Bitterroot River - Montana, USA

Book excerpt: Normal 0 The headwaters of the Bitterroot River originate from two-major Head Waters. The East Fork of the Bitterroot River originates from the Sapphire Mountains and Anaconda Pintler Wilderness Areas. The West Fork of the Bitterroot River originates from the Bitterroot Mountains and the Selway – Bitterroot Wilderness Areas. The West Fork of the Bitterroot River was dammed in the early 1900’s creating Painted Rocks Reservoir. Below Painted Rocks Reservoir lies the tail-water fishery section of the West Fork of the Bitterroot River, which flows downstream to its confluence with the East Fork of the Bitterroot River north of the town of Conner, Montana. The East Fork of the Bitterroot River is still a free flowing stream. The Wild Fires of “2000” burned much of the timberland in the headwaters of both drainages. During spring run-off and summer thunderstorms the East Fork of the Bitterroot River turns turbid from the ash that is washed into the river from the tributaries flowing into the river. The West Fork of the Bitterroot River however remains clear, Painted Rocks Reservoir allows the headwater run-off to settle out within the reservoir before entering the West Fork of the Bitterroot River below the dam. The East Fork of the Bitterroot River confluence with the West Fork of the Bitterroot River forms the mainsteam of the Bitterroot River, which flows northerly to its confluence with the Clarkfork River outside the city of Missoula, Montana. The Bitterroot River trout fishery has experienced depravation from mankind since the early 1900’s when Marcus Daly “The Copper King” and others commissioned the building of an extensive network of irrigation canals throughout the Bitterroot Valley. The largest canal is the Big Ditch, which runs northerly over seventy-five miles in length traversing the eastside of the Bitterroot River Valley. They built large diversion dams across the Bitterroot River and diverted most of the tributaries in the Bitterroot Valley. These diversion dams dewater the Bitterroot River severely during the summer months. Most of the Bitterroot Tributaries become dry during critical spawning periods for Rainbow Trout, Westslope Cutthroat Trout, Brown Trout and Bull Trout. With these depravation problems on the Bitterroot River there are still some sections of the Bitterroot River that offer good fishing for Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout and Westslope Cutthroat Trout and to a lesser degree Bull Trout. The Bitterroot River at time offers some excellent dry fly fishing. In March and April there are Stone Flies: Skwala Stone Flies (Skwala parallela) and Winter Stone Flies (Capina sp.), May Flies: Midges (Diptera / Chironomous), Early Blue-Winged Olive (Baetis tricaudatus), Dark Gray Quill (Ameletus connectus) and Caddies Flies: Grannom (Brachycentrus occidentalis) and Green Sedge (Ryacophila sp.). In May, June, July and August there are Stone Flies: Salmon Fly (Pteronarcys californica), Western Big Golden Stone Fly (Calineuria californica), Western Medium Golden Brown Stone Fly (Isoperla sp.), Little Yellow Stone Fly (Alloperla pallidula) and Little Olive Stone Fly (Alloperla delicata); May Flies: Midges (Diptera / Chironomous), Late Blue-Winged Olive (Baetis parvus), Little Western Blue-Winged Olive (Ephemerella margarita), Western Green Drake (Drunella grandis), Pale Morning Dun (Ephemerella inermis and Ephemerella infrequens), Small Western Green Drake (Ephemerella flavilinea), Western Leadwing (Isonychia sicca) and Dark Gray Quill (Ameletus connectus); Caddis Flies: Grannom (Brachycentrus occidentalis), Green Sedge (Ryacophila sp.), Great Gray Spotted Sedge (Arctopsyche grandis), Little Tan Short Horn Sedge (Glossosoma sp.), Ring Horn Microcaddis (Leucotrichia pictipes), Spotted Sedge (Hydropsyche sp.), Little Sister Sedge (Cheumatopsyche campyla) and Little Plain Brown Sedge (Lepidostoma pluviale). In September and October there are May Flies: Late Blue-Winged Olive (Baetis parvus), Little Western Blue-Winged Olive (Ephemerella margarita), Tiny Western Olive (Pseudocloeon edmundsi), Pale Morning Dun (Ephemerella inermis and Ephemerella infrequens), Gray Drake (Siphlonurus occidentalis), White Winged Black (Tricorythodes minutus), Caddis: Giant Orange Sedge (Dicosmoecus sp.) and Midges (Diptera / Chironomous).