The Search For Clear Water

When the rivers are high and brown, there’s a feeling that goes through the Missoula fly fishing community. It’s a combination of frustration, annoyance and a little bit of optimism. If only just, if I just did this, I would find clear water. The eternal optimism of the Missoula fly fisher comes through in the month of May. This optimism is always tempered by a trip across any bridge in downtown Missoula. Before they re-did the Russell Street Bridge, you could feel the bridge vibrate as the brown water raced under it. Not the first thing you look for in a place to fish!

But there is clear water, you simply have to decide you’re going to find it. Lets start at the wrong end of the spectrum, and move forward from there.

The worst place to find clear water in Missoula in May is below Kelly Island. Within 26 miles of Kelly Island, the Blackfoot River, Rock Creek and the Bitterroot River all pour into the Clark Fork River. The entire sum total of all the mud, logs, trees, and anything else that found its way to the edge of the river is coming downstream, and the lower Clark Fork is the catch all for everything. The lower Clark is pretty much the last place to search for clear water.

And from there, we start to follow the general wisdom of clear water in rivers. The further upstream you go, the clearer the water gets. It only makes sense. The higher you go in the water shed, the less chance there is for all the discoloration attendant to run-off to enter the water. So with the Clark Fork in mind, the best place to find clear water is the Warm Springs area. It’s as far upriver as you can go, and the water will be as clear as you can find in May. The same holds for all our local rivers. East and west Forks of the Bitterroot, the Upper Blackfoot and Rock Creek- the farther up river you travel, the clearer the water will be.

On the 3rd Saturday in May, the upper reaches of the rivers become so much more accessible as the tributaries open. The same rules apply to the tribs as do the rivers. The further up you go, the clearer they get. But many tribs are higher gradient, and high gradient streams hold less silt, and run clearer. Tribs are also smaller (Duh) and they have less junk floating down them. The higher sections of the tributaries offer instantaneous access to clearer water.

You’ve had to read this far to get to the easiest answers. If you’re looking for clear running water, the Missouri River is the answer. With the dam at Wolf Creek, the Missouri River is a tailwater. The bottom release water is almost completely unaffected by the mud pouring into the water behind the dam. Comes in dirty, comes out clear! There are two things to take into consideration when thinking of the Missouri. The first is its size. The water may be clear, but the dam can only hold so much water. The water levels in the Missouri go up during run-off, just as if it was a freestone river. The wading access isn’t always ideal. Given an option, the Missouri is a river better floated in May. Additionally, while the Missouri itself isn’t affected by runoff, the larger tributaries to the Missouri are. At the peak of run-off, the Missouri is really only fishable from the dam to where the Dearborn comes in. The Dearborn will be brown and high, and as soon as it enters the Missouri, the entire river clouds up and the fishing slows way down. Keep that in mind as you head to the Missouri in May.

In such a river-centric city, it’s easy to overlook the still water fly fishing around Missoula. It’s good all year round, but most anglers are focusing on the rivers most of the time. In May, many of the higher altitude lakes are icing off, and the fish are looking to feed after a long, cold winter. The ice out can be an amazing time in Missoula, with Brown’s Lake, Beavertail reservoir and Harpers’ Lake coming rapidly to mind as some of the best Missoula still water fisheries in May. And those are just the lakes we talk about. The mountains around Missoula are full of lakes- pick up a gazetteer and you’ll find hundreds. A nice hike in the mountains, and the possibilities of wild WestSlope Cutthroats- it’s a great spring day.

And we’re going to say it, but kind of in a whisper. There are bass in Montana. Big ones. Feisty and ready to eat in the lakes around Missoula. As the Spring warms the waters, the bass start looking to the surface. There’s very little more exciting than watching a Largemouth bass crush a surface popper as you rip it through cover. The blowup is something to be seen. And where you find bass you often find pike, which are also on the move as the warm weather starts to heat up the water. Some fine bass fishing is found in Upsata Lake, Nine Pipes Reservoir and Kicking Horse Reservoir. Remember that Nine Pipes and kicking Horse are on the Flathead reservation, so a separate license is needed to fish those waters. Nine Pipes is also a Migratory Bird Sanctuary, so there are specific rules that apply to fishing there. Consult the regulations before heading up there to fish.

We know, every time you cross the Clark Fork River in Missoula the brown gets you down. But the rivers aren’t off color everywhere. Nor are the abundant high mountain lakes and lower reservoirs. The tribs will soon be open, and the fishing is going to be better than our limited city vision will lead us to believe. It’s just like our local ski slope. The crafty veterans can’t wait for the snow to melt in town, because many skiers think, “Oh well, no snow.” Not in the mountains, and the crowds go way down. Same with the brown Clark Fork, we see off color and think no fishing. But with a little thought, you can find fish through the month of May and the first two weeks of June. The fishing is there, you just have to widen your gaze just a bit.     

Why You Should Try 10′ Fly Rods

Euronymphing has startled fly fishing with it’s effectiveness and micro control over the drift. I’m going to stress that. Micro control of drift. What’s the biggest deterrent to catching trout? Drag. Why are the best Missoula fly fishing guides first three recommendations when fishing, “mend. Mend! MEND!” It’s fun listening to guides talk. Got this story from a Missoula guide……

“Late June, guy’s in my boat doing jack.  Won’t listen, doesn’t pay attention, the whole 9. Seems like everyone on the rivers doubling up and this guy is about fishless. We get close to another boat, and my guy says, “How’s the fishing?” The reply is, “Real good.” In that confident voice that says we are kicking some serious Adipose fin ass. My guy asks, “What are you using?” Reply, “10 feet of drag free drift.” Cold. Callous. Cruel. Stone Nuts Accurate. Drag is the curse of fly fishing. Want to sum up fly fishing with an insect imitation in 7 words? Make your fly behave like it’s unattached.

Euronymphers learned fast that a longer rod helps control drift. Basic geometry tells us a longer rod can mend exponentially further. (Euclidean geometry. It’s why you paid attention in high school)) So when you’re  highsticking, the higher your stick, the better your drift. I haven’t consistently used a rod shorter than 10’ since about 1995. Oh, I’ve dabbled with my favorite 8’8” 2 wt, I’ve revisited my first 8’ 4 wt, but never for long. I lose too much doing it.

Straight physics tells you that a longer lever is more effective. A 10’ rod is more powerful- you can simply apply more leverage and attain higher tip speeds. As said before, a 10’ rod mends exponentially better than a shorter rod. What does that add up to? You can drop a line weight and still have 95% of what the higher line weight delivers. So my go-to rod is a 10’ 4 wt, not a 9’ 5 wt. Does all the work of the 5 wt, but now I’m throwing one line size lighter. Better for stealth. To quote John Geirach, “Fly tackle has improved considerably since 1676, when Charles Cotton advised anglers to ‘fish fine and far off,’ but no one has ever improved on that statement.” Nuff said.

So why does no one conventionally fish a 10’ rod. I’ve been in the fly fishing industry for 35 years, and I can honestly say I have no idea. I’ve explained it countless times, and people look at me and say that makes complete sense. And then continue to use a 9’ rod. I don’t get it…..

Do have to confess, there is one thing a 10’ rod doesn’t do as well as a 9’ rod, and that’s fight fish. It takes more energy to apply pressure on a longer lever. But we’re fishing for trout, not billfish. I can’t say I’ve ever lost a fish because I couldn’t get enough pressure. Could be I’m not catching big enough trout to know. Ought to ask Bryce. . . . .

Look at those Euronymphers. They know what they’re doing. They’re using a longer rod and having ridiculous success. Might not be coincidence. Just saying. Don’t listen to me! I haven’t  figured out why no 10’rods for 35 years! But try a 10’ fly rod. Do it because its the new, zippy, hot way to fish. Do it because it works. And you’ll come to find out the bonus is all the things I listed above.  It’s a better tool for the job.

Montana Fly Fishing Creek

High Water Tactics

Runoff is here, and it’s here to stay. The weather is warm, and the mountains still have snow. We’re going to have high water for the next five weeks. But that’s no reason you can’t fish. It’s not like the fish get to go on vacation when the water gets high. The trout are still in the Blackfoot River, Clark Fork River, Rock Creek and the Bitterroot River, doing the same things they always do. You just need to change your tactics.

Changing tactics means revisiting some basic principles. A trout can’t survive expending more calories than they take in. The high water has dramatically changed the nature of the river, and for a trout to survive, it must find shelter from the fast flowing water. While it might be obvious, the faster the water is moving, the more energy a trout must expend to maintain its lie.  As you approach the river, you’re looking for places where the water is eddying, or very slow, as that’s where the trout must be to conserve calories. Use the foam on the surface to locate these places.

Another basic principle is 80% of the fish are found within 10 feet of the bank. That is so important during high water. The currents are always lesser near the banks, and since trout are looking to avoid the pressure of the water, they are hugging any shelter they can find. This is so much more prevalent near the shore, so much easier for the trout to locate. So you’re working the shore, looking for eddies and slower water.

When you’re standing at the river’s edge, it’s not always easy to see where the eddies are moving, or where the slower water will be. If you’re having difficulty defining the slower holding water, leave the edge of the river and go find a higher vantage point to view the river. It might be a high bank, a bridge or just walking up the bank a little way. As you get further from the river, the patterns of current become clearer. Once you’ve identified the slow water and places of trout shelter from above, then head to the river’s edge and look at those same places up close. It will soon become apparent what the best holding water looks like up close.

Another factor comes into play near the shore once you’ve identified the better holding lies. As the water moves more slowly next to shore, the mud, dirt and everything else the river is carrying will begin to precipitate out. This means near the shore, visibility will be better. We didn’t say good, only better. Because fish have to eat even in run-off, any advantage they can find they’ll take, so slow water next to the shore offers better sight as well as requiring less energy expenditure to stay there. Keep an eye on the weather. A couple of colder days will slow  down snow melt, and the slower water will get more visibility as less debris is entering the water.

Finding access to the edge of the river can be challenging during high water. Gone are the days of long gravel bars and easy access. Right now the rivers are bank full, and running through the vegetation that is normally 25 feet from the bank. Run-off fishing is often about where can you get to the river and safely access casting to trout. 

Safety is no accident in run-off. Not only is the water moving as fast as it will all year, which of course makes wading very dangerous, the high water is moving all the debris that’s gathered on the rivers edge since last June. That means logs, downed trees and other flotsam are floating down the river as well. So even if you’re in shin deep water, if a tree or log goes by and you don’t see it, it will sweep you into the river. Be smart, stay dry during run-off!

It also takes some planning to actually land a fish in run-off. You might find a place to access the river, but you also need to plan how you’re going to land a fish when you hook one. The first move is to use tippet about two sizes heavier than you usually would. Not only are you fighting the trout, you’re also fighting the current. A little extra pound test will help you bring the fish to the net, which is a critical piece of tackle for high water. It’s just too dangerous to get so close to the water so that you can grab the fish. Bring your net and use it. Before you cast, think about how you’re going to land the fish. Check for impediments, and make sure you have a clear, safe space to bring the fish to hand.

99% of run-off fishing is going to be subsurface. Sure, the stars might align, and you’ll run into a Mother’s Day Caddis hatch or an early Stonefly hatch, and even water where they’re rising. But don’t count on it. Be ready for nymphs and streamers. The most important part of your rig may be lead weight. You don’t have much room to cast, and your flies don’t have a long time to sink. Think about it this way. If your flies sink at a rate of one inch per linear foot of river covered, you will need to cast 60 feet upstream to get your fly 5 feet deep to a trout’s lie. But if your fly sinks at one foot per linear foot of river covered, you only need to cast 5 feet above that trout suspended 5 feet deep. It makes a huge difference, so have your lead weights and tungsten bead flies.

The Wire Worm, Pat’s Rubberlegs or any dark DoubleBead Stone are great flies to use during run-off. These are some of the fastest sinking flies we carry, and they will be very useful for getting deep quickly.  But just because the water is big and fast, that doesn’t mean the fish only take big flies. Make sure to drop off a SR Quill Bullet, TH Duracell Jig or any other quick sinking smaller nymph off of the larger, heavier point fly. Most insects in the river are small- so don’t be fooled by the thought big water, big fly. Make sure to run smaller bug off the back of the big one. Don’t worry about using a heavier tippet and fouling up your drift. In fast water, the fish need to make a quick decision to eat or not. Add the difficulty of locating food in stained water, and you’ll find the fish to be a bit less fussy than mid-August. The heavier tippet also helps control the cast when you have an indicator, two flies and two split shot running along your leader.

When choosing a streamer, fly choice depends on the line you’re using. If you have a sink tip or sinking leader, a bulkier fly that may not sink as rapidly is very effective. The bulky fly helps the fish find it in off color water. If you’re using a floating line, a sparse fly with weight and maybe even a split shot or two will get the fly to where the trout are. (Dirty Hippie). Whatever streamer you choose, make sure you allow the cast to fully extend downstream. Work it as close to the shore as you can, for all the reasons that have been mentioned before. Fish where the fish are, so make sure your streamer spends as much time as close to the bank as possible.

It’s not easy to find the prime spots during run-off. The access points are few and far between, and it seems to change every day. A few cold days and nights, and the water starts to drop. Warm temps of course bring the water levels up. What’s good today may be gone in two days. While the access points may be few and far between, so are the anglers! If you’re looking for solitude, it can be easily found in the month of May. There’s not a lot of pressure on the Blackfoot River, Rock Creek, Bitterroot River and Clark Fork River. We can’t say you’ll find the best fly fishing in Montana of the season in May, but you will find some fish. Be safe, stay dry, and good luck when the conditions are difficult!

Use The Bump Time To Prepare For Montana Spring Fishing

Blake Hasquet enjoying some Montana spring fly fishing.

One week the fishing will be incredible with bugs, stable flows and beautiful weather and the next week you’re dealing with rising water, snow/rain and frozen guides. Like the saying goes “if you don’t like the weather in Montana, wait 10 minues” the same goes for Montana spring fly fishing.

We are dealing with this issue right now. Just when things started warming up and the rivers started to fish really well, we get hammered by rain after a brief warm up and the the rivers start to bump in flows. The last few weeks have been amazing fishing, big fish on big dries all day long. The good news is the flows will level off again and the fishing should continue to be productive after these daily bumps in flow. The bad news is that this weekend isn’t looking great for fly fishing Missoula rivers with rising flows, wind and cold nights.

We are hoping by next week the Bitterroot river and Blackfoot river should level off and begin to clear unless the weather man changes his/her thoughts. Rock creek is also seeing a bump but fishing is typically less effected on this stream then the rest of the Missoula rivers when flows bump due to spring conditions. The Clark Fork river is always a bit behind the other rivers to clear up and hopefully it comes back into shape by the end of next week because it was fishing really well on top for the last week or so.

Your best options for fishing right now are the Bitterroot and Rock Creek if you do plan to go fishing this week. To be honest, it might be a better weekend to tie, organize fly boxes, study entomology and check out our online menu and give us a call or email to put in an order for needed supplies for better fishing next week. Skwala, March Brown, Neumora and BWO are the primary insects that will be hatching for the rest of April, so focus on tying these or loading your fly box for some of the best Montana spring fishing of the year coming,

Many of us have a lot of extra time on our hands lately and fishing is a great way to pass the time. The inconsistency of spring fly fishing in Montana is something we live with every year and those who prepare now will maximize their fishing time when rivers stabilize. The last thing that you want to happen is getting out on the river and realize that you’re out of 3x tippet or the right pattern and fish are feeding in front of you. We are more then happy to put together a variety of flies that will work this time of year for you if you would like. A dozen professionally picked flies will go a long ways for your Missoula fly fishing adventure. Our doors may be shut but we are still open to call in or email orders and are here to help like we always have. Don’t hesitate to reach out for an order or just some needed advice. We miss seeing everyone come into our Missoula fly shop and at the very least, we would still love to hear your voices.

Get out and go fish, enjoy the time to yourself or family and enjoy Montana spring fly fishing.

Montana Fly Fishing Guide Chase Harrison

Maximize Your Missoula Montana Guided Fly Fishing Trip

You want to get the most out of your fly fishing trip to Missoula, MT. We definitely want you to get the most out of your trip!!! And that boils down to one simple word- communication. For those who have booked with Missoulian Angler Fly Shop, you know we have a series of questions we ask at booking. This helps us ascertain what your needs are on the river. During this process, we’re also trying to figure out what you want from your day. But as the customer, you should never be bashful about saying what your expectations are for your fly fishing trip. If you say you want to catch a 24 inch trout, we’re not giving any guarantees, but we’re going to do everything we can to make it happen. The same goes for dry flies, or nymphing, or whether you want beautiful Montana scenery. We’re here to maximize your day.

Missoula is blessed with over 350 miles of fishable waters, including the Blackfoot river, upper and lower Clark Fork river and Bitterroot river, all within about a 75 minute drive. And the guides are on the river every day- their ears are to the ground, they know where the fishing will be good. But most Missoula fly fishing guides haven’t chosen where they’re going to fish before they meet with you. It’s a game time decision. Which means guides want your input, and they can then make the best decision. But if they receive no input when first meeting, they’re going to make a shuttle call and head off to the river. They’ve made their choice, and it’s the best choice they feel they can make. But it doesn’t help your  to find out you want to fish nothing but dries when they’ve already chosen a prime nymphing float. So when you meet your fishing guide, let them know what you’re thinking, let them know what you want from YOUR day.

This bears remembering. The choices you make may affect the quantity of fish you catch. If you want to throw streamers all day, or float the dry, your fish count may be lesser than if you ran a nymph or hopper/dropper. So if catching a lot of trout is your goal, be guided by your Missoula fishing guides! It’s  what they do for a living, put people on fish. Your fish count will go up dramatically if you do as the guide recommends. But that’s not in stone. It’s YOUR day. Fish any way you want. The guide is there to make your day the best it can be, no matter what’s going on. But none of this happens without communication. Make your day, make the guides day, and let them know what you’re thinking. It’s a win/win situation.

Want to fish with one of our guides? Click learn more below for info.

Missoula Kids Fly Fishing

So Buster Wants To Be A Missoula Fly Fishing Guide

Many fly fishermen get to a point in their life where they kick around the possibility of becoming a fly fishing guide in Missoula. They love to fish; they love the outdoors and what can be better than being paid to enjoy both?

While many ponder the idea of becoming a fly fishing guide, few do it. There are many hurdles to jump just to get a chance to spend your days on the river fishing, and getting paid to do so. Contrary to popular belief, being a fly fishing guide in Missoula is not easy work. It’s physically and mentally exhausting at times and always keep you on your toes.

Too start, it’s rare for fly fishing guides to be a wade only around Missoula, which means you need a boat. Not only do you need a boat, but it has to be a boat the hiring outfitter is confident the boat is safe and comfortable for their guests. Spending $500 on a raft from the 80’s that has weathered in the sun for 30 years is not going to impress any outfitter or client. At this point you have spent at least $2500 or more on a boat. Then you need a vehicle that is just as presentable and able to tow your raft. It goes without saying you need a working trailer to tow your raft which can cost upwards of $1500.

The second hurdle is getting to know your raft and mastering the art of rowing. It takes a lot of practice to consistently put anglers on fish, at the correct angle, and correct speed, positioned to allow anglers front and back to fish at the same time. Safety is a big concern too and you need to be able to navigate the river without any incidents.

Many guides grew up rafting and fishing around Missoula, providing a huge advantage over many people trying to start guiding in Missoula. More than once a fledgling fly fishing guide in Missoula comes to the Missoulian Angler saying, “Hey I just got a boat and I want to start guiding professionally.” We typically ask a series of questions. Starting with how many days have you rowed, how long have you been in Montana, what rivers and sections of rivers have you fished, and that’s just a start. We are trying to get a feel for how serious about fishing and rowing you are. If you tell us that you have rowed the Blackfoot River and the Bitterroot river about 20 times each, we will politely tell them to come back in a few years, after floating many stretches around Missoula as you can. While you may be the best fisherman in your group of friends and have taught many of them how to fly fish, the average fly fishing guide in Missoula is on a whole other level. There are a lot of great fly fishing guides around Missoula that consistently spend 150+ days on the rivers a year for many years. You might not be on this level right out of the gate, but if you plan to consistently put fish in the boat and keep your guests safe, that’s going to become the norm.

The third step is licensing, which can take a bit of time. The Board of Outfitters in Montana requires guides to have an Independent Contractor License, state issued guide license, Basic First Aid training and insurance. We’re not going in depth on this, just know there is plenty of paperwork in the initial process and there continues to be paperwork throughout your guiding career in Montana.

The fourth step is obtaining work from a local Missoula outfitter. The regulations for fly fishing guides in Montana does not allow you to go out and guide on your own. Every guide must operate under a licensed Montana fly fishing outfitter. Once we’ve had some conversation, checked raft, rig, trailer and paperwork, the next step a check float. The check float, for lack of a better term, is your interview. This is your chance to show us what you got! You will take us floating with your equipment, so you can show us presentable gear and knowledge of use in a safe and effective manner. We like to see how you rig your rods, how you position the boat, how sociable you are, how you drive, how you back up your trailer, among many other things.

Once you’ve done a test float and been found to be employable as a guide, the outfitter will endorse you by signing your license. Having one endorsing outfitter as a novice guide, you need to get 10 more. The chances of being hired by one outfitter fulltime during your first year is slim to none, and Slim to none. Outfitters have a long list of the best fly fishing guides in Missoula. If you spread out your work between multiple outfitters, then you might fill your schedule for this season and maybe find a full-time home for the next season with an fly fishing outfitter in Missoula. Once you find some outfitters confident in you, you can start narrowing down the fly-fishing outfitters in Missoula that you work for.

If you’ve gotten this far, now comes the hard work. There’s no question fishing guides have a lot of fun, but it’s also a lot of work. As a fly fishing guide in Missoula, you often wake up at 5:00 AM to prepare lunches, grab drinks, stop at the shop for flies, clean your cooler, wash your truck and boat, and then pick up your clients. Most often, you’ve never met your clients, nor do you know if they have ever held a fly rod. Once you get a feel for your clients, you must decide out of the 300 miles of fishable river in the Missoula area, where you will go to give these guests the best possible fly fishing experience in Montana. This decision is based on other guide reports, weather, water flow, hatches, guest skill level, your confidence level and many other variables that rivers in Missoula will throw your way. After a full working day on the river you arrive home at 8:00 PM to rinse and repeat for your next day on the water.

After 100+ days of this, with 20+ days straight at a time, you get very worn down. It takes a special person to be a fly fishing guide, and it it’s not for everyone. We guide a lot and we absolutely love it. Spending every day on the rivers in Missoula and teaching a brand new angler to fly fish, and be successful fly fishing, are just a few reasons why we love what we do. Most of us can’t imagine having a 9-5 office job. Not to mention we have the winters off to hunt, ski, snowboard, ice fish and enjoy so much more that Montana has to offer.

Missoula fly fishing guides Matt Robb and Dustin Stetson scouting a stretch of the Bitterroot River during February in preparation for the upcoming guide season.

If you think you have what it takes or need a push in the right direction to become a Missoula fly fishing guide, then stop by and we can help you.