After Steelhead fishing with some boys in Washington for the last couple years, they told me I had to get to Montana this summer to do some trout fishing. Having never been to big sky country I said “sure.” Summer arrived out of the blue and before I knew it July was over. I made a call to The Stonefly Inn and spoke with Dan “Rooster” Leavens. I told him a friend of mine and I were coming up and that we would be there in 11 hours “I’ll be ready” was his reply. With the truck filled to the brim with fly rods, cameras, coolers and more gear RA Beattie and I got on the road and headed north. We arrived in Dillon just in time for happy hour and were welcomed with cold beer and buffalo tenderloin. The next morning after shaking out the cobwebs we drove to The Stonefly Inn in Twin Bridges, we met Rooster and came up with a plan. Since a cold front moved in and dropped a bunch of rain the dry fly fishing wasn’t what it had been. Of course if we had got there a day earlier we would have seen rising trout everywhere eating big hoppers. Since reports on the rivers were not optimal we hit a few local spring creeks that Rooster had access to. The fish in some of these creeks were giant, spooky and it took team work to catch them. With RA on a high bank and Rooster and I hiding in some weeds we worked as a team to get a single brown trout to eat. My first cast in Montana was with a size 4 hopper into a spring creek and as I watched this artificial bug float on the surface my heart was pumping. I could hear RA “here it comes, here it comes….oh my god” and then through the tall reeds I saw a large mouth open and suck in my offering. I don’t know how but,I waited long enough to get a good hook set on the fish and bring him into Roosters net. Over the next 10 days we fished everything from big rivers like the Madison to Spring Creeks that looked like drainage ditches. We saw huge Caddis hatches and more Grasshoppers then I have ever seen. We caught Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout and even Carp on Clark Canyon Reservoir which feeds the Beaverhead River. After fishing all over Colorado and into Wyoming I never thought that Montana would be much different. I also didn’t understand why it got so much press when the states just to the south also with great fly fishing did not. Now I know. Montana is a wild place, vast valleys that ease into Mountainous rolling hills which touch upon the never ending sky. Small country towns nestled amongst miles and miles of farm land. No one was in a hurry and every truck, car and camper had a drift boat in tow.It was refreshing to visit a place with down to earth people who were not afraid to shake your hand and have a conversation. Today It seems too easy for all of us to get wrapped up in new cars, bigger houses, more money, higher status etc.. where I was in Montana all of that seemed to disappear. Thanks to RA, Rooster, Jeff Brazda and Tyler Barrus for showing me the best of Big Sky Country.
Joey,
Wow, sounds like you had a killer trip! Beautiful looking fish you are holding right there. I really like what you said here, “It was refreshing to visit a place with down to earth people who were not afraid to shake your hand and have a conversation. Today It seems too easy for all of us to get wrapped up in new cars, bigger houses, more money, higher status etc.. where I was in Montana all of that seemed to disappear. ”
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I think, in the end, that is ultimately what fly fishing and spending time on the water with friends does for me. It provides me with an escape from all of the BullS*** .
Superb Brownie there joey. I enjoyed reading how the fish was spotted and how RA got you pumped with the play-by-play. Keeping your cool must have been a challenge. Tale like this in Montana brought back memories. (I stayed 3 days on Clark Canyon Res. in an LL Bean tent fishing the Beaverhead) Thanks for sharing.
Sweet bro! That is a sick fish, very impressive that it came on a spring creek. Sounds like an awesome trip! Nothing quite like the wide open country of Montana and the west. Well said about getting wrapped up in the day to day competition. Life is too short to worry about all of that…
great fish joey, love the team work aspect of fly fishing myself. glad you got to experience some truly trophy fishing out in big sky country!
The serenity that can be found in a state like Montana along with the excellant fishing makes it a perfect fly fishing destination. The air is cleaner, fish are plentiful and the world of THINGS a little more distant. This time of year is the best time I think. Beautiful fish Joey!
Thanks jer, It was a pretty wild trip. Fly Fishing is a great escape from anything. The only thing you are focused on is your fly and the fish. looking forward to fishing with ya again soon.
Marshall clark canyon is a pretty cool res. we spent a few days chasing carp up there. the weather can change from nice and calm to windy and white caps pretty quick. The beaverhead is a cool river we floated it a few times and saw some crazy hatches. Caddis and Spruce Moths everywhere.
Thanks for reading.
“life is too short to worry about all of that…” well said my friend looking forward to making a few casts with you this year. cheers.
Whip the team work game is killer.. kinda like steelhead fishing in the fall. Working as a group to find the fish and making it happen. Hope to work as a team with ya back east chasing chromers in Nov.
cheers brotha
Trout really do have a bit of magic about them, dont’ they? That and the places they live in are generally pretty beautiful too.
Very much agree with fishing being a way to get away from things. Concentrating on the fish and what they’re doing is always a nice way to take a break from what’s become reality for most of us.
wow, beautiful brown man looks like you guys had an amazing trip to the big sky man I hope to get back there at sometime, look forward to seeing the vid from that trip, hope to see you soon brother, cheers Alex
Hi.Lovely fish I looked up The Stonefly Inn their rates are good,another place to visit when I get to the US,hopefully 2010,seems you got value for your Dollar.
Thanks