Summer is here in full force! Hot summer days and cool rivers have been the daily routine. It’s been a bit of a whirlwind around town and the shop the last few weeks. Very very busy to say the least. The fish seem to be rolling with the punches fairly well so far. We have had lots of water this year so the rivers are in good shape hovering around average flows or just above.

Water temps south of town on the Clark Fork are starting to peak above 70 so keep an eye on temps when planning your day. When the forecast is calling for 90s, early morning short days are the answer for the fishing and human comfort in the boat. Hopefully we can get back to some low 80s so we don’t have to wake up before dawn the rest of season. The Flathead is still nice and cool and bankers hours are still the norm.

A variety of tactics will catch fish out there right now. Pick your desired discipline and you should have success. Most prefer dry fly fishing in the middle of summer. A small/midsized foam fly/hopper with a little mayfly or ant off the back is a good combo just about anywhere. Hopper dropper rigs will work of course too. Same old stuff for droppers – all the little jiggy jig stuff like princes, p-tail, hairsears, perdigons, and rubberlegs variations are working. As long as it has a jig hook and UV right?. Oh, and the blasphemous worm if you so dare. We are seeing golden stone shucks on the bank so maybe some nocturnals? A golden stone pattern at first light will get some attention. Hoppers, ants, and beetles are on the menu with the hot weather forecast over the next couple weeks. Can’t believe it’s already August. Spruce moths should be showing soon.

Dry Flies

Hoppers
UV ants
micro chubbs
Stubby chubs
mini henry’s fork Goldens
small purple haze
pmd sparkle duns
pmd quigs
pmd DOAs
pmd sparkle cripple
pmd last chance crips
cdc caddis
Para caddis
true golden
mini stimis
royal wulffs

Nymphs

Tung jig improved 20 inchers
tung Jig perdigons
cdc p-tail jig
hair jigs
prince jig
mini pats jigs
SJWs

Jason Lanier
Latest posts by Jason Lanier (see all)