My recent experience of flyfishing on the Blackfoot River contained a lot of firsts. It was my first visit to Western Montana. My first trout catch (I grew up fishing for bass.) My first guided fishing trip (Koahl, our guide, was fantastic!) And the first item crossed off my bucket list since my heart decided to act a little wonky.

I loved it and so did my traveling partner.

We met our guide around 7:30 at the Stray Bullet Cafe in Ovando. Then we travelled to the put-in site and were on our way in the cool crisp air. Koahl gave us a lesson in casting, and I caught my first fish just minutes after our start. We mostly landed cutthroat trout, admired them, then returned them to the river.

Our guide was great at insisting we stop occasionally to look at the views. Our float drifted through forests, canyons and even pastures. Osprey and Eagles dominated the sky. The clear waters yielded white fish and trout below. No deer, elk or bears were spotted on the riverbanks this trip.

The canyons were the most striking. So, I briefly traded my fishing pole for my camera. But not for long. Fishing is in my blood.

Tourism is a key industry for this part of Montana. On our flight to Bozeman, passengers were either headed to the mountain streams to fish, or Yellowstone National Park. We plan to see both but were anxious to start fishing as Yellowstone will be a repeat trip.

New experiences always start with anticipation and questions. Will we catch any fish? What do we need to bring? What will we eat? Our only regret was the fishing was limited to just six hours. Well, and the big trout that got away. Everything else was fantastic and just what we had hoped for. Thank you Koahl for being such a wonderful guide! And to Pro Outfitters. The day trip was quite successful. Next time we will book a longer excursion.