Fishing a Montana Ghost Town (Tenkara Fly Fishing) 

Just a reminder to not post location names in the comments 😁

I'm from the flathead valley of Montana and I know exactly where this is and thank you for requesting that no one share the location. Social media call outs have ravaged many of my once pristine and isolated spots. Good on you my friend.

Nice to see a stream out west with an untouched cutthroat population. Thanks for sharing.

I have seen, I think, the majority of you tenkara fishing videos, and I have learned a lot. I've enjoyed every single minute of them all. Absolutely fabulous job. Keep em coming 😊

I think this is one of the prettiest streams that you've fished. It really looks like the Freestoner stream in the mountains here in PA. Sandy bottom with lots of stones. Gorgeous.

Amazing how resilient fish can be. I’ve never caught fish nearly as quickly as you do.

What a beautiful creek

Former mines (placer activity) are not problematic at this point. I would say the opposite, that someone in the 19th Century built a spring creek out of igneous rock. The porosity of the material allows for a thermal exchange, where water flows thru the mountain instead of over the soil. The porosity contributes to the area being kinda snake-laden, in my opinion. Sometimes the placer mining activity is ideal because the canyon wall would otherwise meet the other canyon wall mid-stream, at times it is not possible to do more than hear the water, or your have to walk on nymphs and spawning redds. Most of these mining works are barely visible, until you profile the landform with shaded relief in a GIS /GPS app.

We've had probably more fish kills from algae, than mining. Tons of heavy metals are settling in reservoirs. We get arsenic drinking water from agriculture, really! Activity in the rhizosphere allows acid to chemically weather the rock, freeing nutrients that feed plants, composting, mulching, and manuring allows it to accumulate over time.

I wouldn’t worry too much about mining from that long ago adversely affecting the water quality and the fish. Nature has a tendency to eventually heal herself. Just go to SW Colorado! Old (and some still operating) mines everywhere, but the fishing is great!

I always think about cooking up the fish you’ve caught. However, a creek that goes through mine tailings does not make me salivate. I’d be letting them go too.

Where I grew up several creeks are 'known' by the locals to be 'toxic' and no one fished them, used to be GREAT fishing with big lunker bows.... that water flushed out the junk 100 years ago.... LOL even here in Missoula some people say the trout are inedible here..... Horse Biscuits !!! Missoula trout are YUMMY !!!

Beautiful stream. Nice fish!!!!

What a pretty little creek! Gorgeous fish.

Wow cool 😂! Love watching these creek videos and trying to figure out how to paint a realistic flowing water picture interesting mental exercise

Awesome place, fished that creek before. Got pics if my girls sticking their heads out the diamond window!

If you’re ever in Colorado along the I-70 corridor east of the Eisenhower tunnel, take the Bakersville exit, (2nd exit east of the tunnel). Park on the south side after crossing the creek, there is a dirt lot on the left after the creek. Walk down stream on the dirt road about 50 yards and there will be a small set of falls just in front of a house. Start below this and work up, there are a lot of cutthroats in this creek.

I recently decided to try Tenkara fishing and came across your videos and their fantastic. This video combines two of my favorite past times, fishing and ghost towns. I also purchased some of your yarn to tie some flies and found your tying video channel, will you be making any more tying videos?

Another awesome video well done some really nice fish

It's sad that my favorite part of this ghost town burned down a while back

That little creek can surprise you and down below can be quite good as well.

Tristan, once again thanks for taking us along! What an interesting stream. Imagine if those buildings could talk. Especially the one that wound up in the creek!

It amazes me how many people used to live in such extreme and excluded places, with each having its own unique stories. I always wonder the roll of fish in small streams for each mining towns.

I fish two streams ( becks as they are called here in Yorkshire) within walking distance of my house. The larger of the two is slightly smaller than the one you fished here and runs through abandoned 19 century lead mine workings. they meet below the workings. Both are full of brownies about the size of the fish in your video. Water from the mines still runs into the streams but the fish are thriving.

As a fly tier, I appreciate the little thumbnail you share showing the kebari you’re using that day. Always look forward to these adventures you share - they never disappoint!

great video Tristan. these cutthroat are gorgeous. thanks for sharing.

What a cool creek. I love how much fun you are having. Thanks for sharing

Thanks for sharing Tristan.

I’ve been anticipating this fishing video as it is on the heels of the previous ghost town video. This was a nice trip for you. Thanks for sharing.

Bro, true craft fisherman with the barb-less hooks.....love it!!

The Ocoee River and the surrounding countryside in Tennessee was ravaged by mining, but it has recovered to the point that you can catch some nice smallmouth bass in it. That gives me the belief that this creek could hold trout downstream of town. Edit: the Ocoee is not exactly a hidden blueline, so I don't see a problem with naming it.

Great area! Just moved to the Cuchara/La Veta area and the old la veta pass ghost town is very cool. Starting to add tenkara to my gravel biking. I'm not doing very good yet, lol. But super fun! Thanks, now I have binge your videos for some technique 👍

Tristan, if you are not sure if the creek holds fish due to pollution, the first place to check is under the rocks for insect life. No bugs, no fish

THANK YOU for sharing

I stumbled across your videos a short time ago and became intrigued by the Tenkara method. I bought the Dragontail Mizuchi rod for me and my son. We've fished with them twice now and love it. I've since ordered the Mizuchi rod for both of my daughters as well. I have one question for you regarding your videos, why the secrecy? I actually know where this creek is as my son went to college in Montana, but I will honor you request to keep it a secret. But I don't understand all the secrecy, as I would bet the vast majority of your viewers can't or won't be able to go to these places. We live in Colorado, where you recently visited, and I would love to know where you fished here so we could possibly explore some new areas.

Very nice fishing. Thanks for sharing, Tristan. Love the west slope cutts.

Loved the video Tristan!

Just listening to the stream made this video. Thank you.

Beautiful place and beautiful fish! Thanks for sharing!

Very cool video flick. Even when man trashes an area and moves on, nature always finds a way. On another note, that plain jane fly I imagine would tempt many a fish. Mahalo!

A good way of checking if the creek has life in it is to lift a boulder and see what kind of critters live under it.

Great video! Thanks Tris

How does one get started with Tenkara fishing? As a child I both fly and bait fished, but it's been a long time and this equipment is nit readily available in Southern Alberta. Thanks for sharing this. I enjoy watching

Never annoying to let you know I appreciate your efforts! I was surprised as you finding fish in an old mining site..and cutthroat too!

I see, the more upstream you go, the better spots you find. I see you don't have this "just few casts more" fisherman disease 😉 If I were you, I would keep fishing. But as always, great video. Watching you is great pleasure 👍

The small water looks like the east TN creeks I normally fish. Just lacks the laurel canopy that eats flies lol

Once again great video! Could you tell us more about your footwear/waders and traversing approach for fishing these streams? Adding a bit of your tips/tricks/techniques to a future video would be really interesting.

Yay Montana!! Good fishing man. I was at a blue ribbon trout creek the other day and had a blast

Excellent video and what a beautiful place

make me want to get into tenkara fly fishing

What a creek! Congrats on 30k followers. Well deserved!

Not a westslope, west slopes have larger spots and they are super sparse until you get toward the tail

Yeah the toxic areas of mining can be , some what, reversed over a Loooong time. Nice fish and great scenery.

nice video and nice creek. I wonder if on could buy the still standing house and renovate it :D Bet it would be cozy (without all the moskitos ofc!) :D

Beauttiful location and seems like a fun spot to fish.

My Dad would say: "Don't count your hatches, until they chicken out."

Beautiful spot!!

Nice video:)

Those fish do kind of look like aliens.

Simply amazing. I dream about coming to the US one day to catch some beautiful cutthroats in such wonderful places!

Beautiful location!

Great video!

Beautiful location, awesome scenery! Tristan, do you ever worry about bears 🐻 while you are out there?

💕i coul haunt this old town forever😂💕

Another great video 👍

Man! I need to get a Montana fishing license!

Dont u have one them Bug Blue Blocks that u can put on the backpack ? We have em here in sweden they are pretty handy to have outdoors

I'm new to your channel and really liking it. Do you ever use reverse hackle flies?

Comparing the spot pattern’s on the multiple cutthroat’s you caught they appear to be multiple species.

Love your videos! Do you have any content around the setup and cameras you use? If not would you mind sharing?

Pretty gorgeous for an “ecological disaster” lol. Ignore those 3 eyed trout 🤣.

Hello Tristan, I was just wondering about the choice of your flies. How and why an specific fly for a specific place? How do you choose them? Thanks

Do you ever keep any of your fish to eat? Also are you an NPS ranger?

Enjoy your videos, looks like an amazing place. What size hooks do you use?

Have you ever fished that rod before.

You mentioned barbless hooks. What brand and sizes to you buy?

Sir, thanks for the great video yet again. Could you elaborate on the size fly you are using?

i mean 2 inches is pretty big, above average i think

👍👍

After you cast many times with no luck, when do you decide to change flies? How do you decide that there are either no fish, or that the fly is not what the fish want?

nice video,keep going the good work! l upload fishing videos in my channel too!

Stunning mountain stream.