WFS 416 - Kootenai River Fly Fishing with Dave Blackburn - Montana, Bull Trout, Bluegrass
02/28/23 • 86 min
2 Listeners
Show Notes: https://wetflyswing.com/416
Presented By: Range Meal Bars, Yellowstone Teton, Trxstle, Stonefly Nets
Sponsors: https://wetflyswing.com/sponsors
Dave Blackburn takes us on a journey through the Kootenai River in Montana. Discover the rich history of Kootenai, learn the secrets of when to fish for the best catch, and explore the various fishing techniques you can use there. Dave also shares some hilarious anecdotes, such as teaching Hollywood star Richard Dreyfuss how to cast on the set of Always.
Find out how you can book a guided trip with him. And don't miss out on the grand finale where Dave delivers a fantastic banjo performance to complete our Kootenai experience.
Kootenai River Show Notes with Dave Blackburn
5:24 - Dave tells the story of how he got into fly fishing. His teacher in the sixth grade taught fly tying classes. He started tying flies at age nine.
6:10 - He went to West Virginia University and participated in a placement program for foresters. He was inspired to work in the Bighorn National Forest after seeing the movie Jeremiah Johnson, which depicted the Rocky Mountains.
6:40 - Dave was a backcountry ranger in the Cloud Peak primitive area and met his wife there. They visited his wife's family in Libby, Montana, where he discovered the Kootenai River.
7:54 - He talks about the first time he went fly fishing for native rainbows in the Kootenai River. He used a Mustad 94833.
10:23 - He describes the Kootenai River. He also talks about the impoundment of Libby Dam in 1974, which created a 90-mile lake and became home to various species of fish, including Kokanee salmon, rainbows, and cutthroats.
13:38 - I ask him about the best months to fish at the Kootenai River. He talks about the flows of the river mimicking a natural hydrograph due to the endangered status of the white sturgeon.
15:18 - He met with the technical management team along with the Fish, Wildlife & Parks and agreed to stop power peaking to prevent the sturgeon from becoming endangered.
16:15 - The green drakes have come back since the power peaking stopped. Green drakes can be seen around the second or third week of July.
17:46 - Dave shares a brief history of Kootenai and what the area is known for. The name Kootenai originated from French trappers to refer to the deer robes that the Kootenay Indians would tan.
19:34 - Libby is home to a historical museum. There is also the Cabinet Mountain Wilderness which is a grizzly bear habitat.
21:15 - He talks about the seasonal progression of hatches on the river. They have this thing they call a happy hour hatch.
22:58 - He discusses the various ways of fishing on the river, including float fishing, walk-wading, swing, and Euro nymphing. Dry fly fishing is the most popular way to fish at Kootenai River.
26:53 - He talks about fish size at Kootenai River. He mentions the 29-pound rainbow caught at the Kootenai River.
30:24 - The films River Wild and The Revenant were shot in Kootenai falls.
30:43 - He met Steven Spielberg when the film Always was shot in the Kootenai National Forest and around Libby in the 1980s. He had an opportunity to teach Richard Dreyfuss how to cast on the set and also had lunch with Holly Hunter and Dreyfuss.
33:03 - He talks about their 30-inch club and the incidental catches on bull trout. The biggest bull trout they’ve ever taken was about 41-inch bull trout, probably about 25 pounds.
35:31 - He discusses native fish management. The Redband rainbows currently do not have Endangered Species Act (ESA) protection, unlike the bull trout and white sturgeon.
38:22 - He talks about fishing trips at Kootenai. He says that a 3-day trip would be ideal when visiting Kootenai. Kootenai is the second largest river in the state.
42:35 - He talks about their lodging at Kootenai Angler and that time when they built their first rental cabin in '92 under $15,000.
43:25 - He shares that time when Meryl Streep wanted to stay in their cabin during their filming of The River Wild.
44:15 - Now they have a total of four cabins and an onsite restaurant that is open to the public.
45:20 - He describes what their busy summer looks like in the cabin and the drift trips they do. The floatable section of the Kootenai with the exception of the falls is 50 miles.
49:03 - Kootenai River is less famous than the Madison River or Big Horn. The traffic is unlike in other areas, and Dave thi...
Show Notes: https://wetflyswing.com/416
Presented By: Range Meal Bars, Yellowstone Teton, Trxstle, Stonefly Nets
Sponsors: https://wetflyswing.com/sponsors
Dave Blackburn takes us on a journey through the Kootenai River in Montana. Discover the rich history of Kootenai, learn the secrets of when to fish for the best catch, and explore the various fishing techniques you can use there. Dave also shares some hilarious anecdotes, such as teaching Hollywood star Richard Dreyfuss how to cast on the set of Always.
Find out how you can book a guided trip with him. And don't miss out on the grand finale where Dave delivers a fantastic banjo performance to complete our Kootenai experience.
Kootenai River Show Notes with Dave Blackburn
5:24 - Dave tells the story of how he got into fly fishing. His teacher in the sixth grade taught fly tying classes. He started tying flies at age nine.
6:10 - He went to West Virginia University and participated in a placement program for foresters. He was inspired to work in the Bighorn National Forest after seeing the movie Jeremiah Johnson, which depicted the Rocky Mountains.
6:40 - Dave was a backcountry ranger in the Cloud Peak primitive area and met his wife there. They visited his wife's family in Libby, Montana, where he discovered the Kootenai River.
7:54 - He talks about the first time he went fly fishing for native rainbows in the Kootenai River. He used a Mustad 94833.
10:23 - He describes the Kootenai River. He also talks about the impoundment of Libby Dam in 1974, which created a 90-mile lake and became home to various species of fish, including Kokanee salmon, rainbows, and cutthroats.
13:38 - I ask him about the best months to fish at the Kootenai River. He talks about the flows of the river mimicking a natural hydrograph due to the endangered status of the white sturgeon.
15:18 - He met with the technical management team along with the Fish, Wildlife & Parks and agreed to stop power peaking to prevent the sturgeon from becoming endangered.
16:15 - The green drakes have come back since the power peaking stopped. Green drakes can be seen around the second or third week of July.
17:46 - Dave shares a brief history of Kootenai and what the area is known for. The name Kootenai originated from French trappers to refer to the deer robes that the Kootenay Indians would tan.
19:34 - Libby is home to a historical museum. There is also the Cabinet Mountain Wilderness which is a grizzly bear habitat.
21:15 - He talks about the seasonal progression of hatches on the river. They have this thing they call a happy hour hatch.
22:58 - He discusses the various ways of fishing on the river, including float fishing, walk-wading, swing, and Euro nymphing. Dry fly fishing is the most popular way to fish at Kootenai River.
26:53 - He talks about fish size at Kootenai River. He mentions the 29-pound rainbow caught at the Kootenai River.
30:24 - The films River Wild and The Revenant were shot in Kootenai falls.
30:43 - He met Steven Spielberg when the film Always was shot in the Kootenai National Forest and around Libby in the 1980s. He had an opportunity to teach Richard Dreyfuss how to cast on the set and also had lunch with Holly Hunter and Dreyfuss.
33:03 - He talks about their 30-inch club and the incidental catches on bull trout. The biggest bull trout they’ve ever taken was about 41-inch bull trout, probably about 25 pounds.
35:31 - He discusses native fish management. The Redband rainbows currently do not have Endangered Species Act (ESA) protection, unlike the bull trout and white sturgeon.
38:22 - He talks about fishing trips at Kootenai. He says that a 3-day trip would be ideal when visiting Kootenai. Kootenai is the second largest river in the state.
42:35 - He talks about their lodging at Kootenai Angler and that time when they built their first rental cabin in '92 under $15,000.
43:25 - He shares that time when Meryl Streep wanted to stay in their cabin during their filming of The River Wild.
44:15 - Now they have a total of four cabins and an onsite restaurant that is open to the public.
45:20 - He describes what their busy summer looks like in the cabin and the drift trips they do. The floatable section of the Kootenai with the exception of the falls is 50 miles.
49:03 - Kootenai River is less famous than the Madison River or Big Horn. The traffic is unlike in other areas, and Dave thi...
Previous Episode
WFS 415 - Mavrk Fly Fishing with Jeff Sasaki - Euro Nymphing, Stinger Reel, Truckee River
Show Notes: https://wetflyswing.com/415
Presented By: Mavrk Fly Fishing
Sponsors: https://wetflyswing.com/sponsors
Jeff Sasaki, Designer of Founder of Mavrk Fly Fishing, walks us through his euro nymphing setup today and the physics behind the famous Stinger Micro Reel. We get a bunch of casting tips and talk about what it's like to fish the Truckee River in California.
We discover how he transitioned from owning a successful cellphone case company to making the lightest fly reel in the world. Jeff also tells us how he fishes dry flies with a euro nymphing rig. Wait... WHAT??? Does that actually work? Listen to this episode to find out!
Show Notes with Jeff Sasaki
04:40 - Casting Tip: You got to get all the slack out of your line even if that means starting out with short casts.
07:00 - We noted the Stinger Micro Reel which is designed specifically for euro nymphing tight line techniques. It weighs about 1.3 ounces.
16:10 - Jeff spent most of his career as a product designer. He started out with transportation design. He became the first Industrial Designer at Fox Racing.
21:00 - Jeff designed an aluminum iPhone case so his dog wouldn't chew on his phone. He started the company, Element Case and later sold it.
30:00 - He tells the story of how biologists repopulated the Bonneville cutthroat in Idaho and later found them at Pilot Peak in Nevada.
38:30 - Jeff describes how he casts dry flies with a euro nymph rig.
41:45 - Tip: If you want more control of your flies, go with the heavier leaders - 20 to 15 pound. 15 to 12 is a good all around.
58:48 - The Stinger doesn't work with any other kind of fishing except for euro nymphing.
1:07:45 - Jeff mentioned James Park from Red Truck. He was on the podcast in episode 246.
Show Notes: https://wetflyswing.com/415
Next Episode
Littoral Zone #2 with Phil Rowley and Brian Chan - Stillwater Fly Fishing Tips and Tricks
Show Notes: https://wetflyswing.com/417
Sponsors: https://wetflyswing.com/sponsors
Today we're with the two Stillwater Legends, Phil Rowley and Brian Chan as we dive deep into the Stillwater world! We discover a handful of tips and tricks that we can apply today to up our Stillwater game. We break down the lifecycle and the different hatches of chironomids and find out how to use this knowledge to your advantage in catching big fish.
Phil and Brian are good friends and have fished together for many years. They've written a few books on Stillwater fly fishing, recorded DVDs, and taught schools and seminars. They are dedicated to helping us achieve more success and enjoyment on the water.
Show Notes with Phil Rowley and Brian Chan
07:45 - Brian talks about chironomid hatches and species.
10:15 - Brian talks about the life cycle of a chironomid.
16:15 - Trout like to feed on the dull pupa.
19:20 - Brian is a Biologist too.
34:45 - A depth finder and a fish finder are very useful tools to have on a Stillwater fishing trip.
39:55 - Phil and Brian are going to have an online chironomid course. Stay tuned for that one!
Show Notes: https://wetflyswing.com/417
If you like this episode you’ll love
Episode Comments
Generate a badge
Get a badge for your website that links back to this episode
<a href="https://goodpods.com/podcasts/wet-fly-swing-fly-fishing-podcast-38008/wfs-416-kootenai-river-fly-fishing-with-dave-blackburn-montana-bull-tr-28387855"> <img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/goodpods-images-bucket/badges/generic-badge-1.svg" alt="listen to wfs 416 - kootenai river fly fishing with dave blackburn - montana, bull trout, bluegrass on goodpods" style="width: 225px" /> </a>
Copy