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2008 Western Montana Fly Fishing Reports written by the guides of A Classic Journey Outfitters
September 17, 2008, Missoula Mt Fly Fishing ReportIts buggy and we have lots of water. This has been one of the most consistent falls I have seen. All our off banks are in perfect shape and the obvious stuff is getting enough bio mass to stay up. So lots of heads on the little flies and still a hearty hopper bite. A few Brownies have moved into pre-spawn mode and it will build up from here as we ease into October. Bitterroot - 500 cfs at Darby. That is Ice Cream in the whole drainage. Hoppers have been solid. Mahogonies and Baetis in prospecting mode have been paying the bills. Clark Fork - All the hand wringing about the Dam removal is over. She is roaring back to life with the missing hatches of the last 3 years cranking. I don't know that there is a bad choice on this river right now. Blackfoot - Not bad, but a little inconsistent. Should be a great streamer bite right now, but we have had to make it go on little flies to get the big ones to eat. Missouri - Just about ready. Soon it will be the morning rip, rip, and then afternoon sip, sip. When Blue Wings get in over there its just exceptional. A week away from magic. Tight Lines, Joe Cummings
August 19, 2008, Missoula MT Fly Fishing ReportThe light drops off my shoulder as the
sun starts to slink southward. Every year I will have a day
when I feel the Fall come in, this year August 3rd it jumped on
me. The noon light just doesn't bear down any more
and the shadows start to lenghen on first banks to darken. Just
a little hint of color is trickling through the cottonwoods.
So its 3x, short leaders, big bugs and
twitch a hopper time in Missoula. It has been going for a
bit and they are charging the big bug right now. The water is up,
cold, and our trout are very happy. First time in 5 years I am
not writing about fires and closures.
Clark Fork - Up, Middle,
and Lower let it rip. Hoppers with legs up ahead of the boat
and hold on. Tricos have just hinted at coming in, this week? Traffic
has been non-existent and trout dumb to the dry.
Blackfoot - When you are clean of the
tubers it has been better than expected. Good hopper fishing
for nice sized cutthroats, still haven't seen the browns turn on
yet but its coming
Bitteroot - Solid across
the board. Still some PMD cripple game to be played up there and
beettles are part of the big fish menu. They are calling
for rain this week, so a Hecuba day is brewing. Size 10 Green
Para Wulfs are a sneaky play.
Missouri - Not so special
right now. You can go and be king one day of mind blowing pig fishing
with hoppers, the next its a weedy blank stare. We generally
don't show up back over there until later in September when baetis
comes and weeds lighten up.
July 30, 2008 - Missoula MT Fly Fishing ReportThe Missouri is RIPPING right now.
Things have gotten a little weird lately
in Missoula. Fishing conditions are a bit inconsistent. Either
you get them great or you fight it. It is as if the system
is sputtering as PMDs and Caddis exit and Hoppers/Tricos come in
slowly. Usually by Aug. 1st hoppers are rolling and the
happiness has returned.
Clark Fork - This has
been the oddest so far. Sometimes they feed in the early
morning, sometimes late. Its been hard to predict, but with
this year's flow by middle of next week it will be hopperiffic.
Yes that is a word. Upper River is ready all the way up?
Blackfoot - Not my favorite river, but
he crew has been doing pretty dang good up there lately. Hoppers,
Hoppers, Hoppers.
On a twitch?
Bitterroot - Upper is busy but lots of
fish eating smaller dries. Lower and Mid is off again on again. Sometimes
risers, sometimes a blank stare. Sometimes they eat it all
day and you are king of the 'Root. Beetles and Small hoppers?
Misssouri - Bug Soup and lots of heads
up. Go there fish, return with a smile, and a full memory
card. Tricos are in.
July 16, 2008 - Missoula MT Fly Fishing ReportIts happy, happy, happy, trout and anglers
right now. All our water is in shape
and our fish our up on top. The boats can spread
out over the 350 miles of Missoula water and be solitary again. It's
nice when the only fly you see is your own. Late
July last year was unpleasant, this year it's exceptional.
Bitterroot - Top to bottom
good. Drakes
in the morning have been the best bug, and some days they seem
to eat it all day. A few bigger fish are up on goldens and
PMDs as well - so they have been the searcher rigs. The fussing
fish have been taken with shallow #14 caddis or PMD droppers in
the film.
Clark Fork -
Finally my homewater is back in shape. The whole thing is clear
with goldens in the soft stuff being steady and the evening feast
of caddis and PMD's being the highlight.
Blackfoot - Attractor/dropper
with a twitch to take them on top. Sneaking around with double cripple or
double spinner rigs can be the trick. I wish they would outlaw
bobber nymph rigs up there, but they will catch a the most fish
and you don't have to be the best caster to have a great day.
Missouri - It dropped in and you should
to. Bug soup! PMDs and Caddis are the
staples, but now they are looking up you can reach in your Missouri
Weirdo dry box and find the exploiter bugs that they lock into. Exceptional
dry fly fishing right now!
June 30, 2008 - Missoula MT Fly Fishing ReportPut the bobber rigs away and starting looking for snouts! The Drop is on and Runoff is over. All our Missoula water across the board is falling into premium shape. Dry fly fishing is rolling on the Blackfoot, Upper Bitteroot, and soon to be the evening rise on the Clark Fork. No more shady water clarity and nymph fishing. Push the dry and hold on. This usually happens around 3rd week of June, so it will be a treat this year with all of July having big flows of falling water. Our trout have been treading in heavy water, so they'll be dumb and hungry when they can finally relax and feed. Rock Creek - First 8 casts on Friday were a fish, and the carnage ensued. Goldens, Salmonflies, Caddis, Sallies, BUG SOUP and awesome. Floating ends tommorrow, if you missed it sign up early for next year. Bitterroot - Upper River is great on dries and middle is coming into shape. Water clarity is excellent and the whole system should puke hatches by the 4th. Blackfoot - Salmonflies and Goldens are the treats on top and turd dropper has been the ticket underneath. Yes a "Turd", its a funky little stonefly nymph pattern they have ben hankering for lately. Clark Fork - Almost time to start sneaking around at dark. Rumors of the Caddis blitz starting have the night owls floating late and smiling at the empty boat ramps. Missouri - Nymphing is better than great, but dries have been restricted to the evenings. When they turn off the dam volume it is going to be a dry fly fiesta.
June 18, 2008 - Missoula MT Fly Fishing ReportThe BUG is in. The orange monster of the insect world is on the willows and we all know what that means. It is still big water and I strongly recommend you don't head out in a boat unless you are very experienced on the oars. Book a guide - its worth the safe ride, plus you get to whack some trout and eat a great lunch. Rock Creek - We are in peak Salmonflies along
the whole creek. Big flows so it has to be tight to get bit,
but they are looking for it.
Bitterroot - The whole thing is big water
nymphing with the boats in the know catching, and not in the know not
even coming close. You will have to open your mind up to get
them to eat. West Fork has Salmonflies and they are up on top. Its
VERY technical boating be careful.
Blackfoot - SOOOO close. 1-5 days it
will happen.
Clark Fork - Not ready yet.
Missouri - Deep nymphs behind
the bushes catches some Hogs. 4 days ago the first 5 fish
of the day went
20, 17, 24, 20, 23. Wow! No dry fly fishing, but dang.....
June 6, 2008 - Missoula MT Fly Fishing ReportIt has been fishing big water across the board. This bodes extremely well for the July and August swing. Traditionally those times of year are the most stable and reliable summer months. It is only in the last few years with low snowpack and heat that they had become tricky. This is the year to come back to the cold water and extended chop lines to push fat hoppers in the mid and late summer. What is happening RIGHT now - There is some excellent fishing, but it is pretty much from a boat. DO NOT VENTURE ON ANY OF THE MISSOULA WATER UNLESS YOU ARE A SKILLED EXPERIENCED OARSMAN. Rock Creek - Fishing exceptional underneath in front of the Salmonfly hatch. Salmon flies are in, but sporadic at the moment, will improve. Yellow Streamers have been the ticket tight to the bank. Missouri – Big and weird. If you don’t have a guide, FORGET IT. An experienced guide will have you going home with one of the best fly fishing days in your life. 10,000 cfs at the Dam makes the side channels and swirlies happy, happy, happy. Clark Fork - Way up top is good, Down low is very bad. Hatches are around, but still a streamer game. Bitterroot – West and East fork are fishing, main stem not ready yet, but close. Watch your log book for flow markers. This one is going to come in before anyone thinks it will. Its not clarity, its flow and temp right now. Blackfoot - A long way to go and is curently a muck hole. Pass.
May 19, 2008 - Missoula MT Fly Fishing ReportWe are in runoff mode so if you choose wrong
it is a muckhole tree-spitter. Choose right and its pretty good.
Bitterroot - Resembles the Mississippi.
Clark Fork - Bottom is gone, way up top it
is fishing on streamers and some dries.
Rock Creek - Gone. But Salmonflies have been
spotted on the lower river and this will clear quickly. Next week?
Black Foot - Refer to the Bitterroot for Conditions.
Missouri - DING, DING,
DING. You have
made the correct choice. The river is puking bugs right now.
Caddis and Blue Wings top the list. The nymph rigs are rolling
with the right depth and profile and they have been coming up great
on on dries on the lower two-thirds.
April 28, 2008 - Missoula Local Waters ReportHere 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 ReportThe 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, 2008Skwalas 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.
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Five Great Reasons to try Montana Fly Fishing with Classic Journey Outfitters:
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.
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