Fishing

It is hard to believe but fall has come early to the mountains of SW Montana.  There is snow in the high country and temperatures are cooling off quickly.  This is good news for anglers.  All area rivers are going to be in superb shape this fall.  We are not facing any low stream flows or warm water temperatures.

The Big Hole is holding up extremely well.  Tricos are hatching and you can still take fish on hoppers when the days warm up.  If the dry fly is slow go to stone fly nymphs and copper johns in tandem.

August and September until about the middle of September are considered late summer in the Rockies of SW Montana.  It has been a very different season in SW Montana in 2010.  We have had lots of water and cooler temperatures.  This has resulted in a couple of things happening.

Hot weather has finally come to SW Montana.  Streams are generally dropping and water temperatures warming.  This means you may have to look at earlier morning starts before water temperatures warm towards mid day.  Fortunately with all the rain SW Montana experienced this spring, stream flows are well above what they would typically be at this time of year in seasons past.

SW Montana has finally begun to experience summer like weather!  You will not find the Montana country side in a more glorious condition than it is this summer.  Everything is lush and green.  Wildflowers are blooming, the grass is belly high on grazing deer in the meadows and our rivers are full!  Life is good on the trout streams of SW  Montana and you should be fishing!

2010 Independence day Fishing should be excellent!  The Madison River south of Ennis is experiencing the famous "Salmon Fly" hatch.  Bugs are to be found from Ennis to MacAtee Bridge and will probably move up the river very quickly if the weather stays warm.  Fish stone fly nymphs deep early  in the day until the big flies get in the air and on the water.   You may find both Salmon Flies and Golden Stone Flies so have patterns to match both insects.

June 27,2010