I spent this week in Craig, Montana fishing the Missouri River. It was my first time in a guided drift boat, and there was a STEEP learning curve, starting with the fact that all my gear was - well, let us say under-qualitied, if you know what I mean. The guide just said, "Well, maybe I'll bring along a loaner..."

But here's the first fish of the first day. 18-inch brownie...



Here's an average-sized Missouri rainbow that still managed to take me all the way to the backing. MAN those fish are hot in this river! That's our primary guide, Tim Linehan on the bank.



And here's my partner and life-long friend Gerry Bertero from Boise, who invited me on this trip. This 'bow is a bit bigger, I think. It nudged 20 inches, if I recall correctly.



Can't wait to go back - with MUCH better equipment!

Looks like a super trip and I can almost taste those trout! The Mighty Mo down here show don't resemble that you'd be holding a flat head or carp instead...

Woody, I didn't get even a taste of trout all week. They are STRICTLY catch and release. In fact, they don't even like to handle the fish enough to take photos. We had to really ask to get these shots. If I had carried one ashore to the only restaurant, I think I would have been lynched.

Damn I was all ready for some fryin pan pics too..

Brown trout sure have some great color.

Rocky: thats pretty much in my backyard. Glad you had a good time plying the water!

Looks like you left just in time to avoid the snow. I grew up in Great Falls and fished that area a lot. Ate some of the fish too without any guilt.

Great pics, thx for sharing! I spendt 15 years on that river. Now that I'm back in the Gallatin Valley I don't venture that way much anymo as we've some fair fishing as well.

Dober

That first pic looks to me right below where the Dearborn dumps in. On that pic if you looked up and to your left a bit there are some cliffs that I always thought would be fun to jump off into the Mo from. Or at least it'd of been fun once...grin

Dober

Glad you had a good trip, and enjoyed some local coutry. I always enjoy traveling through the canyon. It's beautiful.

I've always noticed that area is pretty full of driftboats, and shore fisherman. Have meant to wet a line up there one of these times but mostly I end up fishing Canyon Ferry Lake from the shore.

I didn't realize catch-and-release was the drill though, I'm more of a catch-and-eat fisherman myself.....grin.

But I guess I can understand why the folks in Craig wouldn't want that water fished out. Fishing tourism has to be a big part of the town's economy.