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In the nearly fifteen years I’ve lived in Montana, one of the things that’s been on my to-do list was: “I should go up north and fish on the Blackfeet Reservation.” Like many of you, I’ve heard of the monster rainbows that inhabit the lakes on the Blackfeet tribal lands. As the years have gone by, I just never got it done. During this past winter, I vowed this year was going to be different, so I contacted Joe Kipp of Morning Star Outfitters.
Joe is member of the Blackfeet tribe and guides both fisherman and hunters. Yes, non-members can hunt on tribal lands, too—contact Joe at 406-338-2735 or Blackfeet Fish and Wildlife at 406-338-7207. Only members of the Blackfeet Nation are allowed to guide on tribal lands. Joe was one of the first guides when the program was set up in 1985. He has a lot of experience and knows intricacies of fishing the lakes that will put you in the right place to catch these monster fish.
The Blackfeet Fishery took a hit during the drought years that led to many lakes being unfishable due to low water conditions. The drought kept pressure on the few lakes that were open and impacted the amount of trophy fish in the lakes.
However in 2007, a full time fisheries biologist, Toby Taber, was hired to more closely monitor the Blackfeet Fisheries. There are more than 1,200 miles of streams and 11,000 acres of lakes occurring on the tribal lands, so Toby has his hands full. One of the items on Toby’s agenda was to conduct a fishery population survey on thirteen of the lakes on the Blackfeet Nation. As a result of this survey, many popular lakes such as Duck, Mitten, Mission, and Kip were stocked in 2008 to much higher levels than in the past years, in some cases doubling the number of fish that were stocked. This should pay off handsomely in the future given the fish growth rate is approximately one inch per month for the first two years in the fishery.
The day I fished with Joe I landed four fish, ranging somewhere in the 2-3 lb. range. As Joe said to me, “You don’t travel this far to catch 2 lb. fish. Let’s go look for some bigger ones”. This fisherman was very happy catching fish in the 2-3 lb. range!
One of Joe’s clients who fished the day before landed 50 of these rainbows! Why do I always hear, “Should have been here yesterday!” He had a tough time casting as his arm was still fatigued from fighting those big rainbows.
Hiring a guide for one or two days can be a great way to learn the lakes and how to fish them. This can also save you time and in the long run, money. It may also send you home with some fish instead of a stringer of frustration. I know the day I spent with Joe Kipp will be a memorable one for me. The fishing was great, but so was the opportunity to explore the Blackfeet culture and visit some beautiful parts of the nation. Thanks Joe!
If you fish without a guide, be prepared to bring all your gear—tippet, leader, weight, hooks, etc. as the local IGA has a very limited amount of fishing equipment. There are no fly shops located in Browning. However, Duck Lake Lodge has a good assortment of locally tied flies and is located three miles from Duck Lake. Visit their website at http://www.montanasducklakelodge.com/ . Be sure to allow for time to purchase a tribal fishing license. These can be obtained from guides, Teeples IGA and Duck Lake Lodge.
If you plan on fly fishing take a sinking fly line. Not only will it help get your flies down to the fish, it will also help you cast easier in the ever present wind. For flies, look at bringing black and brown leeches in sizes 2-6, scuds, and wooly buggers in an assortment of colors.
One thing is for sure: this country is wild, open and beautiful. It’s hard to find a better view than when fishing in one of 20 lakes that this area has to offer. So take the time to head up north and spend some time fishing on the Blackfeet Nation. I’ve never fished someplace I had a harder time leaving.
Joe is member of the Blackfeet tribe and guides both fisherman and hunters. Yes, non-members can hunt on tribal lands, too—contact Joe at 406-338-2735 or Blackfeet Fish and Wildlife at 406-338-7207. Only members of the Blackfeet Nation are allowed to guide on tribal lands. Joe was one of the first guides when the program was set up in 1985. He has a lot of experience and knows intricacies of fishing the lakes that will put you in the right place to catch these monster fish.
The Blackfeet Fishery took a hit during the drought years that led to many lakes being unfishable due to low water conditions. The drought kept pressure on the few lakes that were open and impacted the amount of trophy fish in the lakes.
However in 2007, a full time fisheries biologist, Toby Taber, was hired to more closely monitor the Blackfeet Fisheries. There are more than 1,200 miles of streams and 11,000 acres of lakes occurring on the tribal lands, so Toby has his hands full. One of the items on Toby’s agenda was to conduct a fishery population survey on thirteen of the lakes on the Blackfeet Nation. As a result of this survey, many popular lakes such as Duck, Mitten, Mission, and Kip were stocked in 2008 to much higher levels than in the past years, in some cases doubling the number of fish that were stocked. This should pay off handsomely in the future given the fish growth rate is approximately one inch per month for the first two years in the fishery.
The day I fished with Joe I landed four fish, ranging somewhere in the 2-3 lb. range. As Joe said to me, “You don’t travel this far to catch 2 lb. fish. Let’s go look for some bigger ones”. This fisherman was very happy catching fish in the 2-3 lb. range!
One of Joe’s clients who fished the day before landed 50 of these rainbows! Why do I always hear, “Should have been here yesterday!” He had a tough time casting as his arm was still fatigued from fighting those big rainbows.
Hiring a guide for one or two days can be a great way to learn the lakes and how to fish them. This can also save you time and in the long run, money. It may also send you home with some fish instead of a stringer of frustration. I know the day I spent with Joe Kipp will be a memorable one for me. The fishing was great, but so was the opportunity to explore the Blackfeet culture and visit some beautiful parts of the nation. Thanks Joe!
If you fish without a guide, be prepared to bring all your gear—tippet, leader, weight, hooks, etc. as the local IGA has a very limited amount of fishing equipment. There are no fly shops located in Browning. However, Duck Lake Lodge has a good assortment of locally tied flies and is located three miles from Duck Lake. Visit their website at http://www.montanasducklakelodge.com/ . Be sure to allow for time to purchase a tribal fishing license. These can be obtained from guides, Teeples IGA and Duck Lake Lodge.
If you plan on fly fishing take a sinking fly line. Not only will it help get your flies down to the fish, it will also help you cast easier in the ever present wind. For flies, look at bringing black and brown leeches in sizes 2-6, scuds, and wooly buggers in an assortment of colors.
One thing is for sure: this country is wild, open and beautiful. It’s hard to find a better view than when fishing in one of 20 lakes that this area has to offer. So take the time to head up north and spend some time fishing on the Blackfeet Nation. I’ve never fished someplace I had a harder time leaving.
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