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2008 Western Montana Fly Fishing Reports written by the guides of A Classic Journey Outfitters

Montana Fly Guide Brooks Jessen with a huge rainbow

April 28, 2008 - Missoula Local Waters Report

Here comes the Missouri!  We are just wrapping up the Missoula Spring game as the warm temps will begin to push snowmelt.  Maybe a week left in Missoula? We generally move our May trips over to the Missouri. Weeds are low, traffic is slow, rainbows are on the post spawn feed and the Dearborn opens up May 16th.  It's "Whack 'Em" kind of month on the Mo'.
 
Bitterroot - The full complement of hatches is going - Skwalas, Mach Browns, Olives, and Mother's Day Caddis.  Probably won't last much longer. We still have some snow to get through.
 
Clark Fork - Lower river is the same short term gig as Bitterroot, but the upper River above the Little Blackfoot is a very cool option as the bigger water moves in to let us get boats down.  It's a different kind of streamer game, but you can find some slammers with a bugger.
 
Rock Creek - This one clears the fastest and generally is ready to go by late May. Salmonfly watch is close upon us.
 
Blackfoot - See you in June. Water temps looked great yesterday. Maybe an incredible day of streamer fishing right before she blows out?
 
Missouri - Come fish me with your dries, nymphs, and streamers.  Lean on a 18 lightning bug and wait for the critters to start chasing daytime Mother's Day caddis.  May is great month out here.

April 7, 2008 - Missoula Local Waters Report

The Montana fly fishing season started off colder than we had seen for quite a while. Skwalas still came on schedule and on the warmer days they ate it good to excellent. We did go out on a few of the colder -ice in the guides- days and although we did well nymphing the dry fly bit was hesitant under about 40 degree air temp.  Currently warm weather has been the norm and our water is in good shape and fish have been looking up hard.  Look for that to hold  until late this month, and then we have a bunch of snow to work through. It looks as if the Missouri is going to refrain from run-off, so May should be a slammer month of fishing with the rainbows coming back in a post spawn feeding mood. So lots of options again this spring, but fairly soon the Missouri and upper drainage games will be the bailout as the lower snow goes.
 
Bitterroot - Skwalas, Blue Wings, March Browns have been getting them up and cloudy warm days have been exceptional. A single dry and let 'er rip. Overall fishing is an A+
 
Clark Fork - They breached the dam which threw some sediment early, but the last week it has been pretty good. The water is off color, but they are still eating it. Maybe a little more sun sensitive than usual, but not bad.  Skwalas, Blue Wings, March Browns.  Upper River has been good to excellent.  Grade: B+
 
Rock Creek - Top to Bottom fishing great. Afternoons has been about dry flies and the morning nymphing has been excellent. Grade: A.
 
Blackfoot - Cold.  Maybe a sneaky game for the slow moving slop rig? Grade: C???
 
Missouri - Midge, Bugger, Worm, Lightning Bug,  Sing with me now - Midge, Bugger, Worm, Lightning Bug.  Grade: B+ when the wind is down.

March 18, 2008

Skwalas are in and the eat on top for 2008 has begun. The traditional spots of the Mid Bitterroot and Lower Clark Fork are the centers and the hatch will grow outward from there until mid April when the whole system will be lit. More so than any other hatch is the ability to plan your boat timing in your drift and what section you will concentrate on. That morning decision will be the difference between a few fish and an onslaught of dry fly eats.  Watch your USGS flows like a hawk and try to get settled into  mid drift/off water timing when you plan your day.
 
Bitterroot - The next 30 days will be the most consistent with the large ammount of snow we have.  As usual the bugs started over the spring channels first with the slammer browns finding them immediately. The whole river will be a viable option for Skwalas.
 
Blackfoot - Cold.  Maybe a slowmoving slop rig in 3 weeks.
 
Rock Creek - Upper River is nymphing great with some decent cutthroats up on Midges in the afternoon.  I really do love the upper creek this time of year for the afternoon wade trip.  Tough to beat that waking for the Spring beauty of the Creek.
 
Clark Fork -  St. Regis, Superior, have been producing sporadically early.  But by March 25th it will be bug soup, with a great early push of chunky #16 Olives and sporadic Grey Drakes.
 
Missouri - Midge, Bugger, Ray Charles.  Repeat Midge, Bugger, Ray Charles. Repeat .....   Not fishing bad, but tough to give up the Missoula dry fly gig right now.

 

 

Five Great Reasons to try Montana Fly Fishing with Classic Journey Outfitters:

  • float or wade day trips on five world-class rivers: Blackfoot, Clark Fork, Rock Creek, Bitterroot, and Missouri River
  • the finest dry fly fishing in Montana
  • MIssoula's best professional guide service with 70 combined years of experience
  • fun, friendly and courteous guides that enjoy their work and Montana rivers
  • lodging and gourmet meals can be arranged by request

Outfitter Joe Cummings #9438

Missoula is the world's best rising fishing complex. No where else can you push a dry fly with utter confidence starting in March and never have to go beneath the surface again until November.

Look in our guide boats. You won't see strike indicators and double beaded nymph rigs rigged up in the rod holsters ready to be handed off to our guests. You WILL see many concoctions of different dry fly patterns that fool trout, such as: parachutes of all shades, CDC on scud hooks, spinners, snowshoe emergers, Wulffs, Trudes, Big Foamies, Little Foamies, Feth Hoppers, Half Down Stoneflies, Low Pro Stones, and some secret guide flies that just seem to make them eat it. So if you want to SEE trout come to your fly, then Missoula Fly Fishing is for YOU!


A Classic Journey Outfitters
4034 O'Shaughnesy Street
Missoula, MT, 59808
joe@classicjourneyoutfitters.com
Phone Toll Free (888) 327-7878
In Montana (406) 327-7818

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