The Bitterroot has dealt with heavy rain as of late which bumped the flows up. Fishing was a bit slow as the water came up but continued to fish well once flows leveled out. This September should be a great month to fish with cool cloudy weather in the forecast. We have been seeing Hecubas, Mahogany and BWO’s on the cloudy days and fish are taking notice. If you are lucky enough to get out on an overcast day then focus on flies like the Olive Parachute Hare’s Ear, Hecuba Cripple, Brindle Chute, Hi-Vis BWO Spinner, BWO Dun or Mayfly attractor patterns such as Parachute Adams and Purple Haze. Hopper dropper mid day for the sunny days and Trico Spinners.
Blackfoot River
The Blackfoot flows bumped with the recent rain which made the river a bit off color, however the flows have stabilized and should clear up in the coming days. The Blackfoot should continue to fish well after this surge of water. The streamer fishing is starting to pick up, the dry fly fishing has been decent with hoppers and a few October Caddis starting to kick around. For fly patterns try the Morrish Hopper, Plan B, Water Walker and Chubby Chernobyl and your favorite October Caddis Pattern. If you run into a mid day lull then tie on a dropper like G-Kes, Pheasant Tail Hot Spot Jig, P-Tail Flashback Jig, Perds and Jig Hare’s Ear.
Clark Fork River
The Clark Fork like the rest of the rivers in Missoula bumped in flow due to heavy rain which created some murky water. The flows have leveled off and the clarity should improve in the next few days. Golden Stones, Yellow Sallies, PMD’s, Tricos, Hecubas, Mahoganys, October Caddis and some decent hopper action is on the menu right now. Some of the best fishing in Missoula can be found on the Clark Fork this time of year. For flies try Trico Hi-Vis, Brindlechute, Hecuba Cripple, Last Chance Cripples have been working well. Bigger bugs like the Water Walkers, Plan B’s and Flush Floater will also continue to produce throughout September. Droppers include G-Kes Ptail Hot Spot, Jiggin Stones and just about any color Perd’s.
Rock Creek
Rock Creek The hopper fishing is producing some great fishing and October Caddis have started to show up. Streamer fishing has been great lately. Most days there is no need to go subsurface unless you want to. Dries all day long is the game right now. The creek will get better and better as the temps drop.
For many anglers, the truest sign of Fall is the emergence of the Blue Wing Olives (BWO). Arriving after the first fall rains, the cold, cloudy days bring BWO’s out in big numbers. They continue hatching through October, and sometimes later. BWO’s hatch from late morning through mid- afternoon, bringing trout to the surface to gorge. With such a long hatch window, how do you time the emergence on the rivers? You look for the heat of the day. As the days get shorter and colder, the hatch begins to move from morning to afternoon.
The Clark Fork River and Bitterroot River have phenomenal BWO hatches, and these insects can be found along the length of those rivers. Rock Creek will get good BWO hatches, but you’ll need to find the slower, quieter water where fish are feeding. The BWO is not an important hatch on the Blackfoot River. As Missoula’s highest elevation and most northern river, the Blackfoot isn’t known for it’s fall hatches. It IS known for its fall streamer fishing!
The BWO’s in Western Montana vary in size from 16 to 22. Why such a large size range? Because the “BWO” hatch is not a single species, but a complex mixture of multiple species. While the species, mostly baetis, are taxonomically different, they’re all basically the same size and color. Which means the same fly will be the correct imitation for any species that is hatching.
When many people think of late-season fishing, they think of a lovely day under the autumn sun, enjoying the crisp fall weather. For the BWO’s, change your thinking! Some of the best Blue Wing Olive fishing comes on the worst days of the season. 45 degrees, cold rain mixed with a little snow, maybe some wind, and the BWO’s will come off in droves. The fish respond to the cloud cover, and the fishing can be epic. If any hatch defines the value of cloud cover, it’s the Blue Wing Olives.
With so many different species in the rivers, it’s tough to find a place where some species of BWO nymph isn’t present. Most of the Baetis nymphs are very strong swimmers, capable of moving in 3-6 inch bursts. With this type of swimming strength, baetis nymphs are very active on the bottom, and very much a part of the trout’s diet. Frank Sawyer’s Pheasant tail nymph was designed to imitate the BWO’s found in his native British waters, and the pheasant tail works wonders in Missoula as well. Even better, Once in a while a moving pheasant tail can be effective. A slight jigging action on a slowly swung pheasant tail ban be a strong tactic in the fall.
Film Critic Fly pattern.
The BWO can be a blanket hatch, and with all blanket hatches, you have fish focusing on various stages of the insects emergence. The Missoulian Angle Fly Shop carries flies for all stages of the BWO emergence, including the Last Chance Cripple, Hi-Vis Spinner, Silhouette Dun and the TiltWing Dun. With the largest fly selection in town, we’ll have the hot BWO pattern. When buying flies, make sure you vary the size and shape of your purchase. Make sure to have cripples, spinners, emergers and duns to make sure you have the needed stage on the water. Nothing worse than watching fish rise without the right fly!
Tungsten Jig Pheasant Tail. One of Missoula’s most popular fly patterns from March-Novemeber.
The BWO will also emerge in the Spring. Once again, the species are completely different, but the same flies will work. This also explains why a small Pheasant Tail nymph always works in our area. With two separate life cycles, there will always be a size 16-18 little brown mayfly nymph swimming in 3-6 inch bursts. While the BWO might define fall for many anglers, it’s just as effective in the spring. Still loves the cold, still loves the clouds. The only difference is now it’s Spring!
The Bitterroot is a great option this time of year as the night time temperatures cool down the water. It appears that we have one more week of warm weather and hopefully it will cool down to average September temps after this week. The dry fly fishing has been pretty consistent as of late with Tricos in the morning and hoppers in the afternoon. We have been seeing Hecubas and BWO’s on the cloudy days and fish are taking notice. If you are lucky enough to get out on an overcast day then focus on flies like the Olive Parachute Hare’s Ear, Hecuba Cripple, Brindle Chute, Hi-Vis BWO Spinner, BWO Dun or Mayfly attractor patterns such as Parachute Adams and Purple Haze. Hopper dropper mid day for the sunny days and Trico Spinners.
Blackfoot River
The Blackfoot water temps have cooled down a bit and the fishing is improving as the temps cool off. Still mostly a terrestrial game right now. Focus on Hoppers, Ants and Beetles. The streamer fishing is also starting to pick up. For fly patterns try the Morrish Hopper, Plan B, Water Walker and Chubby Chernobyl. If you run into a mid day lull then tie on a dropper like G-Kes, Pheasant Tail Hot Spot Jig, P-Tail Flashback Jig, Perds and Jig Hare’s Ear.
Clark Fork River
The Clark Fork has been fishing good from the top to the bottom and should continue to get better and better as night time temps start to cool for the remainder of the season. Golden Stones, Yellow Sallies, PMD’s, Tricos, Hecubas, and some decent hopper action is on the menu right now. Some of the best fishing in Missoula can be found on the Clark Fork this time of year. For flies most of your PMD and more so tricos as of late will work along with bigger bugs like the Water Walkers, Plan B’s and Flush Floater. Droppers include G-Kes Ptail Hot Spot, Jiggin Stones and just about any color Perd’s.
Rock Creek
Rock Creek is one of your best options right now along with dozens of other tributaries in the Missoula area for wading. The hopper fishing is producing some great fishing. Most days there is no need to go subsurface unless you want to. Dries all day long is the game right now. The creek will get better and better as the temps drop.
The Bitterroot is a great option right now and the dry fly fishing has been good. The water temperature is still fairly warm so focus on the first half of the day. We have been seeing plenty of PMD’s, Golden Stones, Yellow Sallies, Tricos and the hopper fishing is in full swing too. If you come across a mid day lull then the dry dropper rig will keep you busy. Our go to droppers right now are the G-Kes Ptail Hot Spot, Jiggin Stones and just about any color Perd’s. For Dries we have been running Water Walkers, Plan B’s and Flush Floater.
Blackfoot River
The Blackfoot water temps have cooled down after the last cold front and is a solid option right now. The spruce moths have been tapering off lately with the cold fronts that have moved through. It’s terrestrial time on the Blackfoot so focus on Hoppers, ants,beetles and your go to attractor pattenrs. Flies to try include the Ant-Acid, Water Walkers, Plan B’s, Water Walkers, Flush Floaters, Mill Creek, Super G for dries and for droppers try Perd’s, Ptail Soft Spots, G-Kes, Jiggin Stones and Jig Pheasant Tails.
Clark Fork River
The Clark Fork has been fishing good from the top to the bottom and should continue to get better and better as night time temps start to cool for the remainder of the season. Golden Stones, Yellow Sallies, PMD’s, Tricos, and some decent hopper action is on the menu right now. Some of the best fishing in Missoula can be found on the Clark Fork this time of year. For flies most of your PMD and more so tricos as of late will work along with bigger bugs like the Water Walkers, Plan B’s and Flush Floater.Droppers include G-Kes Ptail Hot Spot, Jiggin Stones and just about any color Perd’s.
Rock Creek
Rock Creek is one of your best options right now along with dozens of other tributaries in the Missoula area for wading. Golden Stones and Yellow Sallies have been our go to and the hopper fishing is producing some great fish too. Most days there is no need to go subsurface unless you want to. Dries all day long is the game right now.
The trico is a purely American phenomenon. You can tell by the name. When the British named their mayflies, they used terms like Little Marryat and Greenwell’s Glory. We just shorten the latin name, Tricorythides! The trico has also been known by other names, like the Little White Curse. At size 18-20, it’s a small fly. We all take trico flies for granted, but John Geirach once wrote the greatest advance in fly fishing in his lifetime was not in lines or rods, but tiny hooks to mimic the small insects trout eat.
CDC Hi-Vis Trico Spinner is one of Missoula Fly Fishing Guides favorite flies for the Trico hatch.
Tricos begin hatching in early to mid-August, and last through September, depending on the weather around Missoula Montana. Tricos are a bridge between the excellent post run-off fly fishing and classic fall fly fishing. Tricos are an anomaly in the mayfly world. They are one of the few mayflies that react positively to the sun. The brighter the day, the better tricos hatch. Also, the spinners fall at the same time as the adults emerge. An exciting aspect of the hatch is the trico clouds that appear over the water. The mating insects and the spinners ball up above the water, flying in a figure 8 pattern. It starts about 10 feet above the river surface, and slowly descends. Be ready, because when the trico ball hits the water, the fish are feeding! Female tricos, with their white abdomen are easily distinguishable from the all black males. The multitude of choices for the trico can make fly choice a bit difficult. Adult, emerger or spinner, male or female. When everything is dropping on the water, it can be a tricky riddle to unravel.
But not as tricky as the Pale Morning Dun hatch. While there are a lot of insect stages on the water, the tricos are so small, and food sources so scarce at this time of year, the trout seem to be less picky. We have found that a male spinner is effective most of the time, and is our go to fly. Yes, you will find fish that will refuse it, and having a few different flies is always useful, but for the most part a size 18 and 20 spinner gets the job done.
Tricos are crawler nymphs, and are found in the riffles. This is where to start looking for the trico clouds, over the riffles. But trout rarely feed on tricos in riffles. Not enough caloric intake for the energy expended to feed in the faster water. So the best trico water is a riffle that opens up into a pool. The trout set up in the pools and feed on the tricos coming out of the riffle. This also explains why the spinner is more effective in pools. The adults are drying their wings, then leaving the surface, while the spinners are floating downstream in the last throes of life. The spinner is simply on the water longer.
In Missoula, the Clark Fork River and Bitterroot River boast excellent trico water for fly fisherman. Those rivers are a little lower gradient and have more areas of slower water. While the tricos will appear on the Blackfoot River and Rock Creek, high gradients mean the areas where fish feed on tricos are limited. Once you’ve located fish eating tricos, on any Missoula river, you’re going to find them there as long as the tricos hatch. Tricos are very consistent, and the trout count on that daily meal. They emerge at the same time, in the same way, and the trout are almost trained to be there to eat. It’s one of the most appealing factors about the tricos to anglers and fly fishing guides, their consistency.
After working at the Missoulian Angler for almost 30 years, Ron Beck has invented some of the most effective flies we have seen. His Peacock Trico Spinner is one of our all time favorites. One of the many flies he teaches in his advanced Fly Tying Classes in the Winter months.
With the small size of the fly, it’s also a time for small tippets. Tricos demand 5 or 6X, so they float correctly on the water. A soft tippet material is preferable for this hatch. Our favorite is the Trouthunter tippet. Quite soft, and it also comes in half sizes, to provide exact matching with a bit of extra strength. The least effective tippet for tricos is Maxima. It’s such a stiff mono that it often impedes the flies natural float. It can be done, but there are other products that make it easier.
The favorite trico in our fly shop is the Peacock Trico. Invented by Ron beck at the Missoulian Angler Fly Shop, a serious trico fisherman, it has been honed to perfection by hours and hours of on water testing. The Missoulian Angler Fly Shop also carries Hi-Vis tricos that are a little easier to see on the water. We also have the largest fly selection in town, so you know we’re going to have a trico pattern that will fill your needs and take fish. With its consistent nature and scarcity of hatches, the tricos are an important summer occurrence for fly fishing around Missoula, and provides excellent fishing during some of the hottest days of the year.
The Bitterroot is a great option right now and the dry fly fishing has been good. We have been seeing plenty of PMD’s, Golden Stones, Yellow Sallies, Tricos and the hopper fishing is in full swing too. If you come across a mid day lull then the dry dropper rig will keep you busy. Our go to droppers right now are the G-Kes Ptail Hot Spot, Jiggin Stones and just about any color Perd’s. For Dries we have been running Water Walkers, Plan B’s and Flush Floater.
Blackfoot River
The Blackfoot is warming up but still fishing good throughout the morning and early afternoon. The spruce moths have been around for the last week or so but not in any numbers until this week. We have been seeing lots of moths which will keep the fish busy for the next few weeks. It’s terrestrial time on the Blackfoot so focus on Hoppers, Moths, ants and beetles. Flies to try include the Mangler Moth, Fathead Moth, Ant-Acid, Water Walkers, Plan B’s, Flush Floaters, Mill Creek, Super G for dries and for droppers try Perd’s, Ptail Soft Spots, G-Kes, Jiggin Stones and Jig Pheasant Tails.
Clark Fork River
The Clark Fork has been fishing good from the top to the bottom. Golden Stones, Yellow Sallies, PMD’s, Tricos, Spruce Moths and some decent hopper action is on the menu right now. Some of the best fishing in Missoula can be found on the Clark Fork this time of year. For flies most of your PMD patterns will work along with bigger bugs like the Water Walkers, Plan B’s and Flush Floater, Mangler Moth, Fathead Moth. Droppers include G-Kes Ptail Hot Spot, Jiggin Stones and just about any color Perd’s.
Rock Creek
Rock Creek is one of your best options right now along with dozens of other tributaries in the Missoula area for wading. Spruce Moths, Golden Stones and Yellow Sallies have been our go to and the hopper fishing is producing some great fish too. Most days there is no need to go subsurface unless you want to. Dries all day long is the game right now.
Here is a few tips for protecting our fish with the warmer water temps that we have seen lately:
Limit the amount of handling time. Take the hook out and put the fish back in the water asap.
Use heavier tippet so you are not fighting the fish for a prolonged period of time. 3x and 4x is just fine this time of year.
Be diligent later in the day when water warms up.
Explore the high mountain creeks and springs where the water is much cooler and fish are much happier.
