Big Browns at McCoy's Spring Creeks

An old timer from McCoy's Spring Creeks

Steve Bielenberg may just have the best job in the world. Bielenberg is the manager of McCoy Spring Creeks. McCoy’s is a phenomenal spring creek fishery, located a few miles north of Dillon, Montana. Compared to the world famous spring creeks like Armstrong’s Depuy’s and Nelson’s, McCoy’s is the new kid on the block. Thanks to visionary environmental land stewardship, started over a decade ago by former owner Poncho McCoy, the ranch’s two creeks Fox Island and Big Meadow offer classic spring creek fishing for extremely large rainbows and browns. For the price of a good game of golf you can have an entire stretch of a Beaverhead valley spring creek to yourself. Present owner, Clif Inge has picked up right where the McCoy’s left off, continuing on with in-stream restoration and habitat enhancement work. We were fortunate enough to get the full meal deal at McCoy’s and thanks to our generous hosts; we had the entire ranch to ourselves. Not only that, but Steve gave us the tour. A former guide, Bielenberg introduced us to the ranch’s numerous big trout that freely rose to the morning’s PMD hatch. In every hole 6 or 7 giant snouts would softly rise to intercept size 18 sulphur coloured duns from the creek’s glassy currents. Once a guide, always a guide so no matter what we did, we couldn’t convince Steve to grab a rod and join in the fray. He was content to walk the banks of the creek, film crew in tow, regaling us with humorous stories as we looked for rising fish or as Steve called them “players”. It was more like fishing with an old friend then being shown the ropes at a new venue. We educated a couple of trophy sized browns and got schooled by many more. We got some great footage at McCoy's and thanks to Steve and Clif for sitting down with us for interviews. When it was all said and done and time for some post fishing pops, we retired to Steve’s streamside office and sat on the deck enjoying the view of the ranch and few of Steve’s “house beer”, Miller High Life. When I die, IF I go to heaven…….. I’ll be in Montana, probably fishing at McCoy’s.
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