Montana 2007

During July 2007, I was fortunate enough to take a trip to the great state of Montana with five very good friends. I had never fished beyond the midwest so this was going to be quite an adventure. After leaving a vehicle in Hudson, Wisconsin, four of us loaded the pickup and headed west. We decided to drive straight through and not waste any time by stopping for a night in a motel room. I never realized how far of a trip across North Dakota and Eastern Montana was but I guess the best way to see it is in the dark. At first light, we arrived around the Bozeman, Montana area and stopped for gas.

The farther west we traveled, better scenery presented itself and we were finally in the Rocky Mountains. As we headed west on the interstate, we saw many fishermen floating the Yellowstone but as we left the main road and headed towards Anaconda, the views and the sights only improved. This stream was a one that came out of Georgetown Lake near Philipsburg. We didn't get the opportunity to fish it but it was the first mountain stream we saw on the trip. This is Flint Creek.

The accomodations for the majority of the trip were rustic but very comfortable. Our cabin was owned by the US Forest Service and it had most of the ammenities we needed, except water, electricity, and a bathroom. It was, however, very clean and well kept. The beds were much better than sleeping on the ground, the outhouse was across the road, and the price was right. Later on we actually took the time to read the warnings about Hantivirus that was posted on the white cabinet. It mentioned something about not sweeping and creating dust because this could lead to illness or even death. This, of course was after we had swept up once upon arrival. (I am still here so we must be ok)

After getting things unpacked from the long trip, it was time for a little fishing. The weather was hot (around 100 degrees F) but the water was cool and it was trout fishing that brought us to Montana. The views of the area were completely breathtaking. There has always been something about being in the Rockies that knocks me for a loop. I have made three trips to them or through them and I can never get enough of the awesome scenery. I was truly blessed to be there once again.

The fishing was great right away. We were all running on empty as far as the energy levels go but the fish were waiting. This was the first time I had fished in Montana. The water definitely had a little more force to it than our spring creeks in Southwest Wisconsin. It took me a while and some practice to master the current and walking on small bowling balls on the stream bed.

The fishing was quite different here than what I was used to. After taking the advice from one of the guys in the group, I finally figured out where the fish were. (He kept telling me that I was standing where I should be fishing.) We did get the opportunity to fish a smaller trib to Rock Creek one afternoon and this stream was very similar to fishing the streams in the Driftless area.

We decided to fish a mountain lake one afternoon during the trip. We made plans to do this long before we got there and I was a little nervous about my physical shape and whether or not I would be able to handle the altitude and physical stress of the walk. Let me start by saying it was well worth the trip. The trail was not overly tough and the views from 8000 feet were completely breathtaking. Back in the 1940's, officials planted Artic Grayling in this lake as an experiment to see if they could survive. The fish were stocked by carrying milkcans of fish to the lake. The fish not only survived, they flourished and the fishery provides willing anglers the opportunity to catch grayling in the lower 48 states.

Time to move on to another stream. After fishing for quite a few days in 100 plus degree heat, it really zapped the energy out of us. This river was another gem that is not as well known (and going to stay that way). We had fished it in the morning and decided to take a break during the heat of the day for a little nap. We did attempt to fish it again in the evening but were interupted by a group of campers that weren't able to read the forest fire warnings that Smokey the Bear had posted all over the area. At dusk, the silence of the stream was interupted by the sound of fireworks going off. One of the people in our group made a point to gather as much information as possible and passed it on to the local authorities before they set the area on fire.

The wildlife of the area was spectacular. Below are a couple of critters that came down to check us out while we were fishing. We did get closer to a moose than the picture on the right but weren't able to get a picture of it. The locals pointed out that moose cause more problems to fishermen than any other wild animal in the area. We came across them on quite a few occasions.

After a week of hard fishing, it was time to make our way back to oWisconsin.

The last night of the trip was spent in a cabin on a nearby ranch. During the trip, we had stopped in to ask about fishing behind there house and buildings. We noticed that there were a couple of cabins within the buildings and inquied if they were for rent. We were scheduled to stay in a tent that night and had plans to take a shower on the way home when we stopped at a hotel. This place presented itself and it included a shower, electricity, and a working toilet. Below is a much cleaner group after a great night's sleep. I am definitely looking forward to returning in 2008.