Northwest Reel Life January - February 2024 Volume 3 Issue 4 - Flipbook - Page 26
The attraction looks around
360 degrees and has all
the amenities you’d expect:
a bathroom, parking,
informational signs,
and posters. But, more
importantly, there are the
sights. Mountains, that from
below looked ominous,
are now eye level and
expansive. On a clear day,
like the one we thankfully
had when we made the
journey, that allows you to
see for miles. The funny
thing about being at the
point is my lack of memory
about the people or
whatever else was going
on.
I know there were other
cars in the parking lot and
people walking around
the trails, but I really can’t
remember any of them.
The calmness of the
moment and realization of
these breathtaking views
is something I’ll keep with
me. Even in these moments
where modernization
blends, crosses over, and
cheapens the outdoor
experience, it’s still easy to
find ourselves appreciating
what the outdoors can do
for us.
Ok, let’s bring it back to
fishing, just slightly. The
Bighorn Canyon sits in
the heart of the Crow
Reservation in Montana’s
26 | NWFISHING.net
eastern third of the
state. The area is simply
gorgeous. It doesn’t hurt
that the area produces
some of the highest quality
trout you can find, as is
the case in many of the
Blue-Ribbon Montana
waterways. For the hiking
or ATV enthusiasts, you’ll
want to stop at Pryor
Mountain, as the Bighorn
Canyon offers a few trails
along the way, but the area
primarily runs along the
Bighorn River. A few fishing
trips with a close friend of
mine will always draw me
back to the area and the
peacefulness I experienced,
with one memory,
particularly in mind. Did
I mention the canyon is
incredible? It really cannot
be understated the jagged
edges of the cliffs and the
deep red colors slowly
fading to a subtle yet
muted granite. The water is
a pristine blue. Seemingly
untouched and calm as
glass. We nearly had the
canyon to ourselves except
for a few families enjoying
the day on the water and
some kids fishing from
the dock. My buddy in fact
complimented the kids on
their small bucket of fish
they had accumulated and
in turn, they gave him the
lure they’d been using. It
was a fun little exchange
and was nice to see that
kids can still be thoughtful.
And of course, we used the
lure and caught some of
our own! We put my boat
in the water and didn’t
travel too far from the dock,
maybe a few hundred
yards into a nice rocky hole
that was loaded with bass.
We trolled around slowly
to different bays within the
river for a few hours and
continued to pull out solid
sized fish. The kind of fish
that makes you appreciate
being outdoors with a
consistent bite and decent
weight behind them. All
the while, talking about
work, family, plans, and
