Told Ya

August 31, 2025

Dispersed camped in a NF near Gold Creek last night.  Turned out to be a pretty good setup.

Map said there were two campgrounds out there but there was only one which was full long of lost hippies out for a Labor Day beer blast.

I headed out for the opposite side of the Clark Fork River valley this morning to check out fishing in the small creeks.  I wasn't expecting there to be much water and sure enough, there wasn't.  Told ya!

The overall plan for this trip was to fish the big name Rivers in SW Montana and maybe some Creek fishing too.  Then I will meet up with Brian in mid-September for a rifle hunt for antelope in Wyoming.  The fishing was a big gamble based on the time of year but Rock Creek and Jack Creek (WY) were superb.

At this point I've scouted a bunch of the little creeks feeding the Clark Fork but the mix of impossibly low water, hot temps and Labor Day crowds is enough.  I should also mention the super smokey air, probably from Idaho wildfires.  The mountains are like ghosts, shrouded, and barely visible from even a few miles away.

This picture should have been a majestic display of towering Rock Mountains.  It happens a lot this time of year but it's still a downer.

So, I'll begin wandering through the Sapphire Mountains toward Philipsburg and points further east until it is time to meet up with Brian at his home in Colorado.