Spring Thaw
It’s the first week of March and we have seen a tremendous amount of valley snow melt. Enough to arouse my interest in the local fisheries. I grabbed the tarps off the ol’ drift boat and grabbed a few dirtbag buddies of mine and went for a nice day trip on the Bitterroot river to see what was happening. I have different opinions than some when it comes to pre-season fishing/scouting. Lots of guides will get out there as much as they can, pound the water and start to find those trout that they will be searching for with clients. I take the time to scout new channels and check clarity while also wetting a line. For me, I still like to give the trout a break. With cold temps, I feel like our trout are coming out of hibernation and are still lethargic and vulnerable. I would love to rip lips and get some numbers and say we crushed the day but the business side of me tells me that won’t help me or my clients when the time comes to guide. Let the river rest, catch a fish, remember how to do it and move on. I can promise you if we show all of the trout squirmy worms and stonefly nymphs everyday leading up to our season, they will be less likely to grab it when the time matters. I look at it like bugling at bulls when they’ve already busted you, it’s just teaching them a lesson on what not to do. Educated fish are tougher fish to catch and the last thing I want for my clients is to take them to all the spots where I have educated a trout and expect them to get the results I hope for. On my scout mission we got some much needed vitamin D, ate some fantastic river cuisine, laughed with some buddies and stripped a few streamers. We were successful on finding a few willing trout, saw a few chases and made sure the section of river was navigable and safe for the future. I also use the first float of the season to get all the kinks out of my program, look at what gear I am missing and what I need to re-load on. For instance, I forgot my waders and my net, which is definitely something I need for clients. Overall the day was a success, fun was had, fish were found and the boys were stoked. The next few weeks when we see nice weather it will attract the anglers and the floaters. It’s a good time to remember that it has been a long winter and people need to get outside in the sunshine. Don’t let the traffic get you down, we are all just trying to explore our beautiful state and some days will be busier than others but be polite and have fun out there.
February on the Bitterroot
