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Going To Montana


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Hi All,

 

I am heading down to Missoula Montana this weekend to pick up my new tent trailer and hope to fish on Sat. & part of Sun.

 

I have never been in this area before and would welcome any input from people with fishing suggestions--there are lots of well-known rivers to fish. Also if you have any camping location suggestions that would also be great!

 

Thanks!

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Since your going to Missoula stop in at Grizzle Hackle, the folks in there are super friendly and helpful. They have lots of maps of the rivers nearby and will help you out. The local favorite flies are only 99 cents as far as I remember as well.

 

The great thing about that Flyshop is you can go there in the morning and get your coffee since they sell it there as well, Starbucks I believe.

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Guest Troutbabe

Montana sounds like a popular flyfishing destination.

Can't be better than sweet home alberta streams can it. Why drive so far when we got great fishing here, correct me if I'm wrong here...

 

T.babe

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Montana sounds like a popular flyfishing destination.

Can't be better than sweet home alberta streams can it. Why drive so far when we got great fishing here, correct me if I'm wrong here...

 

T.babe

 

My undestanding is that Alberta and Montana are almost identical when it comes to trout streams. Althought... A River Runs Through It was set in Montana.. not Alberta. :)

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Montana sounds like a popular flyfishing destination.

Can't be better than sweet home alberta streams can it. Why drive so far when we got great fishing here, correct me if I'm wrong here...

 

T.babe

 

Agreed. However there are a few streams I hear a ton about that highly recommended. Can't remember the names as I'm usually somewhere close to home taking advantage of our local streams. We sometimes take for granted what we have in our backyards. People from around the world come here to fish and we're trying to do the same. Perhaps fishing is about more than catching fish. ;)

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Lots of great spots even on the I15 from Great Falls to Helena (check out the river below Canyon Ferry Dam).

 

On Sunday there was a ton of rise forms all along the highway (it seemed like ever trout water from Lethbridge to Ennis was chock full of splashy trout!!). If only I had brought my rod...

 

Montana has scenery that Alberta won't touch until after the next ice age... also the spring creeks...

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H2O,

 

Thanks for the advise, I will stop in and ask questions.

 

SanJaun,

 

I am not leaving until noon on Friday.

 

Troutbabe,

 

The main reason for the trip is to pick up a new tent trailer. The local dealers would not even try to be competitive with the price I got.

 

If anyone is looking at RV's I would definitely recommend looking south of the border. They are willing to deal and the prices are at least 20% less including all of your transportation costs.

 

Harps,

 

Thanks for the advise, I have to travel that way home as I need to go through the Coutts border crossing.

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Montanan streams are apparently REALLY really crowded. Thank goodness we don't get the press their streams do or we'd be charging people $100 a rod a day like on Armstrong. Things in Alberta are becoming more crowded but at least we don't get a cover story about every second stream in this province. Don't get me wrong I like Montana it's just to busy for me.

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Guest guito

Hi VisePeasant

 

Yes go to the Grizzly hackle shop and get advice. You might want to try fishing Rock Creek higher up as there might be some good dryfly fishing (salmonfly hatch). The Clark fork runs right thru Missoula so you might try that. On your way back if you have time you might fish the Missouri near Wolf Creek. The is a turn off that will take you staight there if you are interested.

 

Have a safe trip,

Guito

 

 

Hi All,

 

I am heading down to Missoula Montana this weekend to pick up my new tent trailer and hope to fish on Sat. & part of Sun.

 

I have never been in this area before and would welcome any input from people with fishing suggestions--there are lots of well-known rivers to fish. Also if you have any camping location suggestions that would also be great!

 

Thanks!

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Guest guito

SJW

 

Are you getting a guide or are you floating on your own? If you have a guide he will help you with patterns, but if not tie up somer small Baetis dry & nymphs, soft hackle sow bugs and scuds in orange and pink. These are some of the flies I have used there on my floats. Also if you have time these patterns will also work on the Missouri.

 

Later,

Guito

 

Im going to billings to fish the big horn. I've fished almost every river in AB and its time to diversify
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Wow!SanJuanWorm,you must be super famous to have such a fantastical fish-slaying fly

named after you!!!(HAR-DE-HAR-HAR)

I can only dream of such an honour....."What did you catch it on?"

"A size 24 Bob Loblaw-the best fly ever!"

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Montana sounds like a popular flyfishing destination.

Why drive so far when we got great fishing here, correct me if I'm wrong here...

 

I think the jist of it is you can float and fish the rivers in Montana now at a time of year the Bow River and alot of other streams are blown out. Their runoff is usually done earlier.

 

Montana streams are apparently REALLY really crowded. Thank goodness we don't get the press their streams do or we'd be charging people $100 a rod a day like on Armstrong. Things in Alberta are becoming more crowded but at least we don't get a cover story about every second stream in this province. Don't get me wrong I like Montana it's just to busy for me.

 

Comparably I'd say the Bow River is much more crowded than any Montana river I've floated this time of year. The Bow and Red Deer river have had many magazine articles written about them as well, the big difference is Montana has many more noteworthy floatable rivers to choose from and the dry fly fishing to large pods of rainbows are at levels that I'm told the Bow had in the 80's.

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Movin' to Montana soon

Gonna be a Dental Floss tycoon (how unique!)

Movin' to Montana soon

Gonna be a mennil-toss flykune

(yes, it's such a ballad at this tempo)

 

Frank Zappa (1941-1993)

 

 

I couldn't help myself....now I've got that song in my head (Yippy kio kiyay!)

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Guys remember to PLEASE wash your waders and wading boots after coming back soak wading boats in mild bleach solution for a couple of hours to kill Whirling Disease.

 

I'm sure you two-wouldn’t want to be the ones to bring that terrible disease into Alberta.

 

Thanks

 

Have a great trip!

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