Missoula Fishing Report

4/5/15

From a fishing stand point, Easter has normally been a turning point for the fishing around the Missoula area. The mayflies are start to show up in good numbers and the Skwalas have been crawling on the rocks in The Bitterroot long enough to have nice fish looking up for a stonefly. Easter weekend seems to be when we can count on good dry fly fishing for the better part of the day. 

The only difference this year seems to be the water levels. Yes the water is high. Yes it seems pushy on the upper rivers. Is it slowing down the fishing? No. 

The bugs are here. The spring stoneflies are here in good numbers. The big spring mayflies are starting to play a bigger role in “fish catching”. The afternoons have been giving up some fantastic dry fly fishing. Big mayfly attractors are working well. Hare’s ear’s, Para-Adams, The Haze, The Brindleshute, Carnage Drakes, and Mountain Mints are all getting eating. The Skwala bugs that are working seem to be in the Low-Pro category. Anything with a bullethead. The PK, The Rouge, and The Rastaman. The most important variable has been where you are putting that bug. Remember that it is spring. The water is still cold and fish are not hanging out where they do in July. I draw “Spring Fishing Diagrams” at least once a day here in the shop. 

Fish the “Triangles”. The soft water coming off the riffle. The seam where two currents come together after an island.  The soft water Triangles are where the fish are eating the dry fly right now. Spring fishing is just simple geometry. And you thought you wouldn’t use your 3rd grade math again…

Remember to replace that old tippet you bought last year. You don’t want to loose that big brown on old tippet that you found in your glove box before you got on the water. 

-The MAngler

#Becauseyoufish