Big R Fly Shop - September Issue

SEPTEMBER 2013

The Great

ALWAYS FREE

Falls Boys

FLY BY NIGHT

Deal of the Month

LAMSON

Velocity & Lightspeed

Calvin’s

CLEARWATER REVIVAL

Swingin’ to Steelhead in Idaho

MISSOURI RIVER Walk/Wade Guide MAYFLY Madness GEAR REVIEW

ECHO CLASSIC Two-Hand Rod

CONTENTS

SEPTEMBER 2013 • VOL 6, ISSUE 9 bigrflyshop.com

FEATURES

5 Creatures of the Night by D. Rathbun & M. Gutzmann They love the night life, they love to boogie

19 Calvin’s Clearwater Revival by C. Fuller

Our resident Steelhead junkie talks about one of his favorite rivers

35 Mo’ River Walk/Wade Guide - Part 1 by D. Rathbun & M. Gutzmann Matt and Denver break down Montana’s Blue Ribbon fishery

DEPARTMENTS

17 Creature Classic by M. Gutzmann Parachute Hopper

18 Creature Feature by D. Rathbun Craft Fur Streamer

33 Maintenance Matt with M. Gutzmann Tips on organizing your fly tying bench

39 Gear Review by M. Gutzmann Echo Classic

1

It’s happened again, GREAT FALLS,

MT

By Denver Rathbun

summer is on its way out and fall is fast approaching. The days are getting shorter, nights cooler, and for some of you school has started. It’s not all bad however; fall steelhead season is within eyeshot and the large crowds have diminished on most of our local rivers. I expect you’ll start to see more anglers throwing their two hander’s on the Missouri, shaking off the dust and preparing for their annual westward migration.

One of the destinations for many folks is the Clearwater River in Idaho.

Fortunately for our readers, our very own Calvin Fuller has put together a nice piece on the Clearwater in this month’s issue. We’ve also got night fishing follies and the beginning of our walk/wade guide of the Missouri River.

Thanks for tuning in and enjoy the read!

This month’s deal

is a REEL STEAL p.3 Denver Rathbun

ON THE COVER: Great Falls Fly Shop’s Denver Rathbun with a hefty Missouri River Rainbow and (on this page) a beauty of a Brown Trout.

Photos by Rob Guevarra

2

VELOCITY 1.5

149

95

Regular Price: 249.99

Velocity 2 5/6WT LITESPEED 1.5

179

95

Regular Price: 299.99

Litespeed 2 4/5/6 WT

185

95

LS2/304973 Regular Price: 309.99

Litespeed 3 6/7/8 WT

20995

3

LS3/645569 Regular Price: 349.99

15595

V-2NI/657542 Regular Price: 259.99

Velocity 3 7/8WT

16795

V-3NI/657545 Regular Price: 279.99

Velocity 3.5 8/9WT

18595

V3.5NI/657548 Regular Price: 309.99

Velocity 4 10/11WT

21595

V-4NI/657551 Regular Price: 359.99

SAY G’BYE

MATT GUTZMANN

Dear friend

and Great Falls Fly Shop Teammate, Matt Gutzmann will be leaving us mid-September. No, he’s not running off to join the circus Like he’s always dreamed. Now that his lovely wife Dana has completed her schooling here at MSU-GF, they are off to Oregon. Sure, we were beside ourselves with sadness, seeing one of our kindred go. But the melancholy quickly turned to envy when he tells us how much steelheading he’ll be doing. Surrounded by the Hood River, the Deschutes, and of course the Columbia, there will be quite a bit of epic fishing in Matt’s future.

We wish Matt and Dana continued success in all they hope to achieve in life.

See ya, Gutz!

From your Brothers at Big R

4

er s • 1 Riv t h g i N e boys rmen • 2 e h t h , s i n F o 3 l acti a n r u t c ecome f no b o s h e c v r l a e e In s thems s l l a F t ea from Gr

Rathbun r e v n e ann & D m z t u G t uevarra G b o R

by Mat y photos b

Matt Gutzmann with a Missouri River Brown Trout

5

Midnight Method

according to Matt

here are a few key things to know about big brown trout.

During hot summer days, large browns are holding in the bottom of deep pools or in some slack water covered by an overhanging tree for shelter. They just sit there and wait.

They wait for a small unsuspecting bait fish to swim nearby and then dart over for a quick lunch and then go back to their mid-day slumber.

They might go out of their way to eat some drake mayflies, or maybe even large caddis, but for a big brown to use that much energy for a bug, it needs to be a pretty big bug (think salmon flies, hoppers, hexagenia and drakes). Up to 80% of a large brown trout’s diet consists of smaller trout. That’s where the biggest energy bang for the buck is.

When things get dark on the river is when things start to get interesting. Large brown trout are mostly nocturnal. As I mentioned, during the day they will pounce at minnows but only if they are pretty close by.

6

Denver Rathbun casting on the Missouri River on a gorgeous Montana night

7

{

Don’t forget a headlamp, and make sure the batteries

At night, however, these beasts will go hunting. They will leave their hiding spots and actively search through shallow water riffles, deeper pools, and all points inbetween. If small fish are in the area, big browns will hunt them down.

Streamer fishing is not the only way to coax a brown on the fly, but it may be the most effective.

Don’t be afraid to use a large streamer. I like the 4”-5” length but for the most part I prefer the fly to be on the sparser side in terms of materials. If it is a bulkier looking fly, I like materials that won’t soak up as much water, like deer hair, to keep a large fly as light and easy to cast as possible. A big rabbit streamer certainly has its place, but keep in mind that

are fresh.

}

it is a bit more cumbersome to cast.

Wool and deer hair used as a head, particularly with articulated patterns, pushes a lot of water. This creates a kind of vortex that makes for a great presentation.

So what kind of equipment are we using when we are going after these big fish at night? Well, that depends on where you are going. On the Missouri, we are usually using a 9 foot 5 wt dry fly rod or 6 weight nymph rod. At night, we’ll use a 7 or 8 weight rod in the 9 to 10 foot range. Your leader doesn’t have to be anything special, but it does have to be strong. 10 to 15lb leader material will suit you well. Don’t forget a headlamp, and make sure the batteries are fresh.

8

9

Starlight STRATEGY

according to Denver

Know the water and surroundings of the area you plan to fish beforehand. Knowing the type of water you’re targeting will help you formulate a fishing strategy. Each individual section of water might be better suited for a particular type of fishing and your gear and fly selection will reflect that. For big, deep or fast water, a heavier rod with a sinking

or intermediate line might be the most appropriate for getting a streamer deep into the effective zone. Vise versa, a floating line is the preferred method for dry flies, mice, or streamers in skinny water.

Also, knowing the geography of the area you’re in will help keep you safe and effective. Your method of delivery will change depending on the structure of the river and landscape behind you. Have a game plan and your rod rigged up before darkness falls. Flipping streamers and skating mice are popular techniques for rousing big nocturnal fish. Streamers can be stripped

Now THAT is a Mo’ River Brown Trout!

Well done, Denver!

10

{

11

Many bug species

hatch in large numbers at night...

}

through all sorts of water whether it’s the deeper buckets or the tail-outs below them. Through trial and error an angler will begin to understand which type of water is most effective to fish during the night-time hours. Mice patterns can be swung or stripped through similar water or along grassy cut-banks where it’s likely that a mouse might end up swimming.

Dusk brings swarms of caddis to dance in the warm summer breeze.

Fish feeding at night are capable of covering impressive distances while on the pursuit of a big meal, so be patient and cover as much water as possible. If visibility allows, fishing dries can be an effective technique as well. Many bug species hatch in large numbers at night and provide a unique opportunity to fish a dry fly in the dark.

12

Matt sucessfully bringing another Missouri River Brown to hand Opposite page: A gorgeous August blue moon

13

{

...you’re trying to

mimic a food source

that is found in the ecosystem...

Shorter, stronger leaders are typically more appropriate as the fish will be less aware of your presence. However, avoid shining your headlamp directly into the water you plan to fish.

A bobbing beam of light peering directly into the fish’s holding water is a sure way to put him down. A headlamp with a red light option is more ideal if you plan to keep your light on while you fish.

When choosing the right fly patterns to bring on your trip, there are a few factors to consider. As with most cases in fly fishing, you’re trying to

}

mimic a food source that is found in the ecosystem you’re fishing. Resident baitfish, rodents and sometimes reptiles are what you should shoot for when tying at the vice. For mice, a realistic size and profile are the main characteristics to stick by. Deer hair and foam mice patterns are the most popular and tend to be the best floating/waking. Top-water baitfish patterns can also be chugged along the surface of the water; try to mimic a realistic size and profile here as well.

14

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A calm, peaceful night on the river we love so much

In our experience, dark colored streamers seem to be more effective.

Patterns that push a lot of water seem to help the fish key in on its presence, too. Spun deer hair or wool-head sculpin patterns work great for pushing water and reaching a fish’s lateral line.

Don’t lose faith if your first couple trips are unsuccessful. It takes time and repetition to fully develop a game plan that works for the area your fishing.

Don’t be hesitant to change tactics and target different areas until you find something that’s working. By putting in time and experimenting with different techniques, any angler can expect to be more effective when night fishing.

16

CREATU

RE

CLASSIC

Parachute Hopper

with Matt

Gutzmann

Hopper fishing heats up in the late summer and fall when there are a lot of these guys being blown into the water by the warm winds. Fish key in on these big terestrials due to the abundance of calories in one big hopper. Try fishing this highly visible parachute hopper anytime you see them in the grasses near rivers.

MATERIALS: • Dai-Riki #65 Size 8 • Tan Ultra Thread 140 • Golden Tan Antron • Grizzly Hackle • White Widow’s Web • Knotted Hopper Legs

17

PLAY

Craft Fur Streamer

with Denver Rathbun

PLAY

This month for Creature Feature I’m tying my articulated craft fur streamer. Both hooks in this fly are weighted with lead wire to get it deep, fast. The color combination I’m using in the video is in yellow and gray, but colors can be substituted for any application or species representation.

MATERIALS: • Craft fur in any two colors • Gamakatsu B10S Stinger Hook Size #2 • MFC Medium Fish Eyes • 210 Ultra Thread • .035 Lead Wire • 30# Fire Line • Medium Brass Cone Head • Medium Size Bead

18

by Calvin Fuller

y the time August rolls around I can no longer sleep at night.

Images of large, anadromous steelhead moving up river towards Idaho haunt my dreams. I check the fish counts and cameras at Bonneville Dam. Once the fish get over their last obstacle, Lower Granite Dam, they move up and duck into the cooler waters of the Clearwater River.

The Clearwater receives large runs of Steelhead every year. The fish are a mixed bunch of wild and hatchery fish.

Some of the “wild” fish are actually hatchery fish from the south fork hatchery that have not had their adipose fin clipped, which is their primary method of identification.

Clearwater fish can be much more finicky than their Snake and Grand Ronde cousins. For me, the main attraction of the Clearwater River is the size of the fish. Specimens over 40” are caught every year, and when a 35"+ steelhead hits your swung fly, there's no mistaking it.

19

{

My steelhead fishing life began on the Columbia River above Tri-Cities. I was by no means a gear junkie with lots of lines to choose from. I simply fished the line that was given to me with a pattern that I stole from my best friend's Dad. When I left for college in the west side of the state, I started fishing the Skagit and Nooksack Rivers. This is when my steelheading went next level.

When I first started fishing the Clearwater I naively came with the Skagit River fishing mentality.

Far left: The Clearwater River glimmers in the sun.

Photo by Rob Guevarra Right: Calvin weilding steel.

Photo by Dexter Levandoski

}

I was throwing larger flies and heavy tips. I knew how to read the water and I knew where the fish should be holding, but my first year on the Clearwater resulted in several days without a single grab. Discouraged, I turned to a very good fishing buddy who guides on the river and started consulting with him on what we could do differently. He spoke with his fellow guides and would always come back with “floating line, small fly.� This was hard for me to deal with after fishing the Skagit for 5 years.

20

Left: Mid-river chat sesh.

Photo by Rob Guevarra Right: Calvin and Barrett Mattison hoist metal.

Photo by Camille Fuller

{

After the third casts the water exploded in front of me exploded and a beautiful A-run steelhead went airborne!

I returned to the Clearwater the next year with a clear head and a new attack plan. I scrounged up the only floating spey line I had. I tied on a version of a fly I fished as a kid on the Columbia and off I went. After several hours of fishing the same water I had pounded with my Skagit gear the year before, I still couldn’t turn up a fish.

Searching for new water, I headed downstream and found a few promising runs. Stepping into the new run, I began fishing the fresh set up, floating line and all. After the third cast the water exploded in front of me and a beautiful A-run steelhead went airborne! It was a gorgeous chrome wild fish that fought with heart. Over the next few hours I hooked seven

21

}

more fish and landed five. At that moment, I knew my methods for fishing the Clearwater River had changed forever.

During normal water years, the North Fork of the Clearwater puts out more water during the summer than the main fork of the Clearwater. This is important because the North Fork River runs out of Dworskak Dam as a tail-water. The water averages around 50Ëš, perfect temps for making steelhead happy. As it mixes and flows downstream the water warms a little, but it is still cooler than the Snake River. By the time September rolls around the lower river is usually around 4,000 cfs which exposes many of the gravel bars and

22

23

{

There are many ways to take steelhead on the Clearwater, but my favorite is the swung

}

fly.

islands along the way. When the river gets below 4,000 cfs, jet boating is recommended for experienced boaters only. There are lots of large, sharp, hidden rocks, especially in the tail-outs of runs that can make your life tough.

Rods at the ready Photo by Rob Guevarra Follwing page: Scott Brow and Paul Considine jet up river.

There are many ways to take steelhead on the Clearwater, but my favorite is the swung fly. This method is certainly not the most effective, but it is simply what I prefer. I like to throw floating Scandi style lines linked with 10’ polyleaders, and a 12’ leader with 15lb tippet. I fish a Loop 12’ 6WT Goran Andersson series spey rod and I like any loud reel I can find. I really only have three flies that I fish on the 24

25

Clearwater and they are all the same style, in different colors. I find that small is good and most of my flies are only about 2 inches in length. They are weighted versions of an Intruder with a #4 stinger hook held on by 30 lb Fire Line. (Clearwater Intruder Video) Since the Clearwater is a barbless fishery, I find the landing ratio greatly increases with the use of stinger hooks. The fish on the Clearwater usually hit the fly softly and repeatedly.

It's sometimes hard to believe that a 15 lb steelhead is on the end of your line when it feels like a smolt or whitefish.

Because of this, I prefer a low-stretch or a no-stretch running line. There is the rare occasion, especially on wild fish, where the fish will hit like a ton of bricks. When the water conditions are

26

27

good on the Clearwater and the fish are there, an angler swinging flies can expect to catch 3 to 4 fish per day with a few more hooked and lost. Good luck and I hope to see some of you on the water this fall!

Links I check in preparation: River Flows at Peck I like this to be between 3,400 – 5,000 cfs by the end of September. I also like to fish it 2 days after a jump of water. I also like the water temp in the 50’s.

River Flows at Orofino By subtracting this from Peck Flows, you can see how much water they are pumping out of Dworshak Dam. Bonneville Dam Fish Counts I like to see several thousand a day coming over each of the dams on the Columbia River through August in to September. Then I watch Lower Granite. The number of “Wild Steelhead” is not added to the number of “Steelhead”. It is simply the total number of steelhead that come over.

Calvin and a triumphant John Teini - Great Falls store manager Photo by Don Helms

28

GEAR REVIEW

Echo Classic 6126

by Matt Gutzmann

29

I’d been thinking

about getting into the two handed fishing game for a while. Videos, magazine articles and fellow fly shop employees--all telling me how much fun spey fishing was and how they didn’t know how I could even live without a spey rod. Okay, maybe I’m exaggerating a bit. So last December I decided to give it a whirl. After some looking around and asking for suggestions (which were all very passionate one way or the other), I decided to get the brand new Echo Classic in the 12’ 6” 6wt variety. Being in Montana, I wanted some-

thing that was going to ridiculously overpower our Missouri River trout, as well as something I could use to do some two-handed light steelheading.

After spending a few days on the water and many nights watching Ed Ward’s Skagit Master videos, I was starting to get the hang of things. The Echo Classic was a great learning tool and has been a blast two-handing for trout. I set my rod up with an Airflo Compact Skagit 450 grain shooting head and it matches the rod up perfectly and has no problem chucking all but the heaviest weighted

Echo Classic 12’6” 6WT $269.99

streamers. I also have a Rio Steelhead Scandi 385 grain with a 14’ Airflo polyleader for lighter flies.

One of the things I like most about the Classic is that it loads very deep into the rod. This really gives you an intimate connection with your casts.

Since this rod has a deeper, moderate action, the 6wt gives plenty of rod bend for our browns and rainbows on the Missouri and I have no doubt that it will handle small to moderate sized steelhead without overstressing them.

Not only is this a great rod, but it doesn’t get much more affordable either. Like most Echo rods, the Classic most certainly

falls into the top of the ‘bang for the buck’ category. At $269.99, the Classic tops the charts of any other rod priced under $300. Though certainly not extravagant; no intricate guide wraps or semi precious elements slipped into the blanks, you can still feel the research and the love that Echo put into this rod every time you cast it.

Matt deftly swings the Echo Classic two-hander on the Missouri River.

Photos by Rob Guevarra

PS- If you can’t decide whether you want to a spey or a switch rod, don’t worry. If you’re like me, you’ll enjoy it so much that you will have both in no time. After I bought my Classic, I bought my 4wt switch 3 months later and love ‘em both!

30

Mayflies ..........

GREAT FALLS,

MT

ON THE

Missouri

By Sam Wike

H 31

eat, sunburn, floatillas, river weed, and laziness make midafternoon summer PMD accents a test of motivation on the MO. The actual fishing is great. People rave this time of year about the morning Trico hatches, or the evening caddis insanity. However, the purist form of Missouri tradition is the mayfly hatch. Skipping out on the heat of the day during the prime July PMD hatches is a missed opportunity at big fish eating mayfly dries. Even on the 4th of

July, when Paul and I actually had time to fish mid-day, the larger fish were rising to PMD cripples, sometimes within feet of full on party floatillas.

Dry fly skills are a must. Cripples are a must. Burned, rusty PMD color is a must. 4x tippet is also a must unless you like breaking fish off because the river weed you drag fish through weighs more than the fish itself. You need to be able to reach cast and land flies a few feet above rising fish. We fish almost exclusively

Photo by Rob Guevarra

with two cripple patterns, of course others work, but we use the Smith’s Freestone PMD cripple and one that I tie that I just call my PMD cripple (super creative name… I came up with it). Usually we throw both these patterns and I would say it’s pretty close to a 50/50 split on success of these two cripple patterns.

You also need sunscreen. The floatillas are out in full force, you have to have patience and enjoy the fact that others are having fun recreating on the water just

like you but differently, and it is sometimes pretty entertaining to watch. Sometimes we just anchor and watch the chaos go down.

We bring a cooler, just for like whatever you want to keep cold on a hot day, you can’t take things too seriously this time of year or you’ll have a lousy time with the crowds.

The Mo is busy this time of year for a reason.

Clockwise from top left: Bug ball on the Missouri.

Sam the toothless wonder.

Mayflies on the brain.

32

Tying Bench

MANAGEMENT

with Matt Gutzmann

I

f you’re a fly tyer, then you probably spend a lot of time and money on your tying tools and materials. This month we’ve got a few tips to help you protect your investment––and your sanity––at your tying bench.

First things first, you should really set aside a corner in a room, with a desk, that will be your tying ground control. Organizing your stuff only goes so far if you still have to search through 15 different tupperware containers spread around your living room floor and coffee table while the rest of your family nags about you having too much “fishing stuff”. Don’t worry, they’re all wrong. You can never have too much fly tying stuff. So at the very least, fashion together a few 2x4s and a sheet of plywood to call your fly tying station.

Capes and saddles might be the largest investment in your tying arsenal.

There are a few things you can do to help them last, keeping in mind that prevention is key.

Keep them in their own zip lock bags. This isn’t as important if all your feathers are store bought from Whiting Farms, or the like. But if you have any ‘wild’ capes that may be contaminated with mites or beetles, you certainly don’t want these critters to destroy all of your feathers. Thirty or so seconds in the microwave per skin will destroy any living cells, including eggs. If you are worried about moths getting into your stuff, a mothball/crystal drops will do just fine at keeping those pesky moths out of your stuff. Keeping these isolated capes and saddles in the dark when not being used is a good idea, too as UV light will cause feathers to fade and break down. Look for flakey pieces or debris in your bag/box of feathers. If you see any signs of breakdown, you need to change where you store your stuff.

33

I love dubbing containers. You can buy a big hook-storing box, take a ¼” bit and drill out one hole at the bottom of each compartment. Then fill each compartment with dubbing. You don’t have to fiddle around with a bunch of bags of dubbing and you can have an assortment of different types and colors of dubbing, all sorted by type, in front of you without making a mess.

If you’re handy, then making an apparatus to hold all your tools is not a tough job. Personally, I opt for Fly Furniture’s Base Station that keeps all of your essential items close at hand. There’s a vise base, a handful of spots to place your tools, a few spool holders, three dubbing dispensers and two dishes to hold hooks and beads and such. It’s clean, tidy, and compact.

Over in our tool department, you can find our selection of StackOn drawer management systems. These work wonders to keep all of your beads, hooks, thread, small packaged items like scud back, dumbell eyes and anything else you might have lying around neat, tidy and organized. They come in many different shapes and sizes and really are an amazing system for keeping lots of your little things organized. Start at a measly $15, they’re a great bang for the buck!

Fly Furniture Base Station (vise, tools and materials sold separately)

39.99

$

Top Right: StackOn Storage System $ 19 99 Right: Fly Furniture Spool Safe $ 39 99

Another solution to a potentially maddening issue is the Spool Safe by Fly Furniture.

This rotating wonder sits on your bench and holds about 72 standard size spools. And $39.99’s not a bad deal to keep you from having to funble around for thread.

Have you ever spent a ton of money on say, a grizzly hackle cape, but can’t find it when you need it? You spend an hour of good fly tying time searching. Then, when you locate it, you realize half of it’s been eaten by your sister-in-law’s shih tzu while you were dog sitting the little turd last week? Yeah, I have. Don’t let your expensive materials end up as expensive dog treats. Organize and protect your investment now!

34 16

GREAT FALLS,

MT

By Denver Rathbun

and Matt Gutzmann Photos by Rob Guevarra

Holter Dam to W The Missouri River is really an amazing place. Between Holter Dam and Cascade there is unbelieveable access to outstanding ďŹ shing. Between bridge access, boat ramps, pull offs and Block Management Areas there are so many opportunities to ďŹ sh just about every inch of water in this area. Not 35

Bull Pasture fishing access Right: Denver launching dries

Wolf Creek Bridge only is access good in this section but so is the fishing. Thanks to record high water levels in Montana 2008-2010 that gave way to an increased area of fish spawning area, we now have record high levels of fish on the Missouri. Between rainbows and browns in the stretch below Holter Dam we have

over 8,000 fish per mile that are 10 inches or larger. That’s up from a historical average of about 3,000-3,500.

This is the start of a series of articles that will help guide you on your quest to wade the Missouri River. This month we will start by looking at wading access near Holter Dam and work our way downstream in issues to come. Even if you’ve been wading the Mo’ for years, you might just learn something new.

36

The boat launch below Holter Dam

37

HOLTER DAM • Shore access from just below the dam to Wolf Creek Bridge • Fish tend to stack in high numbers in this section year round • Suitable water for all types of fishing and a great spot for getting into lots of fish • Be prepared for a higher density of fisherman here • Difficult hydraulics just below damn can make presentation difficult

38

The campground below Holter Dam

39

THE CAMPGROUND This site has an excellent boat ramp and, yes, a campground for tents and trailers.

When people float from “The Dam” to wherever, they start here. From this spot, you can hike toward the dam and fish some tricky water with major undercurrents for some big fish. Use extreme caution as you get close to the dam as the water current is very strong and turbulent. There are big fish in this area, but is not the best for the fly fisher as this area gets hit very hard by gear fishermen with live bait. It’s not that you can’t catch fish on the fly, but there are better places on the river for the wade fisherman, or fisherwoman.

40

10 41

Denver’s Rainbow caught below the dam.

Right: Pulling up to the Bull Pasture access.

Bull Pasture • Great fishing both up and downstream from access • Suitable water for all types of fishing, can be great dry fly fishing if conditions are right • Nice side channel access down river with a great bucket on the downstream end • Again, during peak months there are typically a higher density of fisherman here but plenty of fish to be caught

1142

43

Counterclockwise from top left: The boys walking down to the water. Denver’s Brown. It’s not just the trout that enjoy caddis.

44

45 10

Wolf Creek Bridge • From Wolf Creek Bridge, fishing can be good both up and downstream • Upstream from the access wading consists of steep banks with rewarding water; throwing streamers or nymph rigs along the steep bank that parallels Beartooth Road is often the most productive technique.

• Downstream is more flat with a consistent depth • There are also some productive runs on the opposite side of the river across and upstream from the Wolf Creek Bridge parking lot • Access downstream is tougher with more vegetation holding close to the bank

Approaching Wolf Creek Bridge

1146

READ • SUBSCRIBE • NOW!

47

A favorite trout snack on the Missouri River.

Photo by Rob Guevarra

{

}

The August blue moon from the banks of the Missouri River Photo by Rob Guevarra

48

Fishing the night of the blue moon on the Missouri with Denver Rathbun. Photo by Rob Guevarra

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208 255-5757

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509 422-9840

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