Missouri: The mighty MO is our home river. The MO looks like and fishes like a giant spring creek with weedbeds, smooth runs, super hatches and big fish. This is technical dry fly water, presentation is key and the fish will happily let you know if yours is not right. Nymphing allows even the novice to enjoy hooking up on the river. Cloudy days can provide big fish activity beyond imagination. There is much sight fishing to be done here although it is rarely easy. The MO fishes well from March through November, and is minimally impacted by run-off. Did I mention big fish!
Dry fly day on the MO
Big Blackfoot: The Blackfoot is a wonderful contrast to the MO and an easy day trip out of Helena. The "Big B" is a beautiful relaxing river with eager fish that love oversize dries and streamers. This river fishes well even on bright mid-summer days when other waters may be slumping. You never know what type of trout will hit next including Westslope cutts and the rare Bull trout. The Big B sees heavy run-off in May and starts dropping and clearing as the stoneflies make their appearance. We like it all the rest of the summer and into the early fall.
Best seat on the Blackfoot
Rock Creek: We start doing wade trips on upper Rock Creek as early as March. This little river just seems to fish well all the time, everyday, bright sun, clouds, it doesn't matter. These are some happy fish. We fish dries 99% of the time here even in the cold of early spring. The Westslope cutthroats are hard wired to look up, and even the browns seem giddy. A wonderful size wading stream except during the run-off, it pays to have studded boots though as the rocks are slick.
Magical time on Rock Creek
Madison: Who doesn't know about the "fifty-mile riffle". After some tough years dealing with whirling disease, the Madison has made a comeback, and the brown trout have become dominant. There are still plenty of rainbows as well. The Madison delivers the quintessential western float experience with anglers popping bugs around boulders, seams and pockets that never end and go by quickly. There are great hatches all season that keep the fish looking up and responding to dries although often not the obvious bug. The Madison fishes well all season except during the worst of the run-off.
Palisades on the Madison
Yellowstone: Sitting at the fly tying bench on a frozen January day my mind continually drifts back to fall floats on the Yellowstone. I picture the spectacular yellows, oranges and reds of the foliage contrasting with the blue water and white mountains that seemingly rise from the riverbank. It is a beautiful river but a fickle one, giving up fish easily one day and reluctantly the next. Every sort of trout water is represented and a hatch may blanket 200 yards of water and then be gone. Because of the diversity of water every sort of technique is viable on the big river. Big attractors, hatch matchers, terrestrials, nymphs and streamers all have their place. Late April brings on the "Mother's Day" caddis hatch which is magic if the river is not blown out prior to the bugs. Run-off usually lasts into July when the river starts to green up signally time to have fun. Fall brings not only unmatched beauty but big browns for the trophy hunters.
Yellowstone aflame in October
In addition to these major waters we ply many others depending on seasons, water flows, weather, hatches and angler pressure. Much of the finest Montana angling exists in lesser known waters that see few anglers.
