For the next several weeks to find the best fly fishing in Montana, local knowledge of current conditions is crucial. Be sure to check these reports regularly as we will do our best to update them as much as possible.
With snowmelt runoff most likely beginning on many of our freestone rivers the focus now is shifting to tailwater fisheries like the Madison and Missouri Rivers and the Paradise Valley Spring Creeks. The potential for Mother's Day caddis exists on the Lower Madison and the Missouri River. Blue Winged Olive hatches can still be a regular occurrence but as the our weather shifts from cool and rainy to more scattered sun and warmer daytime highs, the abundance of Blue Winged Olives is going to wane as we get deeper in May.
As average daily air temperatures rise and spring rains fall, area freestone rivers like the Gallatin and Yellowstone are day to day based on changing conditions. In general, when these rivers are rising this time of year, look elsewhere for better fishing. However, if a prolonger period of dry, cold weather lingers and these rivers drop in flows, check our reports as clarity can improve quickly.
Overview
If you want technical fishing--either dry fly fishing or shallow water/tight line nymphing action, choose the Paradise Valley Spring Creeks or the Missouri River. And, there is always the Madison River is one of our favorites this time of year for lots of reasons--it can nymph like a champ, there are consistent hatches of Blue Winged-Olives, and anglers that are in tune with dead-drifting streamers can catch some of the biggest fish of the year.
Time of day is also important this time of year. Early mornings can be slow fishing, so plan accordingly. The midge hatches are a late morning event often beginning around 10-11am and that will sometimes kick the trout into feeding mode. Blue Winged-Olives are often late morning or early afternoon emergences as well. March Browns and Skwalas are dependent on water temp as well, so, there is no rush to get on the water early this time of year.
Hatches
Midges, Blue Winged Olives, March Browns, and a few Skwala stoneflies.
Fly selection
Parachute Adams in sizes 12-18
Comparaduns in sizes 12-18
Royal PMX in sizes 10-12
Beadhead Little Green Machines in olive or natural in sizes 16 to 22
Pat's Rubberlegs in contrasting colors in sizes 10-16
Beadhead Pheasant Tails in flashback or natural in sizes 12-22
Firebead or hot bead SJ wormies in sizes 8-12
Beadhead Perdigons in natural, olive, peacock, black, in sizes 16 to 22
Sawyer Pheasant Tails in sizes 16 to 22
Home Invaders in darker/contrasting colors in size 2 - 10
Sculpzillas in black, olive, or brown in size 2- 10
Sparkle Minnows in a variety if colors in size 2 - 10
Elk Hair Caddis in sizes 10-18
Buzzballs in sizes 16-22
Your favorite go-to streamer pattern
Reading water
Even though we are out of winter, trout on most of our local rivers are still, in the deeper runs with slow to medium currents. This can change if a strong hatch is occurring as the trout will show themselves by rising or making nervous water. Trout will most likely not be found in the fast riffles or bustling pocket water that was so productive in the warmer months. The good news is that once you find one trout, you are going to find a few others in the same type of water. Target slower runs along banks or coming off of bankside structure and focus on the 3 to 6 foot depth ranges and medium speed current. For dead drifting streamers, most of the bigger fish willing to eat a streamer right now are going to be in deeper, slower water and not in the main, heavy currents. These large trout are going to be resting, waiting in ambush, near the heavier currents but not in them.
Other Important Factors This Time of Year
Rainbow trout are spring spawners and often prefer smaller tributaries over the larger rivers. The Livingston spring creeks (DePuy, Armstrong and Nelson) are all open in the spring. Trout from the Yellowstone river are already moving into the spring creeks prior to the spawn and this is one of the few times of the year where you can expect higher catch rates on the “creeks” due the the large influx of “river” fish. As we move farther into the spring, please try to avoid the shallow gravel riffles where the trout will be spawning. The large “clean” circles in the gravel are trout nests or redds. Wading across the redds can crush delicate eggs buried just a few inches below the surface. Trout expend a lot of energy when spawning so please avoid casting to trout that are actively on redds in the spring months.
To get some useful knowledge and to expand your fly fishing horizons, be sure to read some of our recent blog posts featuring: 5 Best Streamers for Fly Fishing in Montana in Spring, 5 Essential Dry Flies for Spring, 9 Great Flies for Large Trout Anywhere in the World, What Do Trout Need And How to Use That to Catch More Fish, Best Not-So-Secret Places to Fish in Montana This Spring, and The Mayfly You Need to Know: Catch More Fish by Understanding Blue Winged Olives.