Carroll College Students Float the Mighty Missouri River

On Sunday, April 30th, Carroll College students and the Carroll Outdoor Program (CAMP) leaders floated and fly-fished the world-renowned Missouri River! We paddled 6 miles from Craig, MT, to the Dearborn Ramp. We had the best weather of the year, with temperatures in the high 70s, and minimal wind. Our trip had 21 participants who filled three rafts and four drift boats provided by the CAMP program, friends of Carroll students, and the local fly shop. The group ranged from first-year students to seniors, and had varying levels of experience, with some people having never fished before while others were frequent fishermen. The event was a great learning experience for everyone because, even among the experienced fishermen, most had never rowed before, so the whole group got to do something new!  

For the leaders of the trip, the day started around 8 am when we prepped all of the fly-fishing equipment and boats and loaded our trucks with the gear. The participants began showing up right around 9 am, and the energy was high due to the gorgeous weather. After a beautiful drive through the canyon to Craig, we got to the boat put-in, got everything prepped and ready, and took off down the mighty MO. Each one of our boats had one experienced fisherperson to ensure that all the participants would learn how to catch fish. Almost every one of our boats hooked a fish, and one brand new fisherperson landed their first brown trout! Overall, it was an amazing day with great people eager to be outside after a long winter in Montana. We hope this trip has inspired participants to continue to get out and explore the great outdoors, and we look forward to future National Park Trust Trips!