Missoula is one of the few places in the West that's lucky enough to have four world-class rivers at its fingertips, including the legendary Blackfoot River, a national treasure made famous by Norman Maclean's "A River Runs Through It." Then there's the historic Clark Fork, the timeless Bitterroot River and lesser-known Rock Creek. And while the three big rivers get most of the fanfare, little Rock Creek might just be the best fishery of the four when hatches and water levels slow down in the fall.
That's the vibe I got after prodding the guides at Missoula's top two fly shops, Grizzly Hackle and Kesel's Four Rivers, during a late-October fishing trip to Western Montana.
Locals know best
The local anglers are pretty tight-lipped about the fishing at Rock Creek, located about 20 miles outside Missoula, but you can tell which of the four rivers is the best autumn fishery by the number of fly fishermen on the stream.
While the "Big Three" are almost barren of anglers by November, you'll likely find a car at every other turnoff for the first 5 miles of the creek on a warm weekend afternoon. That's because Missoulians know that until the stonefly hatches take off in March and April, Rock Creek is the best option for quality browns in the 12- to 18-inch class. October caddis, BWOs, Mahoganies, Prince Nymphs, San Juan Worms, even streamers will take brownies when the weather is right. The key to fishing Rock Creek is finding where those finicky browns are hiding. After that, 10- and 20-fish days aren't out of the question.
Where to fish
To cover both the surface and subsurface bites, try searching with a parachute hare's ear and Mahogany combination. The browns seem to love that failsafe combo as they begin to bulk up for the winter doldrums. This setup is also beneficial when searching for rainbows or mountain whitefish on the more remote stretches up near Siria Campground.
As things cool down toward the tail end of the season, most anglers will stick solely to mahoganies and other subsurface flies when fish remain seated around attractor dries. That's when it's best to fall back on princes and various beadhead offerings.
Additional information
For the latest fishing and Rock Creek road conditions, contact the Missoula office for the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks (406-542-5500), Grizzly Hackle (406-721-8996) or Kesel's Four Rivers (406-721-4796). Cabins are available for rent in the area. One of the most popular stretches of the creek runs behind the Trout Bum Cabin Rentals (406-825-6146).
