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that a joint beer venture between August Schell Brewery and Rapala is being launched on the web... The web site should be live on Monday, March 24, 2008. Right now there is a snazzy placeholder and a nice bit of Photoshop work on the nearly nude women. This is one set of sexy lakemaids - or whatever.
Money quote from Fishing Fury
The beer will make its first public taste-test at the Northwest Sports Show, April 2-6 at the Minneapolis Convention Center at the Rapala booth. It should be in stores by mid-April. Merchandise will be available on the website and at all Gander Mt stores... The Fishing Fury team seems to prefer Miss Muskie. We, on the other hand, are kinda partial to Miss Smallmouth Bass. We've reproduced the poster for your edification. Click on it for a pretty good view.
.. We have to drive all the way to Fargo, North Dakota to get Schell's beers. The drive is worth it, and sometimes the beer is too. Perhaps those Midwestern types will bring us some Western Maids; we can hope.
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.. The fish are making their presence known in the Hebgen Tailwater. With just a small bit of snow in the air, and bright sun most of the day, it's a real chore to fish for these eager fish... We only had a few hours and it was a shame to leave the fish; they were in a dancing mood.
There were some precocious males leaping and there were hoards of midges on the surface and in the air. 
But, as previously noted, the real action was beneath the surface. Yellowstone Winter Grubs, Montana Dusters, and Shop Vacs were all eagerly gobbled up, (sizes 14 - 18.).. Interestingly the same flies, in the same places, were ignored if they were any larger. The fish were on the average side of
the tape measure but failed to demonstrate any sluggishness in the cold water... One of our neighbors, grunting all the way, took his snowshoes for a walk to the lower
end of the Hebgen Tailwater and reported that big fish were in the Estuary Glide and the Long Riffle... He took several little 14" Rainbows on a size 14 Bead Head Hare's Ear. He said that a 20" LDR threw his size 12 Prince Nymph into a tree and that's why he was puffing so hard. We'll accept this fantasy as gospel until we have the stamina to disprove it.
