Gallatin River – West of Bozeman

January 19, 2009 Back to Fishing Journal

A quick trip to Bozeman for college student deliveries and car service, combined with a break in the weather, provided a opportunity on Martin Luther King day to try out the Gallatin River. The temperature started in the low teens in the morning and slowly crept toward freezing after noon. After finding the river surprisingly open near Four Corners, I decided it was worth a try.

Fishing

There were a number of fishermen up and down the river, but I didn’t have a problem finding a place to fish undisturbed for a couple hours. Winds were calm and the bright, if low, sun made it feel warmer than it actually was. Despite trying a number of nymph patterns and a couple types of streamers, I never did manage to get as much as a hit. This section of river is very accessible. Between cold waters and probable pressure before my arrival, what fish that may have been in this section of the river didn’t come out to play.

In wrapping up for the day, I ran into a young college student from Kalispell. He was smoking a cigar and obviously enjoying the sunny break from studies. He had caught a 8-9” fish below the highway bridge and said this was his first winter fly fishing foray. I believe the young fellow was hooked!

A peaceful, calm, and lovely day on a stretch of river from my college days.