Bigfork Montana Fly Fishing – River Report

Nice Swan Bow

General Outlook.  It’s been a while since the last report. We’ve had our nose to the grind stone. The fishing has been quite productive despite the heat, wind , and crowds. Getting out early and picking a stretch / river to avoid the traffic is helpful. Get out early or stay out late to take advantage of the cool low light time of the day.

Blackfoot River: Not much in the way of hatches but mid sized foam attractors in the terrestrial format are working well. Small tung bead micro mays, p-tails, holo princes, and any other smallish 16-12 beadhead stuff will work. Cycle through a few to find the one. Dry fly eats are still abundant enough to fish without the dropper but it’s not lights out.
Bugs / Fly Patterns:hoppers, beetles, ants / smaller fuzzies, chubbies, morrish hoppers, fat franks, p-tails, micro mays, caddis poooopas, turds, and worms 

Lower Clark Fork River: Hoppers and foam attractors are still king. 10s and 12s are the size. drop a p-tail, micro may, SJ, or small turd off the back untill the dry fly eats are plentiful enough to clip it.  Water temps are warm so look to the more oxygenated runs. We have had great dropper fishing early in the morning and good hopper eats for a few hours afternoon.
Bugs / Fly Patterns: hoppers, beetles, ants / smaller fuzzies, chubbies, morrish hoppers, fat franks, p-tails, micro mays, caddis poooopas, turds, and worms 

Flathead River: Still fishing well. The forks have been a twink fest while the main stem has seen some nicer fish. All the good water this year has held some nicer fish in the main river a little longer it seams. You have to mix it up with some smaller trailer patterns in some of the areas that hold fish if you want to see some bigger fish eat the dry. Blind fishing a smaller foamy down the the river is still productive too but a dropper will help.
Bugs / Fly Patterns: Terrestrials / small pink morrish, little purple franks, tiny ants, small home brewed foam variations, purple holo prince, golden turd 

Swan River: The fishing up the Swan has varied. The dry fly fishing is mostly a twink fest unless you stay out till dark. If you can stomach fishing subsurface in August you can get a few big ones on streamers and nymphs. If you don’t want to completely dork out with a bobber you can hang a turd off your foamie and get a few bigger fish.
Bugs / Fly Patterns: willies ant, Pink morish, whitecloud hopper, chubbies, fuzzy wuzzies, fat franks,  black / olive / white streamers, PRLs in golden/salmon/black/brown, prince nymphs, SJWs in all flavors, tungsten 20 inchers, DB poxy rubberleg stones.