Why Montana?
Why Montana?
Montana is only surpassed by Alaska, California, and Texas in sheer size. With a trout stream around every corner, imagine how many fishy situations you will find yourself in. With lots of twists and turns in the road and on the rivers, Montana is definitely wild trout country.
As a destination, Montana is at the top of every trout fisherman’s to do list and is considered in many circles as the “Mecca” of trout fishing. With hundreds and hundreds of miles of blue ribbon trout rivers, Montana has something for every fly fisherman no matter what species you choose or what your skill level is.
With healthy populations of cutthroat, brown and rainbow trout throughout the state, you can fish forever without ever throwing your fly twice to the same trout. From small creeks to spring creeks, to major rivers and lakes, Montana has it all within a relatively short drive. Whether your preference is dry fly fishing to selective sipping fish, nymphing for those lunkers subsurface or throwing streamers to the bank, you’ll find that Montana is the place to fish, unwind and see the scenery of your dreams.
The Castafly Team calls Montana home and enjoys fishing all of these rivers as much as possible. We are a great homegrown resource for all things fishing in Montana. We are guides, outfitters, fly shop owners and property owners in the state. Let us provide you with the most hands-on knowledge, experience and ideas for your fishing trip to Montana.
About Montana
Castafly welcomes you to Montana, our home state and the part of the United States that holds the greatest intrigue for the fly fisherman. The fishing possibilities here are unlimited in both numbers and species, but for Castafly it all centers around the rivers, creeks and sloughs that hold trout. We’re talking rainbows, browns, cutthroat, and brookies as well as various warm water fish that will willingly take a fly. Up to 5000 trout per mile inhabit the blue ribbon trout streams of Montana. You'll find impressive trout in streams that vary from small spring creeks such as Du Puys, Nelsons, Armstrong’s, and Slough Creek to broad expansive water such as our home waters, the Missouri, Big Horn and the Yellowstone.
Montana comes from the Spanish word “Montana”, meaning mountain. The western third of the state contains numerous mountain ranges. Other 'island' ranges are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. It’s these ranges that create the essence for the trout and their habitat as it is here that the snow melts and winds its way down the divide to join together with the rain that falls on the plains to form the clear and cold water that trout love.
The Rivers
The Missouri River is located on the eastern divide of the Rocky Mountains, running south to North until it gets to Great Falls where it takes an easterly course and ultimately drains into the Mississippi around St. Louis. The River itself is formed by the confluence of the Madison, Gallatin and Jefferson Rivers at Three Forks, Montana. From there, it crosses the central part of the state flowing through the Missouri breaks and enters North Dakota. The primary area that we are most interested in, though it is one of the longest rivers in the continental United States, is that area below Holter Dam and the western town of Cascade. Here the river is essentially a huge spring creek as it flows out of the bottom of Holter Dam and gently cascades for seven miles past the town of Craig, which is the second home for the Castafly gang, through the canyon area and gently enters into the plains below the Belt Mountains to Cascade. The Missouri is world famous for both the size of the rainbows and browns that inhabit its waters. It's dry fly fishing is legendary and is the allure to the river. Make no mistake this is fishing for trout of enormous size on steroids. There is also excellent nymphing and streamer fishing for the multi-faceted angler.
The Big Horn River, which flows out of Yellowtail dam near the fishing town of Fort Smith is a river similar in many ways to the Missouri. That is, it is a spring creek with prolific hatches, large fish, and a bevy of fishing opportunities. Running through an Indian Reservation with limited access, most of the fishing is done from drift boats utilizing the dry fly, nymph rod and streamer setup to pound the banks and holes for the rainbows and browns that live there. As the river sets on western edge of the high plains, few trees are found except along the riverbank. The Bighorn Rivers banks are a mix of grass, cottonwood trees, alfalfa and brush. Despite the lack of trees beyond the river, the area is scenic. The Pryor Mountains and the smaller Bighorn Mountains rise from the prairie to the south and west. Additionally, small rock cliffs with sparse forests are found along the middle section of the river, providing a nice backdrop for any float trip. The town of Fort Smith is an idyllic fishing town with limited facilities and no bars, because of the Indian reservation, but it has excellent fly shops and reasonable to high end accommodations. After flowing through the reservation for twenty-eight miles, the Bighorn River continues flowing in a northward direction towards the confluence with the Yellowstone River near the town of Bighorn, MT. This is a classic Montana river holding rainbow and brown trout that are more than willing to give an angler a good fight.
The famous Madison River, located in Southwestern Montana, is known as the "fifty mile riffle". The headwaters of the Madison above Hebgen Lake consist of the Firehole and Gibbon which, in their own right, are excellent trout streams, combine to form the Madison which eventually flows into Hebgen Lake. The upper stretch of the Madison is characteristic of slower dry fly pools catering to wade fishermen. It is easily waded and provides exceptional fishing throughout much of the season. It also has runs of spawning trout that make their annual journey each year from Hebgen Lake. The rainbows spawn in the spring while the browns spawn in the fall. These trout can reach weights of six pounds or more. Route 287 and other secondary roads provide several access points along the Madison all the way to the Town of Ennis and Ennis Lake. Below Ennis Lake, the Madison makes another 30 mile journey until meeting with the Gallatin and Jefferson to form the Missouri. The town of Ennis is the hub for all the fishing the Madison offers. It is a consummate western town where the cowboys and fisherman co-exist and make up a unique ambiance that the visitor will find amusing. That being said, there are excellent accommodations, fly shops and shopping for the visitor.
The Gallatin River, located in Southwestern Montana, is a classic western trout stream. From its source in Yellowstone National Park, it flows for over 100 miles before reaching the Missouri River at Three Forks. During its journey the Gallatin passes through canyons and open meadows meandering on its way with riffles and glides. There are rainbow, browns and cutthroats in the river with smaller fish through the canyons to Big Sky and larger fish through Belgrade, along Interstate 90 till its confluence with the Madison and Jefferson to form the Missouri. Hatches on the Gallatin include Olives, Pale Morning Duns, caddis, and stoneflies. The salmon fly hatch usually occurs between mid June and early July. Terrestrials will fish well during the summer months and an attractive dry, streamer, and nymph will be very productive on the river throughout the season. The central town servicing the Gallatin is Bozeman, a medium sized city by Montana standards and home to all amenities that the traveler or angler might need.
The Big Hole River is located in southwestern Montana and is unique in the fact that it holds 4 species of trout; rainbow, brown, brook and grayling. It is also the only river in Montana which has restrictions on whom may fish and when. It pays the angler to spend time reading the regulations. Other than this the River holds large fish and incredible scenery. Starting upstream of the town of Wisdom, the Big Hole flows for over a hundred miles before meeting with the Beaverhead River near the town of Twin Bridges. The Wise River enters the Big Hole at the town of Wise River. Here the Big Hole is small and holds a good population of brook trout and grayling. At the town of Divide the Big Hole turns south for approximately twenty miles to the town of Glen. The tiny town of Melrose falls between Divide and Glen, and is one of the more popular towns along the river. From Divide to Glen, most people choose to float the river although there are several access points where anglers can park and wade. The river below Divide is big and moves swiftly past boulders and fallen trees. Big browns on the lower river are found in good numbers. Fishing large nymphs and streamers can be extremely effective on these trout. Downstream from Glen the river turns northeast and flows for approximately another ten miles before meeting up with the Beaverhead River. The most famous of the varied hatches takes place on the Big Hole when the salmon flies come out in late May till the end of June though the hatch is sporadic and hard to pinpoint.
Formed from the junction of the Big Hole and Beaverhead Rivers, the Jefferson River is an often overlooked river but is loaded with primarily brown trout and some rainbows. Slow long pools interrupted by beautiful riffles characterize the river. From the junction of the Big Hole and Beaverhead, the Jefferson flows for approximately twenty five miles before reaching the town of Cardwell. This stretch of river is characterized with long slow pools flowing through areas of agricultural farmland and ranches. Surrounding mountains spruce up the scenery which is already spectacular. Here, the Jefferson averages 100 feet wide in many spots and is generally the most popular section because of its population of trout. Both floating and wading this stretch is very possible and can be very productive. Hatches on the Jefferson are not usually prolific but at times can be outstanding. Your best dry fly bets for fishing the Jefferson include Golden Stones, Pale Morning Duns, Blue-Winged Olives, Callibaetis, Caddis, and a few other less prolific mayflies. Attractor patterns such as Humpies, Wulffs and Coachmans can also work well when the right conditions exist. Big nymphs and streamers can be very productive and often produce the largest fish. Woolly Buggers, Matukas, Muddler Minnows, Bitch Creeks and Girdle Bugs are a few local favorites.
Starting within Yellowstone Park and flowing in a north to northeasterly direction till it runs into the Missouri River in North Dakota, the Yellowstone River is a Montana treasure with an excellent selection of fishing. Leaving Yellowstone Lake the river tumbles through scenic canyons on its way to Gardiner. Below Gardiner the river fishes well all the way to Laurel. The most popular and productive stretch in Montana is from Gardiner to Livingston which is a little over fifty miles of water. Below Livingston the river has good numbers of brown trout and rainbows. This area usually receives less pressure and holds some impressive size fish. Fishing can be good all the way to Laurel, although many anglers limit their float to the upper half of this area. The Yellowstone has a number of hatches including Blue-Winged Olives, caddis, Pale Morning Duns, stoneflies, Tricos, and a few others. Terrestrials, especially hoppers, also work well during the late summer months. Streamers and nymphs make up much of the fishing on the Yellowstone River and produce some of the largest fish.
There are a number of other rivers that make up the Montana experience for the fly fisherman including the fabulous rivers within Yellowstone Park, the Kootenai, the Clark Fork, and the Blackfoot and many others. Castafly Travel invites you to experience all that is Montana.
Geography
The state ranks fourth in area, but 44th in population, and therefore has the third lowest population density in the United States. The economy is primarily based on ranching, wheat farming, oil and coal in the east; lumber, tourism, and hard rock mining in the west. Ah, but let’s not forget tourism which fishing makes up a huge part. Anglers come from all over the world not only to ply the rivers and streams but to visit the towns that the rivers support and to see the unique locals and fish bums that live in them. It has been often said that these towns are “nice little drinking towns with a fishing problem”. Whatever it is, the combination of trout and fishing towns such as Craig, Bozeman, Livingston, Dillon, Missoula and Fort Smith, to name a few, add to an ambiance that visitors classify as “living the dream”.
Montana is only surpassed by Alaska, California, and Texas in sheer size. With a trout stream around every corner, imagine how many fishy situations you will find yourself in. With lots of twists and turns in the road and on the rivers, Montana is definitely wild trout country.
As a destination, Montana is at the top of every trout fisherman’s to do list and is considered in many circles as the “Mecca” of trout fishing. With hundreds and hundreds of miles of blue ribbon trout rivers, Montana has something for every fly fisherman no matter what species you choose or what your skill level is.
With healthy populations of cutthroat, brown and rainbow trout throughout the state, you can fish forever without ever throwing your fly twice to the same trout. From small creeks to spring creeks, to major rivers and lakes, Montana has it all within a relatively short drive. Whether your preference is dry fly fishing to selective sipping fish, nymphing for those lunkers subsurface or throwing streamers to the bank, you’ll find that Montana is the place to fish, unwind and see the scenery of your dreams.
The Castafly Team calls Montana home and enjoys fishing all of these rivers as much as possible. We are a great homegrown resource for all things fishing in Montana. We are guides, outfitters, fly shop owners and property owners in the state. Let us provide you with the most hands-on knowledge, experience and ideas for your fishing trip to Montana.
About Montana
Castafly welcomes you to Montana, our home state and the part of the United States that holds the greatest intrigue for the fly fisherman. The fishing possibilities here are unlimited in both numbers and species, but for Castafly it all centers around the rivers, creeks and sloughs that hold trout. We’re talking rainbows, browns, cutthroat, and brookies as well as various warm water fish that will willingly take a fly. Up to 5000 trout per mile inhabit the blue ribbon trout streams of Montana. You'll find impressive trout in streams that vary from small spring creeks such as Du Puys, Nelsons, Armstrong’s, and Slough Creek to broad expansive water such as our home waters, the Missouri, Big Horn and the Yellowstone.
Montana comes from the Spanish word “Montana”, meaning mountain. The western third of the state contains numerous mountain ranges. Other 'island' ranges are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. It’s these ranges that create the essence for the trout and their habitat as it is here that the snow melts and winds its way down the divide to join together with the rain that falls on the plains to form the clear and cold water that trout love.
The Rivers
The Missouri River is located on the eastern divide of the Rocky Mountains, running south to North until it gets to Great Falls where it takes an easterly course and ultimately drains into the Mississippi around St. Louis. The River itself is formed by the confluence of the Madison, Gallatin and Jefferson Rivers at Three Forks, Montana. From there, it crosses the central part of the state flowing through the Missouri breaks and enters North Dakota. The primary area that we are most interested in, though it is one of the longest rivers in the continental United States, is that area below Holter Dam and the western town of Cascade. Here the river is essentially a huge spring creek as it flows out of the bottom of Holter Dam and gently cascades for seven miles past the town of Craig, which is the second home for the Castafly gang, through the canyon area and gently enters into the plains below the Belt Mountains to Cascade. The Missouri is world famous for both the size of the rainbows and browns that inhabit its waters. It's dry fly fishing is legendary and is the allure to the river. Make no mistake this is fishing for trout of enormous size on steroids. There is also excellent nymphing and streamer fishing for the multi-faceted angler.The Big Horn River, which flows out of Yellowtail dam near the fishing town of Fort Smith is a river similar in many ways to the Missouri. That is, it is a spring creek with prolific hatches, large fish, and a bevy of fishing opportunities. Running through an Indian Reservation with limited access, most of the fishing is done from drift boats utilizing the dry fly, nymph rod and streamer setup to pound the banks and holes for the rainbows and browns that live there. As the river sets on western edge of the high plains, few trees are found except along the riverbank. The Bighorn Rivers banks are a mix of grass, cottonwood trees, alfalfa and brush. Despite the lack of trees beyond the river, the area is scenic. The Pryor Mountains and the smaller Bighorn Mountains rise from the prairie to the south and west. Additionally, small rock cliffs with sparse forests are found along the middle section of the river, providing a nice backdrop for any float trip. The town of Fort Smith is an idyllic fishing town with limited facilities and no bars, because of the Indian reservation, but it has excellent fly shops and reasonable to high end accommodations. After flowing through the reservation for twenty-eight miles, the Bighorn River continues flowing in a northward direction towards the confluence with the Yellowstone River near the town of Bighorn, MT. This is a classic Montana river holding rainbow and brown trout that are more than willing to give an angler a good fight.The famous Madison River, located in Southwestern Montana, is known as the "fifty mile riffle". The headwaters of the Madison above Hebgen Lake consist of the Firehole and Gibbon which, in their own right, are excellent trout streams, combine to form the Madison which eventually flows into Hebgen Lake. The upper stretch of the Madison is characteristic of slower dry fly pools catering to wade fishermen. It is easily waded and provides exceptional fishing throughout much of the season. It also has runs of spawning trout that make their annual journey each year from Hebgen Lake. The rainbows spawn in the spring while the browns spawn in the fall. These trout can reach weights of six pounds or more. Route 287 and other secondary roads provide several access points along the Madison all the way to the Town of Ennis and Ennis Lake. Below Ennis Lake, the Madison makes another 30 mile journey until meeting with the Gallatin and Jefferson to form the Missouri. The town of Ennis is the hub for all the fishing the Madison offers. It is a consummate western town where the cowboys and fisherman co-exist and make up a unique ambiance that the visitor will find amusing. That being said, there are excellent accommodations, fly shops and shopping for the visitor.The Gallatin River, located in Southwestern Montana, is a classic western trout stream. From its source in Yellowstone National Park, it flows for over 100 miles before reaching the Missouri River at Three Forks. During its journey the Gallatin passes through canyons and open meadows meandering on its way with riffles and glides. There are rainbow, browns and cutthroats in the river with smaller fish through the canyons to Big Sky and larger fish through Belgrade, along Interstate 90 till its confluence with the Madison and Jefferson to form the Missouri. Hatches on the Gallatin include Olives, Pale Morning Duns, caddis, and stoneflies. The salmon fly hatch usually occurs between mid June and early July. Terrestrials will fish well during the summer months and an attractive dry, streamer, and nymph will be very productive on the river throughout the season. The central town servicing the Gallatin is Bozeman, a medium sized city by Montana standards and home to all amenities that the traveler or angler might need.The Big Hole River is located in southwestern Montana and is unique in the fact that it holds 4 species of trout; rainbow, brown, brook and grayling. It is also the only river in Montana which has restrictions on whom may fish and when. It pays the angler to spend time reading the regulations. Other than this the River holds large fish and incredible scenery. Starting upstream of the town of Wisdom, the Big Hole flows for over a hundred miles before meeting with the Beaverhead River near the town of Twin Bridges. The Wise River enters the Big Hole at the town of Wise River. Here the Big Hole is small and holds a good population of brook trout and grayling. At the town of Divide the Big Hole turns south for approximately twenty miles to the town of Glen. The tiny town of Melrose falls between Divide and Glen, and is one of the more popular towns along the river. From Divide to Glen, most people choose to float the river although there are several access points where anglers can park and wade. The river below Divide is big and moves swiftly past boulders and fallen trees. Big browns on the lower river are found in good numbers. Fishing large nymphs and streamers can be extremely effective on these trout. Downstream from Glen the river turns northeast and flows for approximately another ten miles before meeting up with the Beaverhead River. The most famous of the varied hatches takes place on the Big Hole when the salmon flies come out in late May till the end of June though the hatch is sporadic and hard to pinpoint.Formed from the junction of the Big Hole and Beaverhead Rivers, the Jefferson River is an often overlooked river but is loaded with primarily brown trout and some rainbows. Slow long pools interrupted by beautiful riffles characterize the river. From the junction of the Big Hole and Beaverhead, the Jefferson flows for approximately twenty five miles before reaching the town of Cardwell. This stretch of river is characterized with long slow pools flowing through areas of agricultural farmland and ranches. Surrounding mountains spruce up the scenery which is already spectacular. Here, the Jefferson averages 100 feet wide in many spots and is generally the most popular section because of its population of trout. Both floating and wading this stretch is very possible and can be very productive. Hatches on the Jefferson are not usually prolific but at times can be outstanding. Your best dry fly bets for fishing the Jefferson include Golden Stones, Pale Morning Duns, Blue-Winged Olives, Callibaetis, Caddis, and a few other less prolific mayflies. Attractor patterns such as Humpies, Wulffs and Coachmans can also work well when the right conditions exist. Big nymphs and streamers can be very productive and often produce the largest fish. Woolly Buggers, Matukas, Muddler Minnows, Bitch Creeks and Girdle Bugs are a few local favorites.Starting within Yellowstone Park and flowing in a north to northeasterly direction till it runs into the Missouri River in North Dakota, the Yellowstone River is a Montana treasure with an excellent selection of fishing. Leaving Yellowstone Lake the river tumbles through scenic canyons on its way to Gardiner. Below Gardiner the river fishes well all the way to Laurel. The most popular and productive stretch in Montana is from Gardiner to Livingston which is a little over fifty miles of water. Below Livingston the river has good numbers of brown trout and rainbows. This area usually receives less pressure and holds some impressive size fish. Fishing can be good all the way to Laurel, although many anglers limit their float to the upper half of this area. The Yellowstone has a number of hatches including Blue-Winged Olives, caddis, Pale Morning Duns, stoneflies, Tricos, and a few others. Terrestrials, especially hoppers, also work well during the late summer months. Streamers and nymphs make up much of the fishing on the Yellowstone River and produce some of the largest fish.There are a number of other rivers that make up the Montana experience for the fly fisherman including the fabulous rivers within Yellowstone Park, the Kootenai, the Clark Fork, and the Blackfoot and many others. Castafly Travel invites you to experience all that is Montana.
Geography
The state ranks fourth in area, but 44th in population, and therefore has the third lowest population density in the United States. The economy is primarily based on ranching, wheat farming, oil and coal in the east; lumber, tourism, and hard rock mining in the west. Ah, but let’s not forget tourism which fishing makes up a huge part. Anglers come from all over the world not only to ply the rivers and streams but to visit the towns that the rivers support and to see the unique locals and fish bums that live in them. It has been often said that these towns are “nice little drinking towns with a fishing problem”. Whatever it is, the combination of trout and fishing towns such as Craig, Bozeman, Livingston, Dillon, Missoula and Fort Smith, to name a few, add to an ambiance that visitors classify as “living the dream”.