Montana Help
- This topic has 12 replies, 9 voices, and was last updated Feb 7, 2007 at 8:43 pm by
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I am planning a 10 day trip to Montana this spring or summer. I will be driving from Jackson, TN and will be tent camping once I am there.
If you’re fishing in Late May/early June on the Madison, try to catch the Salmon flies
some ferrocious top water action. It can be like catching a moving train–gotta be there at the right time—it’s a fun chase. When I lived in ID in 2001, the guides described the Madison hatch as a swarm that basically starts hatching earlier downstream in Ennis and progresses upstream. It’s over in a flash, but the trout gorge like crazy. I bummed around tent camping in willows @ pulloffs a few miles from the $3 bridge area and never got caught, but it was probably against regs.Travis
My first thought is why drive? By the time you spring for gas and a campsite or two along the way, you can buy a plane ticket to SLC or Billings. Three weeks ago Frontier had Billings for $135 plus junk fees from Atlanta.
Get another person to go with you and split a rental car. By flying out, you won’t burn two or three days driving. You’ve got the right idea about camping….that will save you money.
I’d consider going late July or early August and fish terrestrials. September would be even better. You do have to take in consideration warmer water temps, lower water levels, and forest fires if you go late summer.
OK, first off I have to really disagree with drifter and wolfy on their time of year choice and here is why. Right now there is nowhere in the state except for Glacier Park that has 100% of normal snowpack. Last year we did and FWP had to put hoot owl restrictions on most of the rivers in Western Montana by mid July. Some rivers where closed to fishing all together. So based on that if I where you I would plan on EARLY May or Late June. I think late June would be the best. You should be able to get in on some kind of stone fly event. Right after the Salmon Fly hatch you see a nice Golden Stone hatch and right before the Salmon fly hatch you see a great Skwalla hatch. It all depends on Mother Nature.
As far as camping goes I can’t really reccomend much on the Gallatin but I would contact the Rivers Edge fly shop in Bozeman at (406)586-5373. Ask for Steve and tell Joel Thompson from Deer Lodge told you to call.
Now when it comes to Rock Creek you are in my territory so I know exactly where to send you. There are a couple of state camp grounds right up Rock Creek you could stay at. Nothing to write home about but for a minimalist it will get the job done. A place you might want to consider it the campground at Bearmouth. I don’t think it is very expensive to stay there and they have a restraunt and bar right there. Plus you are right on the banks of the Clark Fork river. A fishery that is over looked by most and can be quite good. For information on Rock Creek I would contact the Kingfisher in Missoula. Their website is http://www.kingfisherflyshop.com/ Once again, tell them I sent you and they will take very good care of you. One of the owners of that shop is my outfitter.
Feel free to send me a PM anytime and I will keep you posted on conditions.
Moosedog
Like Moosedog said, they dont have quite the snow they did last year so going earlier in the summer might be a better bet.
I usually go for two weeks each summer around mid July. Work forced me to postpone until the first two weeks of August this past summer. What normally should have been fantastic hopper fishing was pretty off. River closings, due to the heat wave, were also in effect. Late July and August is always a crap shoot, especially in low water years.
As far as driving goes, you might want to reconsider flying instead as Drifter suggested…especially if you want to maximize your fishing time. I do drive, but I haul a driftboat and take the dog. If I remember correctly where Jackson is, I would say you ought to make it into Montana late afternoon, early evening on your second day with two days of hard driving. To give you a frame of reference. We spent our first night about an hour east of St Louis in Illinois. We made it to Rapid City, SD the next day, and drove into Livingston about noon (with the time time change) on our third day. As far as advice on what to see…AVOID KANSAS AT ALL COSTS. Go through South Dakota…the Badlands are pretty cool.
heres the bad news,, this of course could be offset by huge amounts of snow later…….., or big rains like what happend last year, saved early summer fishing but made late summer very poor.. …roy kaiser nrcs water specialist says,,, snow pack is below last year at this time,,,, other specialsts: fort peck is 12 feet lower than the 1991 drought, ,,,mountain snowpack is 80 percent statewide, 85 percent of average west of the continental divide,,,, 74 percent average east of the divide,,,,january was a very dry month,,, shields and musselshell basins reported low snowpacks, ruby madison, galliton and lower yellowstine show near record lows (snowpack),,,, keiser said he isnt worried yet becouse snowpack can build up thru march, it doesnt take that many storms to pull us out, but we have to start to get some activity.. … {{{my personal opinion is that we live in a semiarid state… ,, any reduction in streamflow puts trout in stress.. oxygen levels drop, plant life goes crazy, we loose big fish to fishing pressure etc, etc, etc,… last year the guides took a big hit on the satisfaction of thier clients , and profits in the helena area,… talking to fly shops in bozeman, butte i didnt hear rosy reviews either.. the tailwaters and nymphing in hot spots made exceptional fishing for me, but those only wanting dry fly fishing were generally unhappy, about numbers and size.. the tailwaters have protected flows, but the heat drove the fish down during the day in my opinion, but were still sctatching our heads as to “wha happned?”}} .september was cold and the guides took another hit, but probably good for the fish..
One thing I forgot to say was try to get to Rock Creek during the week. Don’t go on the weekends as it can be a flipping zoo up there and people become very territorial of their fishing spots!
Moosedog
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