Bighorn Browns And Rainbows
By: Tom Schrodt
Flowing through the Crow Indian Reservation in south central Montana there is a trout ladened tail-water that is seldom fished by outsiders: The Bighorn. Not stocked since 1979, this river is plum full of trophy sized browns and rainbows eager to take imitations of nymphs and dries that they might be feeding on at the time.
For several days prior to this years 4th my son Andrew and I joined up and drifted a total of 28 miles of the Bighorn; catching equal numbers of the biggest, strongest browns and rainbows I have caught since fishing Alaska’s Copper and Murrel Rivers. The fish were feeding on small red river worms and scuds, and we used imitations of both tied as doubles below a white indicator & Once hooked these river spawned fish would jump 5 or 6 times and then head for the fast water. The really big ones would be into our backing in a flash. Each day we landed more than 30 fish each between 15 and 20 inches, and only once did I handle a fish less than 14 inches. With simultaneous hookups it was everything we could do to keep our lines untangled. We kept our guide, Wayne Egbert out of Forresters Bighorn Resort, busy either landing and releasing fish on untangling our lines. Wayne explained that the smaller fish hide in the glasses bordering the river knowing that to venture out is suicide with so many big browns out there. Catch and release is the practice; however, one my keep one fish; I believe it must be over 22 inches.
As a tailwater one might ask how such a river can sustain a high population of fish without a stocking program. The answer lies in the slue dam some 2 miles below the 500 foot-high, solid concrete hydro dam. This ingenious dam controls the flow to a constant 6000 cfs. The river fluctuates little more that 6 inches and the numerous gravel beds provide ample sites for spawning. Recent surveys indicate there are about 6000 fish per mile of river. Most of the river flows through the reservation; however, some of the land around the river is a U.S. National Park.
While called a resort, Nick and Francine’s Forresters’ 88 acres which borders the Bighorn, is actually a very comfortable lodge with an in-house Orvis shop, sporting excellent cuisine and several good wines. Typical evenings start with appetizers in the bar equipped lounge, followed by three and four course dinners. My favorite entrée was the top half of boned rainbow trout baked in parchment paper with a white wine and lemon sauce. Both rooms and cabins are available at Forresters, and the all inclusive cost includes all meals, guide fees, lodging and transportation to and from the put-ins.
Check Out: Forresters Bighorn River Resort
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