (Link here). However, this summer, smoke replaced the rainbows of the year before. The pictures below illustrate the difference a year can make. (Slide arrows left or right to compare in larger view)

Although the smoke limited our view of the mountains, it offered an opportunity I hadn’t considered–very colorful sunsets. The setting sunlight, filtered through a layer of smoke, gave off a bright palette of colors more than once during our visit, and I captured some of them to share here.

In Ennis, Helen and I also looked forward to visiting with our friends Ann and Frank, Knoxvillians who have owned a summer home in the area for many years. Frank is a very experienced fly-fisherman, and I let him know that if he planned a fishing trip during our stay, I would love to tag along. Frank did much better than that.

On our way into town, I checked in with Frank to learn that he had just got off the phone with a friend who offered a rare opportunity. Frank’s friend had booked and paid for a guided day of fishing on Henry’s Fork of the Snake River but couldn’t make it. Not wanting the trip to waste away, he gave the trip to Frank, who invited me to join him. It took me only a fraction of a second to accept, and we made arrangements to meet early the following day.

We met around dawn for a drive to Island Park, Idaho, about 90 miles away. During our drive, I thought about how long it had been since I was active this early in the morning, but when we passed a large cattle drive, I realized that there are many early birds in this world–I’m just not one of them anymore. We also passed a large campground filled with firefighters already at work on the nearby wildfires, and I sent up a prayer for their safety and success.

Henry’s Fork is well-known as a haven for trophy trout, and I was so excited, I could hardly stand it. We checked into Henry’s Fork Anglers, a well-stocked gear shop, and met Shawn, our guide for the day. Shawn was a polite and professional twenty-something, with a handsome face reddened by wind and sun due to many hours on the Snake. He directed Frank and me to the snack shop to pick up enormous deli sandwiches for our lunch and waited for us at his car with a drift boat attached.

On the way to the launch site, Shawn told us that he had worked at Henry’s Fork Anglers every summer since he was fifteen and bitten by the fly-fishing bug. He began guiding at age eighteen. We also learned that he grew up in Knoxville and went to high school about 10 miles from my house…an unbelievable coincidence. Knoxvillian or not, this young man knew trout fishing.

Shawn expertly guided the drift boat to the rising trout, chasing insects hatching at the surface as we drifted the Snake River. He carefully explained the technical details of catching fish in these waters. On either side of the river, wading fishermen and women hauled in some nice Rainbow Trout.

It wasn’t long before Frank hooked a large trout and fought it for several minutes before escaping his hook. I also snagged a large fish, only to meet the same result. We repeated the experience many times during the trip and, no matter how hard we tried, we couldn’t land one in the boat. I admit to a bit of disappointment in losing some nice trout, but the overall experience was wrapped in nothing but joy for this old mountain boy. I am very grateful to Frank and his friend for sharing a delightful day on the water.

Shawn, you’re the best too! Here’s hoping we can do it again! For now, we’re Easin’ Along.