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5 Spots to Fly Fish in Bozeman, MT

5 Spots to Fly Fish in Bozeman, MT

Bozeman Fly Fishing

Where to Fly Fish in Bozeman, MT

There are lifetime’s of fly fishing opportunities within an hour of Bozeman, MT. From the Madison River, to the Gallatin River, to the Yellowstone River, and every small stream in between: the list is endless. It can be overwhelming with all of the great options to decide where to spend your time if you only have a day or two to enjoy fly fishing in Bozeman. While hiring a fly fishing guide is the best way to make the most of your Montana fly fishing trip, it doesn’t make sense for everyone. Want to know where our Bozeman fly fishing guides go fish when we want to stay close to home? Read on for our 5 spots to fly fish in Bozeman, Montana.

 

1. Gallatin River at the Cameron Bridge

The town favorite. Fly fishing at the Cameron Bridge is the classic spot to fish for wild trout close to Bozeman, MT on the iconic Gallatin River. The Cameron Bridge is just a short drive west of town and provides great access to many miles of  wade fishing on the Gallatin River. While usually crowded close to the access point, the crowds tend to thin out after a short 10 or 15 minute hike up or downstream. Just remember to follow Montana’s stream access law and stay below the high-watermark.

The Gallatin River at the Cameron Bridge is classic freestone river fishing at its finest. Anglers can expect great fly fishing for rainbow and brown trout averaging about 13 inches with larger fish caught regularly. Great hatches from April through October make for excellent dry fly fishing opportunities. The deeper holes are best fished with streamers or nymphs.

 

2. Hyalite Reservoir

Head on up the Hyalite Canyon Road to fish Bozeman’s favorite lake. Hyalite Reservoir is just a short 15 minute drive from town, but a world away from the hustle and bustle of Main Street. This lake is tucked away in the high Gallatin Mountains, surrounded by snowcapped peaks for much of the year. There are great fly fishing opportunities for both wade and float anglers on the lake.

Yellowstone Cutthroat trout and Grayling are present all across the lake and can easily be targeted at the inlet and outlet as well as the many coves along the south-west shoreline. These fish vary greatly in size from 8-18 inches with larger fish regularly caught in the winter months. That’s right, fishing on Hyalite Reservoir is a year-round option, but leave the fly rod at home in the winter, it is a ice fisherman’s paradise.  Small leeches, prince nymphs, midge patterns ,and small parachute dryflies should cover you for fly selection.

 

3. Lower Madison River at the Beartrap Canyon

Head just 35 minutes west of Bozeman to fly fish the Beartrap Canyon of the Madison River. This is the closest wilderness fly fishing experience close to home. The dirt road in ends at a trailhead warning anglers of bears, snakes, and swift water. This fly fishing is not for the faint of heart. Anglers who do venture back are generally rewarded with great fishing in a true wilderness setting. This stretch of the Madison River is chock full of larger than average rainbow and brown trout. Targeting slower, deeper runs, as well as the many larger boulders littered along the river bottom is a great starting point for finding these trophy sized fish.

Fly fishing the Beartrap Canyon is a favorite winter-time fishing destination for our Montana fly fishing guides during the snow season. Anglers can expect great hatches of midges all winter long that make for excellent dry fly fishing even during the coldest of days. Primetime fishing opportunities during the spring, summer, and fall are great here with reliable hatches making for some of the most consistent fishing in the area. The biggest and baddest of the brown trout in this river have a special place in their heart for a well-presented crayfish fly. Keep the line tight and hold on!

 

4. DePuy’s Spring Creek

Just outside Bozeman, MT is the sleepy trout town of Livingston, MT, and just south of Livingston, MT is one of our state’s most famous small streams: DePuy’s Spring Creek. The creek runs through one of Montana’s finest working ranches and anglers can expect to pay a daily rod-fee to access the creek, but it is well worth the price of admission. Between the thick hatches, excellent dry fly fishing, great sized trout, and amazing scenery, it is hard to imagine a finer fly fishing destination near Bozeman, MT.

DePuy’s  Spring Creek is a regular staple on our guided fly fishing trips and for good reason: the fishing is that good. But by good we do not mean “easy”. The water is clear, the flows are slow, and the fish are selective. But good presentations are rewarded with great opportunities. Just don’t forget your 6x and 7x tippet.

 

5. East Gallatin River

Not going to give up any secrets here but the East Gallatin River has great fly fishing for anglers in Bozeman, MT as close as 5 minutes from Main Street. But you are going to have to earn it. This small stream courses through the many private ranches north of town, but there is great access at the many bridge crossings and fishing access sites along its length. Anglers that put in the time to learn the character and nuances of fly fishing this stream are rewarded with great fly fishing for wild rainbow and brown trout.

Mid-summer hopper fishing can be as good as it gets on the East Gallatin River. Lots of spring creeks pour into this stream along its length, keeping it cold and clear all summer long. And cold, clear water makes for happy trout.

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5 Late Summer Fly Fishing Tactics

5 Late Summer Fly Fishing Tactics

Montana Fly Fishing

Tactics for Late Summer Fly Fishing Success in Montana

It is late August in Montana. The early summer hatches of stoneflies, mayflies, and caddis are in the rearview mirror. While things seem to be quiet on the river, the fly fishing is as good as it gets on our Bozeman, MT home waters of the Yellowstone River, Madison River, Missouri River, and Yellowstone National Park. Some of our best days of the year happen in late August when flows are low, rivers are clear, and the hatches are thin. How do our Montana fly fishing guides keep the bite alive when the dog days of summer set in?

1. Terrestrials are King

Look to the banks for our trout’s favorite late summer food source: the hopper. While the hatches of mayflies and caddis may be thin on our rivers in late August, the banks are alive and loaded with tasty trout snacks. Hoppers are generally the crowd favorite and consistently catch great trout from late-August through late-September.

They come in all shapes, sizes, and colors. Pick your favorite but don’t be afraid to rotate through a few different patterns if the trout don’t go for your first offering. And twitch it. While hoppers account for the lion’s share of fish caught by terrestrials during our late Montana summers, don’t count out the humble beetle and ant if the hopper bite slows down. Even the wariest of brown trout can’t resist a well presented beetle.

2. Dare to be different

By late August the trout on the bigger and more popular rivers have seen a few flies. That big ‘ol chubby chernobyl that knocked them dead in mid-July may not turn as many heads by the end of August. Late summer is the time to mix it up and show the trout something different. Sometimes this means going bigger and bolder and sometimes smaller and duller. Great time to try those odd-ball attractor patterns gathering dust in the corners of the fly bins. You might just be surprised to find they work well. Really well. And when it comes to color, go crazy. Our Montana fly fishing guides will fish hoppers in practically every color of the rainbow. And some not in the rainbow. Pink, purple, orange, red, black, green, and yellow all account for their fair share of trout. It pays to be different.

3. Get Sneaky

Late-summer’s lower flows and clear water mean spooky trout, even on our larger rivers like the Yellowstone River and the Missouri River. Good time to get sneaky. 3x to only the biggest flies and 4x to 5x on the rest. 5x to 6x on our tailwater rivers. Consider tying on some extra tippet too. On the brighter days we commonly will fish smaller dries, size 14-18, on long leaders, 12-14 feet. Our trout don’t like seeing fly line. Keep it as far away from your fly as you can. It’s also a good idea to give trout a little more breathing room when the sun gets high. This means keep your distance from your target wade fishing and keep your fly away from the oars float fishing. Give them what they want, make it as easy as possible for them to eat, and good things will happen.

4. Go for a Walk

And wade. Late-summer in Montana means flows are perfect for fishing even the biggest of rivers by foot. Leave your waders at home. Wet wading will bring you back to the good ol’ days. Just you, the river, and your fly. Hard to beat this simple pleasure. The Lamar Valley in Yellowstone National Park is home to some of the finest late-summer wade fishing in the area. Head that way and enjoy fly fishing for cutthroat trout on one of the many tributaries of the Yellowstone River. The Lamar River, Slough Creek, and Soda Butte Creek are the popular picks and for good reason. Stay closer to home and get your feet wet on the Gallatin River or the Madison River. Wade fishing is good for the soul.

5. Fish to Happy Fish

Happy fish are feeding fish. Fish to them! Late summer means that our trout have spread out. Look to moving water that is rich in oxygen. Riffles are the obvious choice. Late summer is the time to move away from the banks and look to mid river structure for fresh holding water and eager trout. Find a trout and continue to target water like it. Look to the harder to get to spots to consistently find larger trout. Under the tree branches, micro-pockets, and bottom scoops can all hold better fish. Late summer is the time to fish harder and smarter if you want to keep the bite alive. And don’t forget to have fun!

Montana Spring Creek Fly Fishing Basics

Montana Spring Creek Fly Fishing Basics

Montana Fly Fishing

Skills for Fly Fishing the Paradise Valley Spring Creeks

Montana Spring Creek Fly Fishing offers technical fly fishing to challenge even the most accomplished of anglers. DePuy’s Spring Creek, Armstrong’s Spring Creek, and Nelson’s Spring Creek are all world famous fisheries in Paradise Valley, a short drive from our home base of Bozeman, Montana. We’ve learned a lot during our time on the water guiding anglers and fishing for the spooky and selective trout in these creeks and have compiled a basic guide to Montana Spring Creek success. While this guide is catered to fly fishing the Paradise Valley Spring Creeks, consider applying these tactics and lessons to any technical water you find yourself on.

‍1. Patience Pays

Nothing happens fast on a Spring Creek. As anglers we benefit when we slow down, observe, and think before we fish. When I arrive at a spring creek I park my truck, put on my waders, and take a walk down the bank at a distance of representative water before I ever even think about rigging a rod. I spend many days every year guiding these water and know the hatches well, but every day is different. This walk lets me look at the bugs or lack there of, see the number of fish rising, assess where other anglers are, and determine what rigging will be most appropriate to start the days fishing. Some days I go straight to dry fly fishing if bugs are actively emerging, spinners are falling, or fish are actively rising for adult duns. Other days where the creek is quiet, I opt for nymphing. Slowing down and spending the time to watch the water before you hop in will allow you to better take advantage of your fishing time. Think twice, rig once.

2. Dare to Downsize

Generally speaking I have always thought too much emphasis gets put on fly selection over presentation. How you fish a fly is more important than what fly you are fishing. Spring Creek fishing is different. Your fly selection counts and lots can go into this: size, bug type, stage of life, color, weight, and flash. Thats right, size matters, and when it comes to Spring Creek fly fishing, our guides will be the first to say that when in doubt, go small.

Small food is safe food to spring creek trout. During any hatch you will encounter a size range of naturals. With BWOs this may be 16-22, with PMDs this may be 12-18, and with Sulphurs this may be 20-24. Fishing fly patterns at the smaller end of the spectrum will produce more takes over the course of a day. They may be tougher to see, not float as well, and smaller hooks can be tough to set well, but well worth the hassle. If you get a bump or refusal on a larger pattern, consider immediately downsizing. Don’t wait for multiple refusals. Dare to downsize the first time.

3. Rig For Success

Rigging for spring creek fly fishing is just as important as a good cast and mend. A few quick tips: opt for 6x tippet, 12+ foot dry fly leaders, small pinch-on indicators, and trim your tag end tights. Now for the nitty gritty.

Good rigging starts with your choice of rod and reel. 3wt and 4wt rods allow for more delicate presentations and protect lighter tippets well. Leave the 6wt at home. While you don’t need a large amount of backing on your reel, a smooth drag is necessary for our big, mean, and strong spring creek trout. They like to run, jump, pull, and do anything they can to pop your tippet. Set your drag light, just enough that you won’t backspool your line. Or opt for a click-pawl drag reel. Smooth as can be and you can’t beat the classic sound.

Leader construction is the next consideration when rigging for spring creek fishing. We use long tapered fine leaders for both dryfly and nymph fishing. A long tapered butt section that gradually fines to 6x is preferred. This allows for great fly turnover even at distance. Your fly line will spook fish while clear mono, even thick, won’t. My dryfly leaders are generally 15ft from the end of the fly line to fly. This allows for easy mending and keeps lots of distance between your fly line and your fish. For upstream presentations don’t be afraid to go longer. For nymphing, maybe a bit shorter. Generally speaking your leader can be shorter in faster water but longer in slower. Don’t skimp out on knots. Learn the blood knot and use it. Fine tippets need all the strength they can get. There are lots of ways to lose big fish, don’t let a double surgeon’s knot failing be one of them.

4. Match the Hatch

The best spring creek anglers are students of the creek. They study the bugs, can identify size, species, color, and most importantly the stage of life of the predominantly hatching insects. Tying on a sz 20 parachute adams during a BWO or midge hatch may fool a fish every one in a while, but to consistently fool spring creek trout you’ve got to match the hatch. Aquatic insects hatch in a predictable pattern: the emerge, fly, and ultimately fall. The savvy spring creek angler fishes emerger patterns during an emergence, cripples and duns when the fish key in on adults, and spinner patterns during the fall. Montana spring creek fish key in on the various stages of life and will leave the parachute adams angler scratching their heads most days. Learn the bugs and match the hatch for consistent spring creek dry fly success.

5. Make Your First Cast Count

Spring creek fish are picky and unforgiving before you even step in the creek and get even pickier with every successive cast over them. Before you ever start your cast, think about making your first cast your best cast. Make it count. Pick a target, a steadily rising fish is a good bet. Watch it and learn its pattern. Is it moving? Is it stationary? What bugs are it eating? Good questions to ask. When possible it is best to position yourself just upstream of the fish, 30-35ft across. Think about leading your fish by 3-4ft. Anymore and your drift will likely drag. Reach cast or mend quickly. Just make sure your drift is drag free. If your cast is true and your fish cooperates, watch it eat and then set the hook. It is easy to set too fast. Watch it eat. Then set the hook. If it passes on your offering don’t re-cast until your fly is well below your target, or pull it in, reset, and make your second cast count. I’ve seen plenty of fish caught on casts 15-20 but many more spooked on casts 2-5. Make your first cast count and you won’t have to worry about the second.‍

6. Practice Makes Perfect

Spring creek fly fishing puts anglers into technical situations they may not be familiar with. Reach casts, turning over long leaders, and perfect dead drifts don’t come easily. Try and incorporate these techniques and methods into your other, more forgiving, trout fishing environments. Fish a 15 foot leader on a freestone river with eager trout, see if you can dead drift across swirly currents in back eddies, and fish 6x just to practice your hook sets and soft touch. The reach cast can be mastered in your backyard. Putting in the time practicing these techniques will pay off when you are up against PhD spring creek trout. Every great spring creek angler struggled before they succeeded. Get the struggling out of the way before you step into the creek. Practice to make perfect.

Chasing Salmonflies: Where and When to Fish Montana’s Biggest Hatch

Chasing Salmonflies: Where and When to Fish Montana’s Biggest Hatch

Montana Fly Fishing

Montana Salmonfly Hatch Overview

The Salmonfly hatch is the biggest event of the year for many fly fishing anglers in Montana. There is no better time to target big and aggressive trout with dry flies than during the hatch. The sheer size of the bugs is enough to coax even the biggest and baddest of Montana brown trout to the surface, year after year. Ask any of our Montana fly fishing guides what their favorite hatch to fish is and you will find salmonflies at or near the top of every list.

Bozeman is situated right in the heart of some of the best salmonfly fly fishing in all of Montana. The Madison River, Yellowstone River, Gallatin River, Jefferson River, and many of our smaller streams have some of the thickest hatches you’ll find anywhere in the state. The salmonflies hatch at (somewhat) predictable times every year and many anglers plan their whole Montana fly fishing trips around chasing the hatch. Wondering where to be and when to be there to enjoy some of the finest large dry fly fishing in the Big Sky State? We’ve got you covered:

Montana Salmonfly Hatch Calendar

Salmonflies hatch across the state of Montana at predictable times every year corresponding to seasonal air and water temperatures. Nymphing with large stonefly nymphs before the hatch is always a productive method to catch trout, but the main event is the dryfly fishing that follows. A dedicated salmonfly angler could fish nothing but salmonfly dries with great success from late-May through early August with great success in and around Bozeman, MT. Big bugs make for big fish. But you’ve got to be at the right place at the right time to make it happen.

Late May and Early June

The first we see of Salmonflies in Bozeman, MT starts in late May. Head south to the Firehole River in Yellowstone National Park and you will be greeted by big bugs flying around the Firehole Canyon from the last week of May through the first week of June. This hatch is smaller and less famous than the hatch on many of our larger rivers, but great fun and the first taste of salmonfly fishing we get in the Bozeman area.

By early June many of the smaller rivers at lower elevations start to warm to summer temperatures, and the salmonfly hatch is not far behind. The salmonfly hatch on Rock Creek is the first big-time hatch of the year and one of our Montana fly fishing guides’ favorite to fish. Expect the bugs to start hatching the first week in June and continue to hatch upstream through the 10th. Follow the flies and you will find the fish. Or follow the boats. Rock Creek is a popular salmonfly float trip option in early June when many of our local rivers are in runoff. We have many great memories of warm summer days on Rock Creek filled with Salmonflies flying high in the sky and big trout chasing after them.

Mid-June

Die hard salmonfly chasers already know what’s up next in the Montana salmonfly Hatch lineup: the Big Hole River. Some anglers think that the salmonfly hatch on the Big Hole River is the best around. Expect the first bugs to show up by June 10th down below Melrose and continue to hatch upstream through the 20th of June. The Big Hole River is world-famous for its high-density of trophy sized brown trout, and simply put the salmonfly hatch is an angler’s best chance to catch one on a dry fly. The fishing access site in Melrose is named Salmonfly for a reason. The hatch on the Big Hole River is that good.

Late June and Early July

The Salmonfly hatch goes into high-gear around Bozeman, Montana in late June. At this point Salmonfly anglers have had their fun across the state getting warmed up for the main event: the Madison River salmonfly hatch. This hatch is no secret and draws anglers from all over to the fabled waters of the Madison River in Ennis, MT. Expect big bugs, big fish, and big crowds from June 20th through the 4th of July. The hatch will start well below the town of Ennis and move upstream. Sometimes it is here and gone in a week and sometimes is lingers for well over 2 weeks. The last week of June is almost always a sure bet to hit the hatch. While salmonflies are the main attraction, anglers will also find great hatches of caddisflies, PMDs, green drakes, little yellow sallies, and golden stones while the big bugs are flying. Primetime dry fly fishing, but be sure to book your trip early, our Montana fly fishing guides are generally booked well in advanced for the big hatch.

Early July thru Early August

The salmonfly hatch our Montana fly fishing guides consider the granddaddy of them all: the Yellowstone River. By far the longest hatch, anglers can expect to see the first of the salmonflies hatch in Livingston, MT by the 1st of July and continue to hatch upstream through Paradise Valley and Yellowstone National Park, all the way to the LeHardy Rapids, through early August. For the angler willing to float, wade, and hike, this can mean a full month of fishing the salmonfly hatch all on one river. The Yellowstone River’s sheer length is what makes this hatch so special. The Salmonfly hatch progresses upstream as water temps slowly increase. Anglers can expect to find the big bugs between Livingston, MT and Gardiner, MT from July 1st through July 10th. This stretch of the Yellowstone River runs through Montana and is open to float fishing. On all but the highest of water years this can be the most exciting dry fly fishing in the state. The trout on the Yellowstone River eat salmonflies better than just about anywhere else. And a trophy trout is just always one cast away.

Contact us for more information about Montana’s Salmonfly hatch or to book your Montana fly fishing trip

Why hire a Montana fly fishing guide?

Why hire a Montana fly fishing guide?

Montana Fly Fishing

Why it’s worth it to hire a Montana Fly Fishing Guide

A day on the water with our Montana fly fishing guides has something to offer for every angler visiting Montana, even if they don’t think they are an angler yet. Simply put hiring a guide is the best way to maximize your time and fly fishing success in Montana. The more elaborate version follows.

Fly fishing in Montana is what our guides live for. They are all patient and courteous professionals committed to making your Montana fly fishing trip your best yet. What this means is that whether you are a seasoned angler or new to fly fishing, our guides cater to your expectations and have something to offer for everyone.

Benefits of a Guide for Beginner Anglers

We were all new to fly fishing at one point. This is something our guides haven’t forgotten and teaching new anglers is our guides’ great strengths. Many of our clients visit Montana for something more than just fly fishing but want to take part in an angling adventure. For these clients hiring a fly fishing guide is the best way to learn the sport from an experienced professional, have a positive and safe outdoor experience, and simply enjoy a fun day on the water in Montana. And at the end of the day that is what we feel fly fishing in Montana should be: fun.

Benefits of a Guide for Experienced Anglers

For the seasoned anglers out there, safety, learning, and fun are also great reasons to hire a Montana fly fishing guide on your next trip. Safety is an often overlooked reason to hire a guide but that while we never hope anything bad happens, it can. The many different rivers of Montana each present different challenges for anglers including rocks, rapids, high flows, and variable weather. Our guides are all experienced professionals that consider these factors into each day’s fishing plan to ensure client safety above all else.

Our Montana Fly Fishing Guides are Educators

We feel fly fishing is a life long learning pursuit. Ask any of our guides and they will agree. Hiring a guide is a great way for even the most seasoned of anglers to continue the learning process. Our guides are all expert fly fishermen in their own right as well as great teachers that can work for you to polish your cast, learn a new technique, or present new fly fishing challenges. We also offer focused educational trips for anglers looking to improve upon their fly fishing and rowing skills.

Maximize Fun on Your Montana Fly Fishing Trip

Do we all fly fish to have fun? I hope so! Fun can mean something different for every angler, but our guides can make sure that goal is met. For some anglers fun is just having a nice relaxed day on the water with good company and great fly fishing. For others it is getting on the water early, fishing hard all day, and staying out late. Whatever your definition of fun is, our Montana fly fishing guides work hard to make it happen. If you just need someone to row you down the river, we can do it. If you need someone to put together a multi-day fishing package that includes a variety of rivers, we can do it. If all you want to do is fish dry flies for rising trout, we can absolutely do it. Your fun is our fun. Consider hiring a fly fishing guide on your next Montana fly fishing trip.