Catch & Release All Wild Fish!Beaverhead May-June, 2003

Upon our return from Southwestern Montana, we arrive home to the Yakima River Valley to find dry, hot weather. With the increase in heat over Central Washington, high mountain snows are melting fast, filling the storage reservoir holding facility of Cle Elum, which lies just below the east slope of the Cascade Mountain Range.  As warm weather continues, B.O.R. officials are discharging water as quickly as it is entering the reservoir.
Unfortunately, a mass of warm air had also been hovering over the "Big Sky Country" just a couple of days before our departure on May 30th to host a 3 day guided fly fishing adventure to Southwest Montana. The heat was taking its toll on the late snow pack western Montana had received and the majority of free-flowing rivers were pushing hard at their banks.  As we entered Montana, descending over Look Out Pass, the St. Regis River was moving swift towards its destination with the Clark Fork at the small town of St. Regis.  At the confluence of these two rivers, dark murky waters were converging.  White water enthusiasts loaded with rafts and kayaks were the only ones excited about river conditions as they made their way to the Alberton Gorge.

"Significance"


Camp Fortunate (Clark Canyon)
Captain Lewis found a camp of Shoshone Indians and gained acceptance of the tribe, as Sacagawea had recognized the Shoshone chief, Cameahwait, as her brother. The Expedition stayed for several days with the Shoshones and traded for horses at the site that is now inundated by Clark Canyon Reservoir. 

On the Lewis and Clark expedition, Sacagawea recognized this as a landmark of her people because of the resemblance of the rock to a beaver's head.

The Big Hole, Jefferson and Ruby Rivers, as well as other area streams had finally crested on our final day of fishing and began to recede.  The Big Hole had reached a flow of over 9500 cfs. (cubic feet per second) before finally starting to settle.  It was unfortunate for us, but one can never truly predict the contemplation of Mother Nature.
However, the trip was far from a wash.  We spent our 4 days floating and fishing the "Beaverhead River" southeast of the city of Dillon. This didn't bother the six of us at all.  Water conditions were excellent every day.  The weather was warm and sunny and most importantly the fish were eating!

The headwaters of the Beaverhead River originates at the west end of the "Clark Canyon Reservoir"  which was erected in 1964 as a water holding facility for farming and irrigation needs.

The reservoir encompasses over 6000 acres and is a popular spot for fishing throughout the year. Clark Canyon is filled each year by annual snow pack from Upper Red Rock Creek. The Lower Red Rock river flows from the east end of the reservoir.

 

Looking West In The Middle Of Clark Canyon Dam

 
The lake is home to some of the state's largest rainbow and brown trout populations.  The reservoir is referred to as the "trout farm" by local residents.  Here, the trout grow to large sizes feeding easily on an abundance of aquatic forms.  Early spring rainbows will leave the reservoir and move into the Beaverhead River in search of spawning grounds.  When Fall arrives, the large brown trout will undertake the same journey.  Once they have reached the river, there is no return to the reservoir.  They are now resident Beaverhead fish.

"The Upper Drift" dam to high bridge;
 
Fish counts are high, in fact the Beaverhead is believed to hold some of Montana's largest resident rainbow and brown trout populations. With fish counts well over 3000 per mile, one would think it would be like catching fish in a barrel.  Not so!
Insect life below the dam at Clark Canyon is astounding.  Wave after wave of aquatic life filters through the water column on an hourly basis.  Through the first several miles of river, trout rarely move far to feed as a variety of cuisine is constantly attracting their attention.  Small nymphs, a fluorocarbon tippet with a flawless drift are perquisites for fishing this section of water.  During times of Caddis blooms, swinging small, wet flies and soft hackles can be productive.
Aquatic nymphs such as Baetis, PMD's, Caddis, Sow bugs, Scuds, Blood worms, Midges, Yellow Sallies and Golden Stoneflies are all present in large numbers throughout the system.  This rich resource of nutrients is available throughout most of the year.  Hopper and Terrestrial fishing will become important later this month and last well into the first parts of September.
Launching a drift boat below the dam is the first part of the daily adventure.  It's primitive, it's Montana.  A steep, rocky embankment is the launch area.  Once the boat is wet, gear is loaded, fly rods are prepared with a special leader that will sink your small nymphs fast and a strike indicator is applied.  This is big Rainbow water that is shared with its brethren, the Brown Trout. This section of the river is popular for wading and shore anglers. Access to both sides of the Beaverhead is easily obtainable by road.  The fish are everywhere, so each drift is shared with wading anglers and drifters, however boat and river etiquette is practiced.  Deep slots with some fast riffles and runs primarily make up this section of the Beaverhead.  Some days can provide dry fly fishing, however the abundance of nymphs is far greater and much easier for the fish to obtain.
Wading anglers and boat anchors ring the dinner bell for the "Dam" trout.  Aquatic clingers are kicked loose among the rocks and become forage for the Beaverhead's resident fish populations.  Rainbows and Browns literally line up at your feet or below the boat waiting for this easy meal, kicked loose by wading boots or dragging anchors.   A variety of food sources is delivered down stream.  The feeding is effortless with no potential for wasting precious energy reserves.

Come prepared with flies.  Your going to lose a few on the Beaverhead, especially through this section of river. If your not equipped there are several shops, staffed with local experts throughout the Dillon area that are well stocked and ready to help you.  Tim Tollett operates Dillon's oldest fly shop, "Frontier Anglers" located just off the main interstate into town.  We found the guys at the "Beaverhead Special" on the east hill above the reservoir to be helpful.  They are located right on the river as well and spend most of their days fishing.  In fact, when we arrived at the shop, the first morning the door was locked and a sign was posted on the door.  "Honk if you need flies!  Gone Fishing".  A couple of blasts from the Chevy Suburban caught the attentions of fly shop owner, Brent Satterfeild as he quickly hiked up the well beaten path from one of the popular wading holes of the Beaverhead.  He graciously opened the shop and we quickly began pillaging his fly assortments.

Local Fly-Shop Contact Information


Frontier Anglers-(406) 683-6811
 

Beaverhead Special-(406) 683-6811

 

Backcountry Angler-(406) 683-3462

 
Dewayne, Kyle and the Beaverhead Brown Trout
 

Catch & Release All Wild Fish! Beaverhead River German Brown

 

Kyle, Jim and the Beaverhead Rainbow
 

Catch & Release All Wild Fish! Beaverhead River Rainbow

 

"The Middle Drift" high bridge to hennenberry;
Once you arrive at "High Bridge," the gloves come off.  This is brown trout water.  Intensely thick bank cover provides adequate safety and gives these aggressive feeders the shelter they desire.  Streamer fishing can be very productive through this section of the Beaverhead. Deep ledges cut through the river bottom, so nymph fishing still plays an active roll in your fishing opportunities.  Each day provided us with something different, a variety of new and exciting challenges.  The cloudy, Cumulus days provided the adequate cover we needed for productive streamer fishing.  Incorrigible browns were coaxed by special techniques and could be moved from their hiding lair during these times of the day. The Beaverhead is home to many sculpin and crayfish. Smaller Burbot also inhabit the reservoir and are often thrust into the river when dam releases are high.  These small bottom feeders become breakfast, lunch and dinner for the large browns of the Beaverhead.   Kyle's Egg-Head was by far our most productive streamer in both the olive and tan.  It is a excellent representation to entice and expose the browns from the thick cover that abounds along the banks of this section of the Beaverhead.
This area of the river provides fast currents as well as a steep grade through most of the drift.  The river quickly begins to form channels with braids branching in every direction.  If you venture from the main stem, the river becomes narrow and will provide many different areas to fish.  While floating one of these braids, an encounter with a young bull moose provided my partners and I with a memorable Montana wild life experience.  The young bull wasn't concerned about us, while feeding on the lush, green vegetation.  However, at one point he did let us know that he was definitely in charge of that area of the river.  We fished awhile and then moved on leaving him to gorge on the grasses of the Beaverhead.
"The Bottom Drift" hennenberry to grasshopper;
This section of river provides a variety of fly fishing circumstances.  Access can be limited on foot and provide boating anglers an advantage over fish and feet. The river continues to move swift, but also provides a set of long, deep, slow moving pools.  Another boat launch called "Pipe Organ" is down stream just a short distance.  This is perfect drift for those looking for a quick fix of the Beaverhead or those limited on time.
Mouse patterns can be fished tight along the grassy banks of this section during the months of summer.  We have experienced days when large browns lie in wait to feast on small rodents.  As a fly fishermen, this is one of the fantastic factors that appeals to me about fishing the great waters of Montana.  Large browns become highly aggressive like a Smallmouth Bass and at times are looking for this bigger, furry meal to fill their belly. 
Towards the end of the drift, the river empties into a small, swift, rocky channel.  Banging the banks and small pockets behind rocks that are created, provided us with some fast and furious streamer action.  Grasshopper Creek converges with the Beaverhead below this area of the river.  During times of run-off, this larger creek flowing from the Pioneer Mountain Range deposits large amounts of water mixed with sand and silt.  The river at this point becomes dark, dirty and nearly impossible to fish productively.  Later in the summer flows will recede in Grasshopper, however farmers use the creek to dump off field irrigation and some parts can remain dingy.

Despite high water conditions throughout the state, the Beaverhead provided us with exceptional fishing opportunities during our short visit.  We are looking forward to returning and have plans in the works now to host our 2nd trip to Southwest Montana in August with Montana High Country Lodge.
During our last evening in Dillon, a crowd of local fly fishing guides had gathered at the local watering hole to celebrate the 27th birthday of our guide, Kyle Giampoli.  Central Washington hayseed, Luke Scarloa drunkenly called out to the crowd "Which way is home ?" Tim Mostoff,  the oldest and most respected Beaverhead guide, also known as "Griz", stepped out of the crowd and exclaimed "Left at Butte."  As I laugh to myself, I thought this was the perfect capper to the end of a great Montana trip.  Of course, Hayseed didn't know how to respond and the joke went over his head.  Maybe you had to be there or just know Tim's refined sense of humor.
If you plan to travel to Montana to fish its many diversified waters, go with an open mind.  Be willing to try different patterns and techniques.  You may encounter one of the best fishing experiences of your life!
For more information on our 2nd hosted guided trip to the "High Country Lodge" please contact us at the Ellensburg pro-shop or email us at: worleybugger@elltel.net