Missouri River Montana 2009

[Lumber_Jack]

Just got back from a fly fishing trip to Helena, Montana. We fished below Hauser dam where the Rainbow trout are spawning. You might think we are crazy to go all that way to fish a tailwater but the fish are very big, so thats why we do it. The weather turned out to be awful, a front stalled over us and stayed the whole 6 days we were there. On tuesday it was 35degress with 30mph sustained winds ( wind chill -5). But we survived mainly because the fish were biting. We were lucky we had a cabin to retreat to in the evening with a nice wood burning stove. Just thought I would post some pics of our western adventure







http://i680.photobucket.com/albums/vv166/owensnj/Montana/DSC00268.jpg
Me and fatty
http://i680.photobucket.com/albums/vv166/owensnj/Montana/DSC00275.jpg
Me again

http://i680.photobucket.com/albums/vv166/owensnj/Montana/Tim.jpg
Tim Miller (the only time the sun came out, about 30 mins, still 20mph winds though)

http://i680.photobucket.com/albums/vv166/owensnj/Montana/Tim2.jpg
Tim Miller

http://i680.photobucket.com/albums/vv166/owensnj/Montana/Iceinguides.jpg
Our guides kept icing up


http://i680.photobucket.com/albums/vv166/owensnj/Montana/Greg.jpg
Greg Schaffer

http://i680.photobucket.com/albums/vv166/owensnj/Montana/Gregtape.jpg
Greg measuring one of his fish, almost 22"


http://i680.photobucket.com/albums/vv166/owensnj/Montana/DSC00280.jpg
Chad Ward

[Lumber_Jack]

http://i680.photobucket.com/albums/vv166/owensnj/Montana/Canyonandriver.jpg

http://i680.photobucket.com/albums/vv166/owensnj/Montana/River.jpg



http://i680.photobucket.com/albums/vv166/owensnj/Montana/Cabin.jpg
Snow outside the cabin


http://i680.photobucket.com/albums/vv166/owensnj/Montana/Greg.jpg
Greg with wind blowing snow

http://i680.photobucket.com/albums/vv166/owensnj/Montana/NeilFighting.jpg

Me fighting a fish, I can't feel my hands :biggrin:

http://i680.photobucket.com/albums/vv166/owensnj/Montana/DSC00271.jpg

nice way to finish a very cold day of fishing

[BlueRaiderFan]

Nice! Don't look at my post on the Elk, WV. Your fish would have eaten mine!

[drag line]

Great pictures. I will be fishing the Missouri in Craig the week of July 20-27th. I hope to have warmer weather. I was out there last year and on june 10 it snowed I think 7". Now just to dream of huge trout and screaming drags. Thanks

[Lumber_Jack]

Yeah it can snow pretty late, everyones favorite story out there is the time it snowed on the 4th of July parade. There should be some really good fishing in the missouri in late July. lots of dry fly hatching. They will probably be letting more water out of the resevoir this year than normal due to the amount of rain/snow fall and melt that is going on, but by July that should all be good an dried up. If you get a chance stop by Cross Currents, they have a shop in Craig and Helena, a guy named Chris works there and is really nice and knowlegable, Ive met him at both stores.

[Paula Begley]

Those were some really great photos! Thanks so much for sharing. Now, I'm dying to do some snow fishing.

Paula

[UofMontanaAlum]

You might think we are crazy to go all that way to fish a tailwater

People who go to Montana and don't fish the Missouri between WC & Craig are the crazy ones.

BTW, those spawning bows are HOTTT!