2011 Fly Fishing Photos

Welcome to our 2012 Forecast:

Booking now for September Archery and October/November Rifle Hunts as well as summer fly fishing, horseback and Montana Vacation Packages.

Upper Canyon Outfitters (UCO) is a family operated ranch located in the upper Ruby Valley. The ranch is beautifully nestled between three mountain ranges, with the Ruby River meandering through the property. Our family has been exploring these mountains since our grandfather homesteaded here in 1910. We pride ourselves in offering you western hospitality, breath taking scenery and first-class accommodations.

Join us for horseback riding adventures, cattle drives, exceptional fly-fishing opportunities, native wildlife, hiking, history and hunting adventures. Enjoy fine food, exceptional accommodations in either our private lodge rooms or your own private log cabin with kitchen. 

Exciting new Horse Activities for 2012 and our Fly Fishing Bamboo Week.  

If you have hunted big game animals the world over, or are on your first hunt –we are dedicated to providing a first class trip for each of our hunters. We take pride in our ranch, camps, stock, employees, and would like to share our commitment of quality and dedication to you, by providing a memorable hunt.  We strive on taking care of all your hunting details for you from getting your license before you get to Montana to helping you with your harvest details after you leave Montana.  We would like to share our commitment of quality and excellence with you by providing a truly unforgettable Montana hunting experience!

New 2012 Hunting License:  Last year we had 100% drawing on elk and deer combo licenses.  GOOD NEWS is we expect the same for the 2012 season.  There are some changes to the 2012 License that will benefit our hunters.  We now have a new Preference Point System.  In a preference point system, licenses are awarded to those applicants who hold the greatest number of preference points. Anyone who applied for a license in 2011 has a preference point for 2012.  All youth ages 12 – 18 will now be able to get a hunting license at ½ the cost of the Big Game Combination license and these are unlimited to any youth that is accompanied by an adult immediate family member who is the holder of a valid Nonresident License.

MUST Apply before March 15 for Elk and Deer.  I will help with applications and deadlines.

Summer 2011 Was Full of Events

It's hard to believe the summer has already come and gone.  Although it seemed short, this has been one of the best summers at UCO. 

We had a slow start due to an abnormally rainy spring that kept the river high, fast, and murky until mid-July.  Once the river cleared up, though, the fishing was never better.  I can't remember catching so many fish!  With such great fishing, we held a fly fishing clinic.  Most of the fly fishing guides from last year here were here again;  Rocco, Dusty, Val, and Lance.  We also welcomed two new guides, Mitch and Bill, who fit right in with the crew.  As we approach September, we are looking forward to good water, hungry fish, and more great dry fly fishing.  

 Although the fishing was slow this spring, we still stayed plenty busy until the river cleared.  We kicked off the season with our week-long cattle drive that allows a glimpse of the everyday life of the Montana cowboy.  Without missing a beat, we jumped right into a fun-filled and educational horse clinic with Chris Bohenek "Horsemanship instructor" and Amy Grice "Equine Veterinarian".  We then hosted the U.S. Junior Fly Fishing Team in preparation to their trip to Italy for the World Championship's.  There was also a fundraiser for the Virginia City library held at the ranch.

As we moved into August, an event that was particularly special to me was right around the corner, my daughter's wedding.  After a beautiful ceremony and a few days of recuperation, we had a very special young lady, Megan Harmon, and family join us for a week with the Catch-A-Dream Foundation through The Big Hearts Under The Big Sky.  

We feel a change in the air temperatures as we start our fall season.  September offers some remarkable fishing along with our archery season.  We will start September hosting two weeks of fly fishing trips with Delamere and Hopkins a sporting good store in Cincinnati, OH.  Than a remarkable week with Jim Downes and Jeff Wagner hosting a Bamboo Concave at the ranch.   And mixed in with all this will be the thrill of hearing bull elk bugling, leaves changing colors and the excitement of our archery hunters sharing their stories of the day.  

Thank you for a great 2010 season!

Upper Canyon Outfitters had one of its most successful seasons in years!  The summer season began with plenty of rain in June, making for a green and rewarding fishing season through September.  Large spawning Brown Trout could be seen on the ends of our client’s lines all September.  The horseback rides and views from the mountain tops were inspiring to say the least with the country side full of blossoming flowers and flourishing greenery for the abundant wildlife in the Ruby Valley. 

It wouldn’t be a UCO Summer without our annual client-engaged cattle drives.  A number of our riders had been on previous cattle drives, making for excellent ranch hands.  I have a feeling I could convince them to quit their day jobs for the cowboy life.

Because of the wet season many elk were able to avoid detection by staying in the deep timber where some of the greenest clover grew, making for a difficult archery season.  However, even with the tough conditions a few of our hunters were able to harvest those elusive elk.

Rifle season was more successful.  The UCO staff put in extra scouting hours during archery to locate the hot hunting locations, which I knew paid off nicely within the first week of rifle season when all of our guided hunters had prospects at elk.   Due to the wet season of 2010, the green grass produced large and healthy elk herds.  When combined with the heavy snow we received midway through the season, the weather drew the herds lower, making for successful hunting experiences.

After 25 years of guiding hunters I have learned that a good sportsman can help in making their own hunt a success with the right attitude and physically preparing for the demands of the sport.  This year’s success can be credited to not only perfect hunting conditions but also that many of our hunters prepared before they arrived in Montana.

One very exciting story from UCO this hunting season is the editor and staff of Outdoor Life joined us for a week, filming and writing about their adventures.  You can locate their experience at this link: http://www.outdoorlife.com/photos/gallery/hunting/big-game/elk/2010/11/montana-grand-slam-day-1

Thank you to all who made 2010 such a wonderful and fulfilling year.  There is much I can be thankful for at this time of year; keeping people in touch with nature, helping create memorable vacation experiences, and the joys of living with no cell phone reception.  But I am most thankful for wonderful clients who quickly become friends.

Happy Holidays and wish you all the very best in the New Year!

2010 Summer Photos

Here is a large collection of photos from this summer.  You can check them out here.  We hope you enjoy them.