By Randy Kadish
I grew up in a big city, New York to be exact. So, when I was a kid I never thought I’d grow up and become an angler, but an angler I became. I fished for crappie and largemouth bass in the city’s parks. I fished for striped bass in the East and Hudson rivers. But my favorite species to fish for was, and is, trout. I love the challenge of learning and trying to perfect so many techniques for fishing different kind of flies: dries, nymphs, streamers, and soft hackles. So, I had a problem. A big problem. To fish New York’s famous Beaverkill river I had to drive almost three hours. To fish Westchester’s not-so-famous but beautiful West Branch of the Croton I had to travel almost two hours by train and foot.
Despite my problem, I loved city life and decided that when I retired I’d move to a city that had good trout fishing close by, very close by.
I moved to Missoula, Montana where the Clark Fork river was almost at my doorstep. A half hour’s drive east or west gave me access to miles and miles of trout fishing. Yes, the river has a long, dark history of being polluted with toxic mining waste. Over a hundred years ago a great flood washed away bridges, rushed through mines, and then buried toxins deep in the Clark Fork’s riverbed. More recently, thanks to the efforts of coalitions, private citizens and government agencies, the river is being brought back to health.
True, the river’s recovery has a while to go, but though the Clark Fork averages only 500 trout per river mile, it has the same catch rate as the Montana’s famed Madison River which averages 2,000 trout per river mile.
The reason: the Clark Fork has so many access points for the wade and drift-boat angler that the fishing pressure is spread out.
When I wade fish I almost always have a picture-postcard beautiful pool to myself.
FISHING THE RIVER IN AND NEAR MISSOULA
Between Turah and Petty Creek the river is 60 to 90 feet wide and a sequence of riffles, fast runs, and deep pools.
The trout tend to hold in big pods, so fishing can be hit-or-miss.
Depending on the weather and the amount of snowpack, runoff can run from late April to late June. During July and August, cool nights, snowmelt and an infusion of ground water usually keep the river’s temperature below 68 degrees until about 1 p.m.
The largest population of trout are Browns, followed by Rainbows, then Cutthroats and, finally, the endangered Bulls. The river also has a large population of Whitefish.
Check Montana’s Fish, Wildlife & Parks website for the annual fishing regulations.
FISHING ACCESS FROM EAST TO WEST
Turah: A moderately fast pool. From Interstate 90, take the
Turah exit, and follow the signs to the fishing access. Downstream of the parking area, along the south bank, is a deep, trout-holding pool. Unless the water level is high, the best way to fish this pool is from the north bank.
Sha Ron: A wide, slow pool. From Interstate 90, take the East Missoula exit and follow route 200 to the access. I prefer to fish the river from the north bank: to do this, park along Deer Creek Road, walk back to the bridge, and follow the short path to the river.
Easy Street: A wide, slow pool. From East Broadway, turn right onto Easy Street and park. Walk down the wooden steps to the river. Additional access is further east on Easy Street.
The Kim Williams Trail: A shallow, gently riffled pool. Walk about a ¼ mile east of the football stadium and follow the path to the river. During the week, park on East Front Street and walk over the Van Buren Street pedestrian bridge. On weekends and after 5 p.m., park in the university parking lot.
Jacobs Riis Park: A shallow, gently riffled pool. Some anglers prefer to fish the faster water near the east end of the park. Parking is the same as it is for the Kim Williams Trail.
The Double Tree Hotel: A fast, deep pool. Park on East Front Street, then walk to the front of the hotel. This is probably the most popular nymphing pool in or near Missoula.
The Downtown Holiday Inn: A slow, wide pool. Park on Pattee Street.
Behind the Osprey Baseball Stadium: A moderately fast pool. Park in the parking area near Wyoming Street.
Mullan Heights: A deep, moderately-fast pool that slows into a long, riffled run. Drive to the wide driveway at 2025 Mullan Road (just west of the funeral home). Park on the right side of the driveway. Alongside the bank is a short path to the head of the pool. This pool, unattractive by Montana standards, holds a lot of fish and gets very little pressure.
Spurgin Road: A fast, deep pool. From Spurgin Road turn into the parking area. Wade across the small slew and walk upstream along the bank. This pool looks better than it fishes, but I love its ease of access.
Kelly Island: Several long fast and slow channels. Follow the signs from Mullan Road. The last stretch of the road is full of big holes, so a 4×4 is recommended. Walk across the small footbridge, then the slew, and you will find yourself on a footpath. To fish faster water, follow the path to the left. To fish slower, dry-fly water, follow the path straight ahead. (Note: You cannot float a drift boat through the channels of Kelly Island.)
Kona Bridge: A wide, slow pool. From Mullan Road turn onto Kona Branch Road. Cross the bridge and turn into the parking area. This side of the river is very deep, so you will be limited to casting from or near the bank. The north side of the river is very shallow, so I like to park on the north side of the bridge, walk down the bank, and then wade far out.
Harper’s Bridge: A deep, moderately fast pool that slows down into a long, shallow run. Follow the signs from Mullan Road. If the river isn’t too high, I like to hike downstream, past the bend.
Petty Creek: A wide, slow pool. From Interstate 90 take the Petty Creek exit and follow the signs. Walk across the small tributary and head downstream.
Just Upstream of Petty Creek: A fast, wide pool that funnels into a fast, riffled run. Take the Petty Creek exit, make the first left turn, and drive a few hundred yards to a small parking area.
WHAT TO BRING: A 9-foot, fast-action 5- or 6-weight fly rod and/or a switch or long spey rod. Montana is known for sudden weather changes. During spring and autumn days the temperature can go from the mid-forties to the high seventies. I recommend bringing insulated base layers, a packable rain jacket, and sunscreen. Felt soles and wet wading are permitted.
A WORD OF CAUTION: Water flows on western rivers can be faster than they look. Wading upstream in shallow water can be extremely difficult; so, before I wade into an unfamiliar pool I always check for an easy exit point, and I always take a wading stick.
SOME MAJOR HATCHES:
February to December, Midges #18-20.
February through April, Little Brown Stonefly #14-18 and Skwala #8-12.
March to May and August to November, Blue-Winged Olive #16-20.
Mid-May to Mid-July, Western March Brown #12-14.
March through May, Mother’s Day Caddis #12-16.
Mid-April to mid-June, Spotted Sedge #12.
May to August, Salmon Fly #4-8.
June through September, Pale Morning Dun #14-18.
Mid-June to mid-July, Yellow Sally #14-18.
Late-August to September, Western Green Drake #8-12. June to September, Golden Stonefly #6-12.
August to September, Brown Sedge #12-16.
September through October, Mahogany Dun #14-18, and Trico #18-20.
September to late-November, October Caddis #6-10…