Missoula Area Fishing Report 8/5

It’s really hard to believe that we are in August!  We are pushing ever closer to fall and the best time of the year in my opinion.  This week I had some solid days of fishing on the Blackfoot and the Clark Fork Rivers.  Looking ahead at the forecast for the coming week, cooler temperatures should help with our water temps and give us a little bump in the fishing department.  I know some of the hoot owl restrictions have been lifted in southwestern Montana as of today, so things are

I am going to start with the Blackfoot River because I personally think that is the place to be currently.  Early mornings will bring spruce moths and fish on the prowl trolling around looking for them.  Keep your eyes open, spruce moths will put fish in some weird spots where you typically would not see a fish this time of year.  I would not be surprised to find them sharking around in dead water or super shallow edges with no current, those moths hit the water and they are prime for the picking.  There are still some PMD’s  poking around too, so a moth/mayfly combo plays really nice.  Once the moths/pmd’s phase out I have been switching to a hopper/beetle with a black ant behind it.  As the heat begins to settle in I usually then clip off the ant and just roll the beetle or the hopper by itself.  I also think the beetle entices a lot more smaller fish to eat which usually annoys me and I run just the hopper.   The hopper hunts well in the chop, down the guts and even in the slower, deeper pools.  Let it ride all the way through the tail outs, there are fish there, just have to give them the opportunity to eat it.  I also tell my peeps, once you lay it down, let it ride that same line all the way through the pool.  It’s a big bug, they will find you!  If you want to do the hopper/dropper thing you can drop your favorite perdigon or nymph off the back, there are a lot of subsurface eats out there as well.  

Dry Flies: Chubby (size 8,10),  Water Walker (size 8,10), Purple Haze (size 14,16), Parachute PMD (size 14,16), PMD Cripple (size 12,14) Black Beetle (size 10, 12), Red or Black Ants (size 14,16), Grasshopper (Size 8,10) Spruce Moths (size 10,12,14)

Nymphs: Pat’s Rubber Leg (size 8,10), PT Jig (size 14,16), Prince Nymph/Jig (size 14,16), Perdigons (size 12,14,16), Copper John (size 14,16)

With the hoot owl restrictions in place on the Clark Fork, getting on super early is not only productive, but makes for a beautiful start to the day.  Being on before the sun comes up is a truly special time of day and fish are ready to eat!  There still are some nocturnals bouncing around and a morning hath of PMD’s is still getting some fish up and working if you know where to look.  A dry/dropper is a great way to start the day, make sure your dropper is plenty long enough to get down (at least 30”) and also heavy enough to get through the swirl seams where a lot of the trout are holding.  Also, don’t be ashamed to get out the bobber rig to get down further on all those tasty seams.  This time of year I like to run a zonker or a small crayfish pattern and trail your favorite nymph or perdigon behind it.  In the slower pools you can strip it a couple times, let it settle and then strip it again to give some added movement to your setup.  With the hoot owl restrictions, the hopper play is a pretty short window, however it’s a good way to finish the day before you have to stop fishing.  The drop offs, choppy insides and the swirl seams will have fish looking for that bigger bug.  Also, do not be afraid to cast it to a fish sipping pmd spinners, many times they will eat the hopper like clockwork.  

Dry Flies: Chubby (size 6,8,10), Water Walkers (size 6,8,10) PMD Cripple (size 12, 14), Purple Haze (size 14,16), Parachute PMD (14,16), Hoppers (size 8, 10)

Nymphs: Pat’s Rubber Leg (size 8,10), PT Jig (size 14,16), Prince Nymph/Jig (size 14,16), Perdigons (size 12,14,16), Tungsten Beaded Red San Juan (size 10)

Streamer: Pearl/Natural Zonker (size 6,8), Smaller Crayfish Patterns (size 8,10)

Remember, the smaller tributaries are a great place to play with the rivers being so warm.  Just because the water is smaller doesn’t mean there aren’t bigger fish in there!  They adapt to the conditions and find hiding spots that protect them from predators and still allow them great eating opportunities.  Pay attention to where you catch fish and look for similar spots as you continue on, it will make for a great day!

Well that’s it for the week!  Please be careful out there, lot’s of rocks and debris sticking out making hazards.  I saw a picture of a drift boat capsized on the Madison River this past week, stuck on two big rocks, full of water and not coming off anytime soon!  Things happen fast when you’re not paying attention!  

Please feel free to DM me on Instagram or Facebook if you have any questions, I am happy to help!  Also let me know if there is anything you would like me to add to the report!  Hope you all have a very fishy week and remember to pinch those barbs, help those fish out when it’s hot! looking up.