Tuesday, August 15, 2017

Montana Fly Fishing Report- 8/15/17

There is some good fishing to be had around the state of Montana. Yes, there are some major fires burning and there are some hoot-owl restrictions in place,  but the fishing is good and the crowds are gone. Also, the weather has been cool enough that the hoards of inner-tubers have dissipated.  It is likely that they are home patching their tubes in preparation for next summer. I still contend that the daily inner-tuber is among the lowest life-forms on the planet. So there.
Blackfoot RAINBOW!
Its been good up there!  We're still playing around with terrestrials in the afternoons.  Tricos have been getting stronger each day and the moths are all but gone.  Look to bigger dries (nocturnal stones are out) in the morning, and then move on to hoppers/ants/beetles.  The size 12 and 14 p.t. is a good bet for a dropper. The water is low, but cold.

We've been running boats on the lower river. The Superior area is brutally smoky, so go elsewhere. Foam in purple and pink has been good. The 12 prince will help out in the afternoons. The water is warm so plan to revive a few fish. Ants and hoppers, along with the purple haze, are good bets.  Play the outer foam lines.

We've been down on the lower river a bit this month. Slender black buggers fished deep will get fish in the a.m. and the hopper will get it done in the afternoons.  There are plenty of stone shucks at the water line so bring your foam stones.  We found that the twitch has been key to getting fish up. Look to the heavy insides and the messy outer seams. There hasn't been a reason to tie on a nymph!

Its a bit weedy. Thats nothing new.  If your a nymph dork, then the dam is the place to go. Lower on the river you can toss smaller hoppers and ants, after you mess around with the morning tricos. The hopper bite has been spotty, but it will continue to improve over the next four weeks. Fishing a dropper isn't futile, but it will prove frustrating with the weeds.