Montana in August

[jangles]

Hi , It's almost time for my yearly excursion to the north and I am looking for advice on Montana in August ? Sept . My buddy and I are giving thought to the Mo around Craig and then the North Fork of the Flat head river up by Ford crossing . Is there anything about either place that a first timer should know ?

We were going to the Green at Flaming Gorge but I just had a triple bypass and I don't want to chance an incident in the rapids there .

TIA
jangles

 

[opus]

Be aware of what the fire season is doing here. They are saying its going to be bad again. No sense starting smoking after a triple bypass. The better fishing will probably be around Craig. The North Fork is pretty enough to not even care about the fishing!

 

[del gue]

Just know that when you get into Sept you can get snowed on. You have less chance where you're going, prolly, but you never know. I've been snowed on end of May first of June down around Pinedale, WY, and a couple years ago in the middle of Sept in Yellowstone.

I'll be in the Yellowstone/Livingston area the last 2 weeks in August. I was out there last year and the fires were on a rampage. I was going to go to Glacier but aborted due to the fires. I took a daytrip to Tetons from Yellowstone last year and got back into Yellowstone just before they closed and evacuated the south entrance due to a fire in the Tetons. The Madison campground area was fine until the day before I left when the smoke from northern Montana got blown down to Yellowstone.


Good luck to you! I hope y'all catch a lot of fish!

 

[jangles]

Well if the fires are rampaging I guess I can go straight to the St Joe in Id . I love that place . Not a lot of big trout but some decent Cut throats . Otherwise I can wear a respirator !
Thx for the replies .

 

[pfetz]

I heard that C section of the Green is pretty mellow...I've only floated B, and it certainly has some rapids, but it wasn't that bad. Fishing was great.

 

[mcnerney]

I heard that C section of the Green is pretty mellow...I've only floated B, and it certainly has some rapids, but it wasn't that bad. Fishing was great.

Did you fish there in August? I spent four days there last year and it was very slow fishing, even the guide boats were catching very few fish. I'm not sure if that is normal or not, but they did have extremely high water in June and July so that might have impacted the fishing. We did a guided float on the C section and your right it is pretty mellow, but before launching the guide said we would be lucky to land one fish. I won't go back there in August. I certainly wouldn't recommend the B section to a guy that just had a triple bypass, it has the largest rapid on the river at Red Creek, a true Class III.

 

[pfetz]

Larry, I fished there at the end of July last year. They had dropped the flow about a week before our arrival. The fishing was really good. Perhaps because I do some whitewater rafting, I didn't believe that B was too bad, but I am only 57 and certainly don't want to lead someone with compromised health in the wrong direction. Thanks.

 

[jangles]

Well I just got back and I can say in all honesty this was the worst trip I have ever been on . I tried relying on the Orvis fishing reports and others to find out that Orvis is plain full of it . The access points that they listed don't exist and I will never buy anything from them again . More **** happened but I just don't have the time nor the heart to expound . Cheers and tight lines .

 

[pfetz]

Where did you end up going? Craig? Sorry to hear it was a bad experience.

 

[jangles]

No , I ended up on The St Joe for a couple of days and then due to more stupid **** I gave up and came home .

 

[mcnerney]

Jangles

Bummer about getting some bad info that ruined your Montana fly fishing trip. I know nothing about the St Joe river, but I bet some guys on this forum could have pointed you in the right direction, if you had inquired.
Out of curiosity, why didn't you go to Craig and fish the Mo? I have been there but not fished it but have heard it is an awesome fishery, but sometimes can be tough.
Next time your up this way give me a shout and I will wet a line with you.

 

[jangles]

Thanks Larry I will . The reasons are many for not fishing Craig , Yellowstone etc . I just wanted to get away from the crowds . And the breath taking views of being in he mountains is priceless . As far a the St. Joe , I have fished it in the past and it is very good fishing , that was not the problem . It was more health problems mostly that kept me from having a goodtime there . Not to worry though as my pup and I are going to the San Juan next week and I found a shuttle that is very reasonable . Cheers .