Fly Fishing: Montana's Trout Season...

officially opens this Saturday. But many streams and most lakes are open year around. For the most part until Saturday major rivers are the only game in town. But read the fine print and you might be surprised to find a favorite tributary as an exception.

Such is the case with "no-name" creek. Full of brookies such as the one pictured above and open year around to fishing for brook trout it's become something of a tradition to kick start our crick fishing adventures as early as melting snow allows access. Last year, for example, snow and flooded roads kept us at bay until well into June. This year we probably could have started in mid April. We finally got there over the weekend.

Low snow melt already history and with the high country melt down yet to happen we found no-name early summer low and clear, although still damn cold. Way too bright (no doubt borderline cold) we did not expect much and as turned out our expectations were pretty much rewarded. But the outing was far from bust: elk, deer, antelope, an entertaining otter, eagles, hawks, ducks, songbirds, squirrels and no doubt a couple critters I've forgotten provided all the excitement needed...like who needs a bunch a slimy trouts on a fine day such as this...Right.

There were a few caddis and small stones popping as well as a couple small dark mayflies but so far we could determine the trout were not the least bit turned on...just in case you wondered.

On another track the Beav is running around 600 out the dam; the Big Hole topped 3000 last night and with 80s predicted next couple should continue to rise. Still barring heavy rain in the mountains I stand by my earlier prediction "seen the worst of it." Warm and sunny though should bring on the BH MD caddis blitz big time.