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| Rainbow in downtown Missoula |
Some of the best fishing up there is during this time of the year. It's all about the right flies up there. They want pink tailwater stuff right now. Midge stuff, pink scuds, eggs, and the sot hackle sow bug rules here! I had a 40 fish day up there last week with many of those nice browns running over 18" in length. There were midges and i noticed one rise but nothig in the way of solid dry fly fishing yet.
The Clark Fork (around Missoula):
Water levels are down to where accessing the good winter runs is not a suicidal act. The water is still cold and there is not a lot going on yet. I dredged up a few right in downtown yesterday. Normally, at this time of the year, the CF has been nymphing great for months and is starting to pop BWO's. Not this year. I did notice some rises to the midges yesterday. They were too few and far between for me to cut the nymph rig off. Flies that work include: Smaller rubber leg stones in brown/green, worms, big prince and pheasant tails nymphs, eggs. Fish the slow winter runs still.
The Bitterroot (lower)
For the most part, you wont see me fishing the upper Bitterroot. It can look like the Salmon River in NY up there these days and I don't go fishing to hang out in a crowd. I do fish the lower river consistently though. It is a different beast and most fishing reports don't give it enough attention. I hope to shine some light on it. The water is still big but it is clear and green. The nymphing is fantastic right now. I caught lots of huge pre-spawn rainbows and some great browns on the soft hackle sow bug trailed below a rubber leg stone. This river is normally on fire this time of year. The trout haven't even got going on the midges yet this year. Normally, they'd have been eating them on top since Feb. then weeks of BWO's followed by all the big bugs and the crowds. It is still a total nymph game right now, but not for long. Stonefly nymphs that look like skwala, worms, eggs, midges, baetis nymphs, and the soft hackle sow bug rules here!
Rock Creek
If you don't mind throwing nymphs, specifically egg patterns, you can have a life changing day up at the creek right now. Just be sure to know what a redd looks like and stay the fuck away from it!! The big Clark Fork rainbows and cutts are staging in the lower reaches and their brown friends are right behind them getting ready to eat eggs. The chance to catch the fish of a lifetime, all day long is there, but you have to work for it. Nymphing heavy and deep and losing all your flies is the only way to go about it. You have to put in some footwork too. Get away from the other fisherman, commit yourself to a full day and you will catch fish like you never have before. Stonefly nymphs in any size or shape, smaller mayfly stuff, worms, egg patterns, the soft hackle sow bug should be illegal on this stream! Pinch your barbs!
The Blackfoot
The same story as the Clark Fork around Missoula. Still big and cold from the crazy winter. The same nymphs in the same type of water will work.
Area Lakes
I'm excited to have this as part of my report because nobody reports on the lakes and that is just stupid. Western Montana has thousands of awesome lakes and ponds and a ton of elbow room and great fishing. I love to fish still water. I think it can be incredibly hard and fun. So here it is: the area lakes are all still frozen! Of course, but Beavertail Pond is normally open by now. I checked last week and it was still frozen. There was about a foot of thaw at the edge. I'm going back to check on it today. Ice-out in Montana should be declared a state holiday! I'll keep you informed. Once Beavertail goes, the rest follow in perfect succession in relation to their elevation. You will certainly see pictures of big, nasty, steelhead sized, brood stockers on the blog soon. Stay tuned!
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