Fall Fishing in Montana
Monday was my last day with the Grizzly Riders and today I fished with long-time angler, Dan, on a stretch of the Clark Fork that he likes. We set off early and it took a few runs before Dan came tight on the first fish of the day.
Just below that he tagged a decent rainbow in a rock garden and I thought that the fishing would continue to pick up, but it proved spotty. Some of the typically good runs didn’t yield even a strike. I started switching the flies around and then Dan hooked 3 nice fish in a fast run and then he stuck a really heavy fish in a trough below that.
That fish made a few hard runs before coming unbuttoned. After that we found a shelf that had a bunch of fish on it. The first two that Dan hooked in there got away and that is when we pulled in to make a change.
Dan had been fishing a 4 weight rod all morning and it was just too soft to really stick those fish and stay connected on a deep dry/dropper rig. We swapped out for a 5 weight and the results changed immediately.
Back on the same shelf and Dan landed the next 2 fish he hooked including a solid 17″ rainbow. The fishing remained spot to spot with some runs empty while others held fish willing to eat. Dan picked up a couple more hard fighting bows before we stopped for lunch.
The afternoon session was brief because we had a big portage around a diversion dam and Dan wanted to be off the water early so we picked out spots. We were 75% on the runs we fished in the afternoon. Dan hooked up in 3 of those spots while one run was blank.
He put one more in the net at our last spot and then we made the push to the takeout. The fishing was definitely not as consistent as it usually is on that stretch, but there were spots that provided some good action. I had a great time on the water with Dan and look forward to fishing with him again next fall.
Fall Fishing in Montana
Thursday I was out with half of the LaMosca crew. This group of guys have been coming out to Missoula in the fall for over 20 years. This year they are headed over to the Mo, but Gregg and Steve came in early and they wanted to chase pike for the day.
It was not ideal pike fishing conditions with clouds, rain, and cool temps but I love going after pike and wasn’t about to turn down the chance. We launched on the Clark Fork and the guys started casting big streamers in our first spot.
After 15 minutes or so Gregg came tight on a fish. Then he was very tight to that fish and it wouldn’t hardly budge so I knew it was a good one. That pike made a couple of runs and circled the boat a few times before hitting the net.
It was a big, heavy pike and Gregg’s best to date. Not far below that and I saw a flash on Steve’s fly and he was hooked up to a decent pike. Steve picked up one more in that run before we moved downstream. The next spot produced a hook up for Steve but the fish came off before we saw it.
Then it slowed down on us before and just after lunch. We fished through some great water but only managed a couple follows that wouldn’t commit to the fly. We were fishing one of my favorite spots when Gregg took a short break.
There wasn’t any wind so I grabbed his rod and made a couple casts. I was more focused on Steve’s fly than my own when I got a solid grab. I set the hook but it was too late. I just pricked him and saw him slide off into the depths.
I gave the rod back to Gregg after my miss and he stuck two pike back to back with the second one being a good sized fish. We had time, and the guys had enough energy in their casting arms for one more spot.
We pulled into a slough where Steve connected with two more pike to cap off the day. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect today with the big weather change, but it was pretty solid fishing with chances throughout the day.
This crew is always a bunch of fun to fish with and I hope they have a great trip over on the Mo.
Fall Fishing in Montana
Friday I fished with local angler, Jim, on a familiar stretch of the upper Bitterroot. It was a cool, cloudy morning so we started off with a dry dropper rig. The first couple of runs were blank and then Jim came tight with the dropper in a fast rocky run.
We pulled into the inside with that fish and his next cast produced a violent strike on the big dry, then he tagged another cutthroat on the dropper in that spot. That level of activity was surprising and Jim continued to find solid cutts on the dropper for the next hour or so.
Then we changed to a single dry and had lots of small trout and a few decent ones looking up. I switched Jim to a small mayfly in a slow run and he picked off a pretty 17″ cutt that we watched rise.
While we were fishing to that riser I noticed a big fall drake float by so when we were done with that run I swapped Jim over to a big mayfly dry and tagged a few more before we stopped for an early lunch. In the afternoon that big dry continued to produce in the likely spots.
The best fish of the day came from the top of a riffle. I knew it was a good one when it ate, and then it went racing all across the river on the end of Jim’s line. He did well fighting it and before long had a fat 20″ cuttbow in the net.
From there the fishing sputtered for a little while. We fished two very good runs with no eats so I started changing flies. The new bugs raised a few, including a couple nice ones, but it wasn’t at quite the same pace as earlier. Then we went back to the big mayfly and Jim’s first cast brought up another solid cutthroat.
We stuck with that bug the rest of the day and had good results until the fishing faded out over the last half hour. It was a perfect weather day, comfortable temps and mostly cloudy without another boat in sight.
Jim caught fish all day with a good number of cutts and cuttbows from 14-17″ and one 20 incher on the dry.
Fall Fishing in Montana
Sunday was my last day of the season with Mark and Maryke. They always come over to Missoula for one day in the fall, and with cloudy, cool weather it was the perfect day to hit the lower Bitterroot.
I had not even picked up my anchor at the put in and Mark picked up a fish on his very first cast of the day. Not much else was happening on the dropper early, but Mark did have two solid rainbows eat the big dry and he landed both.
The first fish absolutely smashed the dry in slow water. He tagged a smaller rainbow on the dropper and then we switched over to the dry fly rod to target some tricky risers that were eating tricos. Those fish require a good cast and perfect dead drift.
Mark fed the fly to several risers and landed a number of 16+” rainbows on the tiny dry. We stopped for lunch as the tricos faded and switched over to mahogany dry for the afternoon.
The first inside produced a decent rainbow at the top and then a big bow further down that we saw rise. Mark picked off a couple more on the dry and then the bugs fizzled and we switched back to a dry/dropper. That produced in the likely spots with good sized fish.
Since everything was going our way today we grabbed the 7 weight in some slow water and started looking for a northern pike. We had fished through most of the good water and as Mark was making a mend to let his fly sink further we both saw a big flash underwater.
He set the hook hard and the battle was on. It was a big fish and didn’t want any part of coming to the boat. After releasing that big guy we switched back to the dry/dropper to finish off the day.
The action was consistent in the likely spots and Mark came tight to another solid rainbow with the bridge in sight. After putting that one in the net I cut off his flies and called it a day. Mark is now one of the few anglers who has caught a fish on his first cast of the day and his last.
Add all the other ones he caught in between and it was a great day on the Bitterroot!
Fall Fishing in Montana
Fall weather has arrived and it looks to stick around for a while. As guides, we cross our fingers every morning when we check the weather hoping for cool, clouds, and a little rain and it looks like that is exactly what we have on tap for the next 10 days.
The fall mayfly hatches have started and our bigger fish are on the hunt daily now. It should be a great week ahead!
Tight Lines,
Tony Reinhardt
Montana Trout Outfitters
406-544-3516
