Shhhh, It’s a secret!

Well, it WAS a secret until Mark Fuller, owner of Wild Montana Outfitters, spilled the beans at last night’s monthly FVTU meeting and told us all about the great late winter/early spring fishing opportunities on the Flathead River system. Over forty people, (some taking copious notes) followed along as Mark told us the when, where, how, and what to be a successful early season fisherman.

If your idea of fishing the Flathead is tossing big chunks of colorful foam all summer you wouldn’t be alone. The old adage, “If it floats, it’s food”, really does seem to apply to our hungry westslope cutthroats, and, frankly, that is the way we spend most of our summers fishing. But hidden in plain sight (until last night anyway) is another fishing opportunity that can pay dividends in the form of some very nice fish. If you know what you’re doing, you can get yourself in the right place at the right time to intercept some of those larger cutts as they migrate up the river heading for their summer homes, when most other anglers are just trying to stay warm and dreaming of fishing.

Obviously, there are a lot of variables in early season fishing; weather, water temperature, turbidity, flow rates, etc.. All need to come together for success. But when that window opens, you can have a lot of fun! Of course winter/spring tactics are different than those of the summer and Mark covered all you need to know to find success.

Mark also spoke about the non-trout fishing opportunities in the valley, and there are many. Grayling, bass, perch, and pike can all be found within a short drive from here, often closer than a drive up the North Fork and much less bumpy! All of these species offer great angling opportunities and help alleviate pressure on our native westslopes.

Overall we had a great night and one of our best, and most relevant, programs. You can book a trip with Mark through his Wild Montana Anglers website: https://wildmontanaanglers.com/, or through Lary’s Fly Shop in Columbia Falls: https://www.larysflyandsupply.com/. Lary’s is owned by longtime FVTU friend and supporter Hilary Hutcheson.

Well, once I get this blog posted I’m taking what I learned last night and headed out. I’ll drive up to ____________, look for that ________ water that Mark described, rig up a ______ foot leader, tie on a size _____ _________ with a ___________ for a dropper and have at it! You can bet one of those flies will be that “secret” color ______!

I guess you had to be there last night to fill in the blanks 😉

Coming Soon: For some time now you’ve been hearing our mantra, “Bull Trout Belong in Montana“. You can find out why by joining us at Sacred Waters Brewing Company on Tuesday, April 15, at 6pm. Thompson Smith, Coordinator of Tribal History, for the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes (CSKT), will talk about the history, cultural significance to the Salish and Pend Oreille People, and threats facing our precious native bull trout. CSKT and FVTU are the bull trout’s best friends in their fight for survival in northwestern Montana. Come and learn more about this threatened species that represents the wildness of Montana every bit as much as the grizzly bear.