 |
|
       |
HATCHES In western Montana we are fortunate to have a very long dryfly season. We begin fishing around the 15th of March with the Skwala stonefly and continue drifting topwater until the last Blue Winged Olive at the end of October. Here is a summary of the hatches that get the fish excited.  Skwala Stoneflies | March-April We have our first surface action with skwalas around the 15th of March and things stay hot until the end of April. This is a hatch that is primarily on the Bitterroot and Clark Fork Rivers. A #8 or 10 olive/brown low riding stonefly gets the job done. March Brown and Grey Drake Mayflies | April-May These big mayflies see their best action on the Bitterroot, Clark Fork and the Missouri from early April though mid May. This is the first large mayfly of the season and they really get the large brown trout to look up. We fish a #10-14 tan/grey mayfly to match this hatch. Mother's Day Caddis | May This hatch can provide some exceptional headhunting on the Missouri for very large browns. As the mid-May days begin to get hot (70+ degrees) this #16 grey bodied caddis begins to hatch. As other waters rise to unfishable levels due to the heat, the dam-controlled Missouri keeps a steady flow. This is some of the best fishing of the year on the Missouri! Most of the rainbows are still spawning, so we are looking for big browns sipping close to the bank. Salmonfly | June The salmonfly hatch is probably Montana's most famous hatch. These #6 orange stones begin on the upper Bitterroot and Rock Creek the first week of June. The Blackfoot and West Fork of the Bitterroot see the bugs show up around the middle of the month. The water is big, the bugs are big and the fish are big-especially on the Bitterroot and Blackfoot. Green Drakes | June This hatch happens at roughly the same time as the salmonfly hatch. Its effectiveness varies with the year and the water flows. When things are right the post-spawn rainbows and cutthroat will go nuts slapping these #10 fat bodied mayflies. The occasional trophy brown will also search out this large meal. Golden Stoneflies | June-July These bugs follow shortly after the Salmonflies. Often times we will fish a #8 golden through the salmonfly hatch. These is just something about this smaller, yellow/brown stonefly that the fish like. I guess they must taste better than the big orange bug! Bitterroot Stones | June-July This is a hatch that happens primarily on the Bitterroot. It begins around the end of June and continues through the middle of July. In past years on the West Fork, I have seen this particular insect on the water as thick as a baetis hatch. This #12 rusty bodied stonefly is a tough insect to match with an artificial. The fish get really picky to size on this one. Don't worry-we have the bug! PMD Mayflies | July-August There are a lot of #14-16 yellow to cream mayflies that hatch from the beginning of July though the middle of August. We will fish the spinner in the morning and the dun in the afternoon. All the local rivers have a good helping of these plentiful mayflies. Attractors/ Terrestrials | July-September From the middle of July through the middle of September there is a mix of golden stones, hoppers, ants and beetles. When nothing else is hatching, these attractor flies can be just the thing to entice a large cutthroat off the bottom. Spruce Moth | August Around the first week of August the Spruce Moth can provide some of the best fishing of the season. Rock Creek is a great wade fishing option. The Blackfoot and Big Hole are also great rivers to catch this short lived hatch. We work with licensed outfitters on the Big Hole since this river is on a permit system. This #14 creamy colored moth makes its appearance for only a week or two, so a little luck helps to catch this blanket hatch. Hecuba Mayfly | August-September The Hecuba or Fall Drake is primarily a Bitterroot and Blackfoot hatch that begins the middle of August and runs until the middle of September. This # 10-12 chunky mayfly is often the only fly needed for this 30 day stretch. We will often times fish this bug when the other guides are throwing hoppers. The fish get tired of big foam hoppers with hooks in them and sure seem pleased when a nice mayfly drifts over their head. Trico | August-September This mayfly hatches about the same time as the Hecuba. The days are getting shorter, the nights longer and water temperatures are dropping. These factors seem to trigger the swarms of trico spinners that hit the water in late morning. These tiny black bodied mayflies get the trout to the surface and into a feeding frenzy. Mahogany Duns and Blue Winged Olives | September-October These are normally the last hatches of the season. The #14-16 mahoganies come off pretty consistently everyday from the middle of September through the middle of October. The #18 BWOs tend to emerge on the more overcast days during this same time frame. The last good mayfly hatch of the season can really get the fish up and eating- sensing the oncoming winter. The trout are not easy to catch since they have been fished to for over 7 months. However, if you get a good drift on 5 or 6x they will come up and sip the fly.  You may not always see these insects on the water or in the air. You may not always see the fish rising to naturals. You can, however, get fish to come to the surface and eat a well presented imitation. I know these waters, I know these fish and TOPWATER is my game. |