Fishing the Beaverhead River in June
By: James “Jimbob” Terry
The Beaverhead River is one of the most unique rivers I’ve ever fished and over the past 5 or so years it’s also become one of my favorites. Us Tackle Shop guides especially love it in June when our options become limited due to high water. Being a true tailwater, the Beaverhead doesn’t experience runoff in the sense that many other western rivers do, it also happens to fish damn good in June, so there’s that…
Picture this…. A remote river meandering through scenic mountain meadows with very little traffic and easy to fool fish, an elk bugles majestically in the distance…………. That ain’t the Beaverhead. Instead picture fishing a river that is often about 25-30 feet wide with a technical nymph rig to picky fish, more often than not with great success. There’s quite a bit of angler use, many highway crossings, a few diversion dams, and some huge fish. If you’re up for a bit more technical conditions and rigs, it’s a damn fun time! Nothing compares to fighting an angry twenty-something inch Brown Trout in tight conditions, and the feeling of reward when that bruiser hits the net is huge!
Typically in June, it’s mostly a nymph game on the “Beav”. Your guide will teach you all about rigging and fishing the drop shot nymph rig and make sure you have the right bugs for the day tied on there too. Once you get the hang of the drop shot rig it’s honestly pretty easy living as far as getting good drifts in good water. Expect not only to fish from the drift boat, but also plan to stop and work a few honey holes with your guide to really up that fish count and fishing experience. We’re fortunate at The Tackle Shop to have several guides that are on the Beav frequently, and even a few that live next to it, including the legendary Wes Peterson.
If a change of technique and scenery might appeal to you, consider spending one of your fishing days with us on the Beaverhead River next June! (Or the rest of the summer!)
