The leaves are turning yellow, the “pond” is empty, and the reservations cease tomorrow (Sunday 9/15).
All sites become first come, first serve (walk-in) starting Monday 9/16/24. The water level is 3419′ or about 64% capacity.
Water and electric for the sites turn off OCTOBER 1st. Campers Point sites CP1-11 have electric year round.
Marina is open – check with them for hours.
Cabins- not available yet, we hope to have them available for the ice fishing season. Stay tuned!
Holter Reservoir Fishing Report by FWP (September 23, 2024)
Rainbow fishing has been great on the lower end of the reservoir while trolling cowbells with wedding rings and worms or green crankbaits. An occasional kokanee is being picked up while trolling cowbells for rainbows. A few walleye are being caught while jigging with worms along the Clay Banks. Most perch are being caught with small jigs and worms around the boat docks and other weed beds in 10 to 20 feet of water. Chris Hurley, FWP, Helena
Storms earlier this week are helping push Hebgen Lake browns and rainbows into the Park portion of the Madison River. Streamer and large soft hackle patterns fished deep will be active here for several weeks to come. Crowds will increase along the river as word of good numbers of migrating trout becomes public. Those storms persisted for days in the northeast corner of the Park making Slough and Soda butte creeks and the Lamar River quite discolored. The Firehole River, however, is offering great late season fishing with BWO and caddis activity peaking. Swinging soft haclle patterns this time of the seson is always effective. Discolor in Fall River Basin streams is receding significantly and terrestrial inesct populations are active again. Long drag free floats produce best for those fly fishers cautious enough to avoid close ventures to stream banks
Jefferson River fly fishing has been reasonably good the last few weeks, despite the low streamflow and warm weather. Recent rains and decreasing irrigation are finally bringing more water into the system, which is benefitting both anglers and fish.
Trout hold in and near deep holes, below riffles right now, throughout the Jefferson River, so anglers fishing the river will do best by focusing their attention on this type of water. Crayfish patterns like zirdles and zonkers fished with a small nymph dropper have been producing well in the deepwater along rip rap for our fly fishing guides the past week.
Cooler temperatures and cloud cover has got some of the larger brown trout venturing from their summer lies, showing up in some “random” water between the deep holes. We are getting close to streamer fly fishing season over there with more and more action every few days. The best water continues to be upstream of Silver Star, but the lower river is quickly picking up volume and will fish well once the flow stabilizes for a few days.
Hell Creek General Recreation Information (September 26, 2024)
Low streamflow and gin clear water call for stealthy approaches and fine tippet for anglers flyfishing Montana’s Gallatin River these days.
Covering likely holding water around dropoffs and structure with small, attractor dry fly patterns like a Royal Wulff or Parachute Adams in sizes 14-16 will still bring some of the better trout to the surface in the canyon sections. Fish a dry/dropper setup consisting of a hopper or chubby Chernobyl with a small Perdigon-style dropper about 3-4′ below the dry to cover the slower, deep bailouts and holes.
The low water makes accessing the valley sections of the river between the mouth of the canyon and four corners much more possible this time of the year. Adventurous anglers – willing to walk a few miles – can cover less pressured water this time of the year. Local anglers find success by covering lots of water with heavily weighted streamers and moving quickly, looking for the aggressive fish rather than slowly working the deep runs with nymph rigs.
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.
Fishing on the Yellowstone has been good this past week. Fish are eating dries, nymphs, and streamers so everything is in play over on the stone. The most productive nymphs over there this past week have been the copper Duracell, purple Psycho prince nymph, Frenchie, san juan worms, hare’s ear, Sizzlin’ hot squirrel, Zirdle’s, Masked Marauders, pat’s rubber legs, sweet pea’s and Blowtorches. For dry flies, Stimulators are always a good bet along with morning wood hoppers, thunder thigh hoppers, humpy’s, parachute Adams, purple haze, corn fed caddis, rusty CDC para spinners, and hippie stompers. If you want to go big or go home nymphing or dragging with a zirdle bug and a small streamer like a cousin it sculpin, micro dungeon, freshwater Clouser, or woolly bugger off the back can be great for numbers this time of year if the nymphing or dry fly fishing is tough. For streamers, if it’s a bright day out fish a mini white dungeon montana intruder or olive kill whitey and if it’s more overcast black/purple mini dungeons, black and red ditch witch’s and gonga’s in full size and mini have been excellent as well as swim coach’s and mini peanut envy’s.
Suggested Fly Patterns
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Dry Fly
Sweetgrass Hopper (8), Henneberry hopper grey (12), Thunder Thighs hopper Yellow/Tan (10), 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)
Nymphs and streamers in the morning and small mayflies and caddis in the evenings.
Please respect all private property and fishing signs. At the corral on the Johnson Tuning Fork spot if the sign is up please find another spot to access.
See below for our tips on fishing Flint Creek near Philipsburg, Montana.
Here are a few tips for fly fishing Flint Creek:
1. Try nymphing in deep pools or under the banks.
2. Fish a single dry on the bank or the bubble lines.
3. Try swinging a streamer or a soft hackle through the ripples.
Here are a few fly suggestions:
1. Kreelex – Gold and Copper size 6
2. TJ Hooker – Brown and Black size 12
3. TJ Hooker – Tan and Brown size 12
4. PMD, size 12-14
5. Jig Frenchie – size 14,16
6. Spanish Bullet – black size 14,16
7. Pheasant Tail Nymph size 16-20
Flows and looking ahead:
Flow: 134 cfs at the time of publishing this report
Here is a link to the Flint Creek USGS Water Information.
Stop by the shop in Philipsburg for the latest report and for everything you need for your trip. We’re open 7-4 Everyday Tight lines!
Fall is here indeed. Our first cold snap passed through last week and put some snow on the mountain tops. No frost on the pumpkins yet, but we are seeing our fall hatches begin. What does “fall mode” look and feel like? Crisp mornings and pleasant days on the water. The need for early morning wake-ups and getting on the water at daybreak dwindles as we get further in September and into October. Hatches of Blue-Winged Olives are a possibility every day as well as some early season October caddis and some lingering terrestrial fishing. Streamer anglers are back at it because fishing streamers in the low and clear streamflows combined with brown trout getting aggressive and territorial in preparation for the fall spawn can create for some of the best conditions of the year for fishing large streamer patterns.
With the leaves changing colors, Blue-Winged Olives hatching, and streamflows low and clear, we are in the heart of the fall fishing season here in Montana. Our guides, our guests, and the trout are all having a happy fall season here in Montana and we expect things to remain in the fall mode into November.
We expect the terrestrial fishing–hoppers, ants, and beetles–to hang in there for the next few weeks and last till October. Our cold and wet spring means there are ample grasses which means there are also plenty of grasshoppers. We are optimistic of another very and are excited for some twitching hoppers.
Check out some of our recent blogs on Five Rivers to Fish This Fall and The Mayfly You Need to Know: Catch More Fish by Understanding Blue-Winged Olives. All of our rivers are in great shape to finish out the season–which will last into November!
Overview
Fall season fishing is a mix of matching the hatch and prospecting. The primary hatch in the fall is the Blue-Winged Olive mayfly. Some of our rivers like the Missouri, Madison, Yellowstone and Gallatin can also see sporadic hatches of October caddis. The Missouri River has the most consistent October caddis hatch. Aside from Blue-Winged Olives and October caddis anglers is fall focus on fishing with streamers or some lingering fishing with terrestrials.
The fall season is when brown trout begin to get aggressive and territorial prior to the spawn. This means some of the year’s biggest brown trout are caught. On the Yellowstone, Madison, and Missouri River anglers willing to commit to fishing big flies for big fish may very well land the fish of the year or possibly a lifetime.
Many of our small creeks are flowing very low so they are often not the best option for fishing.
Lakes have cooled from the heat of high summer and come back to being a viable option. Fall callibaetis and midge hatches can provide some exciting sight-fishing opportunities, but most anglers during fall in Montana focus on the many larger freestone rivers and tailwaters.
Hatches
Blue-Winged Olive mayflies can hatch on any given day during the next six to eight weeks on many of our local rivers can experience consistent hatches of this size 16 to 18 mayfly. Overcast and rainy or snowy days are the ideal conditions for a strong hatch, however they can occur on sunny days, but more likely to hatch in inclement weather. A hatch of Blue-Winged Olives in fall typically starts around 10 or 11 AM and can last until 3 or 4 PM. The exact timing is entirely dependent on exact weather on the given day.
October caddis is a relevant hatch for anglers in fall on fly fishing waters near Bozeman, Montana. Unlike hatches of Blue-Winged Olives and other more well-known hatches, October caddis are sporadic and do not hatch with any regularity. Fishing an October caddis hatch is a lot like fishing grasshoppers because you will unlikely see adult naturals fluttering with any regularity. You will see the occasional adult emerge every so often. The best way is to commit to fishing these large dry flies as part of a dry-dropper rig. For the dropper you can choose a large caddis nymph or a Blue-Winged Olive nymph. Most October caddis adults range in size from 8 to 12, with 10 being the most common.
Fly selection
For Blue-Winged Olives:
Nymphs:
Beadhead Pheasant Tails in sizes 16 to 22
Beadhead Little Green Machines in olive or natural in sizes 16 to 22
Beadhead Perdigons in natural, olive, peacock, black, in sizes 16 to 22
Sawyer Pheasant Tails in sizes 16 to 22
Emergers:
RS2 in olive in size 16 to 22
WD-40 in olive or brown in size 16 to 22
Dries and Spinners:
Para Adams or Para Purple Haze in size 16 to 22
Compardun in BWO in size 16 to 22
Brooks Sprout in size 16 to 22
Rusty Spinner in size 16 to 22
October caddis:
Stimulators in orange or royal in size 8 and 10
Chubby Chernobyl in rust or golden in size 8 and 10
Elk Hair caddis in orange in size 8 and 10
Beadhead Bird of Prey in size 8 -12
Beadhead cased caddis in size 8-12
Streamers and baitfish for big brown trout
Home Invaders in darker/contrasting colors in size 2 – 10
Sculpzillas in black, olive, or brown in size 2- 10
Sparkle Minnows in a variety if colors in size 2 – 10
Your favorite go-to stream pattern
Reading water
Because most of our local rivers and creeks are flowing low and clear in fall, reading water is not as crucial as early summer, but how you approach the stream and the water you target is absolutely crucial. Fall is best summed up by Blue-Winged Olive hatches and chasing big trout with streamers. Most trout in fall are going to be found in the deeper, medium slow water. On large rivers like the Yellowstone or Missouri look for trout to be holding in water that is between 4 and 6 feet deep and not moving very fast, but still has current. If a hatch of Blue-Winged Olives begins, the trout will remain in the medium speed water and in 4 to 6 feet deep range but as adult mayflies hatch and they congregate in foamlines or backeddies and slower seams, the trout will follow the food. At the end of a Blue-Winged Olive hatch look for the slower water and for fish cruising and eating adults or spinners.
When fishing streamers, target the medium speed water and 4 to 6 feet depth range but also any place where a large fish can wait in ambush. These can be undercut banks, in and around structure like submerged logs or rocks, and, lastly, any type of drop-off. Drop-offs can be the deeper water at the end of a riffle, the dark water off a shelf or rock rip-rap, or a any pockets or structure near deeper water.
Flow Data: Missouri River below Holter Dam near Wolf Creek, MT
Some beautiful weather expected in Craig for the next week or so. Streamer fishing and nymphing have been the best methods to catch fish. Nymphing has been good. Should continue that way as well. The dry fly fishing has been OK but when you find fish rising and present them with an ant, Parachute Adams, or midge cluster paired with a good drift they will likely eat the fly. Fish have been steadily eating crayfish, Olive Micro Mays, Green machines, and caddis subsurface. I really like a tan or olive/orange zirdle fished in quick shallow water for the crayfish eating trout. Larger patterns will start working this time of the year like Callibaetis nymphs and October Caddis nymphs. 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. The weeds are certainly a factor. The lower on the river and angler goes, the more time they will spend clearing off their bugs. October Caddis on top very soon.
Graves Creek/Tobacco River- Salmon snagging going well. Good numbers of fish coming out of both streams.
Lake Mary Ronan- Excellent perch bite, try 25’ of water with small crawdads or tube baits.
Flathead River (main stem)- Good trout action, small spinners or gold spoons. Fly fishing, try small hoppers, purple haze or orange humpy. Look for white fish to show up mid October.
Echo Lake- Good bass fishing, try drop shot, small minnows or swimbaits.
Flathead River Sloughs- Good pike action- Church, Fennon and Half moon. Look for crappie in Church and Fennon.
Middle Thompson- Nice perch on deep weed edges. Also try for pike with big jerk baits.
Fishermen:Lake Trout are in Skidoo, Mac Alley, Rocky Point, East of Wild Horse and Big Arm.
Mack Days have begun as of September 5.
500 lake trout caught the first day.
White fish bite is still on and many being caught in Skidoo, Mulligan, 300 feet above the buoy in the narrows. S E of Wild horse.. 65 feet .
Lake Mary Ronan Many perch being caught. Our fuzz bugs are great for this fish.
Note: Algae bloom may be somewhat dangerous. Fishing ok but children and dogs are to be kept out of the water until further investigation is done.
Small mouth bass are going great small and larger.
Fish and game are threatening to gill net up in the Swan.
More on the smallmouth later.
Good fishing
The Macman
Montana
Hebgen: The lake has been tough lately, the cooler weather was looking great, but broke into bluebird skies and 70’s for the foreseeable future. The bugs are mostly gone but there are a few callibaetis and midges still hanging around. Stripping streamers and leeches in the upper reaches of the arms has been pretty productive for us. Alternatively, you can hang a leech to a baetis nymph under an indicator.
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, #6 Olive OR Brown Peanut Envy, #4 Supernatural Peanut – Olive, #6 Olive Montana Mouthwash, #18 BBQ Baetis, #18 Turkey Callibaetis, #12 Balanced Damsel, #14 Olive Nugget, #12 O.S. Buzzer
Flows:
Inflow to Hebgen Lake: 687 cfs
Hebgen Lake Outflow: 805 cfs
Kirby Flows: 886 cfs
Temp @ Kirby: High – 63 F
Low – 53 F
** Flows as of 12pm September 25th, 2024 **
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MRO Guide Noah Norwood’s Client Tim Dolan with a chubby little Brown
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Upper Madison:
The bright sunny days have made fishing a bit of a grind lately, but the Upper is still fishing ok. Aside from the odd baetis, the surface action has mostly come to a close this season. Nymphing is as consistent as ever – small & natural is the name of the game in the fall. Streamers and Leeches will definitely drag Ol’ Leroy out of the cutbanks and pools as autumn sets in and those browns get mean.
Flies: #16 Sunburst Perdigon, #18 S&M Dark Baetis, #18 Purple JJ Baetis, #16 Black OR Red Krystal Dip, #14 Pilva’s Perdigon – Olive, #16 BWO Loopwing, #18 BWO Magic Fly, #18 CDC BWO Biot Comparadun, #20 Low Water Baetis, #16 Purple Parachute, #20 CW Trico Spinner, #18 CW Rusty Spinner, #4 Olive Supernatural Peanut, #6 Olive MT Mouthwash, #6 Olive/White Barely Legal, #8 Hot Bead Leech – Olive, Black, Brown
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MRO Guide Tyler Amory with a pretty Hebgen Brown on a day off
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YNP
As of August 14th, The Northeast Corner of YNP’s hoot owl restrictions on Slough Creek, Soda Butte, Lamar River, and Yellowstone River have been lifted – Have fun!
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*****The Madison, and Gibbon are freshly open, and the Firehole and it’s tributaries are no longer hoot owled. Have Fun!*****
The western side of YNP is slowing down due to the bright and warm weather. Swinging just simply isnt as effective on fair weather days. Nymphing might net a fish or two, and the firehole still has some dry fly fishing to be had. The Northeast Corner is starting to slow down and was recently hit with a lot of rain, which has colored up many of the watersheds up there. There’s still some good fishing to be had before it gets too cold up there though!
Flies: #12 Partridge & Orange, #14 Partridge & Peacock, #16 Diving Caddis Olive, #8 Hot Bead Leech – Black, Olive, or Brown, #6 MT Mouthwash Olive, #6 Olive Slumpbuster, #6 CH Sparkle Minnow – Brownie, #6 Olive OR Brown Peanut Envy, #8 Thin Mint Hot Bead, #4 Supernatural Peanut – Olive & Black
Flows:
Madison near West Yellowstone: – 342 cfs
Yellowstone below Yellowstone Lake: – 830 cfs
Gibbon: – 84.9 cfs
Firehole: – 235 cfs & 72 F
Lamar: – 231 cfs
Gallatin near Big Sky: 289 cfs
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Get out there!
- Flathead Lake – Currently there is a steady lake trout bite. Try jigging or trolling in about 80′ using squids and SpinFish.
- Murray Lake – A rew rainbows are being caught off the shore using marshmallows or PowerBait.
- Tobacco River – Snagging action is going strong right now. Stay close to the reservoir, Graves Creek is still slow.
- Koocanusa Reservoir -Some rainbows and bull trout are being caught off the creek mouths. Troll FlatFish, plugs or flies in fall spawn colors.
- Flathead River – Flows are staying steady at approximately 4,500 cfs. The bite is slowing down but we are still finding a few trout biting on nymphs and small dries.
- Kootenai Falls – Salmon are starting to show up in decent numbers at the falls.
Fall fly fishing in Montana is finally upon anglers fly fishing near Bozeman. Cooling weather is all of the talk among serious anglers – both local and visitors – as BWO hatches are about to begin and the brown trout become increasingly active.
Streamer fly fishing in the Yellowstone and Madison rivers improved dramatically last week, with our Montana fishing guides finding some very nice brown and rainbow trout. The last half of September is shaping up nicely for experienced anglers looking to find some big fish willing to chase streamers.
Hauser Reservoir Fishing Report (September 23, 2024)
Rainbows are being caught while trolling blue or green crankbaits out from Black Sandy, while fly fishing with leech patterns near the mouth of Trout Creek and Spokane Creek and from the Causeway Bridge with floating jigs tipped with worms or flies. A few walleye are being picked up from the Causeway Bridge as well while using various jigs tipped with nightcrawlers. 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
The Gallatin River is clearing quickly and the canyon section will be worth fishing by after work on Friday if you don’t want to fish the clean Lower Madison. By tomorrow we expect the Gallatin River to be clear and back to fishing its normal good self in its normal fall mode. Which means cool nights and crisp mornings that lead into hatches of BWOs by 11ish and then start to simmer by 3ish/4ish. Start later in the morning for sure–as water temps are dipping into the low 50’s at night, even dropping into the 40’s here very soon. Additionally, the flows on the Gallatin River at the moment are low, which means the fish are goining to be concentrated. Cover a lot of water when you fish. If you fish a deep run or hole and catch a few fish or dont’t consider moving up to the next run or whole. 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. 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.
Of all the rivers we fish in the Bozeman and Big Sky area, the Gallatin River sees the fall season come first. The scenic Gallatin Canyon is going to fish better than any other section of the river. But, with the longer and cooler nights of early September compared to August, the river’s hatches are clearly transitioning from summer fishing to fall fishing…before the river blew out yesterday the Blue-Winged Olive fishing was pretty good as the rain and overcast moved in.
The Month Ahead:
The next month on the Gallatin River is going to definitely see some great dry fly fishing—just not sure if it will be lingering terrestrials like grasshoppers, ants, and beetles or if it will be Blue Winged Olives as cold fronts pass through. But even if the dry fly fishing is not providing good action on top, Gallatin River trout in September often feed with regularity on subsurface nymphs.
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
The Paradise Valley Spring Creeks have been fishing well and should only get better the further we get into fall. Midges have been out in the mornings, with baetis in the mix on cloudier days. A light dry dropper rig is the way to go! Additionally, stripping a leech or a small sculpin can be a great option this time of year.
GO-TO FLIES:
-Glass Bullet Olive/Hot Collar #18
-Zebra Midge Black #18
-Brooks Sprout Midge Gray #20
-BH Bugger Hot Red Black #8
-Erics Midge #20
Flow Data: Bighorn River near St. Xaiver, MT
Fishing is still pretty darn good on the Bighorn. Nymphing has been good. Dry fly action, ok. Streamer fishing, decent. A Black Micro Mayfly, TNT PMD Jig, Red Zebra Midge, or Tailwater Sowbug have worked the best. Fish can be found eating tricos in the morning here and there but it has not been crazy by any means. Still some caddis flying around, the Crime Scene Caddis and Cornfed Caddis have worked well after noon. Some of the black caddis are out and a peacock elk hair works great to trick the fish that are eating these insects. Ants, hoppers and beetles have been tricking fish here and there when prospecting but nothing very consistent. Try a Green Beetle. Terrestrials will not last too much longer so get after it now if you can. This fly is an excellent choice for late summer and early Fall. It is always worth trying a streamer if you are searching for a big predatory fish but the consistency has not been there.
954 CFS @ Kirby. The Upper Madison has been fishing well as of late. Dry fly fishing has been decent, with some baetis around. Some fish are willing to take a Micro Chubby or Hippie Stomper. For nymphing, baetis, caddis, and midges are all in play. Flashy is never a bad idea on the Upper Madison. Don’t forget your streamer box this time of year!
GO-TO FLIES:
-$3 Dip Brown #16
-RS2 Emerger Olive #18
-Hippie Stomper Royal #14
-Baetis Bomb BWO #18
-Sparkle Minnow JJ #6
Facts today on the HH Blog…
BWO’s will not be here shortly. True BWO’s may not even come in October either. Sometimes November, now. Water temps need to be much cooler. We have not had true BWO hatches in the fall in some years. Sporadic hatches sometimes, in some regions, occasionally. What many anglers talk about, and some fishing reports report BWO’s coming soon. Psuedocloeon insects were once in the BWO/Baetis family. No longer. Psuedo’s are tiny BWO looking size 24 and smaller insects that do not find the fish eating them on the surface often. Try finding a Psuedo Pattern in your local fly shop. The spring BWO is much better in the let 15 years. We love the BWO, but do not believe they will be here shortly, or at all in numbers fish care about, or anglers for that matter.
Callibaetis around, but not in big numbers. Some on the upper river, have not seen any numbers on the lower. Parachute Adams or a Callibaetis Cripple. Blind fishing an Adams the past few days has not brought the fish to the fly.
October Caddis is another fly that many love, that does not make a big impression on our dry fly feeding fish. But, if you gotta fish a blind dry fly, this could be the one. If you can skitter, twitch, and/or dance the fly, you can have fun with this one. We have October Caddis Patterns in the shop for your fly flicking pleasure. We may see 10 adults in the air in a big year. Now is the time, historically, for the October Caddis. May find luck in the subsurface world of trout and insects. A popular swing pattern. An orange Bomber for the twitchers? A nymphal pattern can be the ticket if you like to sink your October Caddis patterns. May be the most successful October Caddis fly.
Hoppers and Ants still getting a bit of attention. A bit.
Nymphers love the fall period. Sows, small BWO and Pseudo nymphal patterns, newer Euro style nymphs as well, Zebra’s.
Weeds in the water column an issue til they are not. Learn the Mo River Weed Snap and you will prevail. Fished the canyon with dry flies this last week and felt is was fishable, and not too bad at all. A 3 on a scale of 1-10.
Swingers out there swinging, it. Come by for the best in Trout Spey gear, info, and technique/fly pattern tips. Headhunters of Craig has the best swing patterns and best Trout Spey Fly Selections in the Tri-County Area! Rods, fly lines, tips, leaders, reels, and education to boot! Want a Spey Trip from expert Spey instructors? We got ’em. Give us a call today and get yourself booked!
Steamer anglers putting big fish in the net.
Headhunters open daily. Shuttles, Rods, Spey Central, Best Flies Under the Big Sky, sale items and more!
The East Gallatin River flows near Bozeman, Montana and is a local’s favorite for some small stream freestone river fishing. The fishing on the East Gallatin right now is a mix of matching the hatch with Blue-Winged Olives and hatches of midges paired with prospecting with streamers and tandem nymph rigs.
The East Gallatin River is known this time of year for providing some good Do-It-Yourself walk and wade fishing. The hard part about the East Gallatin is getting legal access. There are several place to access the river, but sometimes parking is tough to find. If you do fish the East Gallatin be sure to know Montana’s Stream Access Law.
Tandem nymph rigs are going to be the best bet right now for the East Gallatin. Fish a two-fly rig with smaller beadheads such as PTs, Lightening bugs, King Princes, Perdigons, or your favorite small mayfly and caddis nymphs.
If you want some dry fly fishing for rising trout in the Bozeman area the East Gallatin River is the closest and most consistent bet right now. If you do go in hopes of finding fish on dry flies, Blue Winged Olives should start to hatch around 10/11 AM. Most trout on the East Gallatin River right now are going to be holding in medium-slow water waiting to pick off hatching insects. A few trout may still be looking for terrestrials. The East Gallatin River is also home to some great undercut banks so if you are looking to fish streamers and target some of the river’s larger trout, now is a good time work on your double-haul and fire a streamer into a dark and deep spot in hopes of finding a predacious brown trout.
Considering a fly fishing trip to the Bozeman, Montana area? Read one of more recent blog posts: Five of the Best Rivers to Fish Near Bozeman, Montana.
Flies for the East Gallatin River Right Now
Beadhead Pheasant Tails in size 14-22
Beadhead Little Green Machines in size 14-22
Beadhead Lightening Bugs in size 14-22
Beadhead King Princes in size 16-22
Parachute Adams or Purple Haze in size 16-22
BWO Comparaduns in sizes 14-22
Rusty spinners in size 16-20
Sculpzilla in black, olilve, or white in sizes 6-10
Sparkle Minnow in gold/olive in size 6 and 8
Beadhead worms in size 10
Canyon Ferry Reservoir Fishing Report by FWP (September 23, 2024)
Walleyes and a few perch are being caught in 25-30 feet of water from the Silos to the Hole in the Wall area and north of White Earth on the west shore while using bottom-bouncers with worm harnesses with chartreuse or silver spinner blades or tiger perch-colored crankbaits. Rainbow action is improving on the north end while trolling cowbells or rapalas between Yacht Basin and Cemetery Island and along the cabins on the east shore and around the Silos while using crankbaits, jigs or other traditional walleye gear. Shore anglers are catching walleyes at Duck Creek on worms or lures and the Silos on hook and worm has produced rainbows and perch. Troy Humphrey, FWP, Helena
The Spring creeks will be a great option with mud moving through the valley on the Yellowstone. The dry fly action has been mediocre with nymphing being a bit more consistent. Still midges hatching in the mornings with a few Baetis coming off in the afternoons. Fish that are eating BWO’s are looking for small flies #18- #22 BWO Comparadun is the way to go. This should only get better as we get further into fall. For ants I really like the Simazaki Ant. Beetles will also work. The Green beetle is my favorite. Terrestrial action is likely to slow down with the cool weather. You may still find a few fish rising to midges in the morning before the PMD hatch takes off. The PMD’s have been slowing down with the hatch lasting late morning into early afternoon. BWO nymphs and emergers will be great options when the fish are eating sub-surface. 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
Big nasty mud plug is working it’s way down the valley. The fishing will likely be tough until the plug passes. Big stonefly nymphs and streamers will work best until the plug moves through. Nymphing has been good with medium to large caddis nymphs. Hoppers have not been great but will likely slow down even more with the rain and cool. Still a few fish willing to eat a foamy bug on the surface! BWO’s will hopefully start hatching soon! Fishing a dry with a buggy looking (CDC or soft Hackle Collar) caddis nymph in olive or bright green below the dry has been working well. Same goes for jig style nymphs with a collar like the YFG Energizer. I really like the Jig Anti-Freeze or the Andersons Bird of Prey. Lil’ Kim is my streamer of the week followed by the Ebony and Rusty Trombone.
3.5/5
Tip of the Week:
As we get into fall streamer fishing, you will start to find trout making their way into deeper pools and undercut banks where trout often hold during colder months. Vary the speed of your retrieve, mixing slow and fast strips, to mimic the erratic movement of baitfish. Additionally, using darker, larger streamers in stained or overcast conditions can increase visibility and trigger aggressive strikes as trout bulk up for winter.
7 Day Outlook:
Here in the Missoula valley this week, we will experience mostly sunny skies with some cloud cover and slight chances of rain early in the week. Temperatures will be pleasant and gradually warming, with light winds throughout, maintaining generally calm conditions.
*Known Clark Fork Hazards:
Clinton-Turah: A few VERY sketchy spots through this section. Do not attempt unless you are very experienced.
Best Techniques:
On the Clark Fork, fishing has continued to be productive. The lower river got a good bump in flows after last week’s rain which is welcome. With the recent weather changes, anglers can use a variety of tactics to target opportunistic trout. Dry-dropper rigs remain effective, but with cooler, cloudy conditions, streamer fishing becomes an good choice for those hoping to throw larger flies. As more mayflies and caddis emerge, having patterns like Mahoganies, Blue Winged Olives, and October Caddis on hand will be key for those looking to fish dries when conditions allow.
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DRIES
Para. Adams Sparkle Purple #12-18
Chubby Chernobyl #6-12 – Purple
Water Walker #8-12 – Gold, Tan
Shanafelt’s Mongo Hopper #10-12 – Tan
Para-Ant #14-18 – Black
Glo Ant #14-18
Clook’s Beefcake Hecuba #12
Swisher PMX Foam #10 – Orange
NYMPHS
TJ Hooker #8-12 – Brown/Coffee
Hot Bead Power Worm #06-10
Jig Prince #8-12
Frenchie #12-14
Perdigons and Bullets #12-14
Duracell #12-16
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
Micro Dungeons #10 – Tan, Olive, White
Mini Ice Pick #6
Double Gonga #4-8
Helena Valley Regulating Reservoir Fishing Report by FWP (September 23, 2024)
Some anglers are having success while snagging in the Canal below the Dam. The snagging season for Kokanee Salmon opened on September 1st and will run through October 31st. Limits are 35 salmon daily with 70 in possession. Chris Hurley, FWP, Helena
Yellowstone River Fishing Update (September 14, 2024)
Smallmouth bite was on. Caught twenty-four in only two hours. Great day on the yellowstone.
