Rick Grassett: Montana

Capt. Rick Grassett’s Montana Fly Fishing Trip Report for 8/13/2022

I hosted a group of friends and clients on my annual destination fly fishing trip to southwest Montana recently. I traveled from Sarasota to Bozeman and met up with Kirk Grassett, from DE and made the 2-1/2 hour drive to Medicine Lodge, on a 100,000 acre working ranch near the Beaverhead River, outside of Dillon, MT. We met up there with Mike Perez and Dennis Kinley, from IN, who drove and met us at the lodge. 

Despite some fishing restrictions due to heat and low water, we caught and released some quality trout. We fished the Beaverhead, Big Hole and Jefferson Rivers with guide Dave King, owner of King Outfitters (406) 596-0209 in Dillon, and his talented group of guides. I’ve fished with Dave for more than 20-years, his guides do a great job and know their fishery well.  We fished 5 and 6-weight fly tackle and caught and released brown and rainbow trout to more than 20” on streamers, dry flies, dry/dropper and nymph rigs. The dry fly action was with a variety of dry flies, sometimes with a nymph dropper, or with a smaller dry fly and a few other bugs. Like fishing everywhere, there were good days and slower days but overall it was a great trip! 

Back in Sarasota catch and release snook fishing around dock lights and bridges should be a good option now. There should be tarpon in areas of upper Charlotte Harbor and Tampa Bay. Juvenile tarpon in canals and creeks may also be a good option. You might also find them in a few places mixed with snook around dock lights. Our natural resources are under constant pressure from red tides fueled by residential, industrial and agricultural runoff, toxic spills and intentional releases, freezes, increasing fishing pressure and habitat loss and degradation, please limit your kill, don’t kill your limit!

Tight Lines,

Capt. Rick Grassett

FFI Certified Fly Casting Instructor

Orvis-Endorsed Fly Fishing Guide and Casting Instructor/CB’s Saltwater Outfitters

Orvis Outfitter of the Year-2011

Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.

www.snookfin-addict.com and www.flyfishingflorida.us

E-mail snookfin@aol.com

(941) 923-7799