Trip Report: Bow Hunting Season

Today I decided to make the last trip to my home stream before the move to Kalispell. I wanted to catch a brookie, brown, and rainbow, but after striking out at my brown trout spots I decided to explore some new spots. I want to feel like I left no stone unturned. The first new spot I wanted to check out lay just off the road in the foothills. I geared up and hopped in, immediately scaring a few dozen undersized bows. I pulled out a few smaller ones and this very colorful cuttbow.

After catching a few more fish in this area I moved on to a spot that I always wanted to explore. I moved the car a few hundred yards up the road and began wading toward a spot where I knew a waterfall burst out of the canyons. I found one spot that could have held a fish or two so I took a cast.

 This beautiful bow took a sunken October caddis. With nowhere to run he came to hand with little fuss. After a few quick pics he was released and I was back at it. The beaver dam forced me out of the stream so I continued by way of the North Central Montana wasteland.

Cactus! I can say I lived in a desert! I carefully continued until I reached the falls.

This beautiful spot gave up many trout, but only one of note.

This bow came right out of the main current. After a few casts I decided to head toward the headwaters in search of some cuttbows. I only found one cuttbow and a few tiny brookies.

 This little guys colors shined brightly in the shade and sun! After some hiking I decided to call it a day. As I drove home the skies clouded up and I decided to try one more spot. This spot is a little raceway fed by ice cold water from the bottom of a reservoir. The raceway is only around two hundred yards long, but it's home to hundreds of trout. I approached my spot as the winds began to whip and swirl. Casting was difficult but with low light I didn't need to be too careful.

 

These were the bigguns but I managed well over 75 fish in just over an hour. I got hits on almost every cast. Most were only nine or ten inches long but it was apparent this spot hasn't been fished all summer. A little rain started to fall and I decided to head home. Overall it was a great trip and I had a great spring, summer, and fall exploring the fishing opportunities north central Montana offers. I can't wait to explore north western MT!

Trip Report: A Few Minutes

Today I went back and forth about fishing this evening. Evenings creep into daytime and cold grips the air this time of year. At the last minute I decided to bundle up and fish a spot very close to home. I decided to only fish for a half hour or so. I'm glad I decided to go out! On my first cast I hooked into an 18-19 inch beastbow. After a short fight I pulled him in and grabbed him. As I fiddled with my camera he flopped out of my hand, spit the hook, and shook his fin like a fist at me as he swam away. Not to worry, I did hook into another nice fish about 15 minutes later.

This beast struck a fly of my own invention. Lately orange has done the trick for me. The first nice bow hit on the fly skated over the surface slowly. This guy hit the fly shortly after it touched the surface. The evening started out slow, with a few big fish being the only fish caught. The last fifteen minutes became fast and furious. I caught a bunch of bows around this size.

This guy and around twenty of a similar size gently sipped the fly from the surface. Some wore vibrant reds and greens, while others donned scratches and worn fins characteristic of stocked fish. I want to get out once this weekend and maybe once next week before the move to Kalispell! Stay Tuned.

Trip Report: Freezing Rainbows

Tonight I got out after work for a short outing. I left town as the temperatures followed me south. I fished about 45 minutes and caught only five or six fish, but some of them were quite nice.

This guy hit first. He measured around 14 inches but must have weighed around 2lbs. I quickly released him and rinsed my hands of his slime. I realized that I had forgotten gloves the minute I pulled my hands out of the water. Chilllllyyyyy!

After a few vibrantly colored little guys I hooked into this guy. At this point the sun had fallen below the horizon so I decided to make the next pool my last spot.

This guy followed the sunken caddis right to my feet before he nipped it! He dove for some sunken cover a few times but I emerged victorious. This was the first time this season fishing in the cold and I'm happy with my success. Another great day of fishing.

Old Report: A Few Days Ago

The wife and I are moving to Kalispell, Montana in a little over a week. I haven't and will not have much time to fish but I hope to hit a few of my favorite spots before we move. I got out a few days ago and fished the lower reaches of my home stream.

 After a few bows I decided to give the brookies a visit. I headed upstream to a beaver pond that I've been eying up.

I tossed a sunken caddis all around this pool, pulling in brookies on almost every cast. Some were small.

Some were big.

But most were right around this size.

After about two hours of fishing and well over 20 fish to show for my efforts I returned home a satisfied fisherman!

Trip Report: Over the Rainbow

Today I decided to head to a spot close to home for a few a quick fishin' trip. I only fished for about 45 minutes but I managed a few nice fish. 

Lately I've really liked this view of the mountains. I got to the fishing spot and the clouds had closed in. This spot is full of quick current and tight casting lanes so I shortened my leader and tried a hopper. I missed a few hits and switched to an orange deer hair caddis. I immediately pulled out a post spawn brown.

He put up a decent fight. Imagine if he had a little more weight on him! Around the next bend I hooked into this fat rainbow. He sipped the caddis from about two inches under the surface.

This fish probably would measure around 14 inches. The picture doesn't do him justice. I continued to a spot where the water flows off of a gravel shelf, plunging into a sandy pool punctuated by thickly hanging tree roots. I cast the fly across the current and sunk it into the roots. This pretty brown came out of nowhere to take the fly.

I continued on to a deep pool which was nearly inaccessible with the fly. I roll cast over a logjam to the foot of some overhanging tree roots. Immediately a vibrant rainbow took the caddis.

Look at those rosie cheeks!

My final catch, another skinny brown, also slurped the caddis. He put up a pretty good fight and when I got him in I took a moment to admire him. At the time I didn't even notice the wound just below the fishes tail. I wonder what got him. Another good day of fishing...

Trip Report: A Sunday Drive

After the Packers game the wife and I decided to go for a little Sunday drive. I wanted to explore a stretch of a river that runs along my route to F-Reservoir. I wasn't sure if I could fish any of the water as there is barbed wire at all the bridge crossings. I found two spots on the road side of the fence were the river meandered through.

At the first spot, a bridge crossing with ample public space, I parked and peered over the guardrail into the clear water. I immediately spotted three nice brookies just relaxing in a brief pool. I immediately cast my rainbow warrior into the brush and snapped it on the back cast. Now in my haste I only brought my rod to the bridge. I had to turn around for my vest which as I neared the car, realized was hanging on my tying chair at home. The wife and I rifled through the car in search of flies. We found an empty box and one with a san juan worm in it. I tied on the san juan and chucked it under the bridge from which I stood.

Right away I pulled out two!

The first one tore up the thread on the san juan worm, probably because I didn't put clear hardener over it. I tied the chenille to the hook and caught the other. I just pulled 'em up, snapped a few pictures, and released 'em. Then on to a spot higher in the mountains.

 I pulled a few brookies out of here and focused on the heads of the riffles to see if any rainbows call this beautiful spot home.

 The bottom one fought pretty good. After a half hour of fishing this spot we turned around.

Overall it was a great little trip. Wifey and I drove through beautiful scenery, caught some beautiful fish, and got to spend some quality time together. 

When I got home I took some pictures of a few midges and a fly box that I put together.

Trip Report: Last Time I Torture Brookies (for a while)

This road leads to brookies! I began fishing about five miles further down. While fishing I decided this would be the last time I torture the brookies for a while. When the spawn is over I'll be back at it.

The taller peaks were obscured by clouds so I hoped to hunt in the shade. The clouds cleared as the day went on but I still got some shade. I also got some brookies!

This guy hit on a gray hares ear drifted slowly along the bottom. After a few smaller ones I switched to an orange deer hair skittering caddis that I tied up as I walked out the door.

I pulled this colorful one and a few other little ones out on the caddis skittered over the deeper pools.

This pool is probably six feet deep and crystal clear. I expected to catch a few in this pool but I found none. Earlier in the season I pulled a few nice ones from under the sticks hanging down at the top of the picture. The next pool proved much better.

After about an hour of torturing the brookies I decided to head to the canyon. I only caught a few little rainbows on the rainbow warrior. Driving toward the canyons I took a picture of the Dr. Seuss hills. I have a lot of fly orders to fill this week so I may not fish much, but if I do get out it will be in search of big bows.