Fly fishing for trout on the Kootenai River

Float fishing for trout in Northwest Montana

I have taken float trips while fly fishing for trout in Montana exactly twice.  The first trip was on the Beaverhead River near Dillon off the back of a visit to Yellowstone in September of 2017.  It was a sunny day with scorching temps in the 80s and the catching was only okay.  Having said that, I was fortunate to net a personal best brown trout (at the time) of about 16”. 

Fishing experiences in Montana

I returned to Montana five years later to fish in the vicinity of Ennis, which included a float trip down the famed Madison River.  Despite the legendary stature of the Madison, this float trip was anything but epic.  According to my angling partner, who had done this trip multiple times, the ‘catching’ (or lack thereof) was among the worst he had ever experienced.  Contributing to that were challenging winds and warm water, but also a constant parade of boats.  Needless to say, I am not inspired to return to the Madison, mostly because of the immense angling pressure I witnessed on that day.

When an angling buddy invited me to join an Orvis sponsored trip to fish the Kootenai River (pronounced Kootenee) in Montana, I had some reservations initially.  After describing my experience of the Madison, his rebuttal was that this was Northwest Montana, thus implying a different quality of trout fishing altogether.  So, I took the ‘bait’ and booked a four-day and five-night package to float fish the Kootenai River with Linehan Outfitting.  I could not have been more delighted with the experience!

deliciously grilled bear sausage with mustard dipping sauce

Linehan Outfitting were exceptional hosts

To begin with, their Kootenai River Lodge near Libby, MT was nestled in a quiet wood alongside the Kootenai River, with comfortable accommodation and outstanding catering provided by Joanne Linehan.  The dinner menu was particularly exciting, comprising three robust courses each evening.  Standouts included the Belizean Chicken, Beef Tenderloin and Grilled Bear Sausage.  Breakfast featured a different specialty most days but was anchored by an excellent homemade granola that perfectly complemented the locally produced yogurt.  Lunches consisted of tasty sandwiches of turkey or ham with avocado and greens.  I had to push myself to go for a run every morning to compensate for food overload!

big water was not intimidating for long, as we hooked up early and often from day one

The Kootenai River is big water in picturesque surroundings

But my initial impression is likely the most impactful and lasting – the Kootenai River is a big and intimidating tailwater that was flowing 11,000 cfs on our first day and would bump up to 13,000 cfs on our last day.  Equally impactful was the absence of competing anglers floating the river – I did not witness more than three boats floating any section we fished during the four days of fishing.  Needless to say, this translated into exponentially more hookups than I remember on the Madison.  An online search of the fish population per mile suggests the Madison is twice that of the Kootenai.  Well, maybe the Madison fish are more discerning, or feel the pressure, because it did not seem that way fishing the Kootenai.

blue sky and evergreens reminiscent of British Columbia

I also found the wilderness of Northwest Montana to be very inspiring.  In many ways it reminded me of British Columbia (which is no surprise since it borders the western portion of that Canadian Province).  The riverbanks were flush with Ponderosa Pines, Cedars, Junipers and Ash, over which eagles and osprey soared in search of a meal.  We also witnessed plenty of turkey and deer, as well as the occasional bear.  I cannot overstate how remote and delightfully exclusive this destination felt.

Part II of this series on fly fishing the Kootenai River will feature the actual fishing experience.

Note:  I am not being compensated for my mention of Linehan Outfitting.  I am simply a satisfied client.