Fishing And The Outdoors – Northwest Montana Is For You

The fishing in Northwest Montana is without question the most scenic and beautiful fishing that I've ever experienced. Oh, and the trout fishing is as good as anywhere I've ever fished with the exception of Alaska, but as you've probably heard, Alaska is in a class all by itself. Northwest Montana offers some fabulous fishing. I grew up in central Pennsylvania and caught a lot of trout there, but Pennsylvania's trout fishing can not hold a candle to Northwest Montana. And the scenery, although nice in central Pennsylvania, is much more majestic in Northwest Montana as well.

My big surprise came by way of fishing pressure. I suppose I should have expected a big difference between PA and MT, but it is dramatic. When compared to each other, the amount of anglers seen on the water is dramatically less in the west. The other big surprise is the fact that 80 to 90% of the trout caught in Northwest Montana are native. I remember being impressed back in PA when we used a native fish. Here in Northwest Montana almost every fish is native. That's nice as well. For those of you who do not know native trout are much more beautiful than a stocked trout. So, if you like native trout, Montana is the place for you.

Not only are most of the trout native, they are pretty big as well. Eighteen inch fish are fairly common and many are worn that are larger than that. Back in PA an eighteen inch trout would have almost been a trophy. In Montana big trout are measured by how much they weigh, rather than how long they are. This was a foreign concept to me when I moved to Montana. I had always measured trout in inches, but quickly found ou that in Montana trout were measured in pounds.

Trout are not the only fish swimming in the waters of Northwest Montana. There is a phenomenal lake trout fishery here as well. Flathead Lake is home to that fishery. Just do a search for 'Flathead Lake' and you'll see what I mean. Along with all of these trout species, you will also find some great pike and bass fishing. A couple of years ago a local man taught a pike that would rival any I've seen anywhere in North America.

The bottom line is that Northwest Montana not only offers some of the most beautiful scenery in the country, but some phenomenal fishing as well. If you're looking for a place to bring these two features together, fishing and natural beauty, Northwest Montana is for you.