- Shame to ruin this area with my casting.
So, I have to decided to get into the two-handed game. We are seeing more spey and switch rods on Montana rivers and interest in the two-handers is growing in the shop all of the time. I am never one to miss out on a good fad- I can still tight-roll a mean pair of jeans. Of course, the problem with these spey people is that they have created such a staggering variety of styles, lines, and rods that you just want to crawl up in a ball and cry. After that refreshing cry, I decided to start by choosing a rod. Feel free to do just as I do and we can screw everything up as a team.
In my case, the rod will be primarily used for swinging flies for trout in Montana rivers. However, I would like a rod that could also handle a little light steelhead duty. So, now I must choose between the switch rod and the longer spey rods. The switch rod does not appeal to me for this application. I don’t want a jack-of-all-trades rod that can be cast overhead and also do some spey casting. Just like I don’t want a shotgun that is also a kick ass slingshot. I have settled on the 6 weight, 12 ft. 6 inch Prospector series rod from Redington… link here. The next step is to put the right line on your spey rod and get to work. We will cover that in our next installment. (Fair warning: I could be wrong about everything.)
With hunters in the woods the time is now to get your fall fly fishing fix in. The big game season has been rolling for a few days now while the upland bird and waterfowl seasons are in full swing. For the fly fisher that equates to riverside accesses devoid of others and the potential of delightful dry fly fishing. Your best chance to fish to risers is sliding down the lower Clark Fork below the confluence with the Root or fishing the lower Bitterroot itself. Don’t worry about getting on the water early but you want to be ready to fish around 1pm and expect to cut off around 4pm. For those hoping to lock horns with a big nasty fall brownie – look to lower Rock Creek or the upper Clark Fork (don’t take my word for it just check out the fish below!). Pitch double bunnies, JJ’s, or the sparkle minnow down and across and hang on. Lastly don’t forget to check out Georgetown Lake – that is only if you like the idea of catching 14-22″! brookies!… good luck.
Unlike most anglers, many of our guides revel in swollen rivers. Not high and muddy but bank full and green. In fact I would argue that the biggest trout in a river are more accessible in high water situations than they are in low clear conditions. This is counter intuitive to be sure, Common sense says that the lower the water – the more confined the fish – thus the more easily they are to locate and catch. Reallity is that when a river is low and clear the fish are spread accross the river, anywhere from bank to bank and, they are spooky. Running full, river trout are typically very site specific. In wandering rivers like the Clark Fork or Bitterroot they are congregated in sandbar drop offs and slick deep slow backwater channels. In boulder strewn rivers like the Blackfoot, they find refuge in the soft inside corners and long slow moving banks. In both instances trout will be aggressive and disregard shadows overhead and oars splashing around them. Green water is good!
