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Fishing the Big Hole River near Melrose Montana
Last Updated on Wednesday, 28 July 2010 05:02 Written by Tim Bondy Wednesday, 28 July 2010 06:00
This is a trip report for my Wednesday July 21st, 2010 fishing trip along the Big Hole River outside of Melrose, Montana.
Wednesday July 21st, 2010 was reserved for my main fishing day on the Big Hole River. I needed a non-residence fishing license and the Sunrise Fly Shop was glad to sell me one. This shop is located right next the Sportsman Motel in Melrose. Ryan, the owner of the Sunrise Fly Shop told me to head up Trapper Creek Road and turn right on Big Horn Road where it would eventually meet up with many good spots to fish the Big Hole.
http://www.sunriseflyshop.com/
Coordinates for Big Horn Road Turn-off from Trapper Creek Road: 45.630778, -112.730571
I jumped on my Arctic Cat ATV and headed through Melrose and up Trapper Creek Road. It wasn't hard to find the turn-off road and before long I was fishing the Big Hole. Every place I stopped to fish along this section of the river looked very promising as fish were rising everywhere. I fish exclusively with Panther Martin spinners, an ultra light Ugly Stick fishing rod and spinning reel so I was at a distinct disadvantage in this situation. I waded and slogged through the Big Hole at 9 different places while watching trout jumping and rising all around me. My only catch of the day was a 8-9 inch trout caught just outside of some strong rapids. I know this will sound like a cop out but I consider this a successful day of fishing. I also believe that a person has to pay his dues to a new fishing spot and have been skunked many times in the past on my first day of fishing a new stream/river.
The dirt road that follows the Big Hole River may be called Big Horn Road or just Fishing Access Road but once it leaves the ranch land behind it winds through a very scenic river canyon. All the land along this portion of the Big Hole is public property and there are plenty of places to gain easy access to the river. One might have to duck and struggle through some willows and heavy brush but nothing too unpleasant. Also most places at this time of the year you can easily wade into the river without the fear of being swept down the river. I was surprised at just how warm the water was in this trout filled river. As the day started warming up I started wading in deeper just to cool off.
Click for a bigger picture of the Big Hole
If you think there aren't any big fish in the Big Hole, you'd be wrong. At one place on the river I probably casted out 30 times until a drift boat came by. I watched as one guy pulled in a pretty big fish probably in the 18-21 inch range. That was kind of humbling watching him do this right in the same place I just fished for the last 30 or so minutes. Good on him though.
End of the road for Big Hole Fishing Access Coordinates: 45.693415, -112.743427
Overall, this nice fishing access road runs along the Big Hole for about three miles. At the end of the road there is a hiking trial that runs even further for those of you who wish to get into a little more private fishing. I hiked about ½ mile past the end of the road and didn't see anyone else except people in drift boats. The day was wearing on, getting rather warm and the mosquitoes were getting to me so I turned around a little earlier than I wanted to. I fished a few spots on the way back to Melrose on the off chance the Big Hole trout wanted to be a little nicer to this first timer. They weren't...but the million mosquitoes certainly appreciated my stopping by for a visit. The skies were just starting to turn stormy and gray as I made it back to the motel and within 20 minutes we has a nice little thunderstorm outside our door.
Click the picture for a bigger version
My Notes for Future Trips
I would still try fishing for some large Big Hole trout from the shore but before I get too old to throw a lure into a river I'd like to try drift boat fishing this river. It certainly would open up some better fishing spots. The sign outside the Sunrise Fly Shop said they offer float trips so I may look into at least a half day trip in the coming years. I suspect I'll have to save up my lunch money for this kind of adventure but it should be worth the money.
Link to a few more pictures of this fishing trip: http://picasaweb.google.com/tim.bondy/MontanaSBigHoleRiverFishingTripOnJuly212010?feat=directlink
Thanks for visiting and commenting on this Montana outdoor rock hounding adventure.
Tim Bondy
The Bondyweb.Com author
Wednesday July 21st, 2010 was reserved for my main fishing day on the Big Hole River. I needed a non-residence fishing license and the Sunrise Fly Shop was glad to sell me one. This shop is located right next the Sportsman Motel in Melrose. Ryan, the owner of the Sunrise Fly Shop told me to head up Trapper Creek Road and turn right on Big Horn Road where it would eventually meet up with many good spots to fish the Big Hole.
http://www.sunriseflyshop.com/
Coordinates for Big Horn Road Turn-off from Trapper Creek Road: 45.630778, -112.730571
I jumped on my Arctic Cat ATV and headed through Melrose and up Trapper Creek Road. It wasn't hard to find the turn-off road and before long I was fishing the Big Hole. Every place I stopped to fish along this section of the river looked very promising as fish were rising everywhere. I fish exclusively with Panther Martin spinners, an ultra light Ugly Stick fishing rod and spinning reel so I was at a distinct disadvantage in this situation. I waded and slogged through the Big Hole at 9 different places while watching trout jumping and rising all around me. My only catch of the day was a 8-9 inch trout caught just outside of some strong rapids. I know this will sound like a cop out but I consider this a successful day of fishing. I also believe that a person has to pay his dues to a new fishing spot and have been skunked many times in the past on my first day of fishing a new stream/river.
The dirt road that follows the Big Hole River may be called Big Horn Road or just Fishing Access Road but once it leaves the ranch land behind it winds through a very scenic river canyon. All the land along this portion of the Big Hole is public property and there are plenty of places to gain easy access to the river. One might have to duck and struggle through some willows and heavy brush but nothing too unpleasant. Also most places at this time of the year you can easily wade into the river without the fear of being swept down the river. I was surprised at just how warm the water was in this trout filled river. As the day started warming up I started wading in deeper just to cool off.
Click for a bigger picture of the Big Hole
If you think there aren't any big fish in the Big Hole, you'd be wrong. At one place on the river I probably casted out 30 times until a drift boat came by. I watched as one guy pulled in a pretty big fish probably in the 18-21 inch range. That was kind of humbling watching him do this right in the same place I just fished for the last 30 or so minutes. Good on him though.
End of the road for Big Hole Fishing Access Coordinates: 45.693415, -112.743427
Overall, this nice fishing access road runs along the Big Hole for about three miles. At the end of the road there is a hiking trial that runs even further for those of you who wish to get into a little more private fishing. I hiked about ½ mile past the end of the road and didn't see anyone else except people in drift boats. The day was wearing on, getting rather warm and the mosquitoes were getting to me so I turned around a little earlier than I wanted to. I fished a few spots on the way back to Melrose on the off chance the Big Hole trout wanted to be a little nicer to this first timer. They weren't...but the million mosquitoes certainly appreciated my stopping by for a visit. The skies were just starting to turn stormy and gray as I made it back to the motel and within 20 minutes we has a nice little thunderstorm outside our door.
Click the picture for a bigger version
My Notes for Future Trips
I would still try fishing for some large Big Hole trout from the shore but before I get too old to throw a lure into a river I'd like to try drift boat fishing this river. It certainly would open up some better fishing spots. The sign outside the Sunrise Fly Shop said they offer float trips so I may look into at least a half day trip in the coming years. I suspect I'll have to save up my lunch money for this kind of adventure but it should be worth the money.
Link to a few more pictures of this fishing trip: http://picasaweb.google.com/tim.bondy/MontanaSBigHoleRiverFishingTripOnJuly212010?feat=directlink
Thanks for visiting and commenting on this Montana outdoor rock hounding adventure.
Tim Bondy
The Bondyweb.Com author
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Montana's Calvert Hill Mines Rock Hounding
Last Updated on Monday, 26 July 2010 20:27 Written by Tim Bondy Tuesday, 27 July 2010 03:00
This is our trip report from day two of our vacation in the Melrose, Montana and Pioneer Mountain area. Calvert Hill Mine rock hounding was our goal for Tuesday July 20th, 2010.
Dirt road and view from Bryant Creek Road on the way to Calver Hill Mines
After a good nights sleep at the Sportsman Motel in Melrose, Montana we headed up Interstate 15 and west on Highway 43 past the small town of Wise River. About five miles past Wise River and just before Dickie Bridge, we made a left on Bryant Creek Road. We unloaded our Arctic Cat ATV near a small camp ground right off the highway.
Getting to the Mine
Coordinates of Turn off Highway 43: 45.850049, -113.068342
Bryant Creek Road is a dirt/gravel road that gradually climbs and heads west into the Pioneer Mountains. The scenery is the typical excellent Montana stuff with plenty of pine trees and steep hillsides. The road is rather rough in places and the higher you go the more rutted it gets. Still, the road is something most cars could handle. Approximately 6 miles from where we turned off Highway 43 we entered the flats that mark the Calvert Mine area and its many tailing piles.
The Mine Area
Coordinates: Big Pond Area - 45.847303, -113.154007 and Little Pond Area - 45.848965, -113.153672
As you travel the dirt road through the mine area you'll start heading north. The mine tailings on the left once you see a large blue pond is a good place to find some very cool rocks and some small green crystals embedded in bigger rocks. There are mine tailing all around this flat area. We only explored a few places so you might have better luck searching further off the beaten path. If you go past the lake you'll come to a dead end spur road containing a large horseshoe shape mine tailing area. I've read that during the wet season, there is a small pond in the deep depression in the area. On July 20th, 2010 it contained only a large puddle. The rocks in the "little pond" area are quite amazing and somewhat different than near and around the "big pond" area. Overall, you'll likely not find any rocks or gems that will make you rich. But some of the rocks will knock your socks off for their beauty and coolness.
The Big Pod
I heard the "big pond" is quite deep and has some nice sized trout in it. The two times we have been up to Calvert, I've checked out this pond and never seen a fish in it. The water is crystal clear and has a very cool blue/green coloring. I know the rock hounding in this area can become all consuming if you let it but take some time to really check out the big pond...it's quite stunning. Rumor has it parts of the pond are over 200 feet deep.
What We Found
We spent about 3 hours digging through the mine tailings and came out with about 35-40 pounds of cool rocks. I'd say 97% of them will end up in our garden while the coolest rocks will end up on display somewhere in our house.
Is this red calcite? I don't know
More Hounding and Some Sightseeing
We decided to head west out of the mine on Calvert Loop Road to see if some other tailings could be found. The road was the same rough and rocky dirt road winding through some magnificent scenery. There is a large meadow about one mile past the mine area that is quite scenic and is a must see if you have the time. In one road cut we found some type of blood red crystallized rock we think is calcite? But for the most part we didn't find anything else exciting.
Other Things You Might Want to Know
The deer flies and mosquitoes were horrible on this day. I have the welts and bite marks to prove it. We were in this same spot on June 1st, 2010 and the biting bugs were non-existent. My advice is to try rock hounding early or late in season. While it may be unusual for this area, this day was also quite sweaty and hot even at the 7,100 foot elevation of the mine area. Maybe another reason to come in the spring or fall. Crowds at the Calvert Mines? We had the entire area to ourselves on this Tuesday rock hounding trip. I think one truck was headed up the road when we left. But there are stories of this place becoming somewhat crowded.
Check Back
The rocks we found on this trip are soaking in water and soap. In the coming week or so I should have time to take some pictures of the wonderful things we found at Calvert Mines. Sometimes knowing what the rocks look like before cleaning or polishing makes rock hounding easier. But to full appreciate what we found, getting the dirt off may be the only way to photograph our specimens. Come on back in early August 2010 and some pictures should be posted by then.
Link to a few more photos of our Calvert Mine trip: http://picasaweb.google.com/tim.bondy/MontanaSPioneerMountainsDay2?feat=directlink
Thanks for visiting and commenting on this Montana outdoor rock hounding adventure.
Tim Bondy
The Bondyweb.Com author
Dirt road and view from Bryant Creek Road on the way to Calver Hill Mines
After a good nights sleep at the Sportsman Motel in Melrose, Montana we headed up Interstate 15 and west on Highway 43 past the small town of Wise River. About five miles past Wise River and just before Dickie Bridge, we made a left on Bryant Creek Road. We unloaded our Arctic Cat ATV near a small camp ground right off the highway.
Getting to the Mine
Coordinates of Turn off Highway 43: 45.850049, -113.068342
Bryant Creek Road is a dirt/gravel road that gradually climbs and heads west into the Pioneer Mountains. The scenery is the typical excellent Montana stuff with plenty of pine trees and steep hillsides. The road is rather rough in places and the higher you go the more rutted it gets. Still, the road is something most cars could handle. Approximately 6 miles from where we turned off Highway 43 we entered the flats that mark the Calvert Mine area and its many tailing piles.
The Mine Area
Coordinates: Big Pond Area - 45.847303, -113.154007 and Little Pond Area - 45.848965, -113.153672
As you travel the dirt road through the mine area you'll start heading north. The mine tailings on the left once you see a large blue pond is a good place to find some very cool rocks and some small green crystals embedded in bigger rocks. There are mine tailing all around this flat area. We only explored a few places so you might have better luck searching further off the beaten path. If you go past the lake you'll come to a dead end spur road containing a large horseshoe shape mine tailing area. I've read that during the wet season, there is a small pond in the deep depression in the area. On July 20th, 2010 it contained only a large puddle. The rocks in the "little pond" area are quite amazing and somewhat different than near and around the "big pond" area. Overall, you'll likely not find any rocks or gems that will make you rich. But some of the rocks will knock your socks off for their beauty and coolness.
The Big Pod
I heard the "big pond" is quite deep and has some nice sized trout in it. The two times we have been up to Calvert, I've checked out this pond and never seen a fish in it. The water is crystal clear and has a very cool blue/green coloring. I know the rock hounding in this area can become all consuming if you let it but take some time to really check out the big pond...it's quite stunning. Rumor has it parts of the pond are over 200 feet deep.
What We Found
We spent about 3 hours digging through the mine tailings and came out with about 35-40 pounds of cool rocks. I'd say 97% of them will end up in our garden while the coolest rocks will end up on display somewhere in our house.
Is this red calcite? I don't know
More Hounding and Some Sightseeing
We decided to head west out of the mine on Calvert Loop Road to see if some other tailings could be found. The road was the same rough and rocky dirt road winding through some magnificent scenery. There is a large meadow about one mile past the mine area that is quite scenic and is a must see if you have the time. In one road cut we found some type of blood red crystallized rock we think is calcite? But for the most part we didn't find anything else exciting.
Other Things You Might Want to Know
The deer flies and mosquitoes were horrible on this day. I have the welts and bite marks to prove it. We were in this same spot on June 1st, 2010 and the biting bugs were non-existent. My advice is to try rock hounding early or late in season. While it may be unusual for this area, this day was also quite sweaty and hot even at the 7,100 foot elevation of the mine area. Maybe another reason to come in the spring or fall. Crowds at the Calvert Mines? We had the entire area to ourselves on this Tuesday rock hounding trip. I think one truck was headed up the road when we left. But there are stories of this place becoming somewhat crowded.
Check Back
The rocks we found on this trip are soaking in water and soap. In the coming week or so I should have time to take some pictures of the wonderful things we found at Calvert Mines. Sometimes knowing what the rocks look like before cleaning or polishing makes rock hounding easier. But to full appreciate what we found, getting the dirt off may be the only way to photograph our specimens. Come on back in early August 2010 and some pictures should be posted by then.
Link to a few more photos of our Calvert Mine trip: http://picasaweb.google.com/tim.bondy/MontanaSPioneerMountainsDay2?feat=directlink
Thanks for visiting and commenting on this Montana outdoor rock hounding adventure.
Tim Bondy
The Bondyweb.Com author
Melrose Montana Area Fishing and Rock Hounding
Last Updated on Sunday, 25 July 2010 18:35 Written by Tim Bondy Sunday, 25 July 2010 18:18
This is our trip report from day one of our vacation in the Melrose, Montana and Pioneer Mountain area during July 2010.
Getting Into The Sportsman Motel in Melrose, Montana
Arrived in Melrose, MT on Monday July 19th, 2010 for a 5 day/4 night vacation exploring the Pioneer Mountains, Big Hole River and the Wise River area. The biggest bolt from the blue of the day was the hotel we booked. The Sportsman Motel located in Melrose is one of those places you don't expect a lot out of...at least until you check-in and see your room.
We booked a room with a kitchenette for a reasonable rate and I really couldn't ask for anything better. Yeah the room is a little old but everything works, is super clean and very comfortable. The kitchen has pretty much everything you can want as far as pots/pans, utensils and appliances. The two beds in Room 3 are comfortable with plenty of pillows, unlike lots of hotels out there. There is a small comfortable pull-out sofa-bed that does exactly what it's advertised to do and nothing more. Just a good place to relax after an exciting day exploring Montana's backcountry. There is a TV and this does what it is advertised to do also...bore you silly. The bathroom is large and clean while the shower in our room put out a good strong stream of water, unlike a most hotels. In short, if you plan on visiting southwestern Montana, the Sportsman Motel would be a great place to stay.
Short Evening Rock Hound Trip into the Pioneer Mountains
After dinner, we decided to take a trip up Trapper Creek Canyon located just west of Melrose. This dirt road heads into the Pioneer Mountains and we decided to use our ATV instead of driving our Nissan Titan. Current law allows you to drive on city streets and that made it easy for us. Within 5 minute of unloading the ATV and leaving the motel we were heading into the mountains on the trusty old Arctic Cat. This dirt road is quite scenic but in places rougher than a cob.
As we continued into the mountains, the scenery got better and better but the bugs and mosquitoes started swarming and they were hungry. As this is mining country we were hoping to find some cool rocks but everything was in the "leave-a-right" variety. I'm sure if we had more time and got further into these mountains, we would have found better rocks. Even with the bugs and lack of cool rocks, today was a great start to our rock hounding, fishing and exploring vacation adventure. To us, this is truly "Living the Dream".
Where is Trapper Creek? Click here to see a map!
Fish and Montana's Big Hole River Information
Trapper Creek Road just outside Melrose crosses the Big Hole River a couple times within the first ½ mile. If you didn't know, the Big Hole is one of the most popular fly fishing destinations in Southwest Montana. Even during mid-week you'd be hard pressed to find a section of this blue ribbon trout stream without a fisher or a drift boat close by. I talked to a number of fly fishers during our trip and they seemed to all be catching good sized trout. I'd be going after some of those Big Hole trout later in the week so read more of other stories in this section to see how I did.
Link to a few other photos from Day 1: http://picasaweb.google.com/tim.bondy/MontanaSPioneerMountainsVacationDay1?feat=directlink
Thanks for visiting and commenting on this Montana outdoor article
Tim Bondy
The Bondyweb.Com author
Getting Into The Sportsman Motel in Melrose, Montana
Arrived in Melrose, MT on Monday July 19th, 2010 for a 5 day/4 night vacation exploring the Pioneer Mountains, Big Hole River and the Wise River area. The biggest bolt from the blue of the day was the hotel we booked. The Sportsman Motel located in Melrose is one of those places you don't expect a lot out of...at least until you check-in and see your room.
We booked a room with a kitchenette for a reasonable rate and I really couldn't ask for anything better. Yeah the room is a little old but everything works, is super clean and very comfortable. The kitchen has pretty much everything you can want as far as pots/pans, utensils and appliances. The two beds in Room 3 are comfortable with plenty of pillows, unlike lots of hotels out there. There is a small comfortable pull-out sofa-bed that does exactly what it's advertised to do and nothing more. Just a good place to relax after an exciting day exploring Montana's backcountry. There is a TV and this does what it is advertised to do also...bore you silly. The bathroom is large and clean while the shower in our room put out a good strong stream of water, unlike a most hotels. In short, if you plan on visiting southwestern Montana, the Sportsman Motel would be a great place to stay.
Short Evening Rock Hound Trip into the Pioneer Mountains
After dinner, we decided to take a trip up Trapper Creek Canyon located just west of Melrose. This dirt road heads into the Pioneer Mountains and we decided to use our ATV instead of driving our Nissan Titan. Current law allows you to drive on city streets and that made it easy for us. Within 5 minute of unloading the ATV and leaving the motel we were heading into the mountains on the trusty old Arctic Cat. This dirt road is quite scenic but in places rougher than a cob.
As we continued into the mountains, the scenery got better and better but the bugs and mosquitoes started swarming and they were hungry. As this is mining country we were hoping to find some cool rocks but everything was in the "leave-a-right" variety. I'm sure if we had more time and got further into these mountains, we would have found better rocks. Even with the bugs and lack of cool rocks, today was a great start to our rock hounding, fishing and exploring vacation adventure. To us, this is truly "Living the Dream".
Where is Trapper Creek? Click here to see a map!
Fish and Montana's Big Hole River Information
Trapper Creek Road just outside Melrose crosses the Big Hole River a couple times within the first ½ mile. If you didn't know, the Big Hole is one of the most popular fly fishing destinations in Southwest Montana. Even during mid-week you'd be hard pressed to find a section of this blue ribbon trout stream without a fisher or a drift boat close by. I talked to a number of fly fishers during our trip and they seemed to all be catching good sized trout. I'd be going after some of those Big Hole trout later in the week so read more of other stories in this section to see how I did.
Link to a few other photos from Day 1: http://picasaweb.google.com/tim.bondy/MontanaSPioneerMountainsVacationDay1?feat=directlink
Thanks for visiting and commenting on this Montana outdoor article
Tim Bondy
The Bondyweb.Com author
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