It's officially winter time and we're all either hunkering down with plenty of firewood stacked up next to the fireplace, remote in hand anticipating the NFL playoffs or you're fortunate enough to have flown south with the rest of the snowbirds. (Or you're like me; praying for a winter storm so the ducks come back...) Either way, if you're an avid fly fishing person, you've probably put the gear up and aren't really thinking much about next season. It's still a long ways off right? Well, if you want this next year to top all the others, you should probably take a little time and put some thought into that next fishing trip.
When I was growing up, we had more water to fish than we knew what to do with. Much of our time was spent wade fishing on shallow sandbars for large mouth bass. We spent just about every day on our neighborhood lake, White Sand, and occasionally ventured out on the big waters with my buddy's dad. Taking a trip out West was never really a thought of mine but I remember once, my buddy and his family did take a fly fishing trip in the Rockies and I could never get why they would go so far and pay so much just to catch a few 15 inch fish. Now I get it and I've made a living off of it and if you've been there, you understand too.
For a lot of people, it's not so much wrapping your head around the idea of fly fishing and catching these fish that, for the most part, are released back into the water or even the thought of paying for having someone take you out. For a lot of people, you just don't know where to even begin and it can be a bit intimidating. So what I'm going to do this winter, is write a series of entries on planning your next trip so that you can make the most of it. We'll start from square one and hopefully, you'll gain the confidence to plan that trip and for those that have done it; maybe you'll get some ideas of how to make the next trip the best.
First things first: Find your fishing hole. It's kind of like putting together a business plan. You have to look at the players who will be participating in this venture, find out what their goals are, and then make a plan to meet those goals. Let's say you have a group of guys that have been part of a fly tying club for the past ten years and they are looking for that ultimate fly fishing trip. Their expectations are going to be quite different than if you're taking you wife or your wife and kids. There are great rivers that offer amazing fly fishing that are off the beaten path but they don't offer so much in the area of nightlife or entertainment for the kid who likes to fish but maybe also likes to get out and hike or swim or go to an amusement park or the wife that likes to be able to go out and take in some culture.
Amenities are important to some people but just remember, the more in the way of amenities the more the cost. Having a budget is important and staying in a town the size of Bozeman or Helena, being able to stay at a hotel, might make more sense than booking a lodge on the river. However, having an all inclusive trip to a lodge is pretty cool and it's much easier letting one person take care of all your needs such as lodging, guides, transportation, and food. If you have the means to do it, that's great but fly fishing trips are also possible for those people on a budget and picking a location that offers options so you can shop around might be the way to go. But again, by having more options you might be also sacrificing solitude.
Ease of access is also really important to some people. There are fishing holes with airports offering direct flights but if you want to get away from the crowds, getting to those spots might mean layovers, transfers and maybe even renting an SUV for a few days. Again, do you want the ultimate fishing trip or do you want to just jump off a plane and land in the stream? How much are you and your partners in this will to work for your fishing?
There are thousands of options for fly fishing from the little "put and take" streams in California to fishing wild trout in the Rockies, to giant rainbows in Alaska, or even traveling around the world to places like New Zealand. Again, find out the needs of your group, what kind of resources you have, and then part of the experience is hunting for the right stream. The internet has definitely helped to compile a huge pool to choose from however, anyone can design a website that makes their pond look like it holds more and bigger fish than the other ponds. Websites are important but look at message boards as well. Getting feedback from a person who has already taken the trip should give you a little more real picture.
Ever since "A River Runs Through It," fly fishing in America has become incredibly popular. That popularity has spread across the world and more people are chasing rainbows now than there ever has been. With that, more and more little hidden gems are being discovered and people are coming back to their nine-to-fives wanting to share the love. They do this in a number of ways that you can benefit from. They participate in their local Trout Unlimited chapters. They participate in fly tying clubs. They also might hang out at the local fly shops or maybe they even own that fly shop. Research those organizations that want to support the industry but also want to help preserve the resources. The folks that do both might have some good insight on reputable outfitters that care about conservation and are taking advantage of recreational opportunities the right way so that those little gems don't get destroyed.
Here's the hard sell for my business and my stream folks. If you want the absolute best chance of catching the most and biggest trout in the Lower 48, the Missouri is the place. We have somewhere around 7,000 fish per river mile. The average size is around 17 to 18 inches and they are wild trout. You can get as technical as you want throwing tiny dries or you can get the younger or less experienced angler into fish right away by simplifying things. The Missouri truly has it all when it comes to fishing and there are plenty of opportunities to get off the big water and do some wade fishing. As for the fishing opportunities, there's really not a better place. Trust me.
The two communities that serve the Missouri in Montana are Craig and Wolf Creek. They are pretty much equal distance from either Great Falls or Helena, which are roughly a 40 minute drive. Both have airports but depending on where you're coming from, there's probably going to be stops in your flight plans. Lodging in the area can be a challenge in the height of the season. Staying in Helena might be a good option and as for the food choices, it's a bit limited. You can either get traditional hole in the wall Montana food and service with the taverns in Wolf Creek or you can get really good food from a chef who is REALLY proud of it in Craig. There are lodges however, that provide great services when rooms are available. And as for fly shops, there is no shortage. You can find everything you need for fly fishing here just don't forget your toothbrush.
What makes the Missouri great is also what keeps some people away. It's not the easiest to get to for the out-of-towner and there's not a lot going on other than the fishing. If you dig a little bit or if you contact an outfitter who has the connections, you can get into some hiking and even horseback riding but fishing is what this area is about. The Missouri is a diverse river however, and don't be fooled by the reviews that suggest it's not very scenic. You just have to get away from the dam. The canyon sections are beautiful and you can get away from the hustle and bustle if you make that a priority.
As for the do-it-yourselfer; the upper stretches of river has some of the best river access in the country. With plenty of pull-outs off the Recreation Road and a very generous ranch who has opened it's gates to the industry, there's plenty of options. Just make sure to pick up after yourselves and don't park in front of those gates and they shall remain open.
There's always a trade-off when planning a trip. Make sure you set the priorities for the group first and go from there. In the future, I'll talk about things like timing, choosing an outfitter and lodging and how to prep for a fly fishing trip in order to make the most of you time. Until then...
Keep 'em where they live...
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