Looking for help/advice fishing the Missoula area

[Mike West 0]

I actually I’m in Stevensville about 45 minutes east of Missoula and 15 minutes from Hamilton visiting my brother. He has been here two years and hasn’t fished,yet too busy with his dog business. We had a free guided float trip lined up for me but the guy flaked out.

Looks like the season is pretty much over. everybody’s hunting. I’ve only seen about 2-4 guys in any of the rivers around here right now where a month ago it was like a freeway of rafts.

i’ve been here about 10 days so far and it’s been cold overcast and rainy almost every day. Plus I have tons of medical/health issues. I can probably only walk about 100 yards on flat ground.
 

i’ve checked out about 10 places on the Bitterroot where there are signs for public access to the river but everywhere I go it looks like the river is only 2”-4” deep.
 

I’m 61 years old and I’ve dreamed of fishIng in Montana since I was a teenager now I’m here and I don’t know where to go and I’m too sick to go where I probably need to go.

i’m willing to drive 100 miles from Stephenville and I probably have $100 I could spare for some guide that is sitting on his butt with nothing to do...But the $300 to $500 these guides want is out of the question, above my pay grade.

If there is anybody who is familiar with this area and can point me to a specific spot it would be greatly appreciated. Or if anybody that lives around here and would like to hook up for the day and go fishing that would be great also.
 

I need to be able to drive there and wade fish.

I brought with me a Scott original G from the late 90s 8’ 8” 4wt and I’m sitting in my brothers basement finishing up a Steffen 7‘9“ 3/4 wt.

once again any help is greatly appreciated thank you

 

[chugbug27 0]

Sorry to hear you're not doing well, hope someone chimes in & you can get a great time fishing in while you're there.

[mikechell 0]

Good luck, Mike.  I hope you're health issues are temporary?

I always send people here https://www.takemefishing.org/  when they are traveling.  It's where I go to look for access points, etc., when I travel to new places.  Good luck.

[Jacks Grampa 0]

The Blackfoot has some great fishing over around Ovando. PM me if want to get in touch with the hardest working guide in Montana.

[Caser 0]

Rock Creek, the Bitterroot, Clark Fork and Blackfoot have lots of public access and excellent walk in fishing. Great area.   

[mikemac1 0]

Take a drive up to Sula, south of Hamilton.  Both the West fork and East fork of the Bitterroot are small, manageable streams with good access.  

[SilverCreek 0]

The sections of Rock Creek I have been to I think will be too  are difficult for you to wade. There is a reason it is named "Rock" Creek. It is like trying to wade on a stream lined with slippery bowling balls. A wading staff is mandatory.

There are several fly shops in Missoula. Call them and tell them you health issues and ask them for suggestions on locations that are easily fished without too much walking or wading.

[Mike West 0]

Thank you guys just got back last night and due to my health issues and bad weather I did not fish one day. It rained every day for the first two weeks I was there.

But  there’s a silver lining to every dark cloud..My brother breeds and trains puddlepointers
(Google Dream Work Gun Dogs) I got to take my dog with me and then go out in the field with him training his dogs and shoot chucker,quail and pheasant with $2000 shotguns.

That’s always a good time! Plus I did a lot of scouting and reconnaissance and talked to a lot of locals... I know exactly where I’m going next September.

I saw browns so big caught that the guy had to use both arms to lift it out of the water.

I was kind of sick when I went there and once I got there I went worse between that and the altitude just kicked my ass.
I was also able to finish my brothers spinning rod while I was there and my Steffen 7’9” for a 3/4 weight.

i’ll post pictures of those later.

And the big highlight was I got to meet Ron from the Fly Tiers Dungeon.

he lives about 10 miles from my brother. that’s going to get a separate post.

anyways thanks again for all your help and suggestions I really appreciate it.