What are the current fishing conditions near Bozeman, Montana
Most rivers across Montana are hitting there mid summer stride which means many of the aquatic hatches are subsiding with a few exceptions (like tricos and callibaetis) and transitioning to terrestrials and other non hatch related food sources. Water levels will continue to drop as what is left of the snowpack trickles out so moving to smaller flies, longer leaders and finer tippet is often a successful tactic. Water temperatures are a huge driving force in mid summer. Every fishery has a different temperature profile but it is an important factor to keep in mind. Some fisheries are already too warm for good fishing during the day (like the Jefferson and Lower Madison). Other fisheries are best in the early morning and still others fish great in the afternoon (like rivers closer to the mountains or spring creeks with colder water temps).
Where are the important hatches right now
Caddis, some stoneflies, PMDs, some early hoppers, and just a general goodie bag of goodness!
Many of the aquatic hatches have run their course. The main hatches this time of year are the tricorythode mayflies (tricos), a few late caddis, and callibaetis on the lakes. There is also a nocturnal hatch of large stoneflies (most of us call them nocturnal stones) that can get the trout keying in on large stonefly dries at dawn or stonefly nymphs subsurface. Tricos are not thick on all waters but where they occur in abundance they can bring a lot of trout to the surface. The gulper fishing on lakes like Hebgen and Ennis can bring large trout to the surface when the callibaetis mayflies hatch in the late morning.
Terrestrials now are very important across Montana. Hoppers are now mature and flying. The trout are just now beginning to key in on them. On some rivers they aren't quite looking for them and on others the bite is already on. I waded a small stream on a private ranch the other day and the hoppers were all over the place and trout were moving aggressively for them. The quality of the "catching" over hoppers depends on the amount of pressure trout receive. They get pretty smart after they see a dozen foam hoppers a day so look for waters that see less anglers for the best hopper fishing. If you are targeting more popular fisheries you may have more luck with techier terrestrials like small beetles and ants. In the mountains hoppers are less important but keep an eye out for spruce moths - they are flying in the mornings and trout love them.
What flies should I be using right now
Trout in most of our waters are much more opportunistic now that many of the aquatic hatch cycles have finished. The exceptions are if there is a strong hatch like the trico or callibaetis (lakes) on the water or perhaps a very windy day blowing lots of hoppers in. If you see a lot of stonefly husks on the banks try a girdle bug sub surface or a big chubby just after dawn when the nocturnal stones are still skittering around the water. The reduction of aquatic hatches can be a good thing for the angler because trout are not as willing to move long distances when there is a strong hatch. For surface patterns nothing beats a hopper if you are on lightly fished waters. If you are on more waters that see a lot of summer anglers then try more subtle patterns like ants and beetles. On the lower Yellowstone and Madison try some stonefly patterns that imitate the nocturnal stones. For nymphing trout will start moving for a lot of sculpins but if nocturnal stones are around a size 6 rubber legs will still produce. There are usually still some caddis popping early in the morning so trailing a bigger fly with a caddis pupae is a good way to start the day and then transition to more of an attractor nymph as the day progresses like a lighting bug, prince or copper john. Smaller droppers and finer flourcarbon tippet sometimes makes a difference but no need to drop to anything below 5x unless you are on a spring creek.
Sub-suburface
Pat’s Rubber Legs in Olive and Brown sizes 8-12
Bead Head Prince Nymph in 12-18
Flashback Pheasant Tail in 14-18
Circus Peanuts or Coffey’s Sparkle Minnows in any color size 4-8
Dry Flies
Parachute Adams in sizes 12-20
Elk Hair Caddis/CDC caddis in sizes 12-20
Stimulators in any colors size 10-18
What are some unique options for fly fishing near Bozeman right now
The lineup of rivers within a hundred miles of Bozeman read like a who's-who of highly regarded waters: Yellowstone, DePuy's and Armstrong's Spring Creeks, Gallatin, Madison, and the waters of Yellowstone National Park. Right now it is possible to have 5 Great Days of Fishing out of Bozeman, Montana.
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