Tricos, Hoppers & Diversion Dams

Big Hole River 165 cfs Beaverhead River 375 cfs

We floated the stretch of the Big Hole today between Maidenrock and Melrose to see for ourselves if those diversion dams with the trees across the slots were still there and unfortunately they are. The tree across the second dam is about three feet in diameter and impossible to move without a piece of heavy equipment such as what placed it there. One has to drag the boat up and over these to get across. I have been in touch with the Big Hole Watershed Committee, Big Hole River Foundation, Dept. of Natural Resources and Conservation, Dept. of Enviromental Quality and the FWP. You would think the buck would have to stop some where but so far it hasn’t.

The best thing about the float today was that the fishing was excellent. After the trico flurry and feed we went to hoppers with that little cripple on a dropper. After awhile they just hit the hopper and pretty steadily I might add. We expermented with several different hopper patterns and they hit most of them, as a matter of fact I don’t think there was a hopper pattern they didn’t hit. There were several wade fisherman in the canyon and every one seemed happy. When we would pull the boat behind these fisherman they would engage in conversation as to what patterns were working for us. For the ones that were not having very good luck we would give them a pattern that was working for us. Of course we only gave them one and told them where the shop was if they so desired to get some more. It just seemed that today all the fisherman and women had a smile on their face — it was a fun place to be.