Windy Detours

I'm stuck.  I can't fish in 20-45 mph.  I can't move or tow the trailer very far or fast, at least not comfortably in the daylight or unless I had to.  The wind briefly laid down tonight 45 minutes before dark.  Those little midges were still thick. Wasn't worth putting on the waders.  It's been howling for three days now, really rippin'.  Forecast is for at least two more.  This is getting to be a bit much.  Should have gone to western Idaho, or Mexico.  But no, I'm still hanging on for a day or two of that crazy fantasy fishing.  The forecast is for more storms and colder weather every few days for the next week and beyond.  Its coming.  I'm not sure if I'll have the patience to wait, have the desire to fish in the snow after such a long Indian Summer, or if it will be worth the wait.  The strongest winds of the season are forecast tomorrow, upwards of 60 mph gusts, so I'm stuck for at least another day or two. 

I've seen some of the Canadian Rockies in my life, and nearly all of the divide in central and southern Montana, but never gone to Glacier or the Bob Marshall Wilderness just northwest of Wolf Creek/Craig.  That rugged, remote strip of Montana Rockies with no roads over the top of them aside from Rogers Pass to the south, and Hwy. 2 through Glacier to the north.  Nothing better to do, snow isn't accumulating yet, and it isn't really that far.  I already looked at the drive-in area of the Smith last month.

There's a bunch of roads west out of Augusta and Choteau that looked scenic, if nothing else.  Plus, I got to cross the Dearborn a couple times.  Some of the roads went far up into the mountains, leading to numerous trailheads for hunters, fishermen, and wood-cutters.  Long story short, all the freestone creeks coming off the wind-blown Rocky Mountain Front looked inviting the more into the mountains I got.  They were all low and gin-clear as expected for late fall.  I don't think any of them had any sizeable fish.  I did manage to get in a few casts here and there when I'd find a less-windy or even calm bend or two.  Little fish on an Adams, like it's supposed to be.  They were good places to try and come clean a little bit.

The clear waters flowing over the infertile rocky stream beds did remind me of some of Alberta's creeks and rivers I crossed 20-30 years ago.  And the wide flood plains around them reminded of how much snow melt comes flushing down these valleys every spring.  It would be interesting to just see it in May or early June.  Once out of the foothills and onto the prairie, there were head gates, ponds, and canals reminding of how much demand is put on all that water.  One can only imagine how fish-filled these waters were before they were drained nearly dry for irrigation and cattle.

Of particular interest was the Sun River below Gibson Reservoir.  Though a tailwater, it still looked like a clear, starved freestone, but flows were down.  I couldn't fish it due to the high winds that afternoon, but it's tucked into the memory bank for a summer or early fall detour just to see.  Rumor has it the forks above the lake are pretty good.  

The Dearborn at Hwy 287 looked good, but there was a guy working downstream, and the wind . . . ya, I didn't need a fish that bad.

In the foothills, before the diversions.

Just a trickle

Beaver Creations

Lots of scars

Still flowing crystal clear

Lots of these

A little flurry

Tailwater

Looking toward the dam

Wolf Creek Hurrricane

Fuhgeddaboutit