Bigfork Montana Fly Fishing – River Report

Friday Showers Likely Hi 66 °F

Friday Night Chance Showers Lo 42 °F

Saturday Sunny     Hi 76 °F

Saturday Night Clear    Lo 46 °F

Sunday Sunny    Hi 83 °F

Sunday Night Mostly Clear Lo 49 °F

Monday Mostly Sunny Hi 85 °F

 

 

General Outlook.  Good fishing to be had on all our rivers and dry fly fishing  opportunities are improving daily. We have some rain in the forecast for tomorrow but hopefully not enough to mess with flows or visibility. We are still getting folks poking around the shop asking if the water is too high to fish. The water is high for this time of year but we are well under fish-able flows.

Blackfoot River: The Blackfoot is fishing great. Good dry fly action and the nymphing and streamer fishing is productive as well. There is still enough water and color in the river to keep some of the bigger fish on the prowl but it’s clearing fast. A foam golden whatever with a smaller sallie or caddis off the back should work well. If not, hang a prince, worm, or mid sized stone nymph off the back about 30″. Standard tandem bobber rigs with the usual will work too but haven’t we looked at bobbers for long enough. Streamers are still a good bet untill it drops and clears.
/ Fly Patterns: Salmon flies, chubbies, goldens, sallies, PMDs, Green Drakes, Caddis, big black / white streamers and stone fly nymphs, SJWs all colors, caddis pupas, beadhead attractor nymphs, large p-tails

Lower Clark Fork River: Still on the drop and improving daily. Nymphing has been the most productive but dry fly fishing is picking up.  Streamer nymphing with a bugger and a worm or large prince under an indicator will produce. Tandem nymph rigs with Rubber legs, worms, princes and the like are always good. A big foamie with a deep dropper in the afternoon should get a few too.�
Bugs / Fly Patterns: Stonefly Nymphs with rubber legs in black / brown / golden, SJWs in all colors,  big prince nymphs, big p-tails, buggers / streamers, large foam golden variations, yukbugs, chubbies, rogues, foam golden variations.

Flathead River: Finally getting some good reports from the Mainstem of the Flathead. Good numbers of dry fly eats the last couple days with sallies and goldens out and about. The fish are still concentrated in the slower back waters, side channels, back eddies etc. If you find some fish, camp out for a while and get a few before you bail. Tandem nymph rigs including girdle bugs, princes, and worms will work. If you find rising fish the foam golden should do. If not, try a caddis, sallie, or pmd pattern over them.  Brent was up the Middle Fork with some folks and had good dry fly fishing with foam attractor patterns.
Bugs / Fly Patterns: g-bugs & worms, prince nymphs, streamers, foam golden variations.

Swan River: Still big and carrying some color but the BIG fish like it that way. Dry fly fishing is still a ways out but the nymphing and streamer fishing is producing some good fish. Big buggers / streamers and big stonefly and worm combo rigs are the way to go. Look for softer holes, soft back eddies and soft seem lines to hold fish. The river is still high so be careful on the oars up there. There are some tight jams and a few portages so keep on your toes.
Bugs / Fly Patterns: Big black / olive / white streamers, large g-bugs in golden/salmon/black/brown, large prince nymphs, SJWs in all flavors, tungsten 20 inchers, DB poxy rubberleg stones.