Moments on the river when guests are recalling previous trips give a snapshot into what resonates with people during adventures on the water. Most often they revolve around the unexpected, and rarely does it have anything to do with their own angling. That our anglers will have great fishing for themselves is expected to a certain extent, however the days that break from the brochure are what stand out. Watching the look on their child’s face when they land a big trout on the Bitterroot, or the giant moose they floated past on Rock Creek. A husband will beam recalling the time his wife caught her first huge brown on a hopper on the Clark Fork.

Sometimes the fond memories are based around what wouldn’t normally be considered a positive moment. Hiding from a massive late June downpouring rainstorm under a bridge while telling jokes and laughing waiting for it to pass. Getting up early because the afternoon was going to be too hot, but they got to see the sun come up and light up the red canyon walls of the Blackfoot. Getting to the river late because they saw a Grizzly Bear sitting on its haunches a few hundred yards from the road on the drive to the water, and turned around to take pictures while the bear posed. Often times the best moments aren’t planned, and the serendipity of the day may create your perfect fishing trip for 2021.

 

-Caleb Garrett