The Bitterroot River : Fly Fishing.gif)
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Bitterroot River : Hannon
Memorial to Wallace Crawford
The Bitterroot
River begins just upstream from Hannon Memorial Fishing Access
Site and downstream from the small town of Connor, Montana.
This is an excellent stretch of water for both wade fishing,
as the river is of only moderate size, as well as floating,
as no diversion dams or other obstructions are found along
this section of the Bitterroot River.
 The
fish in this segment of the Bitterroot River tend to run a
little smaller than is found elsewhere on the river. However,
what it lacks in fish size it makes up for in a wonderful
fishing environment. Good populations of cutthroat trout,
rainbow trout and brown trout can all be found in this segment.
Since this segment lies the furthest away from Missoula, it
receives less fishing and floating pressure than is found
further downstream. As a result, the fly fishing isn't quite
as demanding and the trout are more a little more easily caught.
Combine that with the wonderful scenery and you have a recipe
for a great day on the water.
This is the stretch
to fish for anglers who like to fly fish in riffles, as the
riffles are long and plentiful in this segment. Since this
segment is not prone to the de-watering that occurs further
downstream, it fishes well into the summer, helped by the
cooler flows coming down from Painted Rocks Reservoir. Small
standard dry flies, fished in the riffles, work well into
the middle of the summer when other sections of the Bitterroot
River tend to go into hibernation due to warm water and low
flows.
Overall, if you
arrive on the Bitterroot River later in the summer or during
a low water year, consider fly fishing this section. While
the potential to catch a real large rainbow is somewhat less
than found further downstream, the better river flows and
cooler water temperatures increase the likelihood of a successful
fishing outing.
Bitterroot River
: Wallace Crawford to Bell Crossing FAS
This section of
the Bitterroot River, which runs between the towns of Hamilton
and Victor, offers intriguing fishing, especially right after
spring run-off in June and early July, as well as later in
the fall. During the middle of the summer, the combination
of low water from heavy irrigation use and high water temperatures
due to slow river flows tend to put a lid on some of the fly
fishing. The pressure on this stretch of the river is also
generally lower than is found further downstream on the Bitterroot
River.
 What's
intriguing about this section of the Bitterroot River are
the numerous braids and channels found all along this stretch.
All these braids and channels provide a wonderful place for
the wade angler, as most rafts generally stay out in the main
channel. The river is easy to wade, as the slower flows and
lower water remove most of the hazards. All of the gravel
bars also make for easy wading and shore walking. Although
the fishing access sites are fairly widely spaced in this
section of the Bitterroot River, any wade angler seeking solitude
usually just needs to make the easy walk up or down the river
from a fishing access site to one of these side channels to
have an enjoyable fishing experience.
The fish in this
section generally are somewhat larger than is found further
upstream. However, just be prepared for lower fish numbers
per mile than is found elsewhere on the Bitterroot River.
Successful fly fishing on this stretch requires finding the
scattered good places to fish, such as in the holes, undercut
banks, the riffles and around downed timber.
When floating this
stretch of the Bitterroot River, be prepared for some portages.
A number of diversion dams are found on this section of the
river, along with other irrigation hardware.
Bitterroot River
: Bell Crossing to Florence Bridge FAS
This section of
the Bitterroot River runs between the towns of Victor and
the quickly growing town of Florence. The numbers of rainbow
trout found in this stretch of the river rebound, due to higher
flows and better habitat. Wade fishing also becomes more difficult,
due to the wider width of the river and its increased depth.
This stretch of
the Bitterroot River does not have all the braids, channels
and gravel bars that are found elsewhere on the river. Instead,
lots of flats, deep holes and some intriguing undercut banks
provide the main fly fishing action.
 The
section of the Bitterroot River can receive a lot of use during
the height of the summer, particularly on warm, weekend days.
The Bitterroot River is very popular for recreation floating
since the river flows are steady if at times somewhat slow.
There are also no diversion dams or other obstructions to
hinder floating or that requires a portage. Combined that
with the rivers close proximity to Missoula and its suburbs
and you end up with lots of people floating down the Bitterroot
River in a wide variety of boats, inflatable rafts and float
tubes.
The best time to
fish this stretch of the Bitterroot is during the spring,
early summer and fall. During warm summer, especially during
low water years, this section of the Bitterroot River can
get awfully warm, hampering quality trout fishing.
Bitterroot River
: Florence Bridge FAS to the Clark Fork
This section of
the Bitterroot River is also heavily used for recreational
floating, but should not be overlooked by visiting anglers.
While trout populations are not as high as found further upstream,
the rainbow trout in this segment can get quite large if somewhat
finicky. This segment of the Bitterroot River also has many
braids, channels, sloughs and gravel bars.
The best trout
fishing on this segment of the Bitterroot River occurs during
the spring, early summer and again in the fall. During the
middle of the summer, the waters generally get too warm to
spur productive trout fishing.
But don't despair
if you arrive on this segment of the Bitterroot River during
either low water years or later in the summer. While the warm
waters might have put a temporary lid on the trout fishing,
the warmer waters are also home to bass and northern pike.
When fly fishing for the bass, crayfish and streamers work
very well although some heavier gear is required to heft these
large flies around.
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