Montana is known as “Big Sky” country but I think it should also be called “Big Fish” country.

I got the opportunity to go fishing with my son Matthew on Nilan Reservoir in central Montana, near the town of Augusta, “Trailhead to the Bob Marshall Wilderness”. I can say, it’s one of the more beautiful backdrops with the mountains of Glacier National Park in the distance.

We arrived as the wind started to blow a bit and the rain began to come down and I will be the first to admit I was thinking we might be in for some tough, cold fishing. Along for the ride was my dog, Duke, his first trip on a boat. So I had reason to be a bit apprehensive.

We launched the boat and I decided to have us run to the far end of the reservoir where the dam was as it looked like the water was a bit calmer. There was one other boat on the water. Arriving at a likely looking spot, we started running lines out. The set ups were two planer boards running Old Goats and a rapala 4 inch stick minnow, and two fly rods with sinking lines trailing wooley buggers way behind the boat.

In no time at all one of the fly rods started screaming as a big trout slammed the fly. Matt grabbed the rod as we watched a beautiful rainbow make several acrobatic leaps and spit the fly. Matt looked at me and I looked at him and we realized there were some big fish in this reservoir!

Lines back in, the next two hours saw some of the best trout fishing I have ever experienced for big fish! Highlights of the day – Matt with a beautiful 20” rainbow, and for me, a 22” brute of a brown trout that crushed my rapala and dragged the planer board a good 10 feet away from the boat. What a fish and what a memory I’ll never forget!

As the weather got nicer and the views cleared the fish decided they had played with us enough. We called it a day around 2:30. Duke did great on his first boat ride, either up looking around or fast asleep. I think he will be a good boat dog.
I can’t wait to get back to Montana and get into more of those big fish! And no one around… amazing.