Sun Again For a Minute – West Side River Report

Colorful cutty that fell for a skwala.

General Outlook:   The sun is out today. Not tomorrow. Get outside and soak it up before it disappears again for a while. Looks like grey & rain after today. That’s a good thing.  Fish love the grey, dark, dreary days. So do the bugs. March browns, bwos, and skwalas will continue to provide dry fly opportunities for the coming weeks before run-off kicks in.  Our rivers are all in great shape after a week of dropping flows. Highs in the 50’s and clouds for the remainder of the week should have the bugs and fish on the surface.

Blackfoot River Report: No recent reports but it was fishing decent before the last push of water and cold spell. Even some dry fly fishing. You should be able to pick up fish with nymphs and streamers and there won’t be many other boats. Give a skwala/dropper rig a try later in the day. Slow trolling tandem streamers in the deep holes should get results. No need to go early.
Bugs / Fly Patterns: March Browns, Skwalas, BWOs, Midges – Urchin buggers, articulated streamers in black & olive, Flash Minnows,  rubber legs, prince nymphs, SJWs, glo bugs, 20 inchers, double bead stones, Hare on Fire nymphs, Rogue skwalas, Chubby Skwalas, olive Fat Franks, Silvey’s Skwala, March brown cripples, Parachute mayfly patterns, flag cripples, baily’s brown cripple, Solitudes p-tail cripple, March brown Compara Cripples

Lower Clark Fork River Report: Primed and ready. Now is the time. Dropping flows and clouds…..duh. Go hit the C-fork. It should be good this week. Skwala with a dropper or a streamer in the am and skwala mayfly cripple after lunch. Look for risers…
Bugs / Fly Patterns:  March Browns, Skwalas, BWOs, Midges – Rogue skwalas, Chubby Skwalas, olive Fat Franks, Silvey’s Skwalas, March brown cripples, Parachute mayfly patterns, flag cripples, baily’s brown cripple, Solitudes p-tail cripple, March brown Compara Cripples, rubber legs, prince nymphs, SJWs, glo bugs, 20 inchers, double bead stones, Hare on Fire

Flathead River Report: Dropping, clear, and fishable. It’s still a little high but look for softer water, side channels, and back eddies and you should find fish. Keep and eye out for risers in the flat water in the afternoon. Tandem nymph rigs fished deep in the slower water will produce. Don’t overlook the froggy water in the afternoons for risers.
Bugs / Fly Patterns: March Browns, Skwalas, BWOs, Midges – Rogue skwalas, Chubby Skwalas, olive Fat Franks, Silvey’s Skwalas, March brown cripples, Parachute mayfly patterns, flag cripples, baily’s brown cripple, Solitudes p-tail cripple, March brown Compara Cripples, rubber legs, prince nymphs, SJWs, glo bugs, 20 inchers, double bead stones, Hare on Fire nymphs

Swan River Report:  Upper opens May 18th. Lower and Bay are producing with nymphs and streamers. Not lots of fish but a few nice ones around. Swinging in the Bay is fun.
Bugs / Fly Patterns: rubber legs, prince nymphs, SJWs, glo bugs, 20 inchers, double bead stones, Hare on Fire nymphs, Urchin buggers, articulated streamers in black & olive, Flash Minnows