9.26.09

West Fork Bitterroot, Montana

I used to case the fly rod during fall to concentrate on slaying big game animals, but this year I’ve left the woods to others and tested new water, plus some old standbys. And I’ve liked what I’ve found.

Take Saturday, for instance. On a whim, with family watching our kids, my wife, Becky, and I headed blissfully south from Stevensville, Montana to Conner and drove up the West Fork Road, which is closely paralleled by the West Fork Bitterroot River, a good size stream that’s often overlooked as anglers key in on the mainstem ‘root and its easy float fishing options.

The thing is, the West Fork offers trout, a mix of rainbows, cutthroats and browns, that are similar in size to the mainstem’s offerings and they don’t see too much pressure. On any given cast you could hook a 16-to 18 inch brown, cutt or rainbow. Twenty-inch and larger fish are taken on occasion and when you see the river you’ll know why—the West Fork offers long, deep pools and runs that are mixed in shadows from steep forested hillsides. Midstream boulders are abundant and the water runs mostly clear, but with a dark green tint. Fish streamers here and you’ll find reward.

That’s what we found Saturday, eager cutts and ‘bows that charged crystal buggers. In addition, those fish were still keyed in on grasshoppers and we rose several solid heads in the morning and a few in the afternoon before calling it quits. We didn’t see another angler. I did see a couple rigs go by with freshly collected elk antlers strapped to loads of coolers, which is a clear indication of why the river was untouched.

That you can find good trout water in the Bitterroot Valley and you can have it to yourself may surprise a lot of anglers who only hear people complaining about how populated the area has become and how crowded the main river is on a daily basis. When I lived in the Bitterroot Valley, back in the mid-1990s, I used to fish almost every day during fall and I rarely found competition. This is the time to hit the entire system, including, and maybe especially, the West Fork. Often the fishing is better on blustery fall days than it is on hot Indian Summer occasions. And the West Fork, unlike the mainstem, where houses line the river and highway noise can be considerable, is a nice reprieve, a mostly unspoiled part of the state that requires a directed effort to reach.

Right now and through the remainder of fall wade fishing is the way to go on the West Fork. Floating the river, which is popular during spring, would be a challenge. I think you’d kill yourself in a driftboat or a skiff. Perhaps a raft could negotiate the current low flows, but the helmsman would be on high alert and might end up dragging the boat regularly. Pontoon boats and Watermasters could negotiate the river, but there’s really no reason to push your luck; old bridge crossings and roads offer access, as do National Forest Service lands. Once on the water you can hike up or downstream as far as you want as long as you remain below the high-water mark, which is no problem right now.

If you’re in the area and looking for something out of the ordinary cruise up the beautiful West Fork this fall and get in on a little overlooked action. Be ready for hatches of Baetis mayflies and maybe some October caddis. Try to fish water that’s located away from the road. If you’re fortunate you’ll find high reward and possibly a twenty-plus inch fish.

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