September on the Fly with Montana Trout Outfitters
Western Montana’s trout spent the week playing a little hard to get, but persistence still put some memorable fish in the net. Tony Reinhardt bounced among the Blackfoot canyon, Bitterroot and upper Clark Fork with longtime guests and local anglers, mixing dry/dropper setups, tricos, ants and hoppers as conditions dictated. Dan found a chunky rainbow pushing 18 inches before an afternoon ant bite kept the rod busy, while Cliff and Denise wrapped up the Grizzly Ride with steady action on cutthroat, cuttbows, rainbows and even a couple small bull trout. The common thread was simple: smaller fish were willing, bigger trout required negotiation. As Reinhardt put it after one productive afternoon, “That fly saw lots of action the rest of the way.”
The Bitterroot provided the week’s biggest plot twist. After a sluggish start, Sandra suddenly hit the trout trifecta in one run, working from a 14-inch cutthroat up to an airborne 18-inch rainbow, then later fooling a gorgeous 20-inch cuttbow on a dry. Jim’s upper Clark Fork outing was more stubborn, although a healthy 16-inch rainbow and a handful of other fish kept the day from going completely quiet. Overall, September has arrived with beautiful weather but unusually finicky fishing, something Reinhardt expects cooler, wetter conditions and fall mayflies to shake up. In his words, “That should get our fall mayfly hatches going and motivate our trout to feed before winter sets in!” The report was posted by outfitter Tony Reinhardt of Montana Trout Outfitters, located at 6108 Raelene Ct., Missoula, MT 59803, and the outfitter can be reached at 406-544-3516.
