What do you do when every fly fisher in America comes to your town and all the rivers are packed?

You go to the local borrow pit and chase steelhead sized, retired brood stock.

This huge bastard was well over 30" long.  I saw one other person all day.

Tune back in for a report from Orvis' Down the Hatch Fly Fishing Festival with celebrity pics, goings-on, and a look into springtime in Missoula.

Rock Creek, MT is Sacred

I could sit here and write a 5 volume novel on what makes Rock Creek (tributary to the Clark Fork) such a wonderful place.  Honestly, I don't have the literary skills to do it justice.  I'm talking about everything too, not just the fishing.  I'm in love with the geology, the plant communities, the wildlife, and the local community.  I could go on and on but it is easier to just state the only thing that I don't love.  Sometimes, especially on weekends in the summer, I have to avoid the creek because everyone else loves it too.  That's ok, I can share.

I wanted to do a full spring photo essay but the lighting sucked.  While it ruined my chances at some vibrant pics, it made the fishing great!

It's at this point that my troubles disappear 

Pre-spawn female rainbow eats a SH sow bug

Lower Rock Creek Early Spring

Rock Creek last Fall

Here's some tips to make the Creek more fun for everyone.

• Pinch your barbs!!  This is an extremely important reproduction area for trout/char, whitefish, suckers, etc.
• Follow the old Montana "stay out of sight" rule.  It works because there is plenty of room for everyone here.  This is not NY or WA.  If you see another fisherperson don't jump in and start fishing, keep going.  Lot's of out-of-staters are unaware of this part of MT fishing culture.  It's best not to get mad at them but to tell them about our culture.     

Western Montana Ice-out Update!

I took the short trip to Beavertail Pond yesterday to check on ice-out conditions.  Good news for anyone wanting a good sign of spring; the pond is about 10% thawed on the north end.  Two nice old bait fisherman had a bunch of cookie-cutter rainbows on a stringer. Surely more than the limit but who really cares, the pond keeps guys like that off the river and away from real, wild trout.  I did not see the big brood stock cruising the shores yet.  I did not take the temp of the water but it was too cold to wade in for long even with my normal winter wading gear.  I'm thinking like 32.5F.  The rest of the ice will go in a matter of days, especially if there is a wind event. So, what does this mean?  The pond is at low elevation and small.  It also gets a good amount of sun.  A person could safely conclude that the rest of the lakes in the area (with the exception of Frenchtown) are still frozen.