I just returned from a week fishing Idaho and Montana. Per the usual, it did not disappoint, even though river conditions were less than ideal, especially for wade anglers. Prior to making the drive, we monitored river conditions hoping the steep downward trend continued but Mother Nature had different plans, and consistently delivered afternoon thunderstorms that had the gauge readings looking like ECG’s all week. Nonetheless, it’s early summer, the hatches were strong and varied and the fish were hungry. If you were able to get yourself safely to a spot where you could make a cast to fishy water, it often paid off. It also helped to fish higher in river systems where the water tended to be lower and clearer. Fish were caught on everything from large stone fly imitations down to size 18 BWO patterns and a bunch of others in between. For me, Montana is about dries. I fish subsurface 95% of the time here in WA so I tend to stubbornly stick to dries when there, even if nymphing or streamers would be more productive. I pretty much stuck to that plan all week with just a few morning sessions nymphing. Overall, great trip. Fish caught out of 4-5 rivers and streams.Nothing quite like watching a nice cutthroat rise up and gently slurp a big dry. It never gets old!
Fish caught were mainly cutthroats/cut bows and some small browns. My fishing partner also caught a brookie in froggy backwater channel (not pictured).
Also got a beautiful colored whitefish during one of the morning nymph sessions.
Some of you may recognize this spot. Popular river, popular section. The scenic beauty never disappoints!
AK coming up then the trout rods go away and coho beach rods come out. Love this time of year!!
Fish caught were mainly cutthroats/cut bows and some small browns. My fishing partner also caught a brookie in froggy backwater channel (not pictured).
Also got a beautiful colored whitefish during one of the morning nymph sessions.
Some of you may recognize this spot. Popular river, popular section. The scenic beauty never disappoints!
AK coming up then the trout rods go away and coho beach rods come out. Love this time of year!!
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. That said, if given the choice 10 years ago this is all I would have wanted to do. WA has changed my perspective on that.
