Time to give up your Bitterroot Valley honey holes.

[44hunter45]

Mrs is attending a MT/ID Librarian's conference in Missoula the first week of August. I am coming along, but I'm thinking 3 day NR fishing license.
I remember catching trout in the Clark Fork right behind a hotel off East Broadway years ago.

What day trips are there for me based out of the Holiday Inn Downtown? Do I need more than a 4WT?

 

[longbow51]

What trips you do will depend upon the flows. I have a friend in Missoula who fishes constantly, and if no one from there replies I'll give him a call.

And, yes, you should definitely buy another rod for the trip, in addition to your 4 wt. Like asking an alcoholic if you should have another drink .

Seriously, though if you have a fast-action 4 weight that should be fine.

 

[Don Fischer]

I don't recall the name of the River running through St Regis but back about 1974 I stopped there on my way home and fished a while. Got one fish, beautiful Golden Trout about 15" long. Was pulling a reefer at the time and put it in there to take home and show the wife and freezing it took out all the color. Only Golden I have ever caught. Worth doing if your in Missoula!

 

[Sytes]

Blackfoot above Bonner has some nice areas.

Kelly Island area has a few decent holes, Kona bridge has a slough-way that caters some interesting treats and the river's pretty fun as well.

Good fun is a day fishing float tube (short fins help) or kayak/ canoe from McClay Flats to Kona Ranch bridge is good.

Around nine mile, good small creek fishing.

Fish Creek is always a personal hit.

That's off the top of my noggin for what I recall from my earlier days in Zootown.

Edits added:

Forgot a favorite is Rock Creek, out beyond Turah.

Lolo creek and Mormon creek decent. Further up lolo pass, the better the fishing.

Then, I think another float buddies and I would do is from Travelers Rest (Lolo) to the hwy 93 bridge @ the south end of Missoula.

Then there's... Dixon float to a closed road / sink hole... Epic smallies, large, pike! That's an ultimate. A bit up 93 then hwy 200. I can dial the sink hole and the hike up the road via pm, if you'd like. That's a bit outside a Zootown play area though my favorite by far. Get tribal fish license and ready your tackle for good sized pike slough-ways, frenzy smallies along the rocky areas and great largemouth in the sinkhole.

Now that my minds digging in, there's a whoopload of good fishing...

 

[Goodfish]

In August the Bitterroot is going to be the East Fork or the West Fork or side tributaries for road access. Likely to be hoot owl restrictions that shut down fishing at noon if the water temps are high. So far this spring has been cold with epic rain. Who knows by August. Sometimes spring rains mean cooler temps and less fire danger but other years the grass grows high and sets up a volatile fuel load. Keeps this place interesting!