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Pre Runoff Fishing

SW Montana is in the last week or ten days of pre-runoff fishing conditions. The weather has been cool and stream flows are excellent.

The Big Hole is at a flow that is ideal. You should fish primarily nymphs with indicators but on cloudy days the fish will chase streamers very well. If you get some warmer temperatures in the after noon give skwalla stone flies a try.

The Beaverhead has a very good spring flow. Again nymphs are the primary way to catch fish right now. San Juan Worms and small may fly bead heads work well off an indicator. You can fish streamers when the skies are not too bright.

The Madison has been very good south of Ennis with stone fly nymph and bead head combinations.

Clark Canyon Reservoir continues to turn out very big rainbows stripping streamers or fishing various patterns on indicators. Stop at the local fly shops in Dillon for information on the fly of the day.

The Ruby and Jefferson Rivers are both a bit too off color to fish well so unless you get right up to the dam on the Ruby you are going to struggle.

Good luck and enjoy your early season fishing

Snow Melt in SW Montana

A late spring snow storm and warmer temperatures have produced early run-off conditions on some SW Montana trout streams.

The Big Hole has climbed to about 2000 cfs the last couple of days but will hopefully level off and become fishable again. The river is off color with about 18 inches of visiblity.

The Beaverhead is in good fishable shape from Pipe Organ Bridge down stream. Fish nymphs in the pools. In the afternoon you may encounter some hatch activity and be able to fish dry flies.

The Madison north and south of Ennis in very good shape. Flows are low with nymph fishing being the method of choice. Fish stone fly nymphs and bead heads.

Clark Canyon Reservoir remains very good. Streamers stripped on sinking lines or indicator fishing with a variety of nymphs will produce lots of large rainbows.

Good luck

Real Spring Fishing

We have finally moved into actual spring fishing conditions. Air temperatures are much higher average each day and the stream temps are rising. Trout in all SW Montana Rivers are in a good frame of mind!

The Madison always fishes well in the early season. You will have to nymph fish with a mixed bag of patterns. Rainbow trout are spawning now and that means a small egg pattern works well. Additionally we fish small midge patterns like the Zebra Midge, Brassies and Small Copper Johns.

The Big Hole will have early season stone fly hatches soon (Skwallas). Prior to their emergence you want to fish with Pat's Stones, large prince nymphs, san juan worms and larger copper johns or pheasant tail nymphs. When the dries appear fish a Skawalla pattern in about size 8.

The Beaverhead will have bwo hatches when the weather is right. That means having overcast, cooler weather or even blustery weather. When you get the hatch you will find fish taking about a size 16 sparkle dun in olive. If no fish are working the surface, use san juan worms and small bead head nymphs on the bottom.

The Jefferson and the Ruby are also very good early season rivers. As with other streams in SW Montana you should fish mostly small bead head nymphs. However on warmer days you may find that you can stir fish up with streamer patterns.

Finally don't forget to fish Clark Canyon Reservoir this spring. Here you will catch large Rainbows cruising the banks.

Good luck in the 2010 season

Spring has sprung in the Rockies

Spring has arrived in SW Montana and fishing is definitely picking up. Streams are low and clear and the fish becoming pretty active. You will not find much dry fly fishing yet but if you fish nymphs deep you can generate a lot of activity.

The Madison both below Ennis lake and above the town of Ennis fish very well this time of year. We like egg patterns, small red midge nymphs in sizes 16, small bead head nymphs like the copper john and brassies. Once again fish these patterns in sizes 16 and 18. Use lots of weight and get the flies on the bottom. Typically fish will not chase flies too far in cold water.

The Beaverhead The Beav from Pipe Organ Bridge downstream is open and stream flows excellent for this part of the season. Fish san juan worms and midge nymphs deep with indicators and lots of weight.

The Big Hole The Big Hole can be a lot of fun in the spring. You may actually hit some blue winged olive and midge hatches on the surface with the right conditions but I would count on primarily fishing nymphs. The usual spring suspects such as SJ Worms, midges, prince nymphs and egg patterns.

The Ruby River For a small walk/wading stream the Ruby is a wonderful choice. Fish nymphs but as the days warm you may find some caddis in the afternoons.

Finally, don't over look still water fisheries like the Clark Canyon Reservoir. As the ice goes out of these bodies of water, rainbow trout move in along the shores to find spawning areas and some large fish are taken with regularity.

Good luck

Mid Winter Opportunities

It is mid January and Montana should be encased in ice. However we have been enjoying very mild temperatures and for those who like to get a few hours in on the water every month, you have a great oopportunity.

It looks like the temperatures will remain in the mid to high 30's or low forties even for a few more days. The Beaverhead from Pipe Organ bridge down is fishable. Both the Upper and Lower Madison has open water and is wadable. The Ruby River below the reservoir is also fishable in sections. On all these waters you want to fish nymphs deep with lots of weight. You may need to try a variety of patterns. Experiment with your fly size and color. Use bead heads with an indicator. The fish will be very sluggish and strikes difficult to detect.

Any fish this time of year is fun even Whitefish! Get out and get some exercise and fresh air.

Good Luck

Late Fall Fishing

The formal fishing season is over in SW Montana for most people but remember, many of our streams do remain open to fishing all winter long. The state of Montana believes that there is no reason to prevent anglers from enjoying a nice day on the stream when it comes along.

Generally in late fall and winter you are going to have to fish nymphs deep with weight and a strike indicator. The water will be too cold for the fish to be active enough to chase streamers and you will not find much hatch activity to provide top water dry fly fishing.

This fall the Beaverhead is much higher than we have experienced in the past several years. The river closes from Clark Canyon Dam to Pipe Organ Rock to protect spawning trout but you can fish from Pipe Organ Bridge all the way to Barrett's Diversion through the entire winter. Fish small nymph patterns like the ray charles, pink softy scud, brassies and micro may flies. We recommend sizes 18-22. Use lots of weight and fish very deep.

The Big Hole is a bit higher than normally seen at this point in the fall but that is good for anglers particularly if you want to float the river. I would suggest a larger stone fly pattern like the Pat's Stone with a small copper john dropped off the back. Use at least a BB shot and fish deep.

The Madison is very good in the off seasons. You should find fish moving from Ennis Lake up into the Varney Bridge area. As always, you should fish some type of nymph deep. The standard bead heads are always a good choice as well as the stone fly patterns. Fish about a size 8 stone fly and size 12-14 bead head. I like the lightening bugs, copper johns and prince nymphs as my dropper.

For the smaller stream fisherman we recommend the Ruby below the Ruby Dam. This stretch of the river is open year around and you should be able to enjoy some good mid-day fishing with bead head nymphs on any nice day this fall and winter.

Finally, the Jefferson is another option but as we always like to let anglers know, it is a river with a lower fish count per mile so you should not expect to have as active a day's fishing as you would on other area rivers. You can hook some very large fish on the Jeff but not a lot of fish typically.

If you are an out of area fisherman we would not suggest you plan a vacation to SW Montana specifically to fish this late fall or winter but if you find yourself in the area on business or for recreation of another type and you have a free day when the temperatures are comfortable, don't forget that you can fish most of the rivers of SW Montana all year long!

Good Luck

Early Winter Weather in SW Montana

You never know what you are going to experience for weather when you visit Montana. September was spectacularly nice and October has been horrible. Fortunately we are supposed to see a moderation of the cold temperatures and you should expect some good fall fishing conditions.

The Beaverhead continues to flow well above its past few fall levels and fishing is fine. Some blue winged olive activity and very good small nymph fishing. For those who enjoy streamer fishing you can work wooley buggers off the banks effectively. Fish ray charles, micro may fly and pink scud nymphs with indicators.

The Big Hole flows are way up and the river in fine fishing condition now. Once again you will not find too much dry fly fishing but the nymph fishing will be good. Use larger copper johns and pheasant tail nymphs. We like size 10 and 12. You can also drop a second fly off your rig with a san juan worm or smaller may fly nymph imitation.

The Jefferson is a good fall river. Our personal preference is for streamer fishing. We like the lighter colored flies like a white zonker leading a darker wooley bugger in black, brown or olive.

The Madison is primarily nymph fishing now. The usual array of bead head patterns with weight off an indicator will produce good fishing.

Don't let the weather deter you. Get out and enjoy the few remaining nice days of the season.