The Annual Trout Tour: Part 2


As I mentioned in my previous post, Anna Riggs and I concluded our third annual trout tour of Wyoming and Montana in early July. We started the tour in Wyoming, and finished in Montana after seven days of fishing. We started on a private ranch in the Bighorn Mountains, we then spent three days on the Missouri River headquartering in Craig, Montana and finished up off on the Boulder River near Big Timber, MT. What follows is a photo essay of the Missouri River portion of our trip:

The Missouri River is one of the longest rivers in the world. Rising in the Rockies of western Montana, the Missouri flows east and south for over 2000 miles before merging with the Mississippi River north of St. Louis, Missouri. Our focus, as well as most trout fishermen's, is mostly on the 35 mile section below Holter Dam near the towns of Wolf Creek, Craig and Cascade. This tailwater below the dam offers some of the finest fly fishing in the Western US and certainly some of the largest average fish in Montana.

Craig, Montana....


...we were met by the city fathers.

...and our guide, Chad Olsen.
We enjoyed many doubles on Day One
...as overcast skies and cool temps made the fish very cooperative.
At mid-day the PMD's started coming off!

...and then, on this perfect dry fly day, things got serious!
The lower river is beautiful, especially when trout are rising.

Days 2 and 3 brought high cirrus, hot weather and tougher fishing.
...other fishermen seemed frustrated too


But things changed each of these days when afternoon hatches...

...brought success as temps cooled.

Time to go...

After a great few days on the Mo' with many fish boated, may laughs had and many moments to be remembered, Chad, Anna and I saddled up and headed to to The Boulder River...

Next, our last day.