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| Mating midge swarm on the lower Bitterroot |
Rock Creek: You may want to wait to cut off your nymph rig until you actually see rising fish here. I'd bet money that some BWO's and march browns float by and interrupt your nymphing. Along with the regular winter nymphs, incorporating baetis and larger mayfly nymphs on a short leash system can be really fun.
The Bitterroot: The fish in the lower river are keyed into the large sized midge hatch which is occurring daily at noon. These midges are just a bit smaller than BWO's and the hatch is very similar. The mating swarms even look the same (see photo). These midges don't cluster so patterns which suggest a single hatching midge is the only way to go. Yesterday was the first day I observed Skwala adults floating on the surface. It was pretty funny to watch them wiggle through pods of large rising fish and go totally unnoticed! I've noticed Numora in the air and on water and have been hearing those great sounding rises the fish make when they are on to them. The weirdest thing, NO BWO's yet. I've never seen Skwala before BWO's. I hope they still come!
The Clark Fork: The reports from the fly shops are saying that the lower river (below Missoula) is in great shape and that there are good hatches of BWO's and march browns daily. When the Skwala's get going here, it's the real deal. There are 500X more of them and 600X less guide boats, dudes, and fair-weather fisherpeople than on the Root. The Clark Fork is my favorite stream and this is my favorite time of year.
The Blackfoot: If your still looking for winter nymphing, go here. You may see some fish looking up but there are safer bets for finding dry fly opportunities right now.
Area Lakes: Beavertail Pond, Frenchtown Pond, and the secret bass pond are mostly thawed. Detailed reports will come soon...
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