Western Montana Pike

I was able to sneak out for a few hours the other day, to ply Montana’s rivers for northern pike, which invaded these systems 20 years ago. To catch pike you have to row past a bunch of trout and in this case they were all rising to small mayflies. Not an easy thing to do. But it paid off in the form of a 13-pound northern coming to hand. The weather calls for sun this weekend, so grab a six or seven-weight rod and some big, white streamers and hit the backwaters if you have time. Clark Fork. Flathead. Bitterroot. Sealey/Clearwater. These rivers all offer good shots at the water wolf. —GT