Bigfork Montana Fly Fishing – River Report 4/20/11

Nice Flathead cuttbow on a skwala dry from today.

 General Outlook: The graphs are all on the drop or flat and the rivers are all in good shape. It looks like the next several days are going to be cool enough to keep the rivers from coming up. You better get out and enjoy some dry fly fishing while you can, run-off is around the corner. 

Blackfoot:Nymphing and streamer fishing will be a good bet. Stonefly nymphs followed by a prince or sjw should be all you need. Slow trolling streamers on a tip should connect with some fish too.
Fly Patterns:Girdle bugs, db Stones. SJWs, general beadheads, Glo bugs, buggers / streamers 

Lower Clark Fork: Stable flows and fishing well. A skwala foamy with a deep dropper in the prince /g-bug/ sjw variety will be a good way to start. Tandem nymph rigs through the deep seems and deep back eddies will find fish. Trolling streamers on a tip should find fish too and is more fun than starring at a bobber if you can’t get them to eat the dry.  BWOs and March browns should appear in the afternoon so keep your eyes open for risers.  A skwala trailed by a p-tail cripple or purple haze chute will work for the rising fish.
Fly Patterns:Girdle bugs, db Stones, prince nymphs, fb p-tails, SJWs, Glo bugs, buggers / streamers, purple haze chutes, p-tail cripples, foam skwala stuff

Flathead: We just got off the Main Flathead and had good fishing. Some nice fish were up on midges and they were more than willing to eat the foam skwalas. Trail a buzzball off the back of your big bug for the midge cluster. The back water eddies and slow deep water is where you’ll find them.  After the bugs died off a tandem nymph rig with a prince & sjw  picked up fish. The river is pretty high but there are plenty of fish willing to play………….you just have to find them.

Fly Patterns: Pats rubber legs / girdle bugs, db epoxy stones, 20 inchers, general beadheads, pink stuff, glo bugs, sj worms in pink or red, buggers, streamers, foam skwala variations, midges, bwos.

Swan: The upper is closed through the 3rd saturday in May. Streamers and nymphs fished slow and deep will be your best bet for the lower river and bay.
Fly Patterns: Pats rubber legs / girdle bugs, db epoxy stones, 20 inchers, general beadheads, pink stuff, glo bugs, sj worms in pink or red, buggers, streamers