When the rivers get high, I fish with stoners.

We live in a state where 90% or more of our life-blood waters are provided by snow. Lately, it seems like the bulk of that snow falls in late winter, then lingers during the utterly confusing identity crisis that makes up spring weather in the high desert. By May, the snow that has spent the winter nestled in the mountain valleys is baked by the 90 degree summer sun, transforming it into water which hastily makes its way to the lowest point it can find. When this water isn't being channeled away to the next awesomely beige super-scale housing development, it forms a river, which frequently supports fish.

That being said, these creeks and rivers (which by most standards, are nearly all creeks) while just large enough to support fish during most of the year, morph into a mighty toilet bowl (you know, the kind that feels like your strapped to the rudder of a DC12 when you flush), for about 2 months. During this time, most fisherman head to a few "regulated flow" tail waters as well as the iconic stillwaters which, during ice-off, attract fisherman like a Super Target attracts wives. Some folks avoid the blown rivers because frankly, they're quite dangerous. Others just complain that the fishing is just no good and head off to join the masses at Currant Creek and Strawberry in hopes of improving their tight-line mojo.

I must say then, after pulling up to the Madison River in early June of 2009, that I took one look at the river and questioned the sanity of those who choose to wade this section of river. The "never ending riffle" looked more like a never ending wave train of moderately turbid water. Fortunately, I was in the presence of greatness (Kelly Galloup) and as such, received great advice on how to fish "pushy water". Fish don't stop eating, in fact, they eat more. They have to really, they're burning more calories working in the faster water. The slow water seams normally sought after by trout and therefore fishermen, are lost in the torrent, but a new area of calmer water almost always appears.

The bank.

"Take it to the bank" he says. "That's where a lot of the fish are holding". Sure enough, after a moments inspection, a 12"-24" (24" if your lucky) strip of slightly slower water was evident along almost every gravel bank I looked at. Normally, I wouldn't think to fish there until much later in the season when the terrestrials had entered the scene. I tied on a healthy size 6 Kaufman's Stone and began drifting my fly down the seam just a foot from the shore. The technique was money, money I threw right back at the bank.

Upon arriving back home in the great state of Utah, I surmised that the same method must work on our "rivers" during high water. I pulled into a well established parking lot on the then, quite high Middle Provo and to my surprise, I was one of just two cars. I ventured out to the swollen waterway and tossed my fly toward the rivers edge. Though the Provo doesn't support the the giant salmonfly nymphs that reign supreme in Montana, it does have a number of smaller, though still significant stonies that fish seem to love. I smiled incessantly as I reeled in my third, then fourth healthy brown. I looked around to see if there was anyone I could perform the rub-it-in dance for (I have no idea what this dance looks like but you get the picture) but there was nobody. I managed to have a solitary moment of profound success on the busiest river in Utah.

Perhaps many of you will read this and still vote to spend the high-water months fishing the epic ice-off event at the Berry, or the early season sanctuary of Currant Creek and if you do, that's alright with me. Those events are legend and rightly deserve some attention. Just don't jump on your local web community and rate the fishing as "poor" when it's really just not to your liking. Remember, the fish are still in there, and as this fisherman will attest, they have a bad case of the munchies.

IF YOU GO...

Kelly Galloups' Slide Inn is a wonderful operation with accommodations for every budget. I've stayed in 2 of the cabins and used the RV park. It's right on the river and Kelly and his guides are not only extremely knowledgeable, they are great hosts too.

They can be reached by clicking Slide Inn

or the old fashioned way listed below.

150 US Highway 287 South
Cameron, Montana 59720

Telephone

(406) 682-4804