Missoula Area Fly Fishing Report 7/8/23
Fishing report this week will not be as elaborate as the past weeks. I took some time off for the 4th of July and have only fished the Bitterroot the past three days so I am only going to give a report for the Bitterroot this week.
Dry fly fishing has been great the past few days, there is a strong mayfly hatch in the morning and it continues throughout most of the day. Afternoons find a mix of Yellow Sallies and Golden Stones, however the Goldens have been spotty and I have found at times the fish will not eat them or at least the flies we have tried to throw at them. I have fished the tried and true Quigley Cripple, size 12, in PMD flavor throughout most of those days with great success. There are plenty of noses to cast at and fish will also eat blind so make sure you’re casting to the typical holding water. (Inside corners, root wads, drop offs, back eddies, fish are eating dry flies so stick with it, you will find them.)
Today (July 8th) the dry fly fishing was not as great on top so I switched to a black chubby and a rubber leg dropped about 30”. Fishing on the dropper was ok, we managed to hook several nice fish on the dropper in the deeper, structure oriented water and also casting to the dropoffs. I imagine this type of game will start to take off as the nocturnal hatch is just around the corner. I also think if you wanted to run a nymph rig under a bobber in some of the deeper runs you would be surprised at how many fish you would catch.
We are also getting to that time of year where getting an early start will pay dividends. I have been seeing a bit of a lull in the middle of the afternoons. Get out early and get off early so you can do some chores around the house for the wife!
Dry Flies: Chubbies size 8,10, Goldens size 10,12, Stimulators Orange size 10,12, Stimulator Yellow 12, 14, 16, Parachute PMD size 14, 16, PMD Cripple size 12, 14
Nymphs: Pat’s Rubber Leg size 8,10, PT Jig 12, 14, 16, Brown Tungsten Bead Splitcase 14, 16, Psycho Prince size 14, 16
As always, stay safe out there and there are still a lot of places to get in trouble if you’re not paying attention or take the wrong channel.
