Sunrise Fly Shop

Sunrise Fly Shop guides the Big Hole River from Melrose, Montana, on a river that runs about 160 free-flowing miles from the Beaverhead Mountains to its meeting with the Beaverhead at Twin Bridges. The lower reach spreads through ranch land in braided channels, the middle drops hardest through Dewey Canyon and Maiden Rock Canyon, and the upper river slows among conifers and mountain scenery. Access points used include Glen, the Notch, Maiden Rock, Salmonfly, Fishtrap and Jerry Creek, with the Glen to Notch run and the Jerry Creek to Maiden Rock stretch named as floats. Half-day and full-day trips are offered along with customized multi-day vacations, and lunches come with the day. Spring brings skwala stoneflies, blue winged olives and the Mother’s Day caddis; summer runs salmonflies for about three weeks in June, then golden stones, yellow sallies, caddis, pale morning duns, hoppers, spruce moths and tricos; autumn returns to blue winged olives with hoppers and tricos hanging on.

Sunrise Fly Shop also guides half day and full day floats on the Beaverhead River, a tailwater that runs less than thirty minutes from the shop at Melrose. Typical floats put in near Pipe Organ fishing access and run down toward Barretts, with other launches at High Bridge, Axel Hole and the run known locally as The Slick. The river is narrow and willow lined for its whole length, and its cold, steady tailwater flows hold dense populations of brown and rainbow trout.