Little Blackfoot River : Fly Fishing.gif)
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 Fall
offers the angler the best chance to catch the large brown
trout that are found in the Little Blackfoot River. During
most of the year, the largest brown trout are holed up among
the brush and downed timber, making it extremely difficult
to get at them. During the fall spawn, these fish move out
of their hiding places. Large streamers, worked along undercut
banks, downed timber and other cover offer the best places
to catch these large trout. Light tippets and a careful presentation
are a must as these large browns are skittish and the small
size and relatively sedate nature of the river in the fall
makes disturbances in the river quite noticeable.
As mentioned earlier,
the Little Blackfoot River is not a float fishing river. However,
for those who want to float the river for fun, the best time
for floating occurs soon after spring-off subsides but before
the low water periods of late summer begin - generally a period
between late May and late July. It is also possible to float
the Little Blackfoot in the fall due to the lessening demand
of irrigation and the, hopefully, replenishment of the river
by rain. Above Avon, floating the Little Blackfoot River is
an iffy proposition due to lots of obstructions in the river,
such as downed timber and fences. Below Avon, the river widens
just a bit, doesn't have as many obstructions in the river,
and obtains more depth, allowing for easier floating. Canoes
and inflatable kayaks are the best vessels to use, as they
don't draw much depth and are easily maneuverable around the
downfalls and the twists and turns of the river.
As a sidenote,
it should be noted that there are no designated fishing access
sites on the Little Blackfoot River. In its upper stretch,
as it is in public lands, this is not a problem. However,
below Elliston, the lack of any designated fishing access
sites limits access to various bridge crossings. The lack
of fishing access sites is a problem and one that needs to
be addressed in the not to distant future by the Montana Fish,
Wildlife and Parks Department (FWP).
The lower portion
of the Little Blackfoot River flows through a very scenic
valley
and it is just a matter of time before this lovely river
goes the way of the Ruby
River, with "ranchettes" sprouting up along
the river, further restricting access.
The Montana FWP
has done a commendable job of obtaining access sites on
other
waters in Montana, considering its funding restraints,
but has completely overlooked this river. The fact that
the FWP
has overlooked this river is all the more disappointing
because in many places the Little Blackfoot river flows
not more than
a hundred feet from the road, with nothing but a small
field separating the river from the road. Numerous highway
bridge
crossings also offer the possibility of obtaining fishing
access sites. Hopefully, the Montana FWP will wake up to
this
overlooked river and obtain several designated access
sites before the Little Blackfoot River starts getting
over-run
with development.
River Miles
- Origin: 40
- Highway 12 Bridge:
27
- County Bridge
in Elliston : 25
- County Bridge:
21.5
- County Bridge:
20
- Highway 12 Bridge:
16
- Highway 12 Bridge:
14.5
- Highway 12 Bridge:
8
- County Bridge:
7
- County Bridge:
5
- Confluence with
Clark
Fork: 0
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