To many, there is simply fly-fishing. There’s no particular season, there’s no particular species, there’s simply a lifestyle.

It’s not necessarily about the number of fish caught, nor the size. It’s not whether I hooked into the biggest brown I’ve ever seen, or making the perfect cast to feeding fish. It’s not even about the atmosphere, the beautiful Montana sky, the free-ranging cattle looking on as you successfully snag the bush behind you; nor about the fresh mountain air, the fellowship, or the knowledge gained from your experienced guide. Simply put it’s about all of it.And since we know that not many have had the life-long blessing of living in God’s country (Montana) we’d like to cover the aspects of the different seasons here at the Bar Z Riverside Ranch, as to help you decide the best possible time you’d like to visit according to your, your families and your fishing buddies likes, and dislikes. To every season there is different weather, different fish feeding more abundantly, different hatches, and an overall different experience. Read on and find out what we mean.

Spring : March, April, May

Spring Weather:
Generally speaking, Spring weather here in Montana can either be called “late winter” or “early summer” all at the same time. Depending on the severity of the previous winter, there can be cooler temperatures and even snow fall through late Spring but lessening as the season progresses. Since this season boasts of the majority of Montana precipitation – mainly rain in the valleys and some snow in the mountains, the white Montana winter slowly turns to a magnificent green, and all of the images in your head of what Montana must look like come to fruition as the pines paint the mountain sides green and wild flowers dust natures floor all the colors in the spectrum.

Spring Fish:
To say there’s a lack of fish during anytime of the season, besides maybe the late run-off (snow melting and bringing dirt into the rivers – mud) would be leading anyone astray. The Bar Z Riverside Ranch as seen on the fishing page, has in abundance of brown trout, rainbow trout, and brook trout, all of which can be caught year long.  However, Springtime will have many active Rainbows, Brookies and Browns. During the early Spring, Rainbow trout and Brookies spawn which makes a great time to catch these fish in an aggressive and hungry state making some really active fishing. Big browns can still be found around the ranch during the Spring as well.

Spring Flies & Hatches:
On the Smith River, Streamers can be used year round. During the Spring you’ll see a wide array of hatches, here’s what you can expect to see here at the ranch and the flies we typically use to match the hatch.

Bar Z “Go To” Fly : PMX
- This is a must have in your fly box when fishing the Bar Z.

Hatch : Mayflies
Fly : Blue Wing Olive : Size16-20

Hatch : Caddis Hatches
Fly : Elk/Deer hair or Goddard Caddis : Size 14-18

Hatch : Salmon Fly hatch
Fly : Salmon Fly Patterns : Size 4-8

Hatch : Midges
Fly : Midge Pattern : Size 18-22

Hatch : Mosquitos
Fly : Mosquitos : Size 16-20

Hatch : Calibaetis
Fly : Calibaetis Pattern : Size 14-20

Hatch : Gray Drake
Fly : Gray Drakes : Size 12-16

Spring Overview:
Spring at the Bar Z Riverside ranch is an exciting time to fish. Fish are eager to feed and can be very aggressive, especially when matching the fly to the appropriate hatch. Although terrestrials can be found here all year, this is the time where we see the most dry fly action as there’s so many different hatches that occur, so for you dry fly fisherman, this is the time for you. On top of that Spring brings young wildlife all over the ranch. Whether it’s newly born Mule deer, whitetail deer, elk, or the abundance of birds and rodents you’ll have plenty to see. Fair to good weather, lots of fish and as always a great time.

Summer : June, July, August, September

Summer Weather:
Montana has, by and large, beautiful summer weather. This is generally pretty standard throughout the entire state, too. Generally, from June through September, it tends to be generally dry throughout Montana, with sunshine the norm, with only a few days of clouds and light rain. Yet, despite the sunshine, temperatures are generally not too hot. Thunderstorms occur during the summer months, however, they aren’t especially common. Generally, more thunderstorms occur in the eastern half of Montana than in the western half in the summer, although the mountains can have some fantastic lightning storms.

Summer Fish:
From the middle of July to the last week of August, the best water to fish on the ranch are small free stone streams. For example Sheep Creek is a great stretch of water to fish during the summer as its pocket water and cliff pools house some very aggressive fish. For earlier and later parts of the summer months the Smith River is a great option and you’ll find some of the bigger fish on the ranch feeding in deeper pools and cut banks. Compared top the free stone streams, the Smith is a little more technical but typically yields bigger fish.

Summer Flies & Hatches:
During the Spring you’ll see a wide array of hatches, here’s what you can expect to see here at the ranch and the flies we typically use to match the hatch.

Hatch : Mayflies
Fly : Blue Wing Olive : Size16-20

Hatch : Caddis Hatches
Fly : Elk/Deer hair or Goddard Caddis : Size 14-18

Hatch : Midges
Fly : Midge Pattern : Size 18-22

Hatch : Mosquitos
Fly : Mosquitos : Size 16-20

Hatch : Calibaetis
Fly : Calibaetis Pattern : Size 14-20

Hatch : Gray Drake
Fly : Gray Drakes : Size 12-16

Hatch : Grass Hoppers
Fly : Hopper Patterns – Size 4-10

Hatch : Beetles
Fly : Beetles Patterns – Size 10-16

Hatch : Ants
Fly : Ant Patterns – Size 12-18

Summer Overview:
Summer can be the most active season to fish The Bar Z. The free stone streams, being tucked back int he forest have good shade and keep the water cooler during the hot summer days and keep the fish active. “Marathon Days” area regular occurrence in the summer months during some of our largest hatches. If you’re looking to fish the Smith we would recommend either very early in the season or late in the season and in the early mornings is best.

Fall : Late September, October, November

Fall Weather:
Fall weather in Montana begins usually sometime in late September and will run into November. During this time, weather can be highly variable – with weeks of Indian summer weather followed by cold rain which is then in turn followed by snow. During the fall, it becomes normal to see the weather cool off fairly quickly and even see some snow flurries at times.

Fall Fish:
To me Fall means Big Browns. Browns spawn in the fall, so we will usually see a spike in the larger fish caught out of the Smith River. Rainbows and Brook Trout can still be caught and will be caught on the Smith, the Browns will just be more aggressive. On Sheep Creek and other streams the fall can still be a good time to fish. You won;t see as many hatches as summer, but find what they’re eating or tie on nymphs or terrestrials and you’ll have a good time.

Fall Flies & Hatches:
Since Fall is all about the Browns, terrestrials and streamers are very affective flies on the Smith during the spawn. Since the fish are more aggressive, anything coming across their spawning beds is deemed intruder and they’ll get it out of there. Dry flies can still be seen as the weather cools but the hatches seem to slow down. Below I mentioned a fly I didn;t above that can be used on the ranch as well.

Hatch : Pale Morning Dunn
Fly : Dunn Patterns – Size 16-22

Overview:
Fall is a great time to be here. Not only are the Browns spawning on the Smith, but everything about Fall is Montana. The frosted trees of the cold early mornings, the bugling elk echoing through the valley and the yellow and oranges give the foliage a beautiful Fall palette.

Winter : December, January, February, March, April (sometimes)

If you’re interested in fishing the Bar Z Riverside Ranch during any of the seasons mentioned above give us a call at 406.570.5519 or fill out our Information/Reservation form and we’d be happy to answer any questions you have about your next trip to The Bar Z Riverside Ranch and God’s Country.

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!!!!!

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…

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.