Saturday, July 19, 2008

Roaming The Wilds of Montana



I am free, roaming every corner of Montana in search of fish. After flying into Billings, I headed West on the interstate. Dan Bailey Fly Shop was the first stop. Dan Bailey is a really top notch shop with staff that are dedicated and know what they are talking about. This is a must for anyone in the area.

The next stop on this 400-mile wild ride (speed limits seem to be a mere suggestion in Montana) was the Little Blackfoot River. To get there take I 90 to US 12. The road follows along the river. At about mile 8 there is a fishing access site. Here there are choice fishing opportunities. The river is beautiful, clear and holds some nice little browns that were eager to snatch up caddis and Czech Nymphs. There are other places to turn off a little further up the road towards Route 141.

Continuing to my destination in the Swan Valley I rocked to some Dylan, enjoyed the endless miles of farmland and Mountains and made one more stop at Monture Creek. The State of Montana has done a nice job of restoring the banks of this pretty creek. The water was gin-clear. The sky was an endless dome of blue peppered with a few wispy white clouds. One can see why Montana is Big Sky Country. Alas, the time of day was not good for fishing the wide open creek, but as I drove to the Swan Valley I had dreams of cuts, bows and browns tugging on the end of my line. Maybe next trip.

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