Fly Fishing the Beaverhead River. Tim Tollett

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      Beaverhead River (Montana)

       Location: An hour’s drive south of Butte, 2 hours southwest of Bozeman, and 3 hours south of Missoula. Each of these Montana cities provides full accommodations, as well as daily flight services to and from most major airports, and car rentals.

      The Beaverhead River is one of the finest tailwater trout fisheries in Montana, with a long and renowned history. From Lewis and Clark to the present, the Beaverhead River has been at the forefront of our Western heritage. To aid the reader, we will divide the river into sections. We will start with the top section, drift down a few miles, and keep on going.

      The Beaverhead River begins its course at the base of Clark Canyon Reservoir. Joined by the highly regarded Ruby River just upstream from the town of Twin Bridges, it gains momentum before its final confluence with the famous Big Hole River, forming another legendary river, the Jefferson. This confluence lies only a few miles north of Twin Bridges. It has

      been said that if you were to straighten out the Beaverhead, it would reach to the other side of Montana. There is roughly 85 miles of river compared to some 50 miles of road, reflecting its twisting and winding nature.

      As with all bottom-release dams, the first pool is very deep, but from this point on the river takes on its own distinct appealing character and becomes a trout haven. This is big-fish water, all the way down to High Bridge, but these large rainbows and browns have a keen interest in survival.

      Access in this area is by wade fishing or floating. Wade fishing by the dam is difficult, but downstream the river shallows and even at high flows some wading can be found. There is some very deep water between Buffalo Bridge and High Bridge, but the water becomes shallow again before entering the High Bridge area. There are boat launch sites at the dam, Buffalo Bridge, and High Bridge.

      The insect life in this entire section is off the charts. Most of the activity will be below the surface, but dry-fly fishing from July through October can be exceptional. The large fish,

      Stalking large fish along a section of the Beaverhead. Tim Tollett

      Beaverhead Rock, where Sacajawea led Lewis and Clark through Beaverhead Country. Tim Tollett

      both rainbows and browns, are savvy, and fly presentation needs to be accurate and drag-free, which provides a fair challenge. Pale Morning Duns, Blue-winged Olives, Little Yellow Sallies, crane flies, and caddisflies make up the bulk of the insect population, but small forage fish, snails, sow bugs, scuds, and everything else that lives in the area constantly add to an already rich diet.