Copyright 2009 James Marsh
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Fly Fishing The Little Blackfoot River
Montana
The Little Blackfoot River is a small, beautiful, but fragile
stream, that I have been reluctant to write about knowing
it is certainly too small to become crowded. On the other
hand, I thought it may be good to bring it to everyone's
attention because it needs some help from concerned
anglers. It appears that ranches have done a lot to hurt
the trout by de-watering and altering the flow of the
stream.
It flows out of the Boulder Mountains in a fairly remote or
unpopulated section of Montana. It is not often fished by
visitors. Some of the locals from Helena fish it. It flows
mostly through private property but there's a large part
of its headwaters that's available to the public to fish.
The river is a tributary of the Clark's Fork River. It runs
along highway U. S. Highway #12 from its confluence
with the Clarke Fork at Garrison up to several miles past
Elliston. The river stays cool in the summer because it is
fed by several small springs. The springs also help keep
the water slightly warmer and from freezing over in most
places during the winter.
The stream has a good population of small cutthroats
and brook trout in its headwaters, but most of the trout
are brown trout which exist in most of the stream from its
headwaters all the way to the Clarke Fork River.
Seasons:
Fishing is excellent all year except during the spring
runoff.
Winter:
Springs help warm the water during the winter. Fishing
can be very good.
Spring:
Anytime from about the middle of March on through the
spring, you are subject to be able to catch trout on the
dry fly from hatches of Blue-winged Olives. Fishing is
good until runoff begins.
Summer:
Runoff usually occurs the later part of June. Fishing can
be excellent just after it ends and for the rest of the
summer.
Fall:
The brown trout spawn in the fall and fishing can be
excellent during that pre-spawn period.
Fly Fishing Guide to the Little Blackfoot River:
There are basically two strategies to use for fly fishing
the Little Blackfoot River. You either fish for the brook
and cutthroat trout in the headwater using small stream
tactics or you fish for the brown trout in other sections of
the river. (Click Here To Continue)
Montana
The Little Blackfoot River is a small, beautiful, but fragile
stream, that I have been reluctant to write about knowing
it is certainly too small to become crowded. On the other
hand, I thought it may be good to bring it to everyone's
attention because it needs some help from concerned
anglers. It appears that ranches have done a lot to hurt
the trout by de-watering and altering the flow of the
stream.
It flows out of the Boulder Mountains in a fairly remote or
unpopulated section of Montana. It is not often fished by
visitors. Some of the locals from Helena fish it. It flows
mostly through private property but there's a large part
of its headwaters that's available to the public to fish.
The river is a tributary of the Clark's Fork River. It runs
along highway U. S. Highway #12 from its confluence
with the Clarke Fork at Garrison up to several miles past
Elliston. The river stays cool in the summer because it is
fed by several small springs. The springs also help keep
the water slightly warmer and from freezing over in most
places during the winter.
The stream has a good population of small cutthroats
and brook trout in its headwaters, but most of the trout
are brown trout which exist in most of the stream from its
headwaters all the way to the Clarke Fork River.
Seasons:
Fishing is excellent all year except during the spring
runoff.
Winter:
Springs help warm the water during the winter. Fishing
can be very good.
Spring:
Anytime from about the middle of March on through the
spring, you are subject to be able to catch trout on the
dry fly from hatches of Blue-winged Olives. Fishing is
good until runoff begins.
Summer:
Runoff usually occurs the later part of June. Fishing can
be excellent just after it ends and for the rest of the
summer.
Fall:
The brown trout spawn in the fall and fishing can be
excellent during that pre-spawn period.
Fly Fishing Guide to the Little Blackfoot River:
There are basically two strategies to use for fly fishing
the Little Blackfoot River. You either fish for the brook
and cutthroat trout in the headwater using small stream
tactics or you fish for the brown trout in other sections of
the river. (Click Here To Continue)
| Type of Stream Freestone Species Brown Trout Cutthroat Trout Brook Trout Mountain Whitefish (Wild/Native) Location Southwestern Montana Size: Small - 48 miles long Nearest Towns Elliston Helena Season General Montana Season with Extended Season catch and release only from December 1 to 3rd Sat. in May. Access: Good in the headwaters, poor in the other sections Non-Resident License State of Montana Weather National Weather Service Link Hatch Chart Little Blackfoot Hatch Chart Fly Fishing Guide Hatches and Flies Fly Fishing Gear Stream Flow Data: USGS Real Time Data |
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Little Blackfoot
River Montana
River Montana
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| Options For Selecting Flies: 1. Email us with the dates you will be fishing this stream and we will send you a list of our fly suggestions. Please allow up to 24 hours for a response. 2. Call us 800-594-4726 and we will help you decide which flies you need. 3. Call or email us with a budget for flies and we will select them and get them to you in time for your trip. Shipping is free in the U. S. Orders over $50 are shipped Priority Mail. |