report

Weekend Update: Swing Report

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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Fishing reports vary from good to great right now. Remember, it’s all relative in December. To most, a pleasant winter day on the river that brings 6-10 nice fish to the net is “great”. To others that’s just “good”. Either way, I think you can count on that kind of day right now. If you … Read more

Turkey Day Spey Report

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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]We’ve got some great fishing weather in the forecast for the next couple of weeks, and Trout Spey anglers will find the fish are pretty receptive to the swung fly. Pressure has been light lately, as most Montanan’s are out in the field chasing Elk and Deer. Yesterday, Bill Hart (above) came down from the … Read more

May 4th Missouri River Fishing Report

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May 4th Missouri River Fishing Report Water levels falling a bit to 7.3K and wear temperatures rising upwards to 48F. So some movement yesterday in the action. Along with the water fluctuations we now bring you summer air temperatures for the remaining weekdays falling a buit as we move into the weekend ahead. But 80F … Read more

Boat Ramp Report

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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]This weekend temps are expected to get up into the high teens. Normally, this wouldn’t bring anglers out of their winter holes, but we’ve had nearly 6 weeks of unfishably cold conditions, and if the wind lays down I expect we’ll see a few boats on the river.

We get tons of calls during the winter – from all over the region – asking about the fishing conditions. Those who haven’t fished here in the winter ask the usual questions. Fly patterns, tippet size, slow or quick water, are we doing shuttles, is Joe’s open? (c’mon man)… the usual. You can tell if it’s someone who’s spent some winter time on the Mo’. They ask “how are the ramps?”. They can be dicey.

Each year we pull a rig or 3 off the ramps, and hear about a few others. Right now I would rate things as a Blue Square with a few Black diamonds. No green runs right now, but you will get some fresh tracks! If you are coming up to Craiglandia for some winter angling, make sure and bring your tow rope (2 are better), jumper cables, good tires and 4 wheel drive. Remember that many of the ramps do not have cell service!

I checked out all of the ramps yesterday anticipating some traffic this weekend. I didn’t check the Holter Dam or Wolf Creek ramps. Ice likely won’t be a problem. If there is you can usually put on your waders and stomp a hole. Duck hunters know what I’m talking about. While shelf ice rarely prevents a launch at these two ramps, plenty of folks still get their rig stuck, so be careful. Mark and I have been known to shove our boat onto the snow at the top of the ramp and slide it down to the water, rather than risk sticking a rig and ruining a fishing day. But Mark and I have been know to do stupid things.

So, here’s what the ramps from Craig down look like if you’re wondering…

CRAIG – GROOMED

More snow than I would have expected but plenty of tracks and some boats have been in/out recently. Might be icey from the polar plunge on New Years Day. More gravel on skiers left.[/vc_column_text][us_image image=”21763″ onclick=”lightbox”][vc_column_text]

STICKNEY CREEK – POWDER/CRUD

Normally a good bet in the winter, but looks super sketchy! Kind of shocked it hasn’t had at least some use as Craig to Stick is a popular winter float. I would not try this unless I had a second rig with me. And I’d make him go first.[/vc_column_text][us_image image=”21764″ onclick=”lightbox”][vc_column_text]

SPITE HILL – POWDER/PACKED POWDER

Actually looks decent, except for some shelf ice that can probably be busted out. It’ll be almost over your head at the end of the ice. And theres a recent set of trailer tracks. The Burbot boys have the road down in nicely groomed.[/vc_column_text][us_image image=”21765″ onclick=”lightbox”][vc_column_text]

DEARBORN – POW!

If you’re looking for fresh tracks, this is the spot! For fishski, that is. If you’re looking to launch your boat, plan on getting stuck on the chairlift. A whole lot of nope.[/vc_column_text][us_image image=”21766″ onclick=”lightbox”][vc_column_text]

MID CANON – POWDER

Not packed out, but this is a green run even on a powder day. The slope is short and the gradient shallow. Should be good to go (but don’t blame me if you yard sale!)[/vc_column_text][us_image image=”21762″ onclick=”lightbox”][vc_column_text]

MT. PALACE – SKIFF OF NEW

Palace didn’t look nearly as treacherous as I expected, but there’s a lot of vertical on this run. The good news is that you can easily get your trailer tires to the water. Always a sketchy call with snow, and there was tons of drift ice in the lower Canyon today. This is a fun one to slide the boat down![/vc_column_text][us_image image=”21761″ onclick=”lightbox”][vc_column_text]

PREWITT CREEK – WINDCRUST

Looks like the Bombadier missed this one. Usually some tracks during the winter but nada. And the shelf ice is way out there. Consider this OB.[/vc_column_text][us_image image=”21759″ onclick=”lightbox”][vc_column_text]

PELICAN POINT – AVALANCHE DANGER!

Always a double black diamond after a storm. That cornice on skiers left looks like it could go at any moment!? Hopefully Mark will get in there with some explosives this week, but if not it’s a no-go. And if you launch here just to prove me wrong, you’ll have to drag your boat the last 4 miles across the ice. Possible take out with a long winch strap.[/vc_column_text][us_image image=”21758″ onclick=”lightbox”][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Dog Daze Fishing Report – Missouri River

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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]So inconsistent I can’t even keep up with it. Fishing reports are all over the place right now, and fortunately you can fish all over the place right now. Pretty rare to be heading to the lower river during August hot-weather, but you can. And most of the toughest reports I’ve heard have come from the Dam? Another August anomaly.

First the good news. 1. Water temps have been what I would call “below average” for late-July /August. Yesterday the began at 62 and rose to around 65. You can’t ask for much better than that on the Mo’ in August. 2. Also, weeds are not a serious issue. Those who bitch about them right now ain’t been around these parts long. 3. Crowdless. Yes, the angling crowd is pretty thin right now, though on weekends the splash & giggle crowd will be out in force. But if you’re out on the water early you won’t see too much competition for your favorite hole.

Now the bad. 1. Trico hatches have been less than stellar, and the fish – as they often do – are reacting by not reacting. At least on top. Prepare to find small pods, and not that many of them. Some days, however, it rocks. You need to go to know. 2. Evening caddis hatches have been fluctuating between shitty and crappy. There are bugs out there, but by all-time Missouri River standards it’s pretty grim.

So, what to do? Well, we suggest hitting the river early, say by 7:30, and to be prepared to fish Trico’s or Nymph. You can throw the big bugs as well, but if you’re unfamiliar with mid-river lies right now, you may find that move tough. Nymphing will be more productive and easier to figure out. Nymph fishing has actually been very good lately (most days). Hit the river with a wide variety of Mayfly nymphs (Psycho May, PT Flashback, Military May, etc.) as well as small sow bug and midge larva. Grape Slushy and Purple Weight fly are money. Don’t mend too much or too violently or you’ll pick up drifting bits of green. Be gentle and hit it hard.

Bring your standard Trico patterns and midge clusters for your dry fly arsenal. If you’re on the water real early have some Trico Duns as well. And everyone is buying and fishing drowned Trico spinners or similar. Blind fishing in the morning can be accomplished with anything from the Purple Haze to a Morrish Hopper. Royal Trude? House & Lot? Caddis are still effective even though you may not see a single live adult.

Evenings are a crapshoot. If it’s over 90 degrees during the day, you can expect a very brief “frenzy” right before and at dark. So brief its not worth floating. Just walk in to your favorite spot. If it’s cloudy (or likely smoky next week) and not too warm the evening fishing should get pushed forward a bit. I’d head out at 7pm. I would also fish somewhere below Craig.

As for “where”, the Canyon has been the most consistent fishing, both with nymphs and dries. It’s not way better, but it’s better. Larger attractor nymphs can and do work, as does the typical Missouri River selection. Streamers are worth trying, but you’ll have to stick to half the river to avoid the moss. Hopper and ants are a good bet for blind prospecting. When you stick a fish, take note of the water depth and speed and try and keep your fly in front of the boat in the same stuff.

And while Canyon seems to be the most consistent, all sections are worth a try and are putting out fish, including the lower. Those who know the river are getting them for sure, and a lot of very large trout are being handled right now.

Which reminds me…

Don’t fight fish too long on light tippet. Push it to the edge and try and get those fish in asap. If you break them off who cares. If you do land them, try to #keepemwet and unhook them quickly. Pictures are for springtime and Bull trout. Just get our trout back as quickly as possible.

By the way, the clarity is excellent right now, and with bright and spooky conditions, the guy in the back of the boat needs to get his or her fly a long ways from the boat…

ALSO

Just received the forecasted water report from Dam managers today. They don’t say it out loud, but Im betting they’re going to drop flows into the 3500cfs range. When they do, expect an increase in mossy weedy conditions. I could be wrong, but how often does that happen?

Good luck out there, and make sure you don’t leave your problem solving skills at home.

LATE ADDITION

Just received word that FWP has imposed a 24 full hour closure on the Jefferson River, and also on portions of the Big Hole.[/vc_column_text][vc_btn title=”FWP Stream Closures & Restrictions” color=”danger” size=”lg” align=”center” link=”url:http%3A%2F%2Ffwp.mt.gov%2Fnews%2Frestrictions%2FwaterClosure.html||target:%20_blank”][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Missouri River Fishing Report: Holding Steady

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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]It seems like it’s been a while since I’ve seen a couple of chutes open at Holter Dam. Drove up today to watch the water pour over the top. I like it. Makes it feel like there actually is some runoff around. The river is currently holding steady in the upper 6000’s. It crossed the 7000CFS line for a day, but has dropped a little since them. We are heading into a warming trend, including a few days of 90 degrees in the forecast. If we’re going to see some kind of jump in the flows it may be in the next 10 days.

CURRENTLY

While not all would agree, I think the increase in flows has been good for the fishing. Caddis, BWO and now PMD’s are hatching along with some random Caddis and mayflies that are more localized. If the weather is right – and when it is you can feel the humidity – the bugs are out and the fish are looking for them. Don’t be afraid to blind fish a Caddis or Flying Ant pattern in these conditions. You ‘ll probably pick off those occasional rising fish, and also get a few that did not show themselves. I’d have some BWO and PMD cripples (Harrop, Nymen) on me, along with some smaller midge clusters, Corn Fed Caddis, Blooms Caddis, Bloom’s Ant, CFO Ant, Purple Haze/Craze and possibly a small hopper pattern. Yes, I said hopper. And an All Stages Cadddis to hang off the back of larger more buoyant patterns.

Streamer fishing has definitely picked up over the last week. It had nowhere to go but up, as we’ve had one of the tougher streamer-springs I’ve witnessed. You can hit them on a variety of patterns, and colored water coming in from our local tributaries only helps. Try white, flashy, muted, olive, black, Kreelex, bugger… you get the idea. As usual, we tend to use somewhat smaller flies than the SW crowd and their Galloupy 2 hookers. BUT, this is the time of year you might find one of those big nasties on the end of our line. Cheech’s Leech, the Sex Dungeon or a big old Dali Lama are pretty popular patterns right now. The river is not high enough to require a sink-tip, but it’s probably a good idea to at least have a poly-leader in the boat for those deeper banks.

Nymphing has been good to excellent since flows stabilized. And by excellent I mean excellent. Our guide staff – and their customers – are reporting some insane days. If you’re not getting them try something different. Different fly, side of the river, depth, water type, etc. They are eating.

Nymphing is most popular in the morning, then a switch to the dry at lunch. Both because you’ve probably caught enough under the bobber, and more fish are feeding in the afternoons right now. But not all.

GET READY FOR

A big jump in the amount of Caddis and PMD’s you see out there. The upcoming heat should kick off both of those hatches. Make sure and have patterns that imitate all stages for the PMD hatch – nymph, emerger, Dun and Spinner (usually Rusty). And you’ll want to have a variety of caddis patterns. Low-riders for the glassy stuff, and some old school fluffy high-riders for the faster riffles and banks. Ninth has several great looking new spent caddis patterns that we have been itching to try. They look good, and should be effective.

Hopefully the river doesn’t jump too big, too fast. If it does, it may squash 95% of the dry fly fishing no matter how big the hatch. You can always find a few in channels and backwaters, but once she passes the 8000CFS mark, it can be tough to find heads.

FREESTONES

Most seem to be holding steady, but they should jump up in the next week as daytime highs reach 90 and nighttime lows stall in the upper 50’s. A few folks have been fishing the Dearborn and most reports have been good. Not bad, not great. Which is good. The scenery is spectacular and the flows make for an easy float right now. If I was thinking about it, I’d do it by this weekend.

Blackfoot is holding steady and is putting out some big fish in high water conditions (3000CFS). Streamers, slop-rigs, nymphing the slow insides and slough areas should produce. I expect to see it rise and get a little dirty next week.

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Headhunters guide Max Mattioli shows off a nice Rainbow caught by Rob.

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Rising Water Fishing Report

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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Here we go. Runoff has arrived and with it a bump in flows. Not big enough to push the river out of its banks, but big enough to make you change tactics. The river is currently at 6790CFS (though it could increase by the time you read this) and briefly touched 7K. Inflows at Canyon Ferry are 10,000CFS. Canyon Ferry is 92% full. I’m not going to speculate what will happen, but I doubt we will see really big flows (above 13,000 CFS) below Holter. If we receive a big rain event, it could happen.

Temperatures are moderate so the runoff is pretty stabile in most areas. nearly every gauge I looked at least night was level or dropping slightly. The forecasted highs are to be under 80 through next week, so I expect everything to stay pretty close to where it is right now.

MISSOURI RIVER FISHING

When the first pulse hit 2 days ago, it definitely put a damper on the fishing. I heard mixed reports from most anglers, but some fought through it. Nymphing is the obvious choice when the water is on the rise. Dirty water flies like the San Juan Worm and Clouser Crayfish are coming into play, and you may need to lengthen your leader a bit depending on where you are finding the fish. Our guide staff doesn’t really like this flow much. It’s not high enough to change the game completely, and it’s not low enough for some of the tactics we’ve been using most of the spring. Some spots are fishing different while others are not. A handful of “high water” spots are coming into play. But don’t switch to your 15K tactics yet. Runoff from Little Prickly Pear and the Dearborn are adding some color to the river, but it’s not blown. Streamer guys like this color.

Sticking with the standard BH nymphs will work, but you may want to go up to a #14 or #16 on those mayfly and caddis patterns. The same flies we’ve been recommending for the last month are still in play, but we’re starting to see a few PMD’s out. We typically find that nymph patterns that imitate the front end of a hatch are killers. So try something out of your PMD box.

Speaking of streamers it’s time to hits the banks tight with some big gaudy patterns. Yellow, White and flash are always popular in dirty water. My personal favorite in these conditions and this time of year is olive/white. But you’ll probably need to do a little experimenting until the fish settle down a bit. Did I say Black?

Bugs are hatching, so it’s conceivable that you’ll find some rising fish. If I was committed to the dry fly, I’d probably do two things. 1) Look patiently in side channels, and 2) fish the late afternoon and evening. Pattern selection probably won’t matter that much. Finding fish consistently rising on top will be your biggest battle, especially on sunny days. We often find that high water feeders are focused on emerging bugs, so make sure and have something like the translucent pupa to trail behind you dry.

The whole river is in play, but you should probably keep an eye on the Dearborn is you plan on floating below it. Right now it’s under 600 CFS and dropping slowly. This should have little to no negative impact on fishing. If you’re unfamiliar with the difficult to read nymphing water from Pelican to Cascade, you may want to avoid that float. Nymphing at these flows can be very good down low, but you need to know exactly the line to fish, and the lack of structure, drops and edges makes it very difficult to read.

WADE FISHING

We are right at the point where wade fishing spots begin to disappear. You can find good, wadeable water above Craig and around Pelican Point on both sides of the river. The Canyon will be difficult in all but a few spots, and those will likely be 1 man only situations. If you have a buddy or two with you, stick to the upper.

If you’re wade fishing be prepared for everything. Nymph fishing could involve unweighted rigs with PMD and Caddis emergers, or deep weighted rigs with a Worm and a Worm. Because you’re moving less than boat anglers, you’re more likely to find a surface feeder, so don’t leave your dries in the truck. Swinging streamers could be a good call, especially very early in the morning.

Most importantly, be careful wading, especially around the bottom of gravelly islands and on steep banks. No fish is worth a swim in waders.

If you don’t have a boat or a friend with one (a near impossibility if you live in Bozeman), we rent drift boats as do the other shops on the river. And if you’re a Veteran or Active Duty Military you can reserve one of our 2 Project Healing Waters Adipose Drift Boats for free. Just call the shop, and thank you for your service!

OTHER OPTIONS

From what I’m hearing from guides and shops around the state, some of the big freestone rivers are high, but still fishable – barely. Most are too high to be really productive, but you should find some fish and probably will hang a big one. I’m not going to make any specific recommendations because I don’t want to send you on a goose chase, but it’s worth a call to your favorite fly shop on either side of the divide to get the up to date report.

Lakes are another option right now, and most will be fishing very well. High elevations lakes are clear of ice and full of hungry fish. At lower elevations, the water and weather have remained cool so you should find excellent opportunities there as well. Lower elevation fish will be in post-spawn mood, looking to regain weight.

More and more anglers are out chasing Pike and Bass these days, and this is prime time for that. You’ll need to get a little intel then go exploring. Again, with sides of the divide have opportunities that don’t get nearly as much pressure as our famous trout streams.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

March Mobile Fishing Report

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[vc_row][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_column_text]Braden Lewis is bringing us the Mobile Fishing Report for mid-March. Fishing continues to change with the seasons as we move from winter to spring. Nymphs, streamers and now… dries. We should be talking about mayflies on next months video report. You can always find this embedded on the home page as well as the blog sidebar.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_raw_html]JTNDaWZyYW1lJTIwc3JjJTNEJTIyaHR0cHMlM0ElMkYlMkZwbGF5ZXIudmltZW8uY29tJTJGdmlkZW8lMkYxNTk1NTY2ODIlM0Zwb3J0cmFpdCUzRDAlMjIlMjB3aWR0aCUzRCUyMjMwMCUyMiUyMGhlaWdodCUzRCUyMjUzMyUyMiUyMGZyYW1lYm9yZGVyJTNEJTIyMCUyMiUyMHdlYmtpdGFsbG93ZnVsbHNjcmVlbiUyMG1vemFsbG93ZnVsbHNjcmVlbiUyMGFsbG93ZnVsbHNjcmVlbiUzRSUzQyUyRmlmcmFtZSUzRQ==[/vc_raw_html][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Montana spey fishing

Two-Handed Report

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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]above: Mark Raisler and Beth Hood readying the 2hand arsenal for a day on the Mo. FINALLY We’re finally getting the right conditions for both swing and boat streamer fishing to produce some fish. It’s been OK for the last month, but not great. Lots of little flies in skinny water. Slow retrieves. Not what most … Read more

Montana fly fishing report

Missouri River Montana Fishing Report 8.7.15

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[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]The updated early August Fishing Report Bulleted Edition

Get out early and fish hard. Some days the fishing is strong in the afternoons with the past couple days proving to be better than the pervious several. The morning shot is the deal. Get some…

Nymphing at the dam is good. Better after the fish wake about 10am.

Nymphing elsewhere pretty good too. There are some seeds int he water column. Shake ’em.

Hopper fishing good day to day with the past few better than the previous bunch.

Trico fishing not too bad either. No giant pods abut some fish around and catchable. Approach quietly and don’t stone around too much. Remember the Headhunters Mantra…1st cast is the best cast.

All in all better fishing the past few days. Tough sledding the latter part of July as well as the front end of August. Very little pressure as we move into the 2nd week of August.

Good time on the Mo with the shop open daily at 6am. Open late til 9pm for any Missouri River needs. Late shuttles too![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Blackfoot River fly fishing

Blackfoot River Fly Fishing – Final Countdown

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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Mark and I continue to sneak over to the Blackfoot River if we can both find a day off together. Fishing has been good, and only seems to be getting better. Typical for this time of year. Things are cooling down, fall hatches are intensifying and the fish know that it’s time to eat. In a month, their metabolism will slow to a crawl as the water temperatures drop into the 30’s.

Nighttime lows are a bit chilly at these higher elevations, so there is no need to be on the water early. The best fishing occurs from 11am on. By 3 in the afternoon, the water temps have hit their peak and you will see a mixed bag of bugs. The fish will also be at their most active then.

You’ll encounter a variety of mayflies, including Trico’s, Mahogany Duns, Hecuba’s and Baetis. October Caddis were hatching the other day as well. One of our favorites. We definitely found fish that were keyed on a specific bug. And by “keyed on” I mean that fish that were eating Trico’s were not going to eat our #12 Purple Haze no matter how many times we threw it at them. Amazing how an 8 inch Cutthroat can humble you.

Hopper patterns were working very well later in the day, and produced much larger average size fish. Purple More-or less was all we tried and all we needed.

We didn’t throw any streamers, as we have become old & cranky dry fly snobs. Or it can be described as “too lazy to change flies and rigs”. Conditions were perfect, however, with a socked in sky and muggy, warm temps. We absolutely saw a few large, green trout (char?) lying around in some tailouts. I have a feeling the streamer fishing would have been pretty good.

Very few anglers around, as all of the Missoula area streams are fishing very well right now. Most anglers are probably sticking closer to town on the Clark Fork and Bitteroot.

Fishing won’t last much longer on the Blackfoot. Soon, cold temperatures will make the effort to float not worth it for a few hours of decent afternoon fishing. Wade fishing in the late afternoon will continue to be worthwhile, however. If you want to float one of the prettiest rivers in Montana, the time is now.

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