Carol from Milwaukee and Alan from Big Fork and CA fished the Blackfoot River with Jack on Wednesday. They started early so they could beat the heat and I think it paid off. Looks like the catching was good. I know the scenery was.
Doug Nation and Jack Saunders fished the Big Hole River with Jack on Monday. They didn’t get photos of the biggest fish Doug caught or of Jack Saunders’ fish, darn it. But they all had a great day of fishing and catching.
All three, Doug Nation, Jack Saunders and Jack Mauer are past-Presidents and active members of the Bitterroot Chapter of Trout Unlimited. Doug is currently Chairman of Montana Council of Trout Unlimited.
Click this Montana Trout Unlimited Newsletter link for the newest newsletter online.
To read about Montana Trout Unlimited see the website http://www.montanatu.org./
To read more about Bitterroot Trout Unlimited see the website http://www.brtu.org/
Jack has been enjoying the Big Hole this month. He had an especially fun day with Joe W and his friend, Gregg. They came over from Washington to fish a few rivers in Montana. Today was the Big Hole River.
Wapiti Waters is all about fly fishing and all about great lunches on the water. We shop at many stores in the Bitterroot Valley and the Good Food Store in Missoula. Our newest favorite is Farm to Market in Hamilton, MT. If we can’t pick from our garden, Farm to Market is the next best thing.
Terry and Roxane Hunt have operated Farmers Produce in Hamilton for the last eight years, and in that time they have noticed that customers were interested in products that are local, from Montana or at least regional. The Hunts decided to give the people what they want: a place to buy local and Montana-made products that saves the consumer money by minimizing transportation costs and bolsters local agriculture.
They opened their new store, Farm to Market, in the old Loonies and Toonies building in Hamilton and feature local and regional produce, a Montana meat market, a fresh fish market, a bakery featuring Missoula-baked goods, a deli and a gift shop.
With their styling of each department, the store is fun, economical, full of choices and is all-the-buzz with shoppers these days, even the young professionals. My young dinner guest last night was asked to bring corn. He arrived with Farm to Market corn spouting his appreciation of the market and its great produce as his favorite Hamilton food store.
All the beef in the meat and fish market section comes directly from actual ranches in the Bitterroot Valley. And they carry pork, chicken and eggs, all of which will come from within the state, much of it from nearby Hutterite colonies.
The store’s fish market features only fish shipped fresh from the Oregon and Washington coasts and the produce shop carries what fruits and vegetables are seasonally available locally like spinach, garlic and apples. Other produce comes from Washington’s Yakima Valley. In the dairy section, they carry local milk from Lifeline Farm Creamery in Victor.
The store’s deli offers sandwiches and a large salad bar. The gift shop carries only products made in the USA, including southwestern tribal jewelry, and features Made in Montana products.
We do our best to provide great fishing and great food. Farm to Market is a key ingredient for the great food!
You can find them at: Montana Farm To Market 302 N 1st St, Hamilton, MT 59840 (406) 363-3854 1-click directions See more photos of Farm to Market and some of our lunches in the slideshow below.
Information from and email by Larry A. Schock, CFM DNRC Water Resources Division
Hello Everyone,
The DNRC has received several inquires lately concerning the outflows at Painted Rocks Reservoir and how the reservoir is operated. Therefore, the following email will provide a brief explanation of reservoir operations.
The operation of Painted Rocks Reservoir involves three main parties. The DNRC, the Painted Rocks Water Users Association (PRWUA), and the MT FWP. Painted Rocks Reservoir holds approximately 32,656 acre-feet (af) of water, with 25,000 af of that stored water marketed to the MT FWP and the PRWUA. Additionally, there is the Bitterroot River Water Commissioner who manages the river in a manner that insures the apportionment and diversion of decreed and contract waters.
The DNRC is owner of the dam and the reservoir area. It is our responsibility to insure that the reservoir is filled and operated safely and that water is available for delivery to the contract holders. Once the reservoir is full the amount of water that flows into the reservoir equals the reservoir outflows. The reservoir is held in this state of equilibrium until the contract water is requested. The DNRC is under contractual obligation to deliver the contract water a the dam to the contract holders when it is called for.
The 10,000 af (or 2/5ths) of shares that has been marketed to the PRWUA is primarily used for agriculture purposes. Releases to the PRWUA usually occurs in mid July, but it is delayed this year due to higher than normal flows on the East Fork and the Mainstem of the Bitterroot River.
The other 15,000 af (or 3/5ths) of shares has been marketed to the MT FWP for in-stream uses . The local FWP contact in the Bitterroot Valley is Chris Clancy at 363-7169. The FWP contract water is released for instream flows in the mainstem of the Bitterroot River, based upon the conditions at Bell Crossing. According to the FWP current guidelines, they determine their desired releases based upon a minimum targeted flow rate of approximately 450 cfs at the Bell Crossing gage. As of today the flow rate at the Bell Crossing gage is approximately 737 cfs. The current FWP guidelines do not discuss the release of water from the reservoir for the augmentation of flows in the West Fork of the Bitterroot River, only the mainstem of the Bitterroot River.
Recently inquires have been made to the DNRC about the following issues; low water levels effecting raft access to the river; low water levels effecting quality of fishing; low water levels effecting water temperatures; and bad access road into the shuttle parking area upstream of the USGS gage below the dam.
Low Water Levels
The low flow conditions in the West Fork of the Bitterroot River are simply a reflection of the low inflows into the reservoir. As inflows to the reservoir drop, the DNRC adjusts outflows to match. The DNRC is passing all of the inflows through the reservoir, either over the spillway or out of the low level outlet. Flows below the dam will raise, pending a call for contract water from either the PRWUA of the MT FWP. The DNRC has recently made several gate adjustments on July 23rd, 24th, and 28th in order to insure that the reservoir outflows matched the inflows. These adjustments are also needed in order to transition the flows from the spillway to the low level outlet in preparation for the anticipated contract water deliveries. An additional adjustment is anticipated on July 31st. Requests for the release of contract waters for in-stream purposes on the West Fork of the Bitterroot River should be directed to the FWP.
The dirt road that goes upstream past the USGS gage to the pioneer launch site below Painted Rocks Dam, is not a DNRC road and it is located on US Forest Service (USFS) property. Any concerns about this pioneer road, launch, and camping site should be directed to the USFS West Fork District Ranger Office.
Larry A. Schock, CFM
DNRC Water Resources Division
Missoula Regional Office
(406) 721-4284
lschock@mt.gov
Click here to go to the Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks (MT FWP) site for the West Fork of the Bitterroot.
Click here to go to the MT FWP site for Painted Rocks Reservoir, Tributary of the West Fork of the Bitterroot. They have an interactive map link.
Click here for contact information for US Forest Service, West Fork Ranger District.
Last week we had temperatures in the upper 90 degree range. For us, that is very hot. The water levels were dropping dramatically and the water temperatures were rising on all rivers but the Big Hole and the Blackfoot water temperatures were in the upper 60 and lower 70 degree range. Low water flows and high temperatures stress trout, making them especially vulnerable to disease and predators.
In conditions like these, Wapiti Waters’ goal is to get out early and get off before the water temperatures peak in the late afternoon. We also choose reaches that have cooler/higher water. It is better fishing, easier on the trout and more pleasant for the anglers. Our guides are knowledgeable and skilled at using the tips listed below.
Last night we had a good rain. The short range forecast is for a bit cooler temperatures and we are already seeing water temperatures drop. But, we are heading into August and it will probably heat up again. It is worthwhile to understand how to fish responsibly during hot weather.
Drought Tips by Montana, Fish, Wildlife and Parks
Fish will feel the stress caused by low flows, higher water temperatures and competition for space and food. Low water conditions in spring and fall can cause spawning failures and increased predation on young fish. Also, fish will “group up” to take advantage of pools where the water is deeper and cooler — making them more vulnerable to anglers and predators. If conditions worsen, fish are lost to stress from the higher water temperature, lower oxygen levels, and reduced resistance to disease. These threats can impact adult trout numbers in future years.
To help preserve a threatened fishery anglers can:
Anglers who practice catch-and-release fishing can minimize the stress they place on fish:
On streams experiencing extreme drought conditions and high water temperatures anglers may want to avoid catch and release fishing as it is difficult for trout to recover under these conditions.
Bull Trout, Arctic Grayling, West Slope Cutthroat Trout are species of concern in Montana.
More information on…
Bull Trout and management during hot/dry conditions:
Bull Trout ID site on MT FWP
Under FWP’s drought plan, angling restrictions are called for on streams that provide habitat for bull trout when stream flows reach 1-in- 20-year lows and maximum daily water temperatures equal or exceed 60 degrees for three consecutive days. For all other trout, the water temperature to trigger angling closures is 73 degrees for three consecutive days.
Arctic Grayling on the Big Hole and management during hot/dry conditions:
The Big Hole River Watershed Committee identifies when low river flows should trigger angling closures.
These trigger points were met in early August of 2006, placing the river’s grayling at risk. The upper and middle reaches of the Big Hole totaling 47 miles were closed due to low water flows and high water temperatures.
The upper reach of the river was not opened until it exceeded 40 cfs for at least seven consecutive days with water temperatures that did not exceed 70 degrees for more than eight hours a day for three consecutive days.
The middle reach reopened when the river exceeded 80 cfs for at least seven consecutive days with the same water temperature guidelines.
To read more, click this link for Big Hole River Drought Management Plan
Note: 21 °C = 70 °F, 16 °C = 61 °F
Click here for Wapiti Waters Stream Flow Links
