Early winter scenes from the lower 'Root

The lower Bitterroot in December

The warm, foggy conditions over the last week have made for some great winter fishing conditions on the local rivers.  Even the Clark Fork has shed most of its shore ice.

No ice - no people

Bitterroot in early winter

Did I mention that there was a solid midge hatch and some fish up on them?  I stuck with the streamer because it is still really effective.  Man, I lost two huge trout yesterday which just about ripped my rod out of my hand.  Sometimes those monster streamer hits can spook you when your not paying attention.

I love walking down a snowy shoreline and the only footprints I see are from the geese, heron, and furry creatures.  

Missoula area fishing report - late October

The East Coast does not have a monopoly on fall colors!

So far it has been a busy fall here at RBM headquarters.  Since I've been back I have taken three sets of people out fishing and finally yesterday, I got to fish Rock Creek until it hurt.  I've been waiting until I fished most of our local options before I wrote a report.

The Clark Fork:  The lower river was amazing last week.  It is one of my favorite places to fish in the fall.  We were still in that sunny, hot spell so the hopper dropper was king.  Those huge Clark Fork rainbows and cutbows were all over it.  Watching those big trout come up from the deep swirlys and slow sip your hopper is just too much fun.  Every type of hopper we used worked with the largest fish succumbing to the Unabomber.  Now that fall weather has arrived, it will be back to a mayfly game.  BWOs, mahoganies and the flies that represent them will catch you fish all day down here.  Look for sippers everywhere along the banks, in the scum lines, and the big swirlys.  Throwing streamers on the lower river in the clouds can also be amazing.

This weekend I had the honor of taking an international visitor, a policeman from Japan, out on a short float through town.  It was the last day of hot, sunny weather and the last of the summer hee-haw's were out in force.  We struggled a bit and even though we had an interpreter, the language barrier was tough.  I owe that guy a big long float down the MO or something.  This stretch of water should improve drastically with the clouds and cooler temps.

The Bitterroot:  The lower end of the 'Root was also slow in the sun and heat of last week.  We did get some nice ones on the hopper dropper rig though.  It was rough because right as things started to get good, the wind came up.  For whatever reason, the fish in the root are very sensitive to the wind as compared with the other streams in the area.  That same float on a cloudy day like today would be a whole different story.  The lower root is a great place to throw streamers in the fall as well.

Rock Creek:  I had been playing guide since I got home from CA so yesterday, I took advantage of the incoming storm and went out to Rock Creek for a whole day of intensive fishing all by myself.  The morning was tough.  It was still sunny and there were dudes everywhere.  I mean everywhere!  Then, the storm came through and all of a sudden, I had the place to myself.  Rain, clouds, October, no wind, and some new wading boots; I was in freaking heaven.  I put on a white bunny streamer and moved so many fish it was unreal.  The big boys were out in force.  I caught some great browns and the large cutts also came out to play.  I fished and covered water until it hurt.  I put in a full ten hour day and limped and moaned the whole way back to the truck in the dark.  I'd been waiting two months to do that!  There were fish up on BWOs and mahoganies but the streamer fishing was too good and exciting to even think about throwing a dry.  Nymphing was really slow, even with eggs.

I'll have detailed reports from the Mo and the Blackfoot soon as well as the upper Clark Fork. 

Smoke is your friend, wind is not

Smokey Missoula

Smoke from fires in Canada, Idaho, and Washington poured into the Missoula Valley late last week.  Just like on drizzly March days, most people see this as a reason to be negative and bitch about life.  And just like on drizzly March days, the fishing is shit-hot.  Smoke works just like the clouds to block the sun which gives our eyelid-less trout friends some shade.  They get shade, reduced visibility by osprey, lower mid-day water temps, the mayflies love it, and more!!

A solid PMD hatch on the lower Bitterroot lasted all through the day on Friday and the forecasted winds did not.  I'm talking, big browns in 6" deep water and great rainbows and cutts all day long good.  Why do browns like PMDs so much and why do they feed like that?  I think it's because they're European - it's like a trout's version of wearing pointy-toed shoes or something.  

It should also be noted that there are some angry trout in the Root that want to destroy your streamer in the morning.

The wind came yesterday and blew all the smoke away.  It will be back sooner or later, whether you like it or not.  

   

Western Montana Fishing Report

Ancient alien monolith near St. Regis

I've been out and about all week and here is the report of what is going on.  The next couple of weeks are going to be the last chance to fish the big rivers for a while.  Once runoff gets going this year, it's going to be especially crazy for some time.

Bitterroot River:
The Root is in full recovery with the flows leveling out and the water clearing.  Today is going to be sunny with some wind.  I'd expect the best fishing will still be with be nymphs or with dry/droppers.  If you do start to see surface feeding and the trout are ignoring your big foam skwala, put on a Goddard caddis for the numora.  Things could get really good on the Root later this week with some clouds.  Hopefully, it wont rain too hard and the river won't get huge again.

Blackfoot River:
I still have yet to fish the Blackfoot this year.  I drove alongside it two days ago and it looked to be shaping back up after the last push of water.  If everything stays stable, the Blackfoot may wake up, for real, in the next couple of days.  You may see an afternoon March brown hatch but a double nymph rig (turd and worm) is the safe play.

Rock Creek:
Rock Creek fished pretty well right through that last push.  Wading safely was more of a concern than anything.  Now that it's on the drop, I'd head that way if I wanted a safe bet on catching some great trout.  At this time of year, especially in the lower reaches, once you find one, keep fishing the same spot because there are probably 10 more right there.  I would also expect some action on top here in the middle of the day. Skwalas and march browns were hatching strong during that higher flow and I'm sure the trout are ready to munch them now.  If my life depended on catching a lot of great trout today, I'd go to Rock Creek.

Clark Fork River (above Deer Lodge):
The release out of the ponds is over.  The flow is right back at the historical mean.  This is also another good fishing option for the next couple of days.  Nymphing and streamers should be productive but keep an eye out for sneaky rise forms in the foam lines.  A very small red/orange wooly bugger can be the bee's knees up here in the spring.

Clark Fork River (below Missoula):
I did a great float yesterday with a former and well known Clark Fork fishing guide and his friend yesterday.  It was a day in the classroom for me.  I love chances to fish with people that are worlds better at fishing than me. Just like with any skilled craft or art, fishing with folks that are better than you is the best way to learn and get better.  The Clark Fork is on the drop overall although, there was a small bump yesterday.  The water has still got a bit of color, but is shaping up.  There was a solid march brown/grey drake hatch in the afternoon but it went mostly unnoticed by the trout.  We were hoping to hit the flying skwala hatch but we didn't even see one big bug.  The hatch must be right on the cusp though because the hot fly was the rubberleggs.  It out-fished the worm so....  During the hatch, the fish were higher up in the water culumn and the dry/dropper rig with a rubberleggs or p-tail/hare's ear dropper worked good.  Most of my fish were caught when the dropper was getting dragged.  I suspect that swinging a size 16-12 soft hackle in some swirlies could be tons-o-fun.  Then, later in the day, the deeper nymph was more effective. 

Area Lakes and Ponds:  
Beavertail is fishing great.  Bring a box of buggers and get to it.  In the next couple of weeks, there will be hatches of really large chrironomids.  They are about a size 16.  The fish target the huge nymphs right as they are hatching. All of the fish are brood stockers and have live thier entire lives in a tank so don't think to hard.  I just grease a hare's ear and give it micro wiggle in the film.  One fun thing that happens at the pond is when there are large flying skwala hatches on the Clark Fork which is just across the highway.  A handfull of the skwalas actually fly over and oviposit in the pond.

Harpers Lake is also fishing great for brood stockers.  They are a bit more picky here than at Beavertail.  I think that the only logical reason for this is that the water is crystal clear and they can see better.  A brown wooly bugger has been the key here.  You'll want to have a boat for fly fishing although, it is not absolutely crucial.  These fish will also eat on top but they are stupid fish so don't over-think it.  I was eating sunflower seeds and spitting the seed shucks in the water.  The huge brood stockers were eating them off the surface.  I guess they look like hatchery pellets.

Browns Lake is currently having some access issues.  The majority of the shoreline (especially where people like to fish on the eastern banks) is private.  I guess the landowners are now enforcing their no trespass rights.  Stream acsess does not apply to lakes, so don't go here if you don't have a boat.        
    

Will You Do The Trick?

This is a great song from Dr Dog's Be the Void album.  If you plan on fishing the streams around Missoula anytime soon, you may need something that does the trick.  It's tough out there right now.

Bitterroot River:
The flow is pretty huge for this time of year.  The river is closed from Woodside to Tucker due to the dangers of that low head dam.  I'm sure you could get into some fish on the Root but your going to need a boat, some nymphs and split shot, and long drive up to the forks area.

Blackfoot River:
Again, you could probably get into some fish here but it will be very difficult.  The Blackfoot is also carrying a bit of color as well.  All standard nymphs and streamers fished on inside bends and right of the banks (if your in a boat).

Clark Fork River (near Warm Springs)
The folks that run the gate opened it up last week.  The water was as big as I've ever seen it there and was carrying a bit of color.  Mill Creek was low and clear.  Weird.  The fishing was tough but I did hook into some giants.  The river becomes pretty silted by the time it gets to Deer Lodge.  Stay tuned to the RBM Chronicles as I will be posting a report on the toxic sediment mediation and bank restoration that is taking place up there and closing part of the river.

Clark Fork (around Missoula)
Huge and colored.

Rock Creek
Even the Creek got huge with the push of flows starting last week.  I bet a bunch of big Clark Fork trout moved on in with these great spawning conditions.  You'd be very limited for fish-able water if your wading but it should shape up soon, I hope.  You can go way up high.

Area Lakes/Ponds
Beavertail is fishing great.  I caught another 30+" rainbow last week and had fun losing others and getting those hits that feel like you stuck into a log.  For fat old hatchery fish, they are really fun to catch.  One of the larger ones I caught actually did a double tail-walk like a brown trout on the MO.  I yelled and laughed, more because I was surprised that the fish could do it, rather than the fact that he did.  You better go to the pond soon though because the bait fishers clean it out quick.  By the time the weather gets warm enough for swimming, Beavertail Pond should only be considered if you are physically handicapped or want to take a kid out.

I don't fish Frenchtown pond and now that it has thawed, I've got nothing to tell you until it freezes in the fall. There's ditch pickles bass in there.

Harpers Lake has to be thawed by now.  I've been meaning to get up there but it has been so windy it hasn't been worth it.  Harpers is managed just like Beavertail so, look for huge brood stock and throw a variety of buggers at them.  Harpers lake is a macrophyte dominated system so it is very clear.  It is also a natural lake and is quite pretty.  It is in a deep pothole so the wind isn't as bad down in there.  Sometimes, when it gets too windy at Browns Lake, Harpers Lake shines as a less windy alternate.

I imagine Browns is ice free too but the wind up there must be horrendous.  You got to fish early before the wind starts.  Browns Lake has always been a bit of a puzzle for me.  I want to work on that puzzle; maybe this week.