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Post 27 Jun 2021, 22:20 • #1 
Master Guide
Joined: 06/07/12
Posts: 865
Location: US-CA
We’re visiting family in Montana - first time since 2019. For the last 15 or so years, Montana has meant family time for me, but this trip I carved out a little time to fish (first time fishing in the state 8 years) and headed up to a tributary of one of the big name Montana rivers for a half day. The lower section where I went is petty well known, but I decided to try my luck a few miles higher up near the headwaters. The upper section promised smaller water, less pressure, and also smaller fish.

It’s pretty water - and also challenging fishing. Not the fish so much, but the geology/topography. Lots of the creek was very even depth, lined with uniform cobbles, and uniform too-fast flows right to the mostly-brushy edges. There was much less structure than I am used to seeing on Sierra freestone rivers. Where I did find structure, I also found lots of eager native cutthroat. The fish looking up were mostly holding in surprisingly shallow inside lines. They were pretty opportunistic - I got takes on little Stimulators, Royal Wolffs, and Parachute Adams. The only annoying part was my inability to stick landings. I got tons of takes, had many that felt the hook, but only landed 3 or 4. A number came off after about 3 seconds on. Frustrating. For what it’s worth, the lower river had lots more structure - deeper runs, big corners, channels, and also (on a Saturday) a pickup truck or SUV in every pullout.

My LLBean/Timberline pack rod worked well. 7’ is a good length for bushwhacking, and the 5wt line on this rod didn’t feel too heavy - I got perfectly satisfactory presentations. All in all, good times.

Pics follow…

Pretty water - easily wadeable, but deceptively fast flowing


My rig for the day - Bean/Timberland and Bean/Hardy


Silvery little west slope cutthroat


The bushwhacking was pretty too - wild rose


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Post 28 Jun 2021, 06:27 • #2 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 02/26/14
Posts: 3578
Location: US-MN
Beautiful water and fish!


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Post 28 Jun 2021, 06:50 • #3 
Piscator
Joined: 08/10/05
Posts: 19076
Location: downtown Bulverde, Texas
brilliant


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Post 28 Jun 2021, 07:43 • #4 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 10/18/12
Posts: 1712
Location: Bozeman, MT
Thanx for sharing. Your description of the creek and it's flow and holding water are spot on. So many of the streams in Mt. exhibit that same character. One needs to cover lots of water to find the holding areas. Also, those areas become more prevalent as the summer moves on and away from the end of run-off.


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Post 28 Jun 2021, 09:44 • #5 
Guide
Joined: 02/18/18
Posts: 276
Location: US-TX
Well done...love the stream...and that LL Bean combo is so smooth and functional.
Carl


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Post 28 Jun 2021, 10:28 • #6 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 05/22/16
Posts: 1760
Location: SJC
Looks like fun !


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Post 28 Jun 2021, 14:12 • #7 
Sport
Joined: 01/11/21
Posts: 76
Location: NY (upstate/downstate)
That's my kind of trip and creek! Nice pictures.


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Post 29 Jun 2021, 09:40 • #8 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 12/31/15
Posts: 1238
Location: Northern Rockies
Great water--looks like a lot of fun.


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Post 29 Jun 2021, 16:52 • #9 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 04/25/16
Posts: 1069
Location: Rocky Mountains - Colorado
Wow...what a great day. Congrats on getting some time to fish...beautiful waters and fish. Thanks for sharing


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Post 30 Jun 2021, 16:12 • #10 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 07/11/14
Posts: 1784
Location: urban Colorado
motosacto wrote:
The upper section promised smaller water, less pressure, and also smaller fish.


that's the trade I'll always make ;-)

fished a MT creek myself recently, found no fish. On the other hand the salmonflies were hatching on the Blackfoot, which is a hatch and river I'd never expected to fish.. turns out a bank angler here has an advantage of sorts, the river is covered with rafts guides etc, but sneaking up the side channels worked to find a bit of water less fished..


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Post 02 Jul 2021, 22:16 • #11 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 10/09/09
Posts: 2796
Location: US-NM
Very nice.........Aurelio


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Post 22 Jul 2021, 22:52 • #12 
Master Guide
Joined: 12/11/20
Posts: 378
Location: Dallas, TX
Fabulous report. Interesting you had so many strikes but less hooking up. Still, looks like a wonderful day.

It’s in the 90s in Mississippi these days and fish are harder to find. I’d love a cold mountain stream right about now.


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Post 24 Jul 2021, 11:11 • #13 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 06/09/05
Posts: 2524
Location: US-CO
Great story...even the tough fishing part. We have all faced that at some point. Looks like a great day afield! Thanks for posting.


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Post 24 Jul 2021, 12:01 • #14 
Master Guide
Joined: 06/07/12
Posts: 865
Location: US-CA
So I got some advice regarding hookups with cutthroat via PMs on the board. Compared to rainbows, I’m told that cutthroat are often slower to turn and gulp a fly after they grab it. I’m used to my own poor reaction time and slack in the line setting me up about right for timing, but I was probably premature in my sets which led to yanking the fly out of the fishes’ mouths.

Gotta practice the old, “mutter, ‘God Save the Queen’, then set” timing I guess. I hope I’ll be back on a creek with cutthroat to do that before too much longer…


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