Flyfishing Montana!

[cbl0325]

Hello, I'm new to the forum, this is my first post - hello everyone!

I'm seeking some advice or recommendations for where to fly fish in Montana, who to fish with and where to stay (lodge/outfitter). If you wouldn't mind sharing your experiences with me I'd sure appreciate it. I kind of have my heart set on the big horn river fishing with sunrise fly shop. Let me know what you think so I can make sure to have a great time and catch some fish.

 

[Frank Whiton]

Hi cbl0325,

Welcome to the forum. Looking forward to your post.

The Big Horn is a great fishery. It is fished heavy but it is big water. The drought has been hard on most of Montana's rivers and a guide is a good idea. Here is a site that has a lot of information. I have not fished with these people so I can not make a recommendation. You didn't say what part of the river you were wanting to fish.

Frank

 

[fyshstykr]

When are you going?
how much time do you have?
Do you want to fish rivers and lakes?
How much driving are you willing to do?

 

[Frank Whiton]

Hi fyshstykr,

You live close to Montana, do you get to fish there often?

Frank

 

[fyshstykr]

Hi Frank, and Merry Christmas.

I don't fish there as much as I used too, But I have fished the Bighorn, Gallatin, Madison, Hebgen Lake to name most of them, not that I don't want to, I just have a hard time getting any further north than the Island Park area nowdays.
I am definately going to fish the "Gulpers" on Hebgen a bunch this upcoming summer, my wife has not played that game yet.
I really want to get up farther north in Montana to fish the Missouri and some of the reservation lakes east of Glacier.
And let's not forget the fabled Spring Creeks around the Bozeman area.

 

[BigCliff]

Welcome to the group! I'm sure you'll have fun in Montana

 

[FlyFisher77]

My favorite spots, depending on time of year, would include Beartrap Canyon on the Madison, Poindexter Slough/Beaverhead in Dillon, and Missouri river below Hauser and Holter dam. The East Gallatin river in Bozeman used to be an untapped resource when I was in college, but the secret must have gotten out because last time I fished there I ran into a number of people.

 

[cbl0325]

I'll be staying in Twin Bridges and will fish for 2 days with guide and 2 days without. You mentioned the drought was hurting MT rivers, should I really be considering somewhere else?

 

[FlyFisher77]

The Ruby River below Ruby reservoir has some excellent opportunities just some rather aggresive land owners. Stay in the water and you will be fine. The Ruby is only about a half hour south of Twin Bridges in Alder MT.

 

[Fly2Fish]

. . . just some rather aggresive land owners. Stay in the water and you will be fine. . . .

FlyFisher, do you mean that you can wade in the river bed, or must you be floating?

 

[FlyFisher77]

Let me clarify. The Ruby river runs North past Twin Bridges and emptys into the Beaverhead. The Ruby river south of Twin Bridges below the resvoir is smaller and wadable. You can float the Ruby farther north of the dam, but I am most familiar with the river below the dam. If floating is your choice, I would head over the pass to Ennis and try to get on the upper Madison. The Ruby is one of my favorites and I have come away with browns in the upper teens low 20's.

 

[Fly2Fish]

So it sounds like you can wade the Ruby south of the dam as long as you don't try to exit on private land? I prefer wading, actually, but I guess that means that you'd have to find public access and exit points along the Ruby.

 

[FlyFisher77]

I have never fished south of Alder, but if you don't mind a 1/2 hour drive. Coy Brown bridge between Alder and the reservoir is a good access point. Fish up river as far as you want. Just be warned that you will not only have to backtrack back to your vehicle, you will have to cross one or two electric fences strung across the river by land owners who want to "keep their cows in". Also try to access the river right below the reservoir and work your way down. I have caught the bigger fish going up river from Coy Brown. You can also go south west to Dillon and try Poindexter Slough. I usually fish this in the winter only and I can honestly say I have had 30+ fish days using nymphs. No fish story here, you get the right patern and you get a fish every other cast.

 

[FlyFisher77]

What month are you coming?

 

[Fly2Fish]

Wow! Crossing electric fences in the middle of the river! How do you do that without getting electrocuted or getting leaks in your waders! I've never fished Montana before (was hoping to do so next fall), but I've heard that public water access is getting more and more difficult up there, what with West Coast (read Hollywood) money buying up all the great fly-fishing access trying to live the life shown in A River Runs Through It. My fly-fishing up in that great area of the country is limited to Jackson Hole/Grand Tetons/Yellowstone, where much of the water access is public park land. Maybe I didn't realize how good I had it there . . . .

 

[Fly2Fish]

What month are you coming?

Chris, was sort of thinking the first full week after Labor Day, hoping the crowds would be down yet the weather still okay (I'm a dry-fly fisherman, mostly, and I've heard that this is a good dry-fly time up in Wyoming-Montana).

Neil

 

[FlyFisher77]

First I must appalogize for thinking you were the person to start this thread. Truth be known, that movie, A River Runs Through It, happened to be the worse thing to happen to this state. The access is getting tighter, but with our stream access law, they really cannot touch you. I try to hit the salmon fly hatch on the Firehole every year. I like to watch the cookie cutter fisherman on that river most of all. It is almost like they give a shopping list to the fly fisherman entering the park. They all seem to wear and fish the same equipment. The Ruby and Poindexter Slough seem to be the only rivers I really have trouble with out of state land owners. The rest of the waterways are easily accessed and nobody bugs you. I live 5 minutes from Hauser dam that has a fantastic rainbow spawn staring in March. Biggest I caught last year was 27 inches 8 pounds. I love the fight!

 

[FlyFisher77]

Chris, was sort of thinking the first full week after Labor Day, hoping the crowds would be down yet the weather still okay (I'm a dry-fly fisherman, mostly, and I've heard that this is a good dry-fly time up in Wyoming-Montana).

Neil

If you get the chance, try for the spring, especially on the Missouri. Egg patterns work wonders on spawning lake fish that migrate up the rivers.

 

[fyshstykr]

Usually in Montana your ok as long as you stay within the high water mark, wonder out side it and they can getcha.

 

[FlyFisher77]

Highwater mark is the rule, but I have had landowners argue that the river flows on top of their property, therefore I am trespassing. Every time I have asked them to go call FWP and I will wait. I have yet to have them argue after I say that.