The 2008 Forecast

I F YOU WATCHED THE NATIONAL NEWS REPORTS LAST SUMMER YOU PROBABLY THOUGHT ALL OF MONTANA AND MOST OF IDAHO AND WYOMING WERE ON FIRE AND THAT THERE WASN’T A PLACE LEFT IN THE ROCKIES TO THROW A LINE.

For the common angler that was blessing — fewer people on the streams, more fish
for us. But, for the outfitters and guides that was a royal pain with decreased bookings and fewer savings in the bank at the end of the season.

There’s no way to predict how hot 2008 will be, or how much snow the current win-
ter will deliver to our mountains, but this is known: no matter what the snowpack turns out to be and no matter how warm the mainstem of some major rivers become, the Rockies will host excellent opportunities again this year. In a worst-case scenario, anglers would have to fish the upper portion of the major river systems or their cold-running tributary streams or various quality and oft-overlooked stillwaters scattered around the West.

I know that observation won’t satisfy the masses; most anglers these days want their
Rocky Mountain fly-fishing experience to arrive from the bow of a drift boat or raft on
one of those streams that grace the feature wells of the national sporting press. That’s an experience to be had, for sure, but there’s nothing illegal about strapping on a pair of spiked wading boots and hitting the water on your own. By doing so, anglers can fish smaller water, with less pressure and, often, find scads of unsuspecting fish. So take an adventurous pill before bed one night this spring, summer or fall and wake in the morning to find your own slice of angling paradise.

If you choose to do that, here are some quality options, bound to bring trout to the top and smiles on the faces of anglers this year.

Beaverhead and Big Hole rivers, MT — Each of these streams hosts a solid year
class of age-three rainbows and those fish are in a prime stage to attack dry flies. A day or two here, plus an afternoon on Clark Canyon Reservoir, where an age class of rainbows has reached the 19-inch mark, is well worth the effort.