The Big Blackfoot River

The Big Blackfoot River’s bottomless emerald pools, boulder strewn pocket water and diamond chop riffles all shaded by moss covered cliffs and towering ponderosa pines combine to make this the epitome of Montana fly-fishing. Thanks to a diligent concerted effort between neighboring landowners, government agencies, conservation organizations and concerned anglers, restored spawning tributaries are continually enhancing trout populations – especially those native to the river. Combining such exceptional juvenile trout recruitment with restrictive creel limits results in a Blackfoot River teeming with fish like biceps.

Nymphing here is just plain deadly, especially from a boat. We aren’t talking about spending the day untangling two pinhead size flies spun tight with 6X tippet around a stick of soft lead and a Don King indicator – this is no tailwater. 4X is as light as we go with 1X common place and bugs often the size of small rodents. Then imagine the same terminal tackle for dries! No stress, just fun. This is the go-to area river for streamer anglers as well.  Swimming big uglies off the bank and through the boulders is often met explosive surface takes and arm straightening yanks.

In spite of its familiarity as the inspiration for the big screen hit, “A River Runs Through It,” fishing pressure remains relatively light. Our guides are truly the Blackfoot specialists and love to share our most cherished river.

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