Brook trout clown suit

Brook trout skin

Here in Montana, we have plenty of those little dink brookies that come to most people's minds when you say "brook trout." They are not native here and they cause some ecological trouble with our native and threatened bull char.  However, in Georgetown Lake, they are somewhat isolated from the rest of the watershed and they are managed for in a positive way because they get huge.  Some of them can get to Labrador, Canada-type sizes.  In the fall, they put on their clown suits and are the most colorful fish you can find.

Big boy guarding his redd in Emily Spring

As of now, the brookies in the lake are in full to late spawn and are just about impossible to catch. The good pre-spawn fishing is over but you can find some schooled-up roamers moving around that are not on the redds.  Throwing a big streamer at them may piss one off but at this point, it's a lost cause.  However, there is a fun alternative.  The rainbows will also join these moving herds. Throw an unweighted double egg rig right in front of the moving school.  As they all move over it, watch your line tip.  Once it starts following the school, set the hook.  It will be a big G-town rainbow every time!

Take your kids up to see the kokanee and brookie spawners in Emily spring and the hoards of eagles. I'd be surprised if you made it all the way around the lake and did not spot a moose or 2 as well.

Missouri River autumn magic

Missouri River Morning

We spent the weekend in wonderful Craiglandia, Montana and it was fabulous.  The trout were huge, hungry, and acrobatic.  They even took my mind off my new carp obsession for the first time in months.

The Craig Bridge

The trees were hanging on to the last of their color, the weather was great, and the fishing was off the charts.

MO Brown

A couple of nice browns were hooked in between the onslaught of huge rainbows. We fished double sowbug short leash in shallow water and could not stop catching fish.  Then, I noticed some orange swimming around in the back part of a seam.  I threw a streamer at it and this happened:

Two rare occurrences, a picture of me on the blog and a huge kokanee salmon in the Wolf Creek area. 

So, I guess some kokanee occasionally make it over the dam and into the river.  This was the biggest kokanee I've ever caught.  We saved it from a lonely death.  He's going into the smoker!

Kokanee kype.  Look at those teeth!!

Nose to nose.

Fall is flying by.  Don't let it slip through your hands.  You've got months of football and cabin fever ahead.  See you in the field!