50 Years At Big Spring
50 Years of Trouting
My more than five decades on Big Spring Creek have included days that range from great to only exercise. There are days when I’ve wondered if the stream was devoid of fish. They seem to vanish but are typically resting under moss, overhangs, or on the bottoms of deep pools. A dropping barometer can produce this effect.
Drag is another frequent problem. Use short casts and reach mends to combat microcurrents, to keep your fly on target, and for delicate presentations. Before wetting a line, study the water from well back and downstream of the pool. The best-looking section is often not the first target, as bigger trout prefer more subtle holding lies.
After scouting the water, get within range, and fish upstream and across to stationary bank feeders. Or, when a good cast is not possible from this position, use a parachute or puddle cast to drift your flies directly downstream to the trout. Mind the amount of slack in your line too much makes achieving good hook-sets difficult.
Nymphing is also effective on Big Spring, especially in the riffles and deeper buckets. Dry/dropper rigs excel for drifting nymphs in the shallower runs and slicks, and a delicate yarn indicator setup works well when there are no visible hatches.
Hopper season (July through early September) is an exciting time on Big Spring Creek. In addition to traditional hopper patterns such as Joe’s Hopper, other large drys such as Irresistibles and Stimulators (#8) catch fish during the height of the grasshoper “hatch.”
A longtime friend and Lewistown native, Karl Gies, grew up hearing stories about the grasshopper plagues of the l930s. During the July hopper blizzards of the l980s, hoppers were concentrated by the millions in the grassy areas along Big Spring’s streambanks.
One day, the afternoon winds rose, and Karl could see hoppers blowing past his second–story office window. With no conflicting appointments, he instantly hung a sign on the door “Appraising rural real estate. Back by 4:30 P.M.”
He sped to the lower creek, and his #l0 Parachute Hopper produced the best fly fishing he’d had in almost 60 years on Big Spring Creek—or any other water.
In addition to good hopper fishing, summer also produces recreational rafting hatches. The creek is too small to fish from pontoon boats or canoes, but there are weekend floaters riding inner tubes and rafts. Trout are often put down, but feeding usually starts again after about 15 minutes, so keep your cool. Most boaters and tubers frequent the upper river. They’re a rarity on the lower reaches.
Essentials
Three- and 4-weight, 8½- to 9-foot rods cover most of the dry-fly fishing on Big Spring Creek. These rods are perfect for delicate, accurate presentations at short distances.
Start with slow, cautious approaches and short casts. Sloppy wading and lengthy casts spook many trout. Spring creek trout are often wary, and longer, 9- to 12-foot leaders tapered to 5X and 6X tippets catch more fish.
Use a 5-weight rod for targeting larger trout with nymphs and streamers. For streamers, use a shorter leader tapered to 1X or 2X tippet.
Polarized sunglasses are a must. With aging eyes like mine, I use a magnifier to help see and tie my knots. Don’t forget insect repellent and sunblock.
Restoration Initiatives
In 1985, Montana FWP purchased 23 acres of the Brewery Flats area just upstream of Lewistown to create a new fishing access site on upper Spring Creek. In l9l4, the natural river channel was straightened into a 2,600-foot ditch. The ditch was restored to its natural, meandering course of 4,000 feet in 2001. Since then, more and larger trout have repopulated this public water.
Rainbow and brown trout numbers are more than 60 percent higher than the pre-project average, with roughly 700 trout 10 inches and longer in the Brewery Flats area. Biologists expect the trout population to continue increasing as the new channel is scoured by floodwaters and more in-channel vegetation and woody debris accumulate, increasing trout habitat.
At the east edge of Lewistown, the stream disappears into a concrete canal, running under the uptown section until it emerges three blocks downstream. En route it appears under Jim Awberry’s bar, the Montana Tavern, built in l9ll. Awberry cut a hole through the floor more than 25 years ago and installed a Plexiglas viewer with a spotlight. A dozen or so trout mingle in the currents below.
In November l986, Montana FWP purchased more than 68 acres from the Burleigh Angus Ranch. The acquisition includes a perpetual fishing access easement on more than 2 miles of river, with public parking areas. Numerous FWP areas are also open to the public on the upper and lower stream east and west of Lewistown. Access can be difficult, so it’s best to check with the local sporting goods stores for accurate information.
Vern Field is a retired teacher and longtime fly fisher. He lives in Lewistown, Montana.
Camping
East Fork Dam
Picnicking, camping, boating, limited fishing
6½ miles north of Lewistown on U.S. 191
Upper Carter’s Pond
Picnicking, camping, fishing for small rainbows
11 miles southeast of Lewistown
Kiwanis Campground
No fees, picnicking, camping, restrooms
1 mile west of Lewistown on Montana 87
Outfitters & Lodging
Stuver Outfitting
David Stuver
dstuver@midrivers.com
(406) 538-5708
Don’s Western Outdoor Store
Lewistown
(406) 538-9408; (800) 879-8194
The Sports Center
Lewistown
(406) 535-9308
Lewistown Chamber of Commerce
lewistownchamber.com
(406) 535-9308
Flights
Great Lakes Airlines www.greatlakesav.com operates daily shuttle services from Denver to Lewistown
Copyright © 2012 Intermedia Outdoors
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