Holter Reservoir Fishing Report by FWP (August 5, 2024)
Rainbow fishing continues to be good between Log Gulch and Split Rock, and across from Cottonwood Creek while trolling cowbells with leaded line or down riggers with wedding rings and a worm. Good numbers of perch continue to be caught near Cottonwood Creek and on the lower end of the reservoir while pitching jigs and worms around weed beds in 10 to 20 feet of water. A few walleye are being caught during the evening hours while slip bobber fishing with leeches near points and weed beds. A few kokanee are being caught on the lower end of the reservoir while trolling 50 to 70 feet deep with Brad’s Dodgers and Kokanee spinners tipped with corn. Chris Hurley, FWP, Helena
Thunder showers have slowed morning gulper fishing on Hebgen Lake, but storm free days are ahead and gulpers will pickup again. Ants, beetles and hoppers have made afternoon fishing good on the Gallatin and Madison Rivers. No significant spruce moths appearances on either of these streams (and the West Fork of the Madison) to date. Hoot Owl restrictions still apply to many streams. Check on fwp.mt.gov to see where.
Centennial Valley streams have flows considerable below normal making fishing success a bit difficult.
The Jefferson River is currently closed to all fishing as of Aug. 3 throughout it’s course
We are looking elsewhere now as the upper Madison, Gallatin, and Yellowstone Rivers are offering some of the best fly fishing in Montana at the present time.
Check out Montana FWP’s website for the most up to date information on restrictions in the area.
Hell Creek General Recreation Information (August 7, 2024)
Fly fishing the Gallatin River has been “off” the last few days as heavy rains late on 8/4 caused a “spike” in flows and brought some color from sediment runoff, into the river. The river levels have dropped considerably over the last 24 hours and is clearing nicely. For anglers fishing the Gallatin River over the next few days, we would advise you to check out the webcam and streamflow in the tabs below, before heading out as we have some weather heading our way and conditions could change quickly.
Our favorite conditions to fly fishing the Gallatin are during dropping and clearing flows, but we avoid the river when it is rising and off-color.
Spruce Moths are around in increasingly larger numbers, and we had been hearing some promising Gallatin River fishing reports from our industry friends and Montana fishing guides prior to the storm a couple days back. Expect some great dry fly fishing with Spruce Moths and general attractor dry fly patterns as the river and upcoming weather pattern moves through.
Cool, cloudy days are around the bend and those kinds of days can make for some terrific fun while fly fishing the Gallatin River with streamers during the mid-summer. Work the deeper lies next to boulders and structure such as ledges, logjams, and undercut banks with heavily weighted flies fished on a floating line.
The lower river has dropped considerably and portions are now under “Hoot Owl” regulations. Vist FWP’s website to stay up to speed with current restrictions and closures.
You can get an idea of the water conditions in the Big Sky area by viewing this webcam, hosted by our friends at Montana Whitewater.
The Ruby River near Virginia City and Twin Bridges, Montana is a good option for mid-summer fly fishing. The Ruby Dam helps to regulate flows which helps to regulate water temperature. The Ruby River also provides a lot of water for irrigation in late July, flows tend to run average when many other rivers are running low. But, the Ruby River is surrounded almost entirely by private land and tends to run bank-full so walk-and-wade fishing is often more difficult than on other rivers.
Current Conditions:
The water is flowing about average right now so the fish are going to be in their usual hangouts. Below the dam the nymph fishing is best with smaller technical spring creek style patterns on lighter flouro carbon tippet.
The Month Ahead:
The Ruby will be in a mid summer mode all the way into September. In the fall the fishing is often consistently good with smaller technical nymphs and the occasional hopper action.
Long Term Fishing Forecast:
The Ruby is a nice smaller wade option in October. The browns get aggressive and the streamer fishing can be solid for medium sized trout up to 20″.
Fishing on the Yellowstone is pretty good right now! There are certainly fish looking up for dry flies right now and a dry dropper rig has been our go to recently over on the stone. We have been hearing good reports of hopper action as well as good action with Stimulators, and guide Winna-Spinna’s. Some good droppers over there have been small/medium sized flashy flies like the Duracell, Frenchie, Perdigon, Blow torches, and the Sizzlin’ Hot Squirrel. Streamer fishing can move some nice fish this time of the year too, so don’t be afraid to throw some bigger flies like a Dungeon, Ditch Witch, Gonga, or a Dragon. Nymph rigs are a consistent way to pick up some fish as well. Fishing Stoneflies, Worms, Zirdle’s, Hares Ear’s, Pheasant tail’s, Prince nymph’s, Blowtorch’s, and flashy Euro nymphs have all been good options for us while subsurface fishing or throwing underneath a Henneberry hopper.
Suggested Fly Patterns
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Dry Fly
Henneberry hopper grey (10), Thunder Thighs hopper Yellow/Tan (10-14), Donkey Kong hopper pink/tan (10-12) Parachute Adams (16-20), Purple Haze (16-18), Buzz Ball (14-16), Corn fed Caddis (14-16), X-Caddis (14-16), Parachute PMD (14-16), Extended Body PMD (14-16), Larimer’s Yellow Sally (12-14), Water Walker (8-12), Chubby Chernobyl (8-16)
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Streamer
Woolly Bugger (4-12), Ditch Witch Black/red/purple/ Yellow/white(2), Mini Peanut Envy Black/Yellow/Tan (6) Mini Dungeon Black/purple /Olive/Yellow (6), Montana Intruder (4), Sparkle Minnow JJ’s/Silver/Sculpin (4-8), Double Gonga Black/Rainbow (4), Sculpzilla Black/White/Olive (4-8), Seasoned Geezer Gold/Natural/Olive (6)
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Nymph
Pat’s Rubber Legs (6-12), Zirdle Bug (6-12), Perdigon Blue/Purple/Pearl (14-18), Jig thread Frenchie Brown/yellow (14-18), CDC Pheasant Tail (10-18), Jigster PMD (14-18), Formerly Known Prince Nymph (10-18), BH Hare’s Ear (12-18), Sizzlin’ Hot Squirrel (14-16), Matt’s Shagadelic Mop Tan/Brown/Chartreuse/Cheeto (10)
Fishing has finally started picking up at the lake. With the cooler weather ahead look for the fishing to really get going. Try stripping a balanced leech or a damsel fly. If you see rising fish throw a callibaetis dry or a damsel dry at them. Early in the morning look for fish cruising the shoreline and later in the day look to fish for them in a little deeper water.
Here are a few tips for fly fishing Georgetown Lake:
1. A balanced leech stripped or under an indicator is the best method right now.
2. Small damsel patterns and chironomids are also effective.
3. Cover water and be methodical and you’ll catch fish!
Here are a few fly suggestions:
1. Black balanced leech
2. Damsel nymph
3. Maroon balanced leech
4. Ice cream cone head chironomid
Looking ahead:
This is one of the best times to be out on Georgetown! Get out there!
Stop by the shop for the latest report and for everything you need for your trip. We’re open 7a-4p Everyday!
Tight lines!
We are in August here in Montana and things are slowly turning a corner from the heat of late July to some longer and cooler nights coming very soon. For fishing in southwest Montana these next few weeks, terrestrials really start to show themselves on our local waters. Hatches of caddis are active throughout the day. PMDs are still bumping around on our tailwater rivers like the Upper Madison and Missouri Rivers. With the hot weather we are having and the forecast saying it will remain for at least another week or so, it means early mornings and into the afternoons provides the best window of fishing action. Late evenings can also fish well, but it is also ok to hit a local bar or restaurant and fish again in the early morning.
We expect the terrestrial fishing–hoppers, ants, and beetles–to really pick up in the coming weeks. Our cold and wet spring means there are ample grasses which means there are also plenty of grasshoppers. We are optimistic of another very good hopper season to come and be excited for some twitching hoppers.
Overview
As the heat of summer hits its high peak, hatches are going to also slow down. But often times along with the slowing down of hatches, an increase in terrestrial action takes places. This time of year it is crucial to pay close attention to the insects on the water at a given time, often PMD’s hatch before yellows sallies for example. On highly fertile fisheries with thick hatches like spring creeks and tailwaters the trout become very selective during the hatch and you must imitate the correct species as well as life cycle of the insect that the trout are keying in on. On less fertile freestone streams it is more of a potluck and the trout will feed more opportunistically. On spring creeks plan on match the hatch but if you are fishing waters with sporadic hatches try big attractor dry flies on top or large streamers down under to move fish farther than smaller patterns. Expect to fishing to slow down abruptly once the insects are gone but you can often continue to pick fish up later in the day. In the evenings there is often another flurry of activity just before dark.
Hatches
Hatches of stoneflies and PMDs are less frequent than earlier in the summer. Even though aquatic insects are by far the dominate food source right now on most streams and rivers, trout are still opportunists and they often will feed on the most abundant food source. Make sure to have all stages of the life cycles in your boxes. For mayfly species like the pale morning dun have nymphs, emergers, cripples, duns and spinners. For caddis have larva, pupae and adults. For stoneflies nymphs and adults. Expect to see pale morning duns (small size 14 yellow and light grey mayflies), yellow sally stoneflies (size 14-12 yellow), caddis (several species, tan and cream size 16-10 – fast active fliers), golden stoneflies (big size 8 with dark gold body) and even some late salmonflies (giant size 2, three inches long). There are also some different drake species of large mayflies hatching that can excite fish such as brown and eventually green drakes.
Fly selection
You basically have to determine if you are going to match the hatch or bust the hatch this time of year. When you can see fish actively rising on the surface it is generally best to match the hatch. The same as true before a hatch, nymphing with the imitation of the nymph or emerger that the fish will see later is a good bet. When the hatch starts if fish are on the surface it is best to match the hatch or try a “cripple” or “emerger” pattern behind an adult imitation. If the hatch gets to a blanket stage then try a size or two larger than the natural. If fish are not taking flies off the surface then the nymphing game can be tougher during the peak of the hatch unless you are sight casting. There can be so many naturals underwater that your imitation has beat the odds that are often 100:1 with so many real bugs in the water. If you are nymphing during a strong hatch it is often better to switch to much larger patterns or streamers dead drifted or stripped rather than compete with naturals.
Interestingly when a hatch is sparse we flip flop are strategy. On the surface you can still catch fish with an exact imitation but you can often be even more successful with a large attractor fly that will move fish farther. The trout aren’t so keyed in on the natural that they won’t switch gears and eat something even bigger like a fat albert or chubby Chernobyl. When nymphing it is nice to continue to have an exact imitation but consider trailing it behind something larger like a big stonefly nymph, crayfish or sculpin.
Reading water
Flows are all over the place right now on different rivers. On fisheries that have already dropped significantly trout are already moving into deeper runs for protection but on the rivers with higher flows they are in the safe havens that have slower current speeds like along banks, behind rocks and on the inside corners of bends or slower tail-outs.
Flow Data: Missouri River below Holter Dam near Wolf Creek, MT
Finally a break from the heat this week. Highs in the mid 70’s. Weeds are on the MO. Will be for a while now. Hoppers are now in play. If you are not posted up on a pod of trico eaters, a cruising a hopper with a dropper has been a very effective way to catch fish. Henneberry Hopper or Morrish hopper are a few of my personal favorites. The tricos are now hatching in huge numbers with the spinner fall starting at about 8AM some days earlier. PMD’s are still hatching in good numbers. Maybe they will stick around a while longer. The PMD last chance cripple, PMD CDC Comparadun, Hi-vis rusty spinner are all great options. Rusty spinner works for trico eating fish too. Caddis are out all day. Cornfed Caddis or Missing link caddis are a few of my favorites for the caddis munching trout. The nymphing is still really good. Perdigons have been working great. A Little Green Machine or Crackback PMD are excellent nymph choices currently. Fish are both deep and in shallow areas so it is nice to have a short leash rig and a deep nymph rig ready to go.
Flathead Lake- Good white fish action- South end try Skidoo Bay, Finley Point, Elmo and Big arm areas. North end of lake try Woodsbay, Caroline Point , Delta and West Shore area. Look in 40-60’ of water with green jigging spooon 5/8 oz – 3/4 oz. Also good lake trout action trolling large flatfish or silver flasher and Brads cut plug.
Dickey Lake- good salmon fishing trolling mid lake, small dodgers and micro squids.
Lower Stillwater- Lots of smaller pike, a few nice perch.
Hungry Horse Resevoir- trolling small gold or copper spoons for cutts. Few nice bull trout trolling large plugs.
Upper Swan River- Goid fly fishing for trout, try spinner also spin fishing.
Lake Mary Ronan- Nice perch action jigging 25’ of water. Try gitzit jigs or small crawdad plastics.
Smith Lake- Lots of small pike, try spinnerbaits or topwater.
Bitterroot Lake- Good salmon action trolling mid lake. Good fish up to 18”.
Montana
Hebgen: ( not much has changed since the last report) – The lake has been heating up (in more ways than one). Theres been plenty of gulpers on the north shore, key in to the calmer days with just a tiny touch of chop. They’re rising most often on callibaetis spinners and duns in the mornings and evenings, with the odd fish pounding damsels. We’ve been producing pretty well on stripped leeches and similarly small streamers as well.
Flies: #8 Black or Olive Simi Seal Leech, #6 Balanced Squirrel Leech Black, #6 Olive or Black Hot Bead Leech, #8 Booby Leach, #8 Thin Mint, #18 BBQ Baetis, #12 Balanced Damsel, #14 Olive Nugget, #12 O.S. Buzzer, #16 Found Link Callibaetis, #16 Long Tailed Spinner Callibaetis,
#16 Purple Missing Link, #20 Low Water Baetis
Flows:
Inflow to Hebgen Lake: 664.5 cfs
Hebgen Lake Outflow: 1252 cfs
Kirby Flows: 1330 cfs
Temp @ Kirby: High – 68.18 F
Low – 57.56 F
** Flows as of 12pm June 24th, 2024 **
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A beautiful Rainbow Between The Lakes
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Upper Madison:
The upper is still fishing well, but the midday heat is certainly affecting the fishery. Hoppers are starting to bring some heads to the surface slowly but surely. Nymphing is your best bet – the fish will be sitting deep or in the heavy water where the oxygen is. Watch the temperature in the coming days/weeks and look out for further FWP Hoot Owl restrictions – give em a break!
Flies: #16 Sunburst Perdigon, #16 Black OR Red Krystal Dip, #14 Olive Grub, #14 Pilva’s Perdigon – Olive, #16 BWO Loopwing, #14 Iron Sally, #18 BWO Magic Fly, #16 Royal Chubby, #16 Rocky Mountain Mint – PMD, #14 Chocolate X-Caddis, #14 CDC & Elk Caddis – Black, #12 Royal Water Walker, #12 Fools Gold Golden Stone, #12 Peacock Chubby Chernobyl
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MRO Guide BJ Stone’s Client with a stout YNP Cutthroat
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YNP
The Northeast Corner of YNP is currently on hoot owl ( legal fishing hours -sunrise to 2pm)
*****The Madison, Firehole, and Gibbon (below Norris Campground), and ALL associated tributaries are all closed indefinitely due to high temperatures and low flows. *****
With the recent (much needed) closure of most of the fisheries on the western side of the park, our focus is shifting to the NE Corner of YNP. The Yellowstone, Lamar, Soda Butte, and Slough Creek are all currently on Hoot Owl restrictions, but still fishing decent in the mornings. These cutties are notorious for liking bright, bushy dries; and not being shy when it comes to rising. Smaller streamers can also be effective here.
Flies: #14 UV Pink Chubby, #12 Royal Wulff, #12 Slough Creek Drake Mackerel, #12 Peacock Chubby, #8 Rio’s Juicy Stone – Salmonfly, #16 DOA PMD, #18 CDC Biot BWO Comparadun, #16 Elk Hair Caddis – Dark Brown OR Olive, #18 Purple Missing Link, #6 CH Sparkle Minnow – Brownie, #6 Peanut Envy – Olive OR Brown
Flows:
Madison near West Yellowstone: – *closed*
Yellowstone below Yellowstone Lake: – 2490 cfs
Gibbon: – *closed*
Firehole: – *closed*
Lamar: – 320 cfs – hoot owl
Gallatin near Big Sky: 390 cfs
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Get out there!
Flathed and Lincoln counties have entered Stage I fire restrictions as of 08/03/2024 at 12:01am. (More Info)
Hoot Owl Restrictions are still in place on the North Fork of the Flathead River. (More Info)
FWP is asking Anglers to to help reduce stress on trout. (More Info)
- Flathead Lake – Whitefish bite is going strong. Woods Bay, Somers, and Delta are all producing bites in 40′-60′ of water.
- Church Slough – Good Pike action. Try using Northland spinnerbaits or Frogs to encourage those bites.
- Lake Mary Ronan – Perch bite is still going strong in the mornings and evenings. Try using Gitzits tipped with maggots as this seems to be working the best.
- Blanchard Lake – Good top water action with frogs and Choppos being good options.
- Middle Thompson – Kokanee bite has been good in the early mornings. Get down 40′-60′ using wedding rings to target them. A few bass being picked up off Senko’s as well.
- Flathead River – River flows have dropped to 6000 cfs. Good clarity means dry flies are best. Hoppers, ants and duns have been good options.
The recent cooldown has brought a brief respite from the summer heat for both anglers and the wild trout that inhabit the world-renown fly fishing rivers near Bozeman, Montana. It looks like we have more mild weather in store for the region next week as well.
Our Montana fishing guides have been focusing on the upper Madison and Yellowstone rivers the last couple of weeks as the season transitions from hatch-driven days to “hopper season.” We have been continuing to get on the water early, focusing on fly fishing with nymphs or hopper/dropper rigs throughout Southwest Montana. As the sun gets higher in the sky, we are seeing more and more fish keying into hoppers so we have been quick to remove the dropper and fish the shallow, fast runs throughout the late morning and early afternoon.
Many of the low-elevation portions of the rivers in Montana often fall under a “Hoot Owl” fishing restriction during the summertime in which angling is restricted to the hours between midnight and 2 pm. Regardless of whether or not these restrictions are in place, the best fly fishing near Bozeman takes place in the morning and early afternoon hours right now. Keep current with fishing restrictions and closures on Montana FWP’s website.
Hauser Reservoir Fishing Report (August 5, 2024)
A few Rainbows are being caught below Canyon Ferry Dam while using brass colored Dare Devils, Thomas lures, or worms and a marshmallow and out from White Sandy while trolling cowbells with leaded line tipped with crawlers. A few walleye are being caught from shore at the Causeway Bridge while using floating jigs tipped with leeches and around the El Dorado dredge piles while pitching jigs with worms or leeches. An occasional perch is being picked up while searching for walleyes. Chris Hurley, FWP, Helena
This Kootenai River Montana fishing report is being brought to you by Orvis Endorsed Linehan Outfitting. This report will be updated weekly to provide current conditions, weather, hatches, patterns, and flows to our local waters and across the state.
Flows from Libby Dam: 4000cfs
Water temperature at Libby Dam: 42 degrees
Hatches: midge, baetis
patterns: zebra midge, parachute Adams, parachute pmd, Rosenbauer’s olive rabbit foot emerger, purple haze, purple chubby, red chubby, olive sparkle dun,bh prince, soft SJ worm, bh pheasant tail, bh rubber legged stonefly, big streamers in white, pink and olive, circus peanut, black conehead buggers
It’s not quite spring up here in Kootenai River country but we have good news. Flows from Libby Dam have been reduced and will be stable at 4000cfs through the end of March for now. That means there’s some great early season fishing available right now.
Expect more clammy cloudy weather through the weekend and into next week. March continues to come in like a lion and we’ve yet to see the lamb. Rain and snow mix will dominate forecast. Fortunately daytime temps will ooch into the forties which is at least a small sign of spring around here.
At the moment the river is clear and in good shape. Don’t expect much in the way of dry fly fishing and insect activity until we get some substantially warmer daytime temperatures. The water is still cold but trout will start to feed a bit in the coming weeks.
This is always a good time of year for nymphing. With low flows you don’t need a heavy rig. You just need to get the flies down in softer runs and pools where trout are most likely to be holding this time of year. Don’t spend a ton of time fishing fast riffles.
Streamer fishing is also productive this time of year especially since bigger fish will be hungry after laying low for a couple months during the dead of winter. Keep in mind they will not necessarily want to move too fast or too far to get a meal. Get your streamers down and fish them slowly and erratically. Nothing like a wounded minnow to get a big rainbow interested in at least a sniff.
In Boston Red Sox news, it’s PLAY BALL! After several weeks of a lockout the players union owners have finally come to an agreement. Spring training will start immediately and while opening day was and remains delayed until April 7, the season will still be 162 games. For now the Sox have managed to keep essentially the same playoff roster they had last season. Infielders Dalbec, Arroyo, Bogaerts, and Devers are key players. In the outfield Jackie Bradley Jr. has returned to Boston and Kike Hernandez and Verdugo will anchor the deep green. Ace Chris Sale will hopefully be healthy and other starters from last year will hopefully pick up where they left off in October. Go Sox!!!
Give a call anytime if you need more Kootenai River details or information on any of our hunting or fishing adventures. And please check out our e-commerce site for all Linehan Outfitting branded swag and Orvis gear. https://linehan-outfitting.myshopify.com/
We look forward to hearing from you. 406-295-4872
As water temps continue to rise, the Paradise Valley Spring Creeks can be a great option this time of year. Fish are rising to midges in the morning, and PMDs in the afternoon. Terrestrial fishing has been picking up with ants and beetles being the most productive. If dry fly fishing is tough, use a small midge or PMD dropper to trick some fish.
GO-TO FLIES:
-Erics Midge #20
-Glass Bullet Olive/Hot Collar #18
-Anty Raid Cinnamon #16
-Sunburst Perdigon #16
-PMD Thorax #18
Flow Data: Bighorn River near St. Xaiver, MT
Fishing has been quite good on the Bighorn this last week. Aquatic grasses can be frustrating but if you can keep the weeds off your flies the fishing has been good. Dry fly action has also been good to great but the PMD hatches are starting to slow down. When the PMD’s are on the water the Duns and Cripples have been working great throughout the day with spinners working best late in the evening and early in the mornings. The Crime Scene Caddis and Cornfed Caddis have worked well afternoon. Ants, hoppers and beetles have been working well when prospecting. Fish have been eating Caddis and PMD nymphs well. The Pheasant Tail nymph is an excellent option for the mayfly nymph eating trout. PMD trigger nymph and the Hares Ear Dirty Bird have also been great nymph options.
1330 CFS @ Kirby. The Upper Madison has been fishing great! The hopper bite has been starting to turn on. Fishing the banks with a hopper dropper rig has been a great option the last couple of days. Don’t be afraid to nymph if fish are stubborn to look up. Smaller PMD, caddis, and flashy mayfly nymphs have all been producing fish!
GO-TO FLIES:
-Thunder Thigh Hopper Yellow #12
-#3 Dip Brown #16
-Immortal May PMD #16
-Micro Water Walker Royal #14
-Jig Duracell Copper #14
Hot out there today. 100F today, 100F tomorrow.
But, next week we see some rain and cooler times in the mid 70’s! Hooray.
No river restrictions by the state on the Mighty Mo. Most anglers off the river about lunch time, as stated above. Too hot for th trout, too hot for th humans. We are employing off early for both parties most days.
Nymphers are tossing the Zirdle Bug. Headhunters has them, lots of them, the right Zirdle for your trout fishing day. Zirdles and caddis pupa’s and mayfly nymphal patters are the key to success. Darker mayflies along with darker caddis pupa’s. Not too deep at 3′-4′. Shorter? Not so much as the water and sun have kept them deeper in the shade, the cooler eater zones.
Weeds? Oh yeah. We got ’em. On a scale of 1-10, remembering that we, locals and long time anglers in late summer, are used to this malady in August and early September; I’d call them a 5. Not too many floating islands as we sometimes can endure. Below Half Breed Rapids they magically disappear. Some are floating int eh canyon and behind with success. The upper river is clear, below the dam. Below Craig many do not like their odds. But the traffic picks up in the mid canyon regions and beyond.
Learn the snap off trick for the Mo. It is not the whirly-gig round-a-bout deal that the Bighorn anglers use. We use the tension, surface tension, or adhesion of the water, to pull off the weeds attached to your fly, your other fly, or your split shot. You gotta get the other end of the line moving through the water column first, and as it nears the surface, back cast and haul at the same moment snapping/pulling the weeds from the flies and the split shot. A learned behavior. Ask any long timer from the Mo, and they will certainly show you.
Dry fly anglers are seeking Trico spinners. Clusters, singles, emergers…but mostly clusters are the key. A shorter window of opportunity that we desire. Some days, the dry fly bite is done by noon. Other days earlier. And occasionally, afternoon as well. But the focus should be determined at the boat ramp. Those who try to get a few, nymphing, before they try the dry, are lost. Get on it early and stay focused. Caddis flies? Yes, Downwinged spents and/or adults are good. Great some days. Again, stay on task. PMD spinners are a trout favorite here on the Mo. For decades the Rusty Spinner has been the Guide’s Secret Fly. Although, it has never been a secret, really. PMD’s should still, meaning the spinner category, be in the mix.
Remember: Dead Flies Don’t Swim.
If you need explanation on this statement above, find a dry fly fishing mentor.
Streamer anglers secretly sticking a few pigs. Fish at down, or before, and keep stripping. Headhunters is your Streamer Source in Craig Montana. Best Flies Under the Big Sky.
Swingers? See again in October, or late September. Inside bends with fewer weeds if you gotta toss the two-hander. Scandi for sure. Or get deep with a crayfish pattern? Or…
Shop open daily early, 6am. Get your flies and shuttles before the rest open.
The Gallatin River near Big Sky and Bozeman can fish well in August. Just be willing to hike some from the parking lots of fish early in the morning or late into the evening. Reports of spruce moths are growing stronger every day in the Gallatin canyon near Big Sky. The hatch hasn’t gone bonkers yet, and if this year is anything like last year, it may not. But if it does I am sure social media will be buzzing with reports.
With the low and clear flows on the Gallatin right now fishing subsurface is the best way to get into fish at the moment. Choose tandem nymph rigs with flies in the size 18-22 range. Flows have stabilized some and are very close to long term averages. See the list of flies below for the best choices. With the low, clear water for success you will need to drop down in tippet sizes so you are getting a better drift. Many anglers are going to 9 foot 5X leaders with 5X fluorocarbon for their tippets. Trout are being found in the 5-6 feet deep medium fast runs during most of the day.
Hatches of caddis are waning and a few PMDs can still be spotted hatching in the riffles and some Yellow Sally stoneflies are also being spotted, but the anticipation is high for spruce moths to pop any day now. What has been unique this summer has been an abundant hatches of Drakes. They are size 12-14 and have been mostly spotted hatching from the backend/shelfs of riffles from around 10 AM till about 2 PM.
As the river continues to drop and clear expect trout to become a little more selective in their feeding habits. With so much public access on the Gallatin River near Big Sky, anglers that are willing to hike a little from a common access or parking area are going to find more consistent fishing.
The Month Ahead:
The next month on the Gallatin River means the river will drop and clear, but the Gallatin River has some of the coldest water in southwest Montana because of the high elevation and deep canyon so it makes it ideal for anglers looking for plenty of DYI opportunities. Trout are going to be feeding in several types of water for the next few weeks. More fish are going to be found in riffles and deeper runs than along bankside structure.
Flies for the Gallatin River for the Next Month:
Lightening Bugs in sizes 16-18
Sawyer PTs in sizes 18-22
Zebra Midges in black, red, or olive in sizes 18-22
Pheasant Tails in sizes 16-20
Chubby Chernobyl in black, olive, or royal in sizes 12-16
Little Spankers in sizes 18-20
Pat’s Rubberlegs in sizes 12-14
Hi-Vis caddis in sizes 12-16
4/5
The PMD and Caddis hatches have really taken off over the last week with a ton of bug activty in the late mornings and early afternoons. Prolific hatches mean the fish arent too selective, however, they definitley dont move far to take a fly.
When fly fishing the Bighorn River in Montana this August, the best strategy is to find a pod of rising fish and then target them with persistent efforts using an imitative fly that you have confidence in.
Hopper fishing is bets right now before and after the hatches, along with nymphing.
Standard sowbug and San Juan Worm patterns followed by a small PMD nymph are producing really well throughout the day in the riffles and dats water below ledges.
Make sure you stop by the Bighorn Angler in Ft. Smith for to get the latest information and conditions regarding the river.
Canyon Ferry Fishing Report by FWP (August 5, 2024)
Rainbow fishing has slowed up with a few being caught around Duck Creek on crankbaits or by anglers with traditional walleye gear. Walleye fishing has been hot from Pond 2 to Pond 4 in 8 to 12 feet of water and north and south of White Earth and around Hellgate in 15 to 20 feet of water. Most walleyes are being caught on jigs, crankbaits or bottom bouncers with slow-death rigs or worm harnesses in various colors. A few perch are being caught by anglers using walleye rigs in these same areas. An occasional rainbow or walleye is being caught from shore. Troy Humphrey, FWP, Helena
The Spring creeks will be a great option through the heat of summer if you can get a rod. You may still find a few fish rising to midges in the morning before the PMD hatch takes off. The PMD’s have been hatching in good numbers in the afternoons. When fish are rising to PMD’s a CDC Emerger in #18 or a PMD Film Critic have worked great. Fish have been picky so a long leader with a good drift is imperative. There has been excellent PMD spinner falls in the evenings on calm days. The PMD’s are now smaller in size so fishing a #18 or #20 is the way to go. A Hi-Vis rusty spinner is the fly to use in a #18 or #20. Sulphurs have been hatching in the afternoons as well. A #20 light bodied sulphur pattern has been a great way to trick fish that are keyed in on this small mayfly. PMD nymphs and emergers will be great options when the fish are eating sub-surface. It will be worth fishing ants, beetles, and hoppers through the rest of the summer if you cannot figure out what the fish are feeding on or if there is not a lot of surface action. Nymphing will be pretty consistent in the event that the trout do not want to cooperate and eat bugs from the surface.
*Flow Data: Yellowstone River near Livingston, MT
HOOT OWL RESTRICTIONS (No fishing from 2pm to Midnight) Highway 89 Bridge East of Livingston to Highway 12 Bridge in Laurel
The storm from last night is pushing a minor plug through the river today. The river is certainly still fishable but will be better below or above the plug. It is currently above town and on the move. Water temperatures are warm throughout paradise valley. Hopefully the favorable forecast with highs in the mid 70’s will help bring water temperatures down. Fishing has been good the last few days. Good dry fly action with small bugs on the upper river and good hopper fishing down low. Hoppers are working on the upper river as well. Early to Mid-morning has fished the best. Still a few caddis around. My favorite caddis has been the Body Double Caddis. Large attractor dry flies have been effective. I like the September Stone Water Walker #12 and the Micro Chubby #14 if just cruising above Point of Rocks. The dry fly action has been pretty consistent throughout the day especially on the upper portions of the river. Streamers have been OK. Best very early in the morning. I have found good success with something flashy like the Goldie when the sun is high. Ants have been working throughout the river if nothing else seems to do the trick.
3/5
Our Report
Tip of the Week:
In the spirit of taking care of your catch this time of year, we have a few tips for keeping trout healthy during hot weather. For one, using heavier tippet to keep fish fights brief will help reduce stress on already stressed fish. Keeping your fish wet will also help ensure that they stay healthy – if you are able to keep your catch in the net submerged for pictures that is ideal of course. Once you’ve retrieved your fly make sure to take the time to retrieve your catch so they will continue to thrive and grow in our rivers.
*See our 7 Day Outlook for updates on blockages jamming up the Bitterroot.
7 Day Outlook:
This week in the Missoula Valley we’re looking at some extremely hot weather and then as we get further into the week things will start to cool down a bit! The Clark Fork is still running very low and it is even a bit grassy in places above town.
**There are currently fishing restrictions on the Blackfoot river by Montana FWP. Please refer to Montana FWP’s current waterbody restrictions to see the latest.**
If you are floating please use extreme caution. This river changes rapidly and is known for producing fatal log jams. Give us a call for an updated obstruction report. If you see any issues be sure to call us or send pics so we can share the same. Thanks.
*There are currently MANY obstructions on the Bitterroot.
Hannon-Wally: Several sweepers in this section. It is getting tougher as water drops.
Wally-Anglers: flows over Sleeping Child dam are always dicey! Don’t consider running after a scout unless you are highly skilled. The channel around the left side is too low to consider.
Vets-Woodside: More wood down between New Bridge and Blodgett Park. The river right channel will require careful scouting and likely boat dragging.
Woodside-Tucker: New tree down in right channel need to stay left here. The left channel at the split is open but be sure to choose your splits wisely, and the right channel over the diversion dam may need to be portaged. Have a look before you run it.
Tucker-Bell: Very sketchy in the channel through the woods now that the water has come up. Consider going somewhere else until runoff subsides.
Bell-Stevi: Follow the sign that says “GO LEFT” to miss the log jam. A new log is exposed in the “clear” channel so proceed with caution.
Stevi-Florence: Clear. Follow the water at any splits. As the river fluctuates it is smart to pull over and check for any potential changes.
When In Doubt, Eddy Out! As always, we want anglers to know that they are responsible for their own wellbeing when they are on the water. As an outfitter, we will try our best to bring known dangers to light, but conditions and obstructions are always changing and we can’t possibly keep up with every danger that may present itself. When in doubt, eddy out and walk downstream to get a good look at what you’re dealing with!
Best Techniques:
In the Clark Fork, fishing has been decent in the lower river. Early mornings are fishing the best, with the fishing turning off by midday. Throw a dry dropper rig with your favorite general attractors or put on an indicator and throw a tandem nymph rig. In the afternoons, tie on one of our recommended hopper, ant, or beetle patterns. You may see some Spruce Moths in the mix as well.
*Traveling or in a hurry? Let our knowledgeable staff pick a fly selection for you!
*The Online Store is updated daily! Check it out!
*Call us for up to the minute updates at 406.542.7411 or if you are in the area stop in for all your gear and the right bugs.
DRIES
Purple Haze #12-18
Corn Fed Caddis #12-14
Chubby Chernobyl #6-10 – Purple, Peach
Water Walker #8-12 – Gold, Tan
Last Chance Cripple PMD #16-20
Sweetgrass Hopper Tan #8-12
Black Para-Ant #14-18
NYMPHS
TJ Hooker #8-12
Hot Bead Power Worm #06-10
Jig Prince #8-12
Frenchie #12-14
Perdigons and Bullets #12-14
Duracell #12-16
Galloup’s BH UV Caddis #14-16
Tung Jig Pheasant Tail #12-18
RIO’s Anty Raid TB #16 – Black, Cinnamon
STREAMERS
Lil’ Kim #04-08
Wooly Bugger/Thin Mint #6-10
Sparkle Minnow #04-08
Kreelex #04-06
Articulated Sparkle Minnow
Dungeons
Mini Ice Pick #6
Double Gonga #4-8″
