Fly Fishing the Missouri River in early May

Jeff and Jack fished the Missouri for three days. I decided to use a slideshow for all the photos. Enjoy.

A windy day on the Missouri River in early May

You can see the wind moving the water!

Nice brown trout - yes, it was released ASAP

Jack spent a few days on the Missouri River with his daughter and two grandsons. The young boys were dressed warm enough and that is good. It was cold and very windy. But, there were fish to be caught again.

Here are a couple of photos.

Fishing the Missouri River in late April with Jeff and Reed

Jeff and Reed had a fishing agenda in late April and it included fishing the Missouri River with Jack. It was pretty darn cold that day but they were up to the challenge. Fish were caught but the camera was mostly kept in the bag. Rowing was the priority to help keep the boat headed downriver in the wind.

All in all, it was a very good day.

Missouri River - Headhunters Fly Shop in Craig, Montana

From the banks of the Missouri River in Craig, Montana - The Headhunters Fly Shop.

Jack fished the Missouri recently and spent a little time in the Headhunters Fly Shop. He enjoyed the owners, Mark Raisler and John Arnold, the staff and all the shop had to offer.

If you get to Craig, be sure to check them out!

Headhunters LLC

145 Bridge Street
Craig, MT 59648
(406) 235-3447

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Missouri River with Phil and Mike (iPhone picture)

The Bitterroot River was up due to run-off so they fished the Big Hole for a few days and then went over to the Missouri. It pays to be flexible. Beautiful scenery, great food in Wise River at the Wise River Club, nice lodging and food in Craig Montana and they caught fish. Not too many photos were taken but you get the idea.

Jack guided with the raft on the Big Hole and drift boat on the Missouri to optimize where they could catch fish. He hadn't seen Phil in quite a few years and has always enjoyed fishing and spending time with him. It was a pleasure to see him again and meet his good friend Mike (pictured to the left in a photo from Phil's iphone).

See a few more photos from Jack's camera in the slideshow below.

Click here to view all photos in a new window

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.

The Missouri River in May with the Lauer

Stephanie Lauer on the Missouri River in May. Steph and Josh spent some time on the "Mo" and sent me these photos.

We are at high water here in the Bitterroot so I am featuring a few friends.

View all 3 photos in a new window - click here

Fly Fishing the Missouri River with Marshall Knick

Jack fished the Missouri River with his son-in-law, Marshall Knick. It was coming up, the water was a bit cloudy but the managed to hook some fish. Jack caught this fish and Marshall is holding it. Josh Lauer has a photo of Marshall and the bigger brown that he caught. When Josh sends it to us, I will post it, too.

I had to include photos of Jack's daughter, Hannah - of course married to Marshall, and their son's Tristen and Tait!

See the photos in the Picasa slideshow below.

View all

Support the Big Sky Rivers Act - MT HB 455

Posted from an email by Clark Fork Coalition:

Support the Big Sky Rivers Act TODAY! Join us Friday for River Lobby Day. Your river needs you this week.

Please voice your support for HB 455, the "Big Sky Rivers Act," up THIS THURSDAY, February 19 in the House Local Government Committee.

1) Leave a message for your Representative at 406-444-4800
2) Email a brief message of support directly to your Representative 3) Send your support to the entire House Local Government Committee: send emails to kbutcher@mt.gov

Join us this Friday, Feb 20th, at the Capitol!

8:30 am - Vans leave from CFC office in Missoula.

10:30 am - Meet at the Rotunda and tour the Capitol building.

11:00 am - "Lobbying and Legislature Basics" with Brianna Randall of the Clark Fork Coalition, Sarah Cobler of Montana Conservation Voters, and other policy mentors.

12:00 pm - Lunch with selected Representatives and Senators (food provided).

1:00 pm - View House and Senate floor sessions from the gallery.

2:00 pm - Join a mentor to attend committee hearings or lobby your elected officals on the Coalition's priority bills.

4:30 pm - Leave Capitol and swing by the Blackfoot River Brewing Company to meet and greet other Coalition members and river supporters.

Please RSVP by Weds 2/18 to attend or carpool: info@clarkfork.org or 542-0539 x200.

May Fly Fishing Photos of the Bitterroot, Big Hole and Missouri Rivers

In this post you will see what some of our rivers are like through various years in the month of May.

May is one of the most unpredictable months, but if the rivers are not too big, the fishing is fantastic and the weather is nice, not too hot, not too cold.

Which rivers will be best this year in May? It depends on the snowpack and weather, stay tuned or give Jack at Wapiti Waters Fly Fishing Montana a call at 800-254-5311.

For more photos, see the slideshow below. Click View Album to see them in a new, larger window and choose the slideshow option.

View Album

Dixon W. Benz II on the Missouri River with Jack

Click on Wapiti Waters Photo Gallery, Dixon W. Benz, II to see all photos from this trip. They are posted on the Wapiti Waters Google Photo Album.

Posted by Merle Ann Loman: The evening of May 8 and all day May 9 Jack fished with Dixon W. Benz, II on the Missouri River. Once again, they stayed at the Prewett Creek Inn, http://www.prewettcreekinn.com/. By the looks on Dixon's face, I am pretty sure he had a great time. I know Jack did.

This is a really nice brown trout caught by Dixon. There were a lot of fish caught these two days by Dixon and Jack from the drift boat and by wading.

To the right is another photo of Dixon. He is wade fishing near Jack's drift boat. You can click on the photos for a larger view.

This last photo is of a brown trout caught by Jack on a number 14 Blue Winged Olive (BWO) pattern. If you compare it to the seat box, you will notice it is quite large. I am told it was 23 inches plus. This beautiful fish was released right after the quick photo-op.

After fishing with Dixon, Jack spent a day exploring more of the MO (Missouri River), stayed the night in Butte and the following day traveled to the Big Hole River to fish with David Baltimore and Marshall Bloom. The weather on the Big Hole was chilly and the water big, but they had a good day. More to come on the Big Hole River soon. The water level is dropping and he is planning on more trips there this week.

Barry Brown and friend Ray and Prewett Creek Inn on the Missouri River, Cascade, MT

Barry Brown and his friend Ray (red shirt) with two nice fish! Jack and Josh really enjoyed fishing with this group. Click this link to see a map of the Missouri River courtesy of Prewett Creek Inn. Jack enjoyed the Inn and the proprietors.
(Click on photo to see bigger image) http://www.prewettcreekinn.com/missouri_river_map.htm