For those of you who didn’t already know, Montana’s small waters that had been closed opened to fishing yesterday. Miles of clear, cold water are now available for the angler willing to walk the extra mile and spend a little time doing their homework with a map.
Fishing small water has always held a certain appeal. It is at once much easier and much more technical than fishing a larger river. The fish aren’t quite as picky in their diet, but they will often spook at the slightest hint of a human presence. The holding water is obvious, but it can be devilishly tricky to get a good drift.
I fish small waters for the places it takes me. Here in Southwest Montana there are miles and miles of creeks and streams threading their way through the mountains. Fishing them gives me an excuse to go see country I otherwise wouldn’t have cause to visit. Few people fish smaller waters, and if you’re willing to walk a bit you’ll often not see another fisherman all day.
Most of the fish you’ll catch won’t be very big at all. This combined with often tight quarters means you’re better off with a short, light rod. Anything bigger than a 4-weight and you’re overdoing it. Hell, even a 4-weight is a little much. On waters where any fish that reaches the double digits is a big one, I prefer a 2-weight myself. Not all small waters hold small fish.. I can think of a couple in the area that are home to fish that on any water would be considered trophies.
To a devoted small water angler, those small, native, and wild trout are just as precious as a fish two or three times their size on bigger rivers. Some of the creeks in my neck of the woods have been home to native cutthroats since time immemorial. Being able to fish for these trout in the place they belong makes it all worth while.
