Bigfork Montana Fly Fishing - River Report

General Outlook: Still enjoying sunny nice weather. We had a couple days of clouds but the sun is going to be out for the near future. Fishing is good regardless of the bright sun. Fall hatches are popping off in the afternoons and fish can be found rising. Fall mode is here…streamers, nymphing, and dropper fishing in the am to get a few to the boat and then dry fly fishing in the afternoon once things warm up.

Blackfoot River Report: It’s pretty cold in the mornings. Swinging a bugger and a rubber legs or SJW around in the am is affective. An Oct caddis or attractor with a cripple or purple haze of the back is a good dry rig. The bright sun probably won’t help the streamer bite once it hits the water but it should help warm up the dry fly fishing. Mahoganies, bwos, and Oct caddis are the bugs to throw. Mayfly beadhead variations off a big caddis or orange attractor is a good bet.
Bugs / Fly Patterns: Mohos, bwos, oct caddis / cripples, large orange elk hairs, Orange PMXs, smaller mayfly criples, wulffs, brindle chutes, Small Chubbies and willies, Orange Fuzzie wuzzies, hecuba para-cripple, Purple haze, Turds, Halo Prince, Da Worm, batmans, red c-johns, psycho prince, p-tails, streamers

Lower Clark Fork River Report: Pretty much the same here as every where else. Do some nymphing or streamer throwing in the morning to catch some fish and then make the switch to the dry rigs after lunch. BWOs, mohaganies, and october cadddis will have fish up in the afternoons. The warmer sunny weather this week should get the attractor bugs working too. Orange foam bugs in the 10-12 range are good and you can throw a p-tail, turd, or sjw off the back. If fish get going on mayflies, clip the dropper and add a parachute or cripple.
Bugs / Fly Patterns: Mohos, bwos, oct caddis / cripples, large orange elk hairs, Orange PMXs, smaller mayfly criples, little wulffs, brindle chutes, Small Chubbies and willies, Fuzzie wuzzies, hecuba para-cripple, Purple haze, Turds, Halo Prince, Da Worm, batmans, red c-johns, psycho prince, p-tails, streamers

Flathead River Report: The Flathead main-stem is fishing really well the last few days. It really likes sunny fall weather. Fish have been rising in the afternoons for mahoganies, bwos, midges, and October caddis. Fish are still eating foam attractor patterns too. Droppers are padding the stats in the am and a p-tail, small prince, or general beadhead attractor will get some extra fish for you. The fish are already falling into slower water…back eddies, slow seams, and slower banks have been the most productive. No need to be on the water before 11.
Bugs / Fly Patterns:Hecubas, Mohos, bwos, oct caddis / Orange PMXs, large orange elk hairs, smaller mayfly criples, little wulffs, brindle chutes, Small Chubbies and willies, Fuzzie wuzzies, hecuba para-cripple, Purple haze, Turds, Halo Prince, Da Worm, batmans, red c-johns, psycho prince, p-tails, Streamers

Swan River Report: The water is LOW up there and above 10-1 is lots of work. Nymphing and streamer fishing is the most productive for the big fish but the warm afternoons should be worthy of throwing some dry flies this week. Large elk hairs, orange attractors, large wulffs, and big cripples are good patterns.
Bugs / Fly Patterns: Mohos, bwos, oct caddis / Orange PMXs, large orange elk hairs, mayfly criples, large wulffs, purple haze chutes, Turds, Halo Prince, Da Worm, streamers