Thursday, September 6, 2018

PLANS

Left Bozeman, MT today at 9:50am at 68 degrees with plans were to travel to the Fins and Feathers Store for advice and/or a MT fishing license. I chose not to do a drift, but bought a fishing license and got advice where to fish along the Madison River towards Great Falls, MT

FISHING

Bill on the Madison River, MT

We stopped at both the Gallatin and Jefferson Rivers for pictures. While travelling along the Madison we experienced a beautiful day in the low mountain ranges with huge fields of wheat being harvested by very large combines. Mile after mile.

We followed the Madison River and saw guide boat after guide boat after guide blat. BUT, we stopped at the Madison River Canaday River access on Rt 15 and caught a 6" and 12" brown trout!  Whoa!  We stopped 3 times to fish along the Madison before turning north to Helena and eventually Great Falls, MT.  

DRIVING

So we headed out to Great Falls to camp, but drove through the small town of Three Forks, MT (where the Gallatin, Jefferson and Madison Rivers meet and Lewis and Clark split up on their way east). We drove through Helena, MT and entered the lower Rocky Mountains, passing York's island on Missouri, (named after York, William Clark's slave who accompanied Lewis and Clark throughout the entire trip). We had a great day, seeing 3 great rivers, riding on great S curves on Rt 15 north, through great mountain passes and valleys, great sculpted grandeur with great scenery and beauty. We drove through these majestic mountain passes, weaving and climbing then descending along the Missouri River. We estimate we saw at least two dozen guide boats drifting down rivers today. 

We arrived at Dicks RV Park in Great Falls, MT;  75degrees.

Lewis and Clark named these three rivers after three influential American politicians:  Thomas Jefferson, President, Albert Gallatin, Secretary of the Treasury (and a real penny-pincher) and James Madison, Secretary of State.