Missouri River - Wolf Creek, MT June 23 - July 05

[afishinado]

wbranch wrote:
Nice, all solid fish in difficult conditions. There was a time when Missouri fish were more plentiful and pushovers. Now they are easily as hard to take as the toughest Delaware riser.

You were lucky to get a nice brown as the brown trout count is very low on the Missouri. Additionally most of the bigger browns like to hang out in the various channels off the main flow but with river flows of 3100 cfs those channels are just too low, slow, and warm to hold any trout.

Here is an article I read recently confirming your post about the declining brown trout population in MT and the possible reasons why. Really alarming for the future....and sad.

https://www.hatchmag.com/articles/fight-montanas-water/7715303

 

[greenghost]

afishinado wrote:

wbranch wrote:
Nice, all solid fish in difficult conditions. There was a time when Missouri fish were more plentiful and pushovers. Now they are easily as hard to take as the toughest Delaware riser.

You were lucky to get a nice brown as the brown trout count is very low on the Missouri. Additionally most of the bigger browns like to hang out in the various channels off the main flow but with river flows of 3100 cfs those channels are just too low, slow, and warm to hold any trout.

Here is an article I read recently confirming your post about the declining brown trout population in MT and the possible reasons why. Really alarming for the future....and sad.

https://www.hatchmag.com/articles/fight-montanas-water/7715303

Thanks for posting this article, afish. It's very concerning. So sad to hear the Shields is closed completely to fishing. I fished it a few years back and caught all four fish species... rainbow, brookie, cuts and brown in one day's fishing. It is smaller water and is drained during the summer for irrigation during regular years. I fear, this could have a long-lasting impact.

Here are two nice fish--brownie and a cut-- I caught from Shields (the day I forgot my net, lol)

 

[mt_flyfisher]

I’m not sure where the project stands today on the Shields, but several years ago the MT Fish & Wildlife had a plan to get rid of all the browns, rainbows and brook trouts in the upper Shields, leaving only the Yellowstone Cutts. The Shields has one of the best pure strains of Yellowstone Cutthroat remaining in MT.

Until a half dozen years ago I fished the Shields several times each summer above Wilsall, well above where the water is effected by summer Ag irrigation needs. We caught lots of cutthroat, browns and brook trout way up there too, many of which would make your eyes bug out by their size relative to the stream size. I don’t know why the Shields would be closed up that far, unless the Fish and Wildlife are poisoning the water this summer to kill the non-native trout.

https://www.bozemandailychronicle.com/news/wildlife/fwp-plans-trout-removal-in-shields-river/article_8652f902-0e0a-11e4-8862-0019bb2963f4.html

 

[nimrod]

 

[wgmiller]

wbranch wrote:
A few more - and still living the dream at 78.

That's what it's all about. Keep the pedal down and keep going until you can't!

 

[timmyt2]

Not too hard too imagine that massively de watering rivers is going to catch up eventually, seems like a similar issue they are having in the southern west with lade mead, etc

 

[wgmiller]

Not to take this thread off-topic, but "water wars" in the American West are only going to heat up (no pun intended) as the effects of climate change continue to have an impact: https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2021-06-28/water-wars-are-coming-to-the-american-west

 

[Sylvaneous]

Yes, I was out there in last 1/2 of June. Had little fish feeding on top 1st day. Other 2 days, not 1 rise seen. Went with my friend who has been a guide out of Bozeman. We went into the 'canyon' to find current. One spot had a really productive riffle and John and I tore 'em up for about 40 minuets, and that was the best action of 3 days fishing. But it's hard to keep a big Mo' bow buttoned-up on a sz. 18 hook while wading in current. Green machines and another fly (which I swore not to name. ) were our fish getters. Wading anglers did well. We ran into the same person 3 times on one float as he bounced from spot to spot, fishing just the good current along rocky banks. 2 of those times, he had really nice browns on. So his strategy worked.

Syl.

 

[jmflyfisher]

Nice looking fish! Sounds like a great trip! I am headed to Wolf Creek mid September, I am hopeful that all that is going on out there right now with water temps and fires will have subsided at least a little bit!

 

[skybay]

Great trip wbranch, are tired from casting!

 

[Sharknado5]

Got back from the Bitterroot River yesterday, flew into Missoula, spent 5 days around Darby, fishing mostly banks and soft spots from a raft with guides. Would have waded more but no real hatches and minimal rising fish. Finally had decent topwater action on Wednesday the last day. Almost all cuts with a couple rainbows, rare browns and one brook. 6 to 18" but mostly 8-14. Guides said the hatches were good mid June to early July, PMDs and stones mostly. We used mostly hoppers and parachute adams variations which usually are good. Fished there last year in early Sept, it was better then. The river now however is in great shape. There's a dam on the upper West Fork with cold water release, water temps 54-58 in the West fork, 58-65 around Darby. Air temps 70-98, but was predicted to get to 103 which would have been record heat. its a very fast, rocky and beautiful river, some white water, lots of log jams, usually you get a few seconds to make a short, pin-point cast then you're gone. Flow was about 400-450 cfs at Darby which is good flow, despite lots of irrigation withdrawals. It seems bigger, and tricky wading with slippery round rocks, hard to reach the far bank and hard to cross in most places.

The air was filled with smoke much of the time which obscured the surrounding mountains, and occasionally you could smell it. It rained briefly a few times which cleared the air. The Paramount network series Yellowstone is filmed largely at the Chief Joseph ranch near Darby and Trapper Peak is frequently in the background of scenes. This past week they were in Texas filming, but when in Darby the crew and actors hang out in the bars in Darby which is pretty cool for the locals. The guides say Kevin Costner buys drinks for the house, and Beth looks as good in person as on the show. The fifth and last season is starting to film now so if you want to rub some shoulders make plans soon!

We stayed at the Leaning Tree Lodge south of Darby. Highly recommended, ask for Geno.

 

[albatross]

A couple more pics from the SWPA group

 

[gulfgreyhound]

That looks like a fun trip. GG

 

[moon1284]

Those are big trout. I'm not sure you guys ever catch anything small.

 

[wbranch]

There were far too many rattlesnake sightings this past trip. I saw three, two coiled within 3' of me and one swimming. All my friends out there saw at least one.