Rare Montana Whitefish! Catch a glimpse

When you walk across the river you see rainbow and brown trout darting out of your way. And if you're lucky and a little stealth you might also catch a fleeting glimpse of the rare and elusive Montana Whitefish! If you are lucky! Rick and I have caught numerous rainbow and brown trout, but Whitefish are so rare that I've only been able to catch 2 Whitefish in the last 2 months and Rick has only caught 3 Whitefish. I was able to snap a couple quick photos of the last Whitefish I brought to the net.

Whitefish are in the same family as trout and salmon and they're not really rare. They live in the same cold rivers and lakes as trout. They are a silver color and their fins appear blue-gray in contrast to their body. Their scales are much larger than a trout and their mouths are much smaller. One of the reasons I believe they are hard to catch is that their mouths are soooo small and delicate. Some fisherpeople might not classify Whitefish as a gamefish, but they put up a mighty fight if you are lucky enough to hook one. They seem to hang out in certain areas of the river and some say they like bead head flies. They do rise to take dry flies and I think they produce more of a splash than a trout. Others may not agree with me, but I think they fight like a bonefish. They have lots of bones and some like to smoke them in a fish smoker. (you know what I mean! Smoked fish.) They are an interesting fish that for many years has had a bad name. In some rivers they are so prolific that fishermen have been known to give them the "Montana handshake" which landed the Whitefish far up on the bank and unable to get back into the water. They do smell (OK, they stink!), but they are a powerful fish that will give you a good run and a head-shaking fight to get off your line -- if you are lucky enough to get one on your line you will know they are a gamefish.