With Memorial Day under our belts and summer kind of “officially” here, more and more people are thinking about fishing. Tourist season is starting to kick off as well, with many people from all over the place wanting to ply the legendary waters of Montana.
For the most part people are wanting to fish the big, famous rivers. The Madison, Yellowstone, Missouri, Big Hole, etc. These truly are the gems of the area, known worldwide for their big fish and great hatches.
But to myself, and indeed many locals, the true gems of Montana are the smaller waters. The ones you won’t find in the magazines, you won’t find on a fly shop report board, and where a four weight rod might be considered overkill. The small streams are a world in and of themselves.
Now why the hell would someone pass up on 18-20 inch fish on the big waters to chase fish in streams where a 12 incher is a trophy? For starters, the smaller waters are much less crowded. Most days if you see another fisherman it’s a shock. Also, fishing the small waters will take you places you never would have thought of going before. It’s very peaceful, being on small water way back in the mountains.
Obviously, being in Bozeman, Montana, my thoughts turn to the creeks and streams in my neighborhood. But almost every single fisherman in the US can take a moment and find some small water in their backyard. That is another thing I love about smaller water. It’s everywhere.
For me though, the main reason to fish small streams is the pursuit of native fish. Certainly the famous rivers have their share of natives. But somehow pulling native cutts out of a creek not 15 feet wide just feels more wild. Fishing the small streams will get you back into territory that hasn’t been disturbed by humanity; that is pretty much the same as it has been since time immemorial.
Again, being in Bozeman, the natives on my mind are trout. But any native fish, whether trout, bass, steelhead, salmon, whatever, should be treasured. And protected. Without help, these fish could be gone forever.
These fish have been in these streams for thousands of years. Chasing natives in these small waters gives you an appreciation for them that is hard to come by otherwise. So the next time you’ve got a free afternoon, go fish a small stream or creek. I think you’ll enjoy it.
For myself, I’ve got the map out and quite a list of smaller waters to hit this year. More to come.
