Fresh Montana Fishing Reports

The PMD hatch is in full swing on Missouri River right now and the trout looking up lying in wait for them to drift into their waiting mouths. The PMD or Pale Morning Dun is a mayfly species thats a pale yellowish olive color with a gray wing in a size # 14-18. They’ll start hatching at about 9:30-10:30 am and continue for a few hours to most of the day. The Missouri Rivers slick, spring creek like currents lend themselves to dry fly fishing. Look for dimples on the surface. These trout will often pod up in prime spots to feed very efficiently. Using the current to bring the food to them. Back eddys are a good place to find rising trout as the bugs go round and round like a lazy Susan. We find the fish will prefer a cripple pattern early in the hatch then the dun, followed by the spent spinner. Best dry flies. Sparkle Dun #14-18 Extended body parachute #14-18 Pull Over cripple #14-18 Limestone cripple #14-18 Organza spinner #14-18 Rusty spinner #14-18 Hi Viz spinner #14-18 If the fish aren’t rising, go with a short leashed leader with two flies. Tie your first fly on at about 3.5 to 4’ under an indicator and the second fly of the bend of the hook or a short tag. Mend often and set the hook when the indicator moves or goes under. Best nymphs: Pheasant Tail nymph #14-18 Split back brown #14-18 Barr emerger #14-18 Hunchback Infrequens #14-18 Contact us to book your Missouri River Fly Fishing Adventure!

Now that the ‘25 runoff has begun to wain, the Madison River is running a little lower than its historic flows for this time of year. Currently at 1280 cfs, historically more like 2-2500 cfs. Visibility is good with a very slight fuzz of color at about 2-3 feet. We’re right on the cusp of the famous Salmonfly hatch that will offer outstanding dryfly fishing! However many agree that the best fishing is just before the hatch. The fish have been feeding quite opportunistically subsurface on stonefly nymphs, caddis larva, San Juan worms and sculpins. We’re seeing the dry fly action pick up on Salmonflies, Goldens and Caddis. Target the spots with a color change which indicates a hole or bucket as we like to call it. Fish around the boulders front and back and dont be afraid to cast into really fast water. There are fish in spots that dont look like spots. You have to know what to look for so take time to observe and you’ll find yourself landing more and bigger fish! Contact us to book your dream fly fishing trip in Montana!

The pre runoff fishing on the Madison has been fantastic as expected. The flows are still low ataround 1000 cfs and the water is perfectly clear. Most of the shelf ice from the gorge has melted except for closer to Ennis and to the lake. The Ennis boat and Valley Garden FAS’s are closed until FWP can get the sites rebuilt from the ice damage. The most productive method to catch trout is nymphing under an indicator. However, the streamer bite has heated up and there are blue winged olives in the afternoon. Cloudy days are your friend for streamers and dries. The standard rubber legs coupled with a wire or San Juan worm have been the best patterns. Others include the bead head Prince, Purple Psycho Prince, Pheasant Tail,, WD40-50, Zebra midge. Some good streamer patterns include mini Dungeons, Zonkers, Mini loop sculpins but others will certainly work. The dry fly fishing is going to be in softer water wirh a nice foam line. Side channels and soft pockets can hold rising fish.

The Beaverhead regular season opener was Saturday the 17th and although the water is low the bite is good. Nymphing is your best bet on the Beav’. A two fly drop shot rig is what we recommend. Best flies right now are Zebra midges #18-20 in black, red, olive. San Juan worms in red #14-18. Scuds and sow bugs #16-18 in tan, pink and natural. Not much for dry flies right now. The streamer bite is hit and miss. Cloudy days are your friend for streamers.

The Madison River is still pre runoff and offers some great fly fishing opportunities. Flows are up a bit to around 1300 cfs and visibility at about 2.5 to 3’. There are some caddis showing up on the lower stretches and fish will start looking up now. Nymphing and streamers are still your best bet to land some numbers. Run a standard in line indicator nymph leader with your first fly anout 5’ from your indicator and tie the second off the bend of the hook 18” to your second fly. The tried and true Pats rubber legs and a bright San Juan or Wire Worm has been a solid combination. A green caddis larvae is a good second fly choice if you see caddis on the water. An elk hair caddis in olive, tan or brown in a #16-14 along with a caddis pupae if you see risers, will get the job done. Look for soft spots, inside edges, boulders and color changes that indicate good trout holding water.

Both the PMD and Yellow Sally hatches are in full swing and the fishing is as good as it gets! Current flows are pretty high at 900+ cfs but the fish don’t seem to mind. We’re primarily nymphing with an indicator and 2 flies but there are fish rising on some days, especially with clouds so dry flies are on the menu as well. Some of our favorite patterns. Nymphs; Pheasant Tail, Barr’s Emerger, Mitchell Split Case, Hunchback Infrequens, Frenchie, Kyles Yellow Sally, Perdigon hot spot Dry Flies; Pull Over, PMD Cripple, CDC Emerger, Sparkle Dun, Poly Wing Spinner, Rusty Spinner