| Fishing in Montana is much like fishing anywhere in | | | | to land....... well a twenty plus pound raibow! It's |
| North America, other than the fact that the | | | | quite a scene, but then so is a rainbow trout that |
| scenery is probably as good as it gets. Oh, I'm | | | | big! |
| sure you could find various areas throughout | | | | There's also some decent pike and largemouth |
| North America that would offer beauty that | | | | bass fishing in the area. There's also quite a nice |
| would rival Northwest Montana, but I seriously | | | | population of Lake Superior Whitefish in Flathead |
| doubt it would be better. And the trout fishing is | | | | Lake. They run from one to five pounds and are |
| as good as I've seen anywhere. There are some | | | | delicious. And, in all honesty, they're fairly easy to |
| very large trout in the state of Montana. | | | | catch. Once a person gets the hang of the little |
| I personally live within ten miles of Flathead Lake. | | | | nuances, it's simple in fact. |
| Flathead Lake is easily one of the best lake trout | | | | So all in all fishing opportunities are quite abundant |
| fisheries in the country. The guides and locals in | | | | in Northwest Montana. The biggest drawback is |
| the area regularly catch twenty to thirty pound | | | | that you only get about six months to enjoy |
| lake trout. Between the lake trout in Flathead | | | | them. The rest of the time it's too cold for all but |
| Lake and the rainbow, cutthroat, and brook trout | | | | the heartiest of anglers to spend much time |
| in the rivers flowing through Northwest Montana, | | | | chasing fish. And when it's not too cold to fish, the |
| this area is truly a trout paradise. | | | | run-off kills another three or four months. |
| In fact, if a person ventures over to a little town | | | | There are definitely ice fishing opportunities, but |
| called Libby and the Kootenai River that flows | | | | let's be honest about it. Does anyone really enjoy |
| within miles of the town, and goes into any gas | | | | ice fishing? Sure the actual act of catching fish is |
| station along the river, they will see pictures of | | | | fun, but I find the lead up to fish while ice fishing |
| truly unreal Rainbow Trout that have been caught. | | | | to be, well, painful (or at least just a pain in the |
| I'm talking about Rainbows in the twenty-pound | | | | butt). But yes, for those of you who actually |
| class. Yes, I said twenty-pound class! The first | | | | know what you're doing or have the inclination, |
| time that I witnessed these pictures, I couldn't | | | | there are plenty of opportunities to sit on the ice |
| believe my eyes. I honestly thought I was looking | | | | and stare through an eight-inch hole. Errrrrr........ |
| at Steelhead. But everyone assured me that they | | | | Spend some time ice fishing. |
| were Rainbows, caught out of the Kootenai, | | | | All in all, fishing in Montana, at least Northwest |
| below the dam. When I checked the area directly | | | | Montana, is pretty much as good as you'll find |
| below the dam, it looked like an area you would | | | | anywhere in North America, and the trout fishing |
| see in upstate New York where big Steelhead or | | | | is better. So if you have some time to kill, and like |
| Salmon could be found. Old salmon eggs | | | | to spend your spare time fishing, Montana is not |
| everywhere and old line that was heavy enough | | | | at all a bad idea. |