Fly Fishing Report Brought To You By Our Missoula Fly Fishing Guides And Fly Shop Staff.
Enjoy and Good Luck!
Bitterroot River
The Bitterroot river has benefited from cool daytime temps, colder and longer nights, and recent rain. Fishing has improved a lot and hoot owl has been lifted, meaning you can now fish all day long. As the nights get longer, the fishing will continue to improve for the rest of august and into September. Hopper fishing has been the most consistent but there has been some great Trico hatches in the morning and on cloudy rainy days the Hecuba Mayfly has been great. September should be great this year on the Bitterroot and the rest of our local streams.
Scroll to the bottom of this page for additional fly patterns and tips for each hatch
Blackfoot River
The Blackfoot has been fishing good lately with the cooler temps and should continue to produce plenty of fish for the rest of the season. Hopper fishing has been the go to and dropper fishing during the mid day lull will keep you busy. The cooler water temps brings some great streamer fishing this time of year. Trico’s are around but the trico is one of the least important hatches on the Blackfoot as the big fish just don’t show a lot of attention to them like the pods on the Clark Fork and Bitterroot do. Ant’s and beetles have also been good and always a good fly to have in your box this time of year for all of our rivers.
Scroll to the bottom of this page for additional fly patterns and tips!
Clark Fork River
The Clark Fork hoot owl restrictions have been lifted and you are now able to fish all day long. Like the Bitterroot, the Clark Fork has really improved lately with the colder night time temps and rain we’ve received lately. And with longer nights ahead, fishing in September should be great as always. The Trico fishing has been awesome during the spinner fall mid morning and hopper fishing picks up the slack when the spinner fall slows down. Be prepared for good Hecuba hatches on the lower river during cloudy rainy days. The upper to the lower stretches have all been fishing good lately and should be good from here on out with water conditions looking solid.
Scroll to the bottom of this page for additional fly patterns and tips!
Rock Creek
Rock Creek continues to fish good and like the other rivers in the area, has improved a lot with the needed cooler temps and rain. Streamer fishing has been great and will only get better as fall approaches. Dry fly fishing with hoppers, Ants and Beetles is the main game on Rock Creek right now. There are hatches of Tricos, but like the Blackfoot, this is just not an important hatch on the Creek usually. We’re excited for a great September and October on Rock Creek and the rest of our local streams with this much needed and surprising cool down we’ve seen lately.
Scroll to the bottom of this page for additional fly patterns and tips!
August 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.
