Bigfork Montana Fly Fishing – River Report

Sunday Decreasing Clouds Hi 69 °F

Sunday Night Mostly Clear Lo 39 °F

Monday Mostly Sunny Hi 72 °F

Monday Night Chance Rain Lo 43 °F

Tuesday Chance Rain Hi 63 °F

Tuesday Night Chance Rain Lo 40 °F

Wednesday Rain Likely Hi 59 °F

 

General Outlook.  Cooler temps with some moisture should get the mayflies going this upcoming week. Crowds should be dismal and an afternoon window of dry fly fishing should be good fun. Droppers, tandem nymphs, & streamers will start to play a larger role as cooler temps close the dry fly window to the warmest part of the day. We could also see another dose of Indian summer and be throwing foam again. Who knows? 

Blackfoot River: The big foam dry will become more of a bobber as this colder weather moves in. Large cripples with beadhead mayfly droppers are a good bet. The browns and bulls should be fired up and a streamer should get a good yank here and there. Still some good fishing to be had on the Blackfoot.
Bugs / Fly Patterns: October Caddis, Hecubas, mohos, bwos / smaller fuzzies, Large parachute hazes, mayfly cripples from #18-#8,chubbies, p-tails, micro mays, Red & Purple Holo Princes, Oct caddis, Oct caddis poopas, turds, and worms

Lower Clark Fork River: Clouds, moisture, and cool weather are everything you want. BWOs, mohos, and hecubas should be kicking around to offer some good dry fly fishing this week. You should see more rising fish to target in the overcast conditions. Streamers will produce before and after the window of dry fly fishing.  October caddis patterns with mayfly cripple droppers will be a great search combo.
Bugs / Fly Patterns: bwos, hecubas, mohos, oct caddis / smaller fuzzies, chubbies, morrish hoppers, fat franks, p-tails, micro mays, Oct caddis, Oct caddis poooopas, turds, and worms, purple haze, mayfly cripples all sizes

Flathead River: fishing well with a variety of attractor patterns. The hopper / attractor fishing will slow down with the cooler temps but we should see some bwos, mohos, & and a few hecubas to fill the void. The dry fly fishing will most likely slow to an afternoon window with the cooler temps but streamers, tandem nymphs, and droppers should pick a few before and after.
Bugs / Fly Patterns: Terrestrials, oct caddis, fall mayflies / small pink morrish, little purple franks, ants, small home brewed foam variations, purple holo prince, golden turd, para cripples, Purple c-duns, purple haze, Quigley hecuba cripples.

Swan River: The dry fly fishing has been pretty pooopy but we are still getting a few to look up. Droppers are producing most of our fish. Prince nymphs, copper johns, & turds all get fish under the bobber or big dry. Pretty much every stretch requires a portage or two. The lower river is cooled off and producing some good fish on top and susurface. Should be a few pigs creeping around in the bay and wild mile too.
Bugs / Fly Patterns: Terrestrials, October Caddis, Fall Drakes /  Large parachute hazes, big mayfly cripples, willies ant, chubbies, fuzzy wuzzies, fat franks, PRLs in golden/salmon/black/brown, prince nymphs, SJWs in all flavors, tungsten 20 inchers, DB poxy rubberleg stones.