Fly fishing the Blackfoot River in early August

Photo documentary of camping and fly fishing the Blackfoot River in early August 2013.

• Here is the post on Facebook.

Post by Fly Fishing Montana with Wapiti Waters.

• Here is a slideshow with all the photos.

Fishing with R. L. Cook

They were nice enough to share photos of their trip with us. Thank you.

Blackfoot River July 17 - Bear swims across the river

Beautiful cool water on the Blackfoot. Even the bear was enjoying it.

Blackfoot, Big Hole and Beaverhead Rivers road trip in mid-August

This was a road trip for a number of days fishing the Blackfoot, Big Hole and Beaverhead Rivers in mid-August. All river fished well, but the Big Hole was low making it mostly a wade-fishing opportunity...get out early and off early in the heat and low water times.

MONTANA SNOTEL Snow Water Equivalent Update 2.26.12

Finally after a pretty dry winter, we are getting more snow. Most of Montana was below 100% snow water equivalent, but that has changed and is forecasted to improve. A wet weather pattern is expected for early March. That is GREAT news for our rivers.Click the image for a larger view.

Shields on the Big Hole and the Blackfoot Rivers in August

Brown trout caught by Jim

Jim and Naomi fished with Jack a few weeks in July. Now these photos are from August when they came back to fish the Big Hole and the Blackfoot rivers. What is great about the Shields is that they have fun no matter what the weather or the fishing have to offer. But, as you can see here, they always catch really nice trout. I have to say either Naomi catches more trout, or Jim takes more photos...not sure which. Jack sure had a good time fishing with them.

See more photos in the slideshow below.

View all in a new browser window

Dr. Fauci fishes the Blackfoot River with Wapiti Waters

Dr. Fauci with a trout from the Blackfoot River

Dr. Anthony S. Fauci MD, director of NIAID for the NIH since the early 80’s, spoke August 11, 2011 at the Performing Arts Center in Hamilton, Montana just 50 miles south of Missoula. The Division of Intramural Research (DIR) is a branch of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and more than 20% of DIR's research is conducted in western Montana at the Rocky Mountain Laboratories (RML) in Hamilton.

When Dr, Fauci came to visit, he also got to fish. Marshall Bloom, associate director of RML, set up an afternoon of fishing with Jack Mauer, fly fishing outfitter for Wapiti Waters in the Bitterroot. This is the second time in the last few years that Fauci explored western Montana rivers with Bloom. Fauci knows that the beautiful Bitterroot and surrounding areas are parts of the draw for RML's talented scientists. He wanted to see some of it for himself. In fact he said to the Journal of Clinical Investigation (JCI)  that "over the last 20–25 years, the potential liabilities of the physical separation between RML and Bethesda have morphed into assets, where the beauty of western Montana and the collegial working environment couple with state-of-the-art facilities to make RML highly attractive to world-class researchers and an integral part of the DIR."

Read more about RML and the campus at "Rocky Mountain Labs: NIAID’s Montana campus" by Karen Honey published February 2, 2009 in the Journal of Clinical Investigation (JCI).

Read more about Tony Fauci at the Director's Page on the NIAID website. He has dedicated his career in public health to becoming a top 10 expert in the world about AIDS policy and research His research in includes learning more about the understanding of how HIV destroys the body's defenses leading to the progression to AIDS. You can read more by visiting Anthony Fauci's biography on Wikipedia.com.

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Montana Fly Fishing - Big Hole and Blackfoot Rivers with Naomi and Jim

Naomi and Jim have fished with Jack for quite a few years now. They bring their motor home which gives them flexibility to fish many rivers. This trip they fished the Big Hole for two days, took a day off, and then fished the Blackfoot for three days. They are fun to be with and passionate about fishing and the resources. Jack really enjoys fishing them. They also celebrated their anniversary on this trip.

click here to view all photos in a new window

Preparing for Drought: Blackfoot Water Conservation Strategy, May 13

• When: Thursday, May 13 from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m.
• Where: Corvallis Grange Hall, Dutch Hill Road, Corvallis, Montana

The Bitter Root Water Forum is hosting representatives from the Blackfoot Challenge for a public presentation on the Blackfoot Water Conservation Strategy.  Brian McDonald, Program Coordinator, together with members of the Blackfoot Drought Committee will present on how the Blackfoot watershed plans for and manages water resources during drought years.

The Blackfoot Drought Committee was formed in 2000 in response to emergency drought conditions. The committee comprises representatives from state and federal agencies, conservation districts, and local conservation organizations as well as local landowners, irrigators, outfitters, and anglers. The committee’s work has grown to include a long-term water conservation strategy for maintaining instream flows and improving water use efficiency and productivity for ranching. The Drought Committee implements an Emergency Drought Response during low flow summers and works with all water users in the Blackfoot watershed – including ranchers, anglers, floaters, homeowners, and community businesses.

A question and answer discussion will follow the presentation.  The presentation is free and open to the public; light refreshments will be served.

About the Bitter Root Water Forum – The BRWF is a non-profit community driven watershed group established to ensure clean, abundant surface and ground water in the Bitterroot watershed.  For more information visit our web site at www.brwaterforum.org or contact the Water Forum at (406) 375-2272 or email brwaterforum@bitterroot.net.

Wapiti Waters 2010 fishing forecast for western Montana

Wapiti Waters' 2010 fishing season forecast based on over 30 years experience in western Montana's trout fisheries.

Jamie and his Dad.
Jamie caught this trout in
July on the Bitterroot.

Wapiti Waters photo

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Related Articles

• When is the best time to fish western Montana


• Fishing for northern pike on the Bitterroot


• Fly fishing the Blackfoot River in a rain storm


• Merle's articles on Examiner.com
  

Jack Mauer, Wapiti Waters outfitter and guide

I have just read they will be shipping snow by truck to the site of the 2010 Olympic Games – Cyprus Mountain. Mother Nature has not cooperated but they have had time to prepare for the lack of snow. Likewise, here in the fishing business where a trout fishery depends a lot on good, cold stream flows, we have time to prepare or plan for what looks to be a lean water year.

I hate drought, everybody and everything suffers during times of water stress. Unfortunately conditions are looking more and more like drought as snowpack in the Bitterroot is around 54% of normal at the time of this writing. We have had three months of below average snow precipitation and we have less than two months of winter to go. So the prognosis is not good. What this actually means for the fishing, however, is not all gloom and doom.

Here are my predictions for the 2010 season.

Insect hatch on the Bitterroot in the spring.
Photo by Merle Ann Loman

March and April – Early Spring fishing

Expect fishable water through-out this time. Because our low elevation snow is meager, we should have better than average fishing with more fishable days. It is the melting low elevation snow that causes the rivers to pulse up too quickly with warm weather and/or rain. So I predict excellent early spring fishing in western Montana and that means Skwala and nemoura stones as well as Ameletus and Rithrogenia mayflies.

May and June – Usual period of high-water conditions

Again, I expect better than average fishing for these two months. Many hatches such as the salmonfly; pteronarcella, larger stoneflies; March Brown; and Hydropsyche caddis will come off in good numbers during this time and have the trout looking up on a more consistent basis. Pulsing high waters in the average snowpack year don’t give the trout a chance to key on these hatches before water levels may become too big. This year under the possible lower than average flows, it is likely that trout will get a chance to really key in on them. As a result, these conditions may bring some remarkable fishing.

No matter how big or small the snowpack there will be a time of peak run-off for a 2-3 week period. When this happens, most area rivers will probably be unfishable because of high, turbid water. Here is where flexibility becomes important. Some rivers will likely be fishable and changing the location/river will allow you to take advantage of good conditions. Wapiti Waters has the knowledge and permits that can put you on the right water.

David with a Bitterroot brown trout
Wapiti Waters photo

July and August – Summer fishing

Early July is usually a time of some of the most consistent fishing. I expect that to be the case given the number and variety of aquatic insects that emerge during this time. However, by mid-July the prognosis is not good. Using a preferred strategy for low, warm water conditions in mid-summer, we will need to fish from early morning to early afternoon. Fishing early is in favor the trout and yourself – beating the heat. It is quite possible that rivers like the Blackfoot and the Big Hole will have some angling restrictions during this time.

September and October – Fall Fishing

It is a little too early to predict eight months in advance. Our fall fishing is usually a fly fishers dream here in western Montana. Low flows in the summer are not the single deciding factor of unfavorable fall fishing conditions. For example, last year we had a huge snowpack but we had very tough fall fishing because of unseasonably warm temperatures and bright, sunny weather.

In the mean time, I hope the weather systems in the Pacific will deliver us some welcome precipitation through-out the year.

For more info: Wapiti Waters welcomes calls and emails for up-dated conditions and angling reports.

Contact information: Toll free 800-254-5311, email wapiti@wapiti-waters.com, website www.wapiti-waters.com.

The western Montana rivers Jack fishes most are the Bitterroot, Blackfoot, Big Hole and Clark Fork rivers. See links to more articles and information below.

• Fishing and river articles and photos by Merle Ann Loman by key word:
  

Bitterroot River | Big Hole River | Blackfoot River | Clark Fork River | Missouri River | Argentina

Here is a slideshow of more western Montana photos. To see the album on line with descriptions click Merle's western Montana fishing photo album.

Seasons Greeting from Big Sky Country

Seasons Greeting from Wapiti Waters in Montana’s Big Sky Country

As we reflect on this past year, we appreciate the gain from our toils and rejoice in the memories of families and angling friends.

Another season has come and gone for Wapiti Waters. Hopefully this winter, we will be partaking in our usual cold month recreational endeavors. Unfortunately the snow hasn’t hit this part of Montana yet. After a reasonably successful hunting season, Merle and I are still hiking around the hills for exercise and “light therapy” rather than skiing. Our immediate focus is keeping the house warm, and sharing our reflections, thanks and hopes with you in this letter. Read on for a recap of our most successful guide season ever.

The 2009 guide season kicked off in mid-March with mild weather, good dry fly fishing and some happy anglers. By the end of March we had icy guides in our rods as an arctic blast descended. Unbelievable as it may seem the Skwalla dry fly fishing was pretty good despite temperatures hovering near 32 degrees. The native cutthroats are incredibly hardy fish. Grilled “brats” and hot soup was the mainstay for lunch.

The rest of spring was fair fishing with flows a little too high at times. 2009 had a huge snow pack and the threat of flooding was imminent. After one big surge in late May, an orderly run off ensued; this prevented a natural disaster. By June 9th we were fishing the Big Hole and Bitterroot forks. From then on Wapiti Waters was busy throughout the summer and into fall. With Merle on bookkeeping, lunches, website and emails, I could focus on my outfitting and guiding. Without the weekly and late Tuesday nights at the Top Hat, I was still able to play parties and weddings with the band and enjoy my music through the guide season.

Highlights from 2009:

Clark Fork is coming back quickly from the Milltown project. Insect hatches that have been suppressed in previous years are showing up again which has stimulated nice angling in certain sections.

The Big Hole had exceptional flows and terrific fishing throughout the season. What a joy to be on this river in August floating and wading in some of the finest trout water in North America.

A hot, sunny September to remember made for some very technical angling. After a predictably good morning trico spinner fall we would take a little time to do some invasive species management. We searched and found northern pike lairs and were modestly successful at pulling some out. What a thrill to see them pursue the fly, strike it and playing that size of a fish. It is a nice change of pace and 180 degrees from trico fishing. For the Pike, we used a 9 weight fly rod and a 2 “aught” air resistant streamer instead of the 4 and 5 weights with a size 20 dry. Now that is variety.

Another arctic freeze-out in early October disrupted an unusually good month of fishing. Fall colors were a gloomy grey green. It was still beautiful to be out but we felt we got cheated without the vibrant yellow and oranges that our stream corridors normally exhibit. We know we can’t always have it the way we want it and we especially appreciated the nice BWO and mahogany dun hatches.

First, we want to thank those who fished with Wapiti Waters in 2009 and wish you all Happy Holiday and a prosperous New Year in 2010 and second (and as important) all the great guides who worked with us.

When is the best time to fish western Montana?

This is the question I am most often asked. In my attempt to answer it, I will take a brief look at our seasons chronologically and try to highlight a few of the more memorable fishing moments in an ‘average’ year.

Naturally we will begin with spring. Fish are coming out of a dormant period by mid-March with milder weather and water temperatures. Spring with its predictably unpredictable weather does have its special moments. The Bitterroot, Big Hole, Blackfoot, Clark Fork and Missouri will ‘come in’ at different times from mid-March through May. Naturally extreme weather (too cold OR too warm) can ruin the angling, yet spring has some wonderful hatches. You will see stoneflies; Skwalla and Nemoura, mayflies; March Brown and Blue-winged Olives (BWO), and lastly caddis that can trigger some unbelievable opportunities. Fishing “underneath” with either nymphs or streamers can also be very productive. One must be somewhat of a gambler to fish in the spring. The rewards can be gratifying for the lucky angler who strikes it rich.

Starting in mid-May, rivers will begin to surge as warm, mild weather begins melting the snowpack. A typical run-off will last over a period of about 5 weeks or so depending on the amount of snowpack. However, the craziest streamer and nymph fishing ever has happened between run-off pulses during this time period.

Early summer is probably the most popular time to fish western Montana, right after main run-off events are over, typically around mid-June when river flows decrease and gain clarity. Hatches of salmonflies, golden stones and green drake mayflies make their annual appearance. This can be an especially productive time for the inexperienced angler as trout are hungry, relatively uneducated, and the water is fast and forgiving. One can get away with a little more drag on the surface fly and use heavier tippets and larger patterns. For many of my fisherman, the last 10 days of June and first 10 days of July are the best time to fish. It is difficult to argue as the good hatches, healthy river flows and early summer weather are hard to beat. It is also the time of year that most people are recreating on our area rivers and is to be expected. Wapiti Waters does its best to avoid getting into a crowded fishing scene and having to “compete.”

Eventually the fishing settles down into a mid-summer rhythm, always dependent on weather. The explosive hatches of larger insect species are over and too many days of hot weather really slows down the trout. Mid-summer slides into the so-called ‘dog days’ with morning PMDs spinner falls and the Isoperlid Stoneflies like yellow sallies are about the only aquatic insects out there. However there have been memorable moments in certain river reaches with terrestrial patterns like beetles, ants, grasshoppers and moths. This time period (mid-July through mid-August) is an excellent time to be on the water particularly for the early riser as the morning fishing can be very good. Many Wapiti waters customers prefer this time as area rivers have noticeably less fishing pressure.

At the end of August, longer nights and cooler weather turn on the bugs and the trout. The tiny black curse (trico mayfly) begins to make its appearance and cloud up the morning sky with its mating dance. Once on the water these little bugs give anglers the most challenging as well as rewarding fishing opportunities of the year. The patterns are small; one’s casting must be accurate and soft and hooks sets slow. In other words good technique is usually required. But because the opportunities for finding rising trout are numerous, you can get a lot of practice refining your technique. After a morning of trico fishing, an afternoon of hopper and/or fall drakes is likely to follow. For many dry fly purist, this time period is best as fish can be found rising throughout the day.

Later in September, the above mentioned hatches are followed by BW and mahogany dun mayflies, October caddis and midge swarms that take us right into late-fall. During our fall fishing one can expect to find pretty consistent hatches, sipping trout and fall colors that make this my personal favorite time to fish. This is a quality time particularly for the late riser as afternoon fishing is the norm.

We hope this answers the question about the best time to fish. I don’t like to promise good fishing just because you’re booked, say the first week of July or early September. So much of the fishing depends upon factors we have no control over such as weather and stream flows …but when the fishing is just tough we will always go back to the Robert Traver quote, “I fish because I love to; Because I love the environs where trout are found…” See the entire quote below and Thank you for reading this article.

No matter what time of year, Wapiti Waters always works hard to find your best fishing.

THE TESTAMENT OF A FISHERMAN
Robert Traver 1964, (Judge John Voelker 1903-93)

I fish because I love to;
Because I love the environs where trout are found, which are invariably beautiful, and hate the environs where crowds of people are found, which are invariably ugly;
Because of all the television commercials, cocktail parties, and assorted social posturing I thus escape;
Because, in a world where most men seem to spend their lives doing things they hate, my fishing is at once an endless source of delight and an act of small rebellion;
Because trout do not lie or cheat and cannot be bought or bribed or impressed by power, but respond only to quietude and humility and endless patience;
Because I suspect that men are going along this way for the last time, and I for one don’t want to waste the trip; because mercifully there are no telephones on trout waters;
Because only in the woods can I find solitude without loneliness;
Because bourbon out of an old tin cup always tastes better out there;
Because maybe one day I will catch a mermaid;
And, finally, not because I regard fishing as being so terribly important but because I suspect that so many of the other concerns of men are equally unimportant - and not nearly so much fun.


See photos from early spring through late fall in the slideshow below.

View Album Click view album to see in new larger window, choose "slideshow" for full screen mode.

Fall means brilliant colors and brown trout are spawning.

It is fall in Montana and great fishing, but watch out for redds. Brown trout are spawning.

Brown trout from the Bitterroot in the spring

Fall brings cooler temperatures that cue brilliant foliage, migrating geese and spawning brown trout.

Brown Trout (Salmo trutta) is an exotic species in Montana. It was introduced to North America and Montana in the late 1800’s. Brown trout belong to a different genus than our native trout species. Widely stocked early in this century, they are currently doing well as a self-sustaining population.

The brown trout are golden brown with spots, lots of spots. They have black spots that may be irregular, and often red and orange spots. A distinct characteristic is spots with halos on the gill covers. Their tails are short and square. They commonly grow to 12 to 20 inches, but Montana’s state record is 29 pounds.

Brown trout feed largely on underwater aquatic insects. And, as a predaceous fish, more so than rainbow or cutthroat, the larger browns often feed at night on other fish, crayfish and other invertebrates. Brown trout have a few advantages over native Montana trout species. Brown trout are better adapted to disturbed habitats, and can live in areas that experience unnatural changes in water level, temperature, and water quality.

Brown trout caught by Jeff

Brown trout also lay their eggs in the fall, getting a jump on the native species which spawn in the spring making them subject to irrigation seasons water fluctuations among other things. Spawning occurs for brown trout when water temperatures drop to about 40 degrees F. and lasts usually from October through December in Montana. Female brown trout make redds in gravel or small pebbles in shallow water, usually less than a foot deep. Females deposit the eggs, males fertilize the eggs and they are covered with very small gravel or silt. In the spring, about 50 days later and at 50 degrees F, the surviving eggs hatch.

Some brown trout spawn on their resident rivers, but to find the right (very specific) conditions most migrate, sometimes traveling great distances upriver or into tributaries. During this critical time for brown trout, if you are aware of spawning beds where you are fishing, it is preferable not to disturb them.

Here are some things to think about when fishing during the spawning period:

• Stay away from the redds, do not walk in them. In general, they will be in clean gravel and it will look like someone dug a hole in the smaller gravel.


• Fish downstream to the probable pods of trout below the redd, not IN the redd. A clue is fish sitting on top of thecleared off gravel in pairs.


• If you catch a spawning trout, try not to sap their strength; play them quickly, release them quickly and of course, handle them gently.


• Last, target fewer fish. Catch a few, and then move on to another area.

Brown trout are usually in the larger, slower and lower gradient streams often where there are logs and other structure available to hide under. They also do well in reservoirs.

Brown trout are a popular game fish and a challenge to catch because they are selective and wary. When an angler catches them, it is exciting as they can be large and put up a good fight, running with the line.

For more info:

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks – Field guide for brown trout

Montana University System Water Center – Brown trout information

Utah on the Fly Article – The Bedroom of the Browns: Acting Responsibly During the Spawning Season, by Jim McGeever

Merle’s SmugMug photo site – Many more brown trout photos in their original format

A Fly Fishing Vacation, sort of...for John Corrigan

John Corrigan took a working/vacation trip to the northwest US in late August. He attended a conference in Portland, Oregon, and after taking care of business, rented a car and headed east. When he reached western Montana he met and fished with Wapiti Waters on the Bitterroot and Blackfoot Rivers.

Wanting to see even more country and catch more fish he drove north through the Seeley-Swan valley to Glacier National Park and the Going to the Sun Highway. The fishing part was when he hooked up with Tim Linehan in northwestern Montana.

It was his first trip to the northern Rockies and I think he did it justice. He said, “After leaving Missoula, Glacier National Park turned out to be the most beautiful place I have ever seen. ...and I had a productive day fishing with Tim Linehan.”

John writes for the Concord Monitor, New Hampshire - an online newspaper edition. Writing a Trout Unlimited chapter newsletter for many years helped get him the newspaper column. Having also served as chapter president and chair of the NH Trout Unlimited Council, John often works a conservation angle into his writing.

See some of his writing at the Concord Monitor in NH

Below are snippets of his three most recent articles. Click the links to read more.
A hop, skip & jump
Sun Sep 13, 2009
Effective cutthroat and rainbow trout fishing in late August means a hop, skip and a jump. No analogy is perfect. Rainbow trout in Montana give much more of a jump than their cousins, but the tacti... more...

Finding inspiration in Montana
Sun Sep 6, 2009
A rental car motored through it. William Least Heat-Moon's book, Blue Highways, chronicled his travels along the back roads once marked on maps with blue lines. more...
Making connections out west
Sun Aug 30, 2009
Anticipation leads to the memories. Fishing comes in between. As you read this, my second western fishing trip of the season has become a memory. I was scheduled to arrive back home from Montana la... more...

Fly Fishing the Blackfoot River with Jack and Nick

Nick Stipech is a talented Missoula area guide and Jack loves working with him. We all had an open day so we fished the lower Blackfoot River on Friday. Fishing with guides is the best way to really know their strengths and match them up well with clients.

Our day started out nice, but we got a big rain and wind storm about noon and had some rain, wind and clouds through out the rest of the day. We caught fish on dry flies and streamers. Our faithful companions Freda and Flicka came along. We used Nick's RO Drift boat, had plenty of room and skimmed over most of the rocks.

The slideshow below shows the trip and some of the features of the lower Blackfoot. It is beautiful!

Click here to view all 30 photos in a new window

Fly Fishing the Blackfoot River with John

Yesterday Jack fished the lower Blackfoot River with John. The fishing was very good and of course the BIG ONE got away. There are rocks to dodge so photo taking wasn't Jack's priority but here is one of John's trout in a photo. I could adjust the color but I didn't. The reflection from the sunny day on the water makes the fish glow.


John loves our Cheasapeake puppy, Freda. You can see her nose in the lower right of the photo.

It is raining again today, off and on, and probably will be raining tomorrow. The weather is beautiful for August. The rivers are recharging, the foliage is still green, and if you know where to go, the fishing is great.


Jack is fishing the Bitterroot today. Even though it isn't the best fishing because of the recent surge and some turbidity, the clients chose to do a stretch on the middle Bitterroot. Hopefully tomorrow I will have some photos and a report on the fishing there.

Fly Fishing the Blackfoot River with Alan and Carol

Carol from Milwaukee and Alan from Big Fork and CA fished the Blackfoot River with Jack on Wednesday. They started early so they could beat the heat and I think it paid off. Looks like the catching was good. I know the scenery was.

Click here to view all in a new window

Western Montana Rivers - Tips for Angling When the Weather Heats Up

Last week we had temperatures in the upper 90 degree range. For us, that is very hot. The water levels were dropping dramatically and the water temperatures were rising on all rivers but the Big Hole and the Blackfoot water temperatures were in the upper 60 and lower 70 degree range. Low water flows and high temperatures stress trout, making them especially vulnerable to disease and predators.

In conditions like these, Wapiti Waters’ goal is to get out early and get off before the water temperatures peak in the late afternoon. We also choose reaches that have cooler/higher water. It is better fishing, easier on the trout and more pleasant for the anglers. Our guides are knowledgeable and skilled at using the tips listed below.

Last night we had a good rain. The short range forecast is for a bit cooler temperatures and we are already seeing water temperatures drop. But, we are heading into August and it will probably heat up again. It is worthwhile to understand how to fish responsibly during hot weather.

Drought Tips by Montana, Fish, Wildlife and Parks

Fish will feel the stress caused by low flows, higher water temperatures and competition for space and food. Low water conditions in spring and fall can cause spawning failures and increased predation on young fish. Also, fish will "group up" to take advantage of pools where the water is deeper and cooler -- making them more vulnerable to anglers and predators. If conditions worsen, fish are lost to stress from the higher water temperature, lower oxygen levels, and reduced resistance to disease. These threats can impact adult trout numbers in future years.

To help preserve a threatened fishery anglers can:

• Fish in the cool morning hours -- low water flow and rising temperatures combine to stress fish.
• Try another location, if water is low at a favorite fishing spot.
• Be alert for fishing closures on streams hardest hit by drought.
• Work with water users to try to conserve flow.
• Report fish kills to the local Fish, Wildlife & Parks office.

Anglers who practice catch-and-release fishing can minimize the stress they place on fish:

• Use barbless hooks.
• Land fish quickly once they are hooked.
• Keep fish in the water as much as possible while handling them.
• Limit the amount of time fish are handled.
• Wet hands before attempting to remove the hook.
• Handle fish gently.
• Take care not to touch a fish's gills.

On streams experiencing extreme drought conditions and high water temperatures anglers may want to avoid catch and release fishing as it is difficult for trout to recover under these conditions.

Bull Trout, Arctic Grayling, West Slope Cutthroat Trout are species of concern in Montana.

More information on...
Bull Trout and management during hot/dry conditions:

Bull Trout ID site on MT FWP
Under FWP’s drought plan, angling restrictions are called for on streams that provide habitat for bull trout when stream flows reach 1-in- 20-year lows and maximum daily water temperatures equal or exceed 60 degrees for three consecutive days. For all other trout, the water temperature to trigger angling closures is 73 degrees for three consecutive days.

Arctic Grayling on the Big Hole and management during hot/dry conditions:

The Big Hole River Watershed Committee identifies when low river flows should trigger angling closures.

These trigger points were met in early August of 2006, placing the river’s grayling at risk. The upper and middle reaches of the Big Hole totaling 47 miles were closed due to low water flows and high water temperatures.

The upper reach of the river was not opened until it exceeded 40 cfs for at least seven consecutive days with water temperatures that did not exceed 70 degrees for more than eight hours a day for three consecutive days.

The middle reach reopened when the river exceeded 80 cfs for at least seven consecutive days with the same water temperature guidelines.

To read more, click this link for Big Hole River Drought Management Plan

Click here to view all in a new window

Note: 21 °C = 70 °F, 16 °C = 61 °F

Click here for Wapiti Waters Stream Flow Links

Fly Fishing the Blackfoot and Bitterroot Rivers with Ray Gillette

I am catching up on blogposts after my trip/native camp with the Me-Wuk tribe and others in northern CA. In this post Ray Gillette is fishing with Jack. Jack grew up in Chicago and Ray lives there. They fished together some years ago and were able to hook up again July 11 and 12 on the Blackfoot and Bitterroot Rivers. It was a great time.

Click here to see all 6 fly fishing photos in a new window.

Clark Fork & Blackfoot Rivers near Missoula, MT - River Closures Remain Around Milltown

Contact: Vivaca Crowser, Information Officer
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks
(406) 542-5518,
vcrowser@mt.gov,
Website: fwp.mt.gov/r2

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 2, 2009

River Closures Remain Around Milltown

Small sections of the Clark Fork and Blackfoot rivers near the site of the old Milltown Dam remain closed to fishing, boating and other recreation.


Although the dam has been removed, construction work continues and river conditions are unstable. Riverbed levels are expected to drop this spring as the Clark Fork and Blackfoot Rivers work to reclaim a natural channel, exposing wood and other debris that could create hazards to recreationists.

The Clark Fork River is closed from about one-half mile below the old Milltown Dam site (at the railroad bridge) to three miles upstream from the bridge. Turah Fishing Access Site (FAS) is the last public take-out for floaters upstream from the closure area, and Sha-Ron FAS, is the first public access below the closed zone. Sha-Ron may be unusable this spring because of sediment deposition at the ramp. This sediment is expected to erode during high flows.

On the Blackfoot, the closure covers a stretch of about 1.5 miles upstream from the river's confluence with the Clark Fork. Floaters must take out at Weigh Station FAS. All closed areas are signed.

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) expects the public safety closures will remain in effect for at least one more year. FWP will continue to monitor river conditions and construction activities and will lift closures as soon as conditions stabilize.


For additional information on the closed areas, contact the Missoula FWP office at (406) 542-5500. -fwp-