Photo by Five Valleys guide Austin Trayser. Courtesy: Five Valleys Fishing Company, Missoula.
[Editor's Note: This post is sponsored by our friends at State of Montana.]
When most folks think of winter angling in Montana, they think of augers and ice shanties, waxworms and beer. Lots of beer. Few thoughts ever turn to fly fishing—and you could argue that’s for good reason.
“The only way you can fly fish in Montana in the winter is if you go by yourself and don’t tell anybody what you’re doing. Otherwise people will think you’re crazy to be out there fishin’ when it’s 20 below,” explained Rusty “the Redneck” Dill, a sporting goods and gun salesman in Helena, who’s spent more than a decade chasing after the legendary trout of Montana like they not only stole his flask, but took his dog, too.
Rusty is an avid angler and despite the harsh Montana winters he proudly claims to fish every month of the year. “Montana, especially southwest Montana, is the heart of some of the most pristine fly fishing streams in the world. This is ‘A River Runs through It’ country. The Blackfoot and the Bitterroot, the Yellowstone and of course the Madison River, the ‘100-mile riffle.’ This is the stuff of fishermen’s dreams and it’s all right here in Montana,” Rusty said.
Madison River Fishing Company. Ennis, Montana.
As for winter fly fishing tips, Rusty the Redneck recommends leaving your dog at home, as it can get even too cold for canines, and to always choose liquor over beer when fishing since beer freezes fairly easily. “Nothing can ruin a fishing day more than a frozen six-pack,” he explained.
Here’s a six-pack of other tips for fishing the “off-season” in Big Sky Country:
1. Don’t be afraid of the locals — unless they have guns
Since tackle shops in Montana are as prevalent as coffee shops in California, it should be easy to check with a local shop for where the water is free flowing and accessible during the snowy months. Most fisheries in Montana stay open year-round and thanks to the Montana Stream Access Law are open to public use, but it’s always a good idea to check with a local pro when fishing unfamiliar waters.
It’s also important to remember that you may have to share the water with hunters, as duck and goose season in Montana runs until early January. Everyone over the age of 15 is required to purchase a fishing license in Montana.
2. Sleep in
Unlike the warmer months when dawn and dusk are best, the trout are most active during the middle of winter days. So it’s best to fish mid-day, ideally between 10 am and 2 pm, in slower moving, deeper water. The late winter months of March and April offer the most promising time for fly fishing in Montana, especially right after one of the region’s beloved warm “Chinook winds” comes in and heats things up.
3. Bring more than you think you need
When fishing during the more treacherous winter months it is always a good idea to tell someone where you’re going and when you’ll return. It’s also a wise idea to have extra clothes, blankets and something to eat or drink besides chewing tobacco, booze and beer in your vehicle in case you get wet or stranded.
4. Go deep
Most of the winter fly fishing action takes place under the water, so bouncing bugs off the bottom usually offers the best chance for success.
Most of the winter fly fishing action takes place under the water, so bouncing bugs off the bottom usually offers the best chance for success.
Small flies, in the 18- to 22-range work best, especially nymphs, Blue-winged Olives and blood midges. Dragging “bacon and eggs,” a San Juan worm and salmon egg pattern with a small weight in between the two, is many a fly fisherman’s favorite way to winter fish.
5. Handle with care
Just like people and beer, trout are susceptible to the cold. So it’s always best to try to keep trout in the water when catching and releasing. Cold air can freeze a fish’s gills and trout build up a protective slime layer in winter that can be removed by handling them. And since Montana proudly claims to be the first state in the nation to protect wild trout when they passed the Natural Streambed Preservation Act back in 1963, it’s best not to mess with their famous native cutthroats or monstrous rainbows.
6. Use your imagination
Finally, whenever fly fishing, always try to remember the sage advice penned by the great Montana writer Norman MacLean, “You wouldn’t even have seen the fish in all that foam if you hadn’t first thought he would be there.”
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20 Comments... join the discussion!
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Can’t you get some sort of heated can cozy?
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Love fly fishing, and love the gorgeous rivers of Montana, but I don’t think I could brave the combination in winter. You gave a very intimate, accurate portrait of parts of Montana, I thought. Love the quotes.
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I love this writer McKenna. He really caught my attention. I can feel the cold, but I can feel the warmer sun mid day in rugged country. Great tips.
Please give us more from McKenna and more about Rusty.
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Great article.with good information. I have not ever fished in Montana, but would like to one day should I ever get to retire!!! However, I’m not too motivated to fish out of state as Idaho has it’s own great fly fishing!
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Great information!! Sounds like a nice place to visit in the summer.
And I have seen Rusty drink so he must be referring to his second 6-pack that is susceptible to freezing.
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Great article … never thought to fly fish Montana in the winter.
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Same here, Edward. And I guess that’s the best part–you’ll have it all to yourself!
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Damn…s much as I love flyfishing I’m not sure I’m hardcore enough for waders in Winter….great article and info. Thanks!
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Sleep in, really? No waking up before the crack of dawn? Sounds like my kind of fishing trip.
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i can only imagine how immersed in the landscape you’d feel to be out on the river like this in winter.
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I have a fly reel that has been hanging in the garage so long it houses spider webs and layers of dust. Articles like these make me want to break it out. I am a terrible fisherman, but standing in a riverbed under the big sky sounds mighty fine!
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Rusty does sound like an awesome character! Must have beer though…drink cozy is an excellent suggestion.
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Not really a fishing person but I think I’d take this one for sure!
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I love the ‘Don’t be afraid of the locals, unless they have guns’.
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I don’t know how I’d feel about drinking liquor and then messing around near a frozen river
seems like an inherently bad idea, somehow↵ -
I’m cold just thinking about it… brrrrrrrrr….
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I like this kind of fishing. When we head out to the coast we have to get up at 5am to get the best fish… Fish that are active during the middle of the day, I can totally get after. Looks like loads of fun.
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This is definately one of those experiences that would stand out when you look back on your life. It’s not an activity I’d ever think about, but in a place like this it seems amazing.
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