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Trout fishing out west

By KEVIN McJUNKIN 6 min read

Have you dreamed of a trout-fishing trip out west? Perhaps the idyllic fishing scenes from the epic movie “A River Runs Through It” or the recent TV series “The Madison” have inspired you. Western fishing really can be that good. I am fortunate to have taken a number of western fishing trips with friends and family since the mid-1980s including the last four years.

Here are a few tips that may help you turn your dreams into reality.

If you only have a week, fly out; two weeks or more, consider driving with a partner. You'll save a lot on plane fares and a rental vehicle. The main cost will be the additional time it takes to drive that far. Plus, you will be able to take more stuff such as camping equipment, inflatable water craft, a cast-iron skillet, a small library of guide books and maps, and a cooler full of food and cold drinks.

Believe me, when you're tired after a long day of engrossing fishing you will appreciate the luxury of comfortable folding chairs to change out of your waders.

Adapt to the weather conditions. Like any scheduled fishing trip, you are not likely to have ideal weather. If it's too hot, get up earlier and fish in the mornings, and take a siesta in the middle of the afternoon. If it’s too cold, sleep in or tie flies and fish when it's warmer. The west has been experiencing a decades long overall warming trend.

Hot and dry summer conditions, lower winter snow accumulation and earlier spring snowmelt have reduced average summer stream flows. Insect hatches are coming off earlier than before. This year we had good hopper fishing in mid-July - it used to start in August. Wet wading with quick drying long pants will help keep you cool. Don't forget to hydrate.

Take a stream thermometer with you. If the temperature is 68 degrees or warmer, fish earlier or find somewhere else to fish. Trout are stressed in warm, low-oxygen water. Move up to a higher elevation headwaters stream or lake -- which is likely to be less crowded, too -- or fish a tailwater river that emerges cold from the bottom of a reservoir, such as the Madison, Missouri, Bighorn or Green.

The young bucks are all wearing long sleeved hoodies and fishing gloves. My dermatologist is happy that this old guy is wearing them now. Not only do they provide excellent sun protection, but they also help shield against mosquitoes, deerflies, horseflies and blood-sucking houseflies. Your tolerance for biting insects will be directly proportional to the quality of the fishing.

My brother even donned a head net on one particularly buggy but worthwhile stream, looking like a beekeeper. The biting bugs are worse in the afternoon sun - another reason to fish early.

Manage your expectations. You won't have wonderful fishing, everyday, especially when fishing an area you've never been to before. We like to try out a few new spots every year. One was an arduous wild goose chase but we found a couple of good new streams that we will definitely return to. Even on bad days, you will enjoy the spectacular scenery and wildlife.

There are lots of good fly and tackle shops out west that will sell you recommended flies or lures that you can fish with confidence. Consider hiring a guide to help you become oriented to local streams and productive methods. Be flexible in your fishing techniques. I prefer to fish with dry flies, but there are times when the fish simply won't rise to the surface, forcing me to hold my nose and attach a foam indicator bobber to my leader and tie on a sinking nymph fly if I want to catch a fish.

Sometimes I work a streamer fly through a pool after I've flogged it with a dry fly and pull out a nice fish from the depths.

On our recent trip, a big rainbow trout rose to my beetle fly but I struck too quickly and only lightly pricked it, the second such event that afternoon. Like a golfer who can't sink easy putts, maybe I'm getting the yips? More research is needed.

After resting the fish, I tried an ant and several other small dry flies, before beckoning my brother Bruce to work his magic. He strode up confidently, lobbing his nymph rig over the trout. The rainbow grabbed hold of the white foam indicator for a second or two, leaving teeth marks, a clear taunt prompting him to switch to a large dry fly.

It then smashed Bruce's hopper, humbling him by teleporting into a downstream brush pile, and breaking him off.

A highlight for me was a handsome 15-inch native Yellowstone cutthroat trout caught from a stream that you could almost jump across. The Yellowstone River was silted in from heavy storms, chocolate milk in color, but this tributary was running cold and clear. We had the stream to ourselves.

The fish in many small to medium size streams out west, although generally smaller, have not been fished over as much as those in the famous, blue ribbon trout waters. They will be spooky, but more willing to accept a well-presented fly, even if it is not an exact match with the prevailing naturals. There is not as much food in a small stream, so the fish cannot afford to be too picky.

That's not to say that there aren't seriously big fish on small streams. The better fish will be found in meandering, meadow stretches with deep bend pools that provide year-round cover. When you find such a place, treasure it.

A tradeoff for fishing remote streams out west is a greater possibility of meeting grizzly bears. One of my favorite western streams is home to five sow grizzly bears and their cubs, according to a fisheries biologist. I've yet to encounter one while fishing, but I'm noisy, calling out "Hey bear!" whenever I approach a willow thicket.

The last thing you want to do is surprise a bear. Always carry bear spray at the ready and know how to use it.

Don't despair if you aren't able to go fishing out west.

Remember, our area has many outstanding trout streams, including Penns, Spring and Pine Creek, considered destination fisheries by other anglers. You can find a good place to fish around here or within a reasonable drive.

Maybe try a few new spots that you've had on your bucket list for years?

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