October and November means more then funny costumes and football season. It means, break out the streamer fly patterns and go after big brown trout on the Smith River. Occasionally big brown can be caught in Spring and Summer, but it’s not until the cool, short days at the end of the year when the Montana monsters become available in numbers. The best explanation for the late drove of these big boys is that browns spawn in late October and November and after the fact they have some fairly aggressive attitudes and are very territorial.  Big browns that are in this mode will attack nearly anything that invades their space. For a fly-fisherman throwing a heavy streamer… This is a good thing.

This time of year the big browns typically move into areas of good spawning gravel, riffles, or pools but hear at the Riverside Ranch they can be caught in nearly every inch of the river.  They have been known to spawn in side channels, and can be found hiding under the deep cut-banks, and other deeper holding water.  After you know where to find them, finding these big boys becomes easier and easier.  Often you’ll be able to see these big browns as they’re a midst spawning, these are the fish you want to leave alone, since spawning fish are the future of the fishery. Where you want to focus your time is the fish who are looking to feed.

One of my favorite late fall holes on the ranch is on the upper Smith. There’s a brisk current that banks right and flows into a large, deep pool with a cut-bank, and then flows out of the pool into some slower moving water.  The bigger fish that have been caught in this location can be found at the end of the rippling fast water sitting in the deeper slower moving pool. The large pool provides a nice holding spot for these fish to conserve energy and wait for food to come from the upstream current. The fish below was caught in this hole on a green cray-fish pattern. The guest, Travis, casted the fly into the slower water on the other side of the pool and stripped it back through the pool and up the ripples. More times then not you won’t be able to get the fly through the deep pool before one of these big guys attacks it and gives you a good fight.

Check out some more big browns that have been caught here at the ranch…

There’s a lot more to do to coincide with your fishing trip! There is plenty of outdoor activities for everyone of every age to enjoy around the ranch and the surrounding area. White Sulphur Springs, although quaint allows you to experience “small town Montana” and with wide open spaces and fresh Montana air, you’ll enjoy any activity under the big Montana sky.

HIKING – WALKING

You can meander along several private dirt roads on the Sheep Creek Cabin property that wind through pine forests and open meadows. Most of the public roads that parallel the main Sheep Creek road see little traffic, and are nice walking options too. If you’d like to take a day off from your Montana fishing trip, feel free to hike through the numerous trails surrounding the cabin.

Heading east out of White Sulphur, you’ll find numerous forest service trails up in the Castle Mountains that are beautiful and not well-known – a good topo map will help you locate the trailheads. Although there are few maintained trails in the area, there are miles and miles of dirt and gravel roads that provide endless hiking and walking opportunities both on and off the Riverside Ranch itself.

MOUNTAIN BIKING

All the same roads mentioned for hiking provide truly excellent mountain biking terrain. You can find hundreds of roads and cowpaths that will entertain all levels of bikers.

The ranch does not have bikes, but they can be rented in Bozeman and provide a wonderful way to explore the ranch and its environs.

EXPLORING – SIGHTSEEING

There is essentially nothing in this area that is developed, so the back road driving is exceptional. Just 40 minutes from the Sheep Creek Cabin is the little-known Tenderfoot Divide, where a beautiful lookout sits atop a remote valley that drops several thousand feet below the divide.

You can also drive down into the gorgeous scenery below, but don’t expect to find a gas station – there is only one occupied house in the entire valley, and otherwise just untouched wilderness. Please keep your vehicle on the road at all times, and respect posted property.

Newlan Creek Reservoir and the Alberta Bair Museum in Martinsdale are also popular day trip destinations. Along with Bair Museum, be sure to go see the Meagher County Museum, located in the old ‘Castle’ in White Sulphur Springs. John’s sister, Donna Dupea, is President of the Historical Society and spends a fair amount of time there – make sure to stop in and say “hi!”

JUST PLAIN RELAXING

Other than Montana fishing trips, our ranch is a world-class destination for reading, napping, star-gazing, and just plain taking it easy.

WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS

White Sulphur is a classic western town of about 1000 people, and it’s the nearest town to the Sheep Creek Cabin (about a 15 minute drive).

Things are typically quiet and slow, with very few tourists, but very friendly people and a handful of basic services.

Dorie’s Cafe and the Truck Stop Cafe are popular for lunch and breakfast, and Dempsey’s Tavern is probably the best place in town for a good steak dinner. There are several gas stations, a small grocery store, a sporting goods store that sells fishing licenses, a liquor store, antique store, drug store, small movie house, and lots of bars.

Montana Fishing Trips
9 hole golf course
Small local airport (fuel only service) that accommodates private planes and jets
Spa hot springs
Small ghost towns and army forts
Fort Logan
Diamond City
Castle Town
Copperpolis
Confederate Gulch
Ubet
Labor Day PRCA Rodeo
Yellowstone National Park

This is quite a fish!!! Dave Thompson, avid fly fisherman from Bozeman, caught this beautiful Brown Trout on the Smith River. Dave is a regular on the Smith when he can get away from his busy office at Brickhouse Creative in Bozeman. Every now and then he finds a day where he can sneak away and make the short drive over to catch fish like this one. We thank Dave for sending us this great photo and also, take a listen to Dave’s cd that is nationally acclaimed to the fishing industry – - Fishing Music!!!!!

We were lucky enough to have our good friend Paris Fleezanis from This is Fly Magazine come out for a visit. We fished hard all weekend, but the weather was perfect. That may sound a bit off saying the weather was perfect, but with a 40 degree temperature change within 24hrs this can actually hurt the fishing on The Smith. Paris fished the banks of the river with pinpoint accuracy throwing huge Montana Fly Company patterns. Although we did manage to turn a few huge Montana Browns nothing of substantial size was landed. Paris did have a fish pushing 10 lbs on but we were unable to land it. Better luck next fishing season.

What a surprise. A good friend of mine came up to the states to attend the Fly Fishing Retailer Show in Denver. We invited him up for a few days at the ranch but unfortunately he could only manage to spend one afternoon with us. Nico (pictured) is a great angler but I’m not sure he put in enough time and deserved this fish. Anyway, check out this 29’ brown from the Smith. Nice work Nico!

It’s been a rough year for everyone around the world; even guides are subject to down days due to clients canceling. So we found ourselves guest less with plenty of time to burn mid July. I decided to take advantage. I managed to fish some nice water on the property that held some surprisingly big fish. I’ll have to save this one for a few special clients and friends.