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Photo: Fishing the scenic Yellowstone River. Courtesy Drew Winterer.

Every angler knows the feeling. The trip has gone longer than expected. You're tired, sick, hungry and wet. All you want to do is get home and get in your own bed. But then a new river appears, with new fish and a different landscape. Even though you're in a hurry, you try a few casts. Clark and his men must have felt this way heading down the Yellowstone River on their return trip. They knew they had to get to the Missouri junction soon, and all the men wanted to do was get back to St. Louis, but they must have been impressed by the Yellowstone River. This spectacular waterway flows unfettered through a half-dozen major mountain ranges and drains a large chunk of Montana and part of Yellowstone National Park in northwest Wyoming. Still free of dams (the Yellowstone is the longest undammed river in the lower 48 states) that have plagued the west since Lewis and Clark's expedition, the river retains much of its historic identity.

Where to Fish Where to fish: The Yellowstone River, Montana How to get there: From Livingston, drive south on Route 89 toward Yellowstone National Park. This road follows the Yellowstone River for over 70 miles, and offers countless access points for the traveling angler. One in particular, however, offers a taste of old-time Montana fishing. Pine Creek is a community 20 miles south of Livingston, on the east side of the Yellowstone River. To get there, take the east side highway (State Road 540, clearly marked 10 miles south of Livingston). This wonderful little town offers everything a fisherman could want: good river access to both a big river (the Yellowstone) and a fantastic little tributary (Pine Creek), a great little bar and restaurant (the Pine Creek Café and Cabins) and a campground right on the river. What to fish for: Famous Yellowstone cutthroat trout. What to use: Good flies are caddis, mayflies, grasshoppers and streamers. Good lures are Big Rapalas, Dare Devils and anything trout colored. For bait use worms, hoppers or maggots. Other resources: A good web page is http://www.yellowstoneangler.com/