Fly Fishing Report Brought To You By Our Missoula Fly Fishing Guides And Fly Shop Staff.
Enjoy and Good Luck!
Our Missoula fly shop is still open for call in or email orders. Give us a call and we will get your order ready to go ASAP. Click here for a menu that highlights the current hot flies that we have in stock.
The Governor is encouraging outdoor recreation at this point in time. Fly fishing is a great way to get away from the crowds and enjoy the fresh Montana air.
Bitterroot River
The Bitterroot river fly fishing has been great the last few days and we don’t often use that phrase in our fishing report. Tons of bugs including Skwala’s, Nemoura’s, March Browns and BWO’s are hatching. The next few days are calling for highs in the upper 60’s which will bump the flows up a bit. Luckily we don’t have a lot of lower elevation snow at this point so we shouldn’t see the type of bump that completely shuts the dry fly fishing down. Either way a bump is coming though but it shouldn’t scare you away from fishing. This is Missoula spring fly fishing at its best with the sun brings Skwala’s which is what most of us love about spring. Get out and enjoy the fishing this week and don’t forget your Skwala’s and sunscreen. Some of our go to Skwala patterns are Rogue Skwala, Plan B, True Skwala and Rastaman. Be prepared with some March Brown and BWO patterns if the clouds roll in. For nymphs try G-Kes Two-Bit Stones, HS Pheasant Tail, Hot Spot PT, Pats and 20 Inchers. Check out our online menu of hot flies for the spring here. Give us a call or email your order and we will get them ready for you.
Scroll to the bottom of this page for additional fly patterns and tips!
Blackfoot River
The Blackfoot River fly fishing is picking up and streamer fishing has been good. We got out on the Blackfoot yesterday and pulled out some very nice fish on streamers. Still mostly in their winter lies sitting in slower water but the fish were chasing the streamers longer distances then we’ve seen so far this spring. Maybe not the best Missoula fly fishing choices but if you’re a streamer angler, then this is pretty hard to beat with the size of fish that are moving on the streamers lately. Light colored streamers have been the ticket for us up here this spring.
Scroll to the bottom of this page for additional fly patterns and tips!
Clark Fork River
The Clark Fork River fly fishing has improved a lot in the last few days with the warmer days and should continue throughout the week. Expect a bump in flows but that shouldn’t mean that you should stay home. The March Brown hatches in the clouds has been great and we are starting to see a lot of Skwala’s in the sun. We had a fantastic day fishing streamers in the morning and dries in the afternoon with action all day long. For dries, the Rogue and Plan-B has been our top producers in the sun and March Brown patterns like Parachute Hare’s ear and Parachute Pheasant Tail in the clouds have been our go to. Keep an eye out for pods of fish eating the BWO’s in the clouds too. The streamer fishing has also produced some great mornings before the dry fly fishing kicks in.
Scroll to the bottom of this page for additional fly patterns and tips!
Rock Creek
Rock Creek fly fishing picked up the last few days with the warm weather and the Skwala’s started to show themselves and fish started taking notice. We have had a lot of reports the last few days with good dry fly fishing in the afternoon and streamer and nymphs in the morning. Like the rest of the rivers around Missoula, excpect a bump in flows but get out and enjoy the sun and some great Montana spring fly fishing at its best. For dries, try Skwala adult patterns like the Rogue, Morningwood and Rastaman. For nymphs focus on stonefly patterns like Pats, DB Stone and 20 inchers with droppers like PT Hot Spot BL, Hare’s Ear RL and Two Bit Hookers. Brighter streamers like the Kreelex and Sparkle Minnow have been producing some good fish. Good reports are coming in from the top to bottom of Rock Creek.
Scroll to the bottom of this page for additional fly patterns and tips!
Spring Hatches
Click any photo below to find out more information on each individual hatch. Includes life cycle, best fly patterns, helpful tips and where to find these hatches in your Western Montana fly fishing adventure.
