The first time I hooked up with a really large fish on the Bighorn I was chest high in my waders bobbing down stream after him trying to keep up before he blew past my backing. This was in the early 1990’s and the river had just re-opened after years of closure by the Crow Indians and the fishing was absolutely nuts. Back then it was our secret, today it is everybody’s secret. So, you ask, where are some of the other great places that aren’t as well discovered? Here are a few in south central Montana near Red Lodge, Montana, one of the best Montana real estate secrets left. In fact it is one of the very best mountain real estate and vacation properties left anywhere in the country.
Two years ago we moved to Red Lodge, Montana to pursue a Montana real estate development called The Spires at Red Lodge because Red Lodge real estate is still some of the best priced resort real estate anywhere in the entire Rocky Mountain region. Now, I can’t give you all of my fishing secrets for Montana and Wyoming’s eastern Rocky Mountain or I’d have to kill you – just kidding, but here is a small compilation of some of my favorite streams and high mountain lakes in the Red Lodge, Montana area.
Just a short walk from anywhere in downtown is Rock Creek which is a free stone stream feed by the waters of the high Beartooth Plateau. The fish are eager and don’t get much pressure and as you move down stream they get bigger and bigger.
A 20 minute drive to the west from The Spires at Red Lodge development along U.S. Highway 78 in Red Lodge is Roscoe, Montana home to the Grizzly Bar. Stop there on the way back from fishing, not on the way up. Go about 4 miles out of Roscoe towards East Rosebud Lake until you cross a wooden bridge. You can park there and walk down, or walk up. Dry flies if they are rising and nymphs and streamers if they aren’t. Streamers will be more successful on cloudy days.
If you are a real hedonist and don’t mind climbing big mountains for breakfast then you can take the trail-less trip up to a lake on the Beartooth Plateau called Arch. There are large cutthroat, some in excess of 5 pounds.
Take 78 west for another 14 miles past Roscoe and you arrive in Absarokee. Go west out of Absarokee along the Stillwater River. It is best to fish it from a raft and pullover to fish the runs, but you can do alright wading from bridge areas as well. It is great grasshopper and terrestrial fishing in late July and all of August. In the spring and fall it’s back to streamers and nymphs. This river gets a lot less pressure than the western Montana streams.
For another great high mountain lake head south out of Red Lodge on Highway 212 and turn right up the Glacier Lake Road, near the base of the Beartooth Pass. After about 7 miles of slow going dirt road you will arrive at the base of the Glacier Lake trail head. The trail is a two mile grunt up to 9,000-plus feet out of the parking lot. There are some very large cutthroats, especially along the cliffs on the western shore. You’ll need a sink tip line to fish with flies or a weighted line with a bunch of worms on a treble to go after the big one down deep. Just get it down deep and reel it back slow.
The legendary Bighorn is only about 90 minutes from downtown Red Lodge which makes some of the best tailwater fishing in all of Montana really accessible as a day trip, which is pretty cool.
A lot of the high mountain lake stuff always has the word exercise attached to it. Of course you can fish lakes right along the highway at over 9,000 feet but since everybody and their dog can access these lakes then they are nearly as good as the lakes that are tough to access. That is what makes Glacier Lake so great. It is a 5mile dirt road off Highway 212 to get to a parking area. From there it is about a one hour hike up to the lake, which at 9,681 feet is often not even free of ice until mid-July. For the fortunate few who time it right there are some real big fish waiting. Go as deep as you can and retrieve slowly.
This is one of the reasons that owning a second home or a piece of Red Lodge, Montana real estate is so appealing. The vast amount of recreational opportunity that is right at your doorstep is unbelievable and Montana’s largest city is under one hour away.
Fishing Is Like A Book
When reading a book you start out by looking at the cover, and the same is true for fishing. In this case, your cover is the weather and whatever conditions surround you. Note the wind speed and direction, where is the sun, what tidal movement is there if any, the temperature and so on. Whether you are going to fish from a boat, kayak or wade fish this information is vital to your success. It can tell you where to fish and what species you are going to target.
Now that the basic decision-making is done, you can head for the water to do some more heavy reading. As you paddle out you see all the early morning activity on the water. There are schools of mullet of all sizes and baby shrimp jumping for their very lives up close to shore. If the bait source is running away, they are being chased by something, so that would be a good place to cast. As you look down, there are crabs scurrying across the bottom. What are they fleeing from? Notice their speed and direction, and use that information to figure out where to cast your lure.
Birds are another great fishing indicator, especially when they are feeding. My favorites to follow are the blue heron, pelicans and gulls. All of this wildlife activity is useful if you know how to read it. Not only can it help to find fish but also give clues as to what they are feeding on.
In addition to wildlife activity, what is beneath the surface matters a lot as well. Look for different structure where you are fishing, like drains. In between islands and sand bars there will be gaps where water flows through. These are high-traffic areas for bait fish, so there are usually predators nearby. I like to sit near the sides of these areas and cast into them, even more so when there is a lot of tidal movement.
I use a bone topwater lure to recon the area. Once fish are located by a strike or a blow-up, I switch to a soft plastic either weightless or not, but always weedless. Then I start working the area probing for that big bite. I section the drain area and work each one with maybe 3 or 4 casts before moving on.
Whether I am fishing for fun, with clients or in a tournament, I generally go with the Sea Devil by Brown Lures. Pink Hologram seems to work best for me, but they make many different colors that can work great for clear or muddy water.
Reading these clues can take time to learn, but the edge you get is worth it. The next time you get on the water look for wildlife movement, tidal changes, and pay attention to weather and structure. Hopefully this will help you to catch more fish the next time you are out there.
Fishing in the Fall
The fall can yield some bumper fishing sorties and sometimes bigger fish. So if you fall into the couch potato category then put the TV remote control down, dig out your fishing gear because you are missing out. There are a couple of main reasons why fishing can be at its best in the fall.
– Fish are generally more sensitive to being caught during this season.
– There are many fair weather anglers watching the television instead of fishing. Hence the lakes and rivers are far less crowded than during the warmer months. Personally I prefer it when it is not crowded and the fact is that I have won many a trophy fishing in the fall.
Reading on my three top tips for fall fishing any of them will assist you in catching more fish during this wonderful season.
1) Use New Fishing Line.
This is very often over looked. Fishing line does get frayed and kinked during the frantic spring and summer periods. So before you attempt angling in the fall, re-spool your line, in the long term this will pay dividends.
2) Wear Fingerless Gloves.
As the fall takes hold, the weather can, rapidly, become cold and there is nothing more discomforting, while fishing, than having cold hands. Normal gloves are not really an option as they make fiddling with line, bait and hooks next to impossible. So always have a pair or fingerless gloves in your kit. They will keep your hands warm while still retaining nimble fingers to carry out any fiddly operations.
3) Choose A Good Time To Fish.
Most of us know that fishing in the mornings and evenings are generally the best times to go angling, however, taking the weather and lunar cycle into consideration can also be advantageous particularly in the fall. It has been proven that fish feeding habits are affected by the cycles of the moon so fishing with these in mind will increase your catch no doubt about it.
Following these tips could make all the difference to angling in the fall for you, listen to the voice of one that has been using them for years with great success and there is absolutely no reason why they should not get you from in front of that television and get fishing. The fall is my favorite time of year both in general and especially for fishing you never know, you might just land yourself a trophy fish.
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