Current Conditions:
It is late August and the Paradise Valley spring creeks can be as challenging as they get. For anglers willing to cover some ground and explore the creek, there has been OK fishing with terrestrials. A rising trout may eat a well presented ant or beetle. Additionally, walking slowly and making long casts along grassy or undercut banks with a small hopper on 5X tippet may also produce a strike from an opportunistic trout. Prospecting with hoppers is not the preferred method of fishing the spring creeks but it can produce a few fish when the right cast is made, the right drift is accomplished, and a hungry trout happens to be in the vicinity of your fly.
Hatches are minimal at best. Terrestrials are around but many spring creek trout really aren't willing to leave their comfy lair to rise to a hopper. Midges and tricos do hatch some, but not in large numbers or in any consistent pattern. If they do hatch, it is mostly in the mornings and late evenings. Anglers can sometimes fish rising to spent midges in the early morning hours before the sun gets high and the fish become a little more reluctant to rise in the bright sun. Some hatches of Sulfur mayflies are occurring in the early evenings but not consistent from day to day.
If fish are not rising to hatching midges, PMDs, or another insect, anglers can still find fish feeding subsurface. Knowing the creeks goes a long way to ensure you are fishing an area that is home to more fish than another area. This is where a Montana fly fishing guide can come in handy. There are many guides who know the creeks well and this time of year fishing with someone who knows the Paradise Valley Spring Creeks well can be the difference between an enjoyable day of catching some fish versus spending the day scratching ones head wondering where the fish are.
Visit Our Shop for These Top Spring Creek Flies Right Now:
Juju Baetis size 22
Captive Baetis size 18-22
Beadhead Zebra midge, black or red, size 22
Mole Midge size 18
Brooks Sprout, BWO size 18
Almost-a-Dun BWO size 18
The Month Ahead:
Expect hatches of PMDs to decrease in intensity as we get closer to August. Sulfurs will hatch sporadically and provide some action for rising trout. Midges will still hatch and anglers will find the best fishing with midges to be in the early morning hours as fish feed on spent midges. For anglers wanting a classic spring creek experience of seeking out and casting to rising trout, those opportunities still exist, they are just less frequent and the hatching insects are considerably smaller than PMDs. Midges will be sizes 20-22 and sulfurs will be sizes 18-20.
Terrestrials are also good options for fishing the spring creeks for the next month as the creeks have abundant habitat for streamside terrestrials, so if a hatch is small or it is too windy for hatching mayflies to stay on the water’s surface, prospecting with terrestrials is always a good idea.
Wind can play a factor in a day’s fishing on the spring creeks. If winds in excess of 15 MPHs are forecast, many of the hatching dry flies are unable to stay on the water as they get blown off before a trout can consume them. Plus, long leaders that are essential for success are a little more difficult to cast. On windy days, knowledge of the creeks is essential, as plenty of sections exist that may be tucked away or out of the prevailing wind.
Having success on the spring creeks often demands intimate knowledge, booking a local guide can be a good way to get the most out of these unique fisheries.