Beaver Creek Big Hole River
— — the river the grayling never left.
Not only on a wall.
“A small tributary spilling into the Big Hole River in southwest Montana, near the town of Wise River. The Big Hole is a blue-ribbon trout stream and the last river in the lower 48 to hold a native population of fluvial Arctic grayling. The water runs cold and shallow under the willows, with riffles and long flats and a slow drift of mayflies from June into September. The Pioneer Mountains rise to the south. The fishing is catch-and-release for grayling, and the locals are careful with what they tell. — from the studio
Beaver Creek Big Hole River, on ceramic.
Each tile is finished by hand in our Knoxville studio. Artwork is slowly infused into the ceramic surface under high heat and pressure, and rests beneath a thin glossy finish. The colour lives in the surface, not on top of it.
Pick any four 4-inch tiles — National Parks you've been to, a Smokies set, the four seasons of one place. $ for a set of , cork-backed, ready to live on the table.
The place, in three passes.
The Big Hole River drains a wide valley in southwest Montana, flowing roughly 153 miles from the Bitterroot Range to join the Beaverhead near Twin Bridges and form the Jefferson. Beaver Creek is one of many small tributaries entering along the upper river near the town of Wise River, within Beaverhead County. The surrounding country is managed largely by the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest, the largest national forest in Montana. The Pioneer Mountains rise to the south, and the West Big Hole Range stands to the west. The river is internationally known for its trout and grayling.
The Big Hole is the last river in the contiguous 48 states with a native, naturally reproducing population of fluvial Arctic grayling, a species otherwise found in the lower 48 only in lake forms. Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks designates the river as catch-and-release for grayling throughout the year, and special regulations also apply to the wild trout. The water runs cold, shallow, and clear through the upper river, with classic riffle-and-flat structure. Salmonfly hatches in mid to late June draw anglers from across the country.
Fishing season on the Big Hole runs year-round, but the river fishes best from late May through October. Runoff typically clears by the second week of June, in time for the famous salmonfly hatch on the upper river. In hot, dry years Montana FWP imposes hoot-owl restrictions on the lower river, closing afternoon angling when water temperatures climb above 73°F. Autumn brings cooler water and the willows along Beaver Creek turn gold by the last week of September. Winter access is limited; ice forms in the slower runs.