Hi families!
The Montana Road Trip finished strong with a final few days of fishing. After a great few days in Fort Smith exploring the Bighorn and trying some tailwater tactics, we drove over to Paradise Valley to see the differences between a tailwater and a true freestone river like the Yellowstone.
The Yellowstone River was fishing well with grasshoppers proving to be very productive, as they are famous on that river. Big water with jaw dropping mountains highlighted by the sunset alpine glow made a fantastic final float on the trip. We guides have spent countless days on this river, but it truly never gets old. Even with warmer temps and more crowds than is typical, it's a special experience. Plus, a new species was checked off by many who were able to catch their first Yellowstone cutthroat!
Back at base camp, we closed out the trip with a final day on the Ruby River. Flexing their freshly-honed fishing skills, everybody caught great fish using all kinds of methods from sight fighting with dry flys, nymphing runs, and even stripping some streamers and finding some meat eating, buttery brown trout. We finished up the day with a group gear cleaning session, taking care of boats, the van, cooking gear, and organizing fishing gear. While it doesn't sound like a fun task, it always prove to be a good exercise for the guys, helping teach and remind them that the gear we use while fishing often makes or breaks the experience. An ultimate frisbee game and a steak banquet dinner with some closing remarks with root beer floats capped the trip off perfectly.
The Montana Road Trip had a great time, caught lots of fish, but more importantly learned an immense amount throughout the trip. From knot tying and mending to fighting and handling fish, everybody’s fishing and outdoor skills made great strides -- learning how to read water, wade safely, be courteous to others on the river, safely and efficiently set up tents, and cook at camp. But bigger than that, these guys made new friendships and memories that'll last a lifetime. A great group makes a great trip and this was exactly that!
We're grateful you sent us this great group of guys. We had a blast and hope they did, too! Until next time...
The guides
