Western Montana Fly Fishing - River Report

General Outlook: Below normal winter like temps have continued to drop river levels. The weather is calling for a warm-up the next few days and the fishing on all our rivers is going to be good. Lots of bugs out and dry fly fishing is terrific. Really. Go where you want and catch some fish before the big push comes. Things are looking really good.

Blackfoot River Report: Fishing well. Not as much dry fly opportunity here as elsewhere but some fish willing in the right spots. Nymphing and streamer fishing is good. Not many people on the river.
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: The Clark Fork is the place to be right now. Stable flows and good dry fly fishing on the big bug. Look for the bigger skwoldenish flying whatever they are stones to be coming off. I think it’s a golden of some sort – they fly and they are definitely bigger than skwalas. Either way, the fish go ape shit for them. Take a grey marker to your Rogue golden and that will do, unless you have a pile of heady foamies you’ve been twisting up over the 4/20 celebration. Twitch it down the bank and that should be all you need to do, but you never know what the bright sun is going to hand out….
Bugs / Fly Patterns: March Browns, Skwoldens, BWOs, Midges – Rogue skwalas, Chubbies, 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: Stable flows and a warming trend approaching…..should be good fishing out there. Flathead fish lalalalove the sunshine. Look for foam skwala variations to provide enough action that you don’t have to nymph. Focus your efforts on the slower banks, soft insides, back eddies, and side channels. If they don’t eat it then your doing it wrong – or try a parachute mayfly whatever. Nymph if you must. Don’t go early.
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

Other Stuff: I took the kiddos out to Rogers today and caught a bunch of fish. Lots of Chronomids and fish rising. Pretty fun but no need to hit the lakes yet, the rivers are in great shape. The B-root is fishing really good too with consistent afternoon March brown and bwo hatches bringing fish up to shoot at. Mothers day caddis are already showing in some areas and will start show everywhere soon…