Flowing through the outskirts of town, Poindexter Slough could be considered a trout populated suburb of Dillon, Montana. Poindexter Slough glides silently, as smooth as a Formica desktop, from its origins-a mere gurgling in the earth-to its marriage with the Beaverhead. The desktop analogy is no exaggeration; this is a place where you must do your homework. The fish stacked up in Poindexter are also studious, regarding almost every offering with indifference or contempt. But if you're both hardheaded and more than modestly skilled, Poindexter is a compelling puzzle, gingerly probed with 6X and 7X tippets and flies the size of question marks.
As a fishing river, the Jefferson comes and goes with the vicissitudes of the season. Often turbid in spring and summer, during the fall the water clarity increases while temperatures decrease, mustering a flow as wide and uniform as a football field. Fishing there is run and gun-slinging big, hairy streamers to the bank and foam lines while constantly advancing downfield. When the fishing is good, it is very good; and when it is bad…well, on the Jeff, there is always the consolation of history.
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