"There is no greater fan of fly fishing than the worm." --Patrick F. McManus, Never Sniff a Gift Fish, 1979

Westslope Cutthroat Trout
Oncorhynchus clarkii lewisi
(Salmonidae) 

The Westslope cutthroat trout is one of two subspecies of native cutthroat found in the state. Together, they have been designated Montana's state fish. The average size ranges from 6 to 16 inches, depending on habitat, and rarely exceed 18 inches in length. Westslope cutthroat are common in both headwaters, lake and stream environments. They feed primarily on insect life and zooplankton.

It can be difficult to visually distinguish Westslope from other cutthroat trout subspecies, but the westslope cutthroat trout tends to have more small spots by the tail and none by the pectoral fin. The fish is more of a silvery or greenish color. Cutthroat trout tend to thrive in streams with more pool habitat and cover than uniform, simple habitat.


Brook Trout
Salvelinus fontinalis
(Salmonidae)

The "brookie" or brook trout was introduced to Montana from eastern North America in 1889. Brook trout are common throughout most of the western two-thirds of Montana in all major drainages. Brook trout will eat nearly any living organism, and larger fish can be voracious predators on other fish and even their own young. A Flathead River study found ephemeroptera (Mayflies) and trichoptera (Caddisflies) were dominant insects in their diet.

Brown Trout
Salmo trutta
(Salmonidae)

The brown trout belongs to a different genus than native Montana trout species. They evolved in Europe and western Asia and were introduced to North America in 1883 and to Montana in 1889 in the Madison River. Today brown trout are found throughout most of Montana except the northwest and parts of the east.

Generally they prefer lower-gradient, larger streams than cutthroat and rainbow. The state record is 29 pounds, and large fish are not at all uncommon, although 12 to 20 inches is the usual size range of adults. Browns feed largely on underwater aquatic insects.

Rainbow Trout
Oncorhynchus mykiss
(Salmonidae)

The rainbow trout is Montana's number one game fish. Rainbow trout were introduced from numerous hatchery stocks into virtually every suitable habitat in the state, beginning in 1889. Scientists believe that only the rainbow trout of the upper Kootenai River drainage are native to this state.

The state record for rainbow trout is over 33 pounds, and fish of up to 10 pounds are common in some of our most productive waters. Rainbows are efficient at feeding on plankton, aquatic and terrestrial insects, and occasionally some smaller fishes.

Information courtesy of Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks

Fly Chart: See what flies to use and when.

Click on the image below to open a printable version of this chart (PDF).

REGIONAL RIVERS

"Our tradition is that of the first man who sneaked away to the creek when the tribe did not really need fish." --Roderick Haig-Brown, about modern fishing, "A River Never Sleeps", 1946

Montana is home to some of the best fly-fishing rivers in the country. The Clark Fork, Missouri and the Blackfoot are three of our favorite rivers. The Clark Fork runs through Rock Creek Cattle Company and the other two are close enough to the Ranch to make for an easy day trip.

Rock Creek has undergone significant restoration to re-establish itself as a true blue- ribbon trout fishery. We have made numerous stream and riparian enhancements over the past few years and our efforts have had dramatic results. A recent survey revealed that spawning activity has doubled over the past two years. We also discovered that the trout are spreading out and occupying more habitat, migrating further upstream to spawn and remaining longer in Rock Creek.

The Missouri River, known world wide for exceptional dry fly fishing, is best described as a gigantic spring creek flowing over fine gravels and lush weed beds. Because of its tail-water nature, there are very few days of the year the Missouri can’t be fished. Epic hatches of caddis, blue wing olives, pale morning duns, and tricos provide the nutrition for the trout to become big and strong. Brown and wild rainbows average from 15-17 inches with many browns topping out at over 22 inches.

The Blackfoot River, the same river “A River Runs Through It” was based on, is a classic freestone river. There are over 60 miles of floatable water on the Blackfoot providing anglers a wide variety of water to fish. Known for its scenic beauty, the Blackfoot is a fun river to fish, float and discover. Fishing can be outstanding as early as April and often times it lasts into November. The Blackfoot is home to one of the largest populations of the protected bull trout in the U.S. In addition to bulls, there are native westslope cutthroat, rainbow, brown and brook trout.

The Clark Fork River is perhaps the best-kept secret of Montana’s rivers. The river offers excellent fishing for native cutthroat, rainbow and brown trout. Brown trout in the 30 inch range have been taken from the headwaters near Warm Springs, and in the waters below Missoula it isn’t uncommon to land a rainbow in the 18-20 inch category. Because the river can be very technical and the fish are often found in highly unlikely places, it is a good idea to go with one of our guides until you have a chance to figure the river out.

The Fishing Outfitter of Record for Rock Creek Cattle Company is Joel Thompson, Montana Troutaholic Outfitters, Montana License Number 11697. 6166 Larch Canyon Road, Missoula, MT, 59803  (406) 370-0074