The Helena independent., 1892-11-25
BIG GAME AND BIG FISH.
Lovers Of Sport Find a Paradise
Along the Great Northern
Extension.
A. Section OF Northern Montana
that Cannot be Duplicated
East of the Rockies
Birds Fish, Hear, Deer and Other Game,
No Snakes and mn Abundance OF
Pure Water.

The scenery, hunting and fishing along
the Pacific extension of the Great North
ern road in northern Montana cannot be
Having spent several months in the coun-
tfy through which the extension runs,
writes corresl ondent of the Forest and
Stream, will try to give you few facts
regarding 1t. The first station at tho foot
OF the mountains on the eastern side is
Midvale, near I wo Medicine river and lake,
in both of which are found speokled and
salmon trout. Ihe country about Mtdvale
is par excellence all that a sportsman could
wish. Birds there are and fish and four
footed gnme-bear, deer and the like, aud
no snakes. An hours ride up in the noun
tains. on a grade not noticeable and as
smooth as prairie road III Iowa or Illinois,
brings us to Summit station. This 10 the
lowest railway pass in the Rocky noun
tains.
Here two streams have their sources.
One, the Marias, flowing east to the Allan
lantic while the other, the Flathead, few
yards away, flows west to the Pacific. Fish
in them? l should say 80. As soon as they
get 200 yards headway fish are plentiful,
you cannot fill II bag or basket. had with
me few dozen Irish trout flies and the
first day was there / tried them. Half a
mile from Summit thers is a little bridge.
began there, and between that bridge and
a culvert at the mile post l caught upward
of fifty speckled trout. some so big
couldn't land them for want of net.
had a man with me, and it gave us as much
as we wanted to do to get them home.
Next day l tried the eastern river. 1t was
| more difficult to fish in, but the trout were
| heavier. l caught three and one-half dozen
and they were beauties. For whipping
| these streams big flies should not be used.
| No. 10 hook is large enough. and green
body, brown-hackle, yellow-partridge. tur-
key-brown and black gnats are the best and
surest killers.
| stayed some time in Bear creek with old
'"Two- Links Ahead" the foreman of &
! track gang. He has rich Munster brogut
and 1t is a positive pleasure to hear hin
| giving orders. The is beautiful timbe
hero, SO straight 1t would make excellen
| masts for small craft. Here, too. is thu
| finest mountain waterain America. Noun
tain upon mountain rise here, and in tht
midst of all is a valley wherein lies tb,
deserted village. the once named MCCARTHY
vile, the track graders home, now giver
over to the coyotes save for two ranchers
From indications placer gold will probabl,
| be found here one of these days.
A bald mountain rises from Bear creek
and on il can be found the finest grous
shooting in the Rockies. Seldom trail
passss down the west side of the Rookie
from Summit to Kalispell that passenge
do not see deer, and occasionally bear
from the car windows. Engine hremen sh
coal at wild game every day. l am toll
that the station agent at Java WAS alarme
one day by the APP earance of three bear
on the platform, and looking himself in
telegraphed to the next station for tn
track gang to return and help him.
From Bolton station the noted Lake Mo
Donald is reached. This is a. beautiful
body of water high up in the mountain
and full of fish. A snow peaked mountai
comes right down to its shores. and in tn
timber big game is found. Indeed, on
need only to go from any station west alon
the line for hundreds of miles and find OF
cellent fish and game resorts.