Destination Trout Jamey Thomaston

In this podcast,
 
I look back at my recent trip out of state, sampling the blue-ribbon flyfishing on Wyoming’s North Platte River.

 It’s one of the most productive wild trout fisheries in the Rocky Mountain region, and its hotspots are none too far from the ‘hub’ of Casper’s international airport, making the area ideal for traveling anglers. The North Platte’s wild rainbows, cutthroats, and brown trout average between 17 and 22 inches, with trophy fish over 10 pounds on offer. Yet amid the classic Western scape of mountains and sweeping plains, you might fish all day and barely see another angler. My hosts were Blake Jackson, co-owner of the Orvis-endorsed Ugly Bug Fly Shop and the Crazy Rainbow Fly Fishing guide service, and guide Dustin White. Crazy Rainbow not only provides access to more than 100 miles of floatable water but also has home-from-home accommodation available. While you listen to the three of us discussing the highlights of my trip, check out the kind of waters you could be fishing should you follow me here. And if you need to ‘sell’ the idea of a week’s fishing in the Cowboy State to a non-angler in your life, here are some things to do in Casper. The College National Finals Rodeo each June deserves an honorable mention as well as the Thermopolis hot springs, wildlife viewing and the prehistoric history in this part of the American West. 

Some rivers become victims of their own success but not Rock Creek, the subject of our latest podcast. In this podcast, Jamey chats to the Merc’s owner Johnny Staats, who has fished Rock Creek for more than 30 years one of Montana’s true blue-ribbon trout streams. 
 
Situated south-east of Missoula and averaging around 2,000 fish per mile, it’s one of the west’s great trout streams. It runs through 30 miles of public land and is accompanied throughout by an adjacent road, so it’s easily accessible.

When the season’s best hatches bring anglers out in force, that same accessibility means there’s room for everyone. Rock Creek is relatively narrow and there are restrictions on boat fishing, so it really is a wader’s paradise if it’s brown, cutthroat, or rainbow trout you’re after.
Also serving the river well is the legendary Rock Creek Fisherman's Mercantile fly shop and motel, or ’the Merc’, as it’s known to its many friends.
Just a short walk from the river, the 30-year-old fly and tackle shop also serves refreshments and a wide selection of local craft beers. The restaurant next door, Ekstrom's Stage Station, provides take-out breakfasts and lunch bags for fishermen. A neighboring six-room motel, meanwhile, is perfect for those anglers planning stopovers in their Montana vacations. Fish Rock Creek and Earn your Rock Creek Destination Trout Hat!

Jamey visits Ben Eisinger at  True Water Fly Shop. Ben and Jamey  discuss fly fishing on the Clark Fork River and the main stem of the Flathead River. Also, the convince of the Sherman Lodge. Listen in for an easy and fun fly fishing trip. 
The Clark Fork is one of Montana’s longest rivers and also one of its biggest comeback stories. Saved from the mining pollution that once devastated fish numbers, Clark Fork River fishing now thrives. Memories of its polluted past, though, still deter many anglers from giving it a second chance.
Another Montana river that’s not as busy as it should be, the Flathead starts in the Canadian Rockies, where it is fed by snow and glacial melt. This keeps the river cool and its fish perky, even on the hotter days in the prime summer months. The perfect alternative when other Montana waters are feeling the heat.
It's home to westslope cutthroat trout and rainbow trout, and many of them aren't choosy about the flies that come their way, making the Flathead ideal for fly fishers of all abilities.
Let Jamey talk you through how to plan your trip for cutthroat trout.