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Bozeman, Montana Fly Fishing Report 5/16/18

Bozeman, Montana Fly Fishing Report 5/16/18

Fishing Reports, Madison River Fishing Reports, Missouri River Fishing Reports, Paradise Valley and Spring Creeks Fishing Reports

Bozeman Fly Fishing Overview

High-water is here. Freestone rivers across Montana are running muddy and are looking to stay that way for the foreseeable future. Best to leave those rivers to the whitewater crowd and head elsewhere to get your fishing fix.

Near Bozeman we’ve got some great options and fishing has been solid. Look to fish the Lower Madison, Upper Madison, the Paradise Valley Spring Creeks, and area lakes for anglers wanting to stay local.

For those willing to travel: head to a nearby tailwater. The Missouri River has provided the most consistent fishing in the state since mid-March and looks to continue to. Flows are high, rising trout are few and far between, but the nymph bite has made for lots of stellar days.

Missouri River Fly Fishing Report:

Where you will (mostly) find our guides now through the end of June. Flows are at 13,700 CFS. We expect it will get bigger, and that’s just fine. The fly fishing has been rock-solid since mid-March. Big flows mean lots of food and trout on the feed. It is a sub-surface all-you-can eat buffet of sowbugs, scuds, worms, mayflies, and caddisflies right now. Despite good hatches of midges, BWOs, and soon to be caddisflies, it has been pretty quiet on the surface. There is too much subsurface food and too deep of water for fish to rise in good numbers. It will be mid-late June before we’re back on top. For now, deep nymphing has been the best game in town, and it has been nothing short of great. Lots of happy anglers the past few weeks. Find the soft water, get your flies down, and set on everything. Or contact us to book a day of guided fly fishing.‍

Madison River Fly Fishing Report:

The best local float fishing option for anglers in Bozeman. Both the Lower Madison and Upper Madison are running high, but fishable. And fishing has been good. High-water meant not as many rising fish for the mother’s day caddis hatch as we would have hoped to see, but plenty of fish to be caught on the dryfly for those willing to hunt for them. Nymphing with high-water junk (worms, crayfish, stoneflies, flashy/bright/hotbead nymphs) has been the most consistent producer and we’ve seen some good fish coming to the net. Target deep, slow water: fish like it’s winter when the rivers are high. And be sure to look around and enjoy the green in the hills and valleys. You’ve got to love spring in Montana.

Paradise Valley Spring Creeks Fly Fishing Report:

Maybe the last great wade fishing options in the state. Clear water and safe wading flows aren’t easy to find. The bulk of our spring creek guiding has been on DePuy’s Spring Creek. We’ve seen the early spring hatches of midges and BWOs start to wind down. On cooler, overcast, or even rainy days the BWOs will show. Last week it wasn’t until 2:30pm that they did. We had light rain, cold weather, and a 3-hour window of spectacular dryfly fishing during a BWO hatch. Caddisflies are around, if you fish one well they might even eat it. Nymphing the deeper, faster runs has been very productive. Midges, scuds, caddis pupa, and PTs have all gotten it done. Break out the 6x tippet and make your first cast count.

Montana Fly Fishing Forecast:

More of the same for the near future. There is still a lot of snow in the mountains. We’re hoping to be on the Yellowstone River the last week of July, but it could be the first week of August. A lot can also change between now and then. If it stays warm the freestone rivers may fish sooner. Cold and rainy weather would mean later. Yellowstone National Park opens to fly fishing May 26th. Early season fishing on the Firehole River is some of our favorite of the year. Fishing on the Missouri River will remain great through the summer. High-water tactics i.e. nymphing will be your best bet through mid-late June. Same goes for the Madison River. We’re counting down the days until Salmonflies start to fly.  PMDs on the Spring Creeks are just around the corner. Rod availability is very limited already, if you’re interested in fly fishing the Spring Creeks with us in June or July, give us a shout sooner rather than later. 2018 is shaping up to be a great year to fly fish in Montana.

Fall Spring Creek Fly Fishing Trips

Fall Spring Creek Fly Fishing Trips

Montana Fly Fishing

Fall Fly Fishing Trips on the Paradise Valley Spring Creeks

If you have read our other descriptions of fly fishing on the Paradise Valley Spring Creeks you have probably noticed one word continues to come up: consistent. This continues in the fall with consistent hatches, flows, temperatures, and fly fishing.

Our Montana fly fishing guides like this about the Depuy’s, Armstrong’s, and Nelson’s Spring Creeks. You generally aren’t met with surprises. The fall colors on these creeks are also a sight to see.

Anglers are met with hatches of midges, sulphurs, and BWOs through the end of October. Dry fly fishing and nymphing can be great. This is also a great time of year to see wildlife around the creeks with ducks, geese, and other migratory birds stopping in as well as deer, elk, moose, and the occasional bear coming for water.

If you are in Bozeman, Montana or Livingston, Montana and enjoy fly fishing in beautiful places on smaller streams, it is hard to beat a day of guided fly fishing on the Paradise Valley Spring Creeks.

Bozeman, Montana Fly Fishing Report 6/2/18

Bozeman, Montana Fly Fishing Report 6/2/18

Fishing Reports, Gallatin River Fishing Reports, Madison River Fishing Reports, Missouri River Fishing Reports, Paradise Valley and Spring Creeks Fishing Reports, Yellowstone National Park Fishing Reports, Yellowstone River Fishing Reports

Bozeman Fly Fishing Overview

What a week it has been. We’ve seen hints of summer, snow in the mountains, heavy rain in the valleys, and another taste of summer. The hills are green, birds are singing, the sun is shining, and fly fishing has been great in Bozeman, Montana. The Missouri River has continued to spoil our guides and anglers with great fly fishing despite high flows. Catch rates have been great and we’ve been seeing lots of healthy and fat rainbow and brown trout coming to the net. This continues to be can’t miss fishing. The Madison River has continued to run high as the flushing flows carry on. Makes things tough for the time being, but will re-open lots of old spawning beds that have been filled with silt. Patience will pay off and we should see phenomenal fishing the next few years. Local freestones continue to run high and muddy. For anglers needing their fix closer to Bozeman, MT check out the Paradise Valley Spring Creeks. Still fishing great. Yellowstone National Park is open for fly fishing again. The rivers are running high but look to the lakes for great early season fishing. Many of them are well worth the hike. Read below for all the details or give us a shout at 406-579-9553.

Missouri River Fly Fishing Report:

If you have been keeping up with us this spring you already know the trend: Fly fishing on the Missouri River has been nothing short of great since mid-March. High flows have been keeping the wild trout of this tailwater well fed with a constant supply of food. This has translated into great fishing for our anglers and our Montana fly fishing guides. Flows are just below 20k and will probably cross this mark soon thanks to the recent snow and rain. The forecast looks hot and sunny for the foreseeable future which means more water in and more water out. Nymphing will continue to be the best option for consistent fishing success. The river looks big and featureless but anglers need to fish it small and deep to find the fish. Sowbugs, scuds, worms, and the rest of the staple tailwater fare have been our top-producing flies. The river has been busy from the Dam to Craig but wide open downstream for those who want to avoid the crowds. Caddis and mayflies have been hatching daily. Quite on the surface but have been producing subsurface results in the afternoon. Stop by the Trout Shop Café after fishing for great food and cold beer.

Madison River Fly Fishing Report:

The Madison River continues to run high, holding at just over 3000 CFS at Kirby Ranch and well over 5000 CFS below Ennis Lake. This is very high by any standard for these rivers. Floaters should exercise extreme caution during this highwater period and avoid all low hanging bridges. Wade fishermen need to respect the water as well. Despite this fishing has been fair with large streamers and big nymphs being our favorite flies. Find the soft water, fish the banks, and don’t be afraid to add extra weight to get your flies down. Would head elsewhere for dryfly fishing.

Paradise Valley Spring Creek Fly Fishing Report:

Hatches have started to quite down as we enter the BWO to PMD transition period. Look for a mix of a variety of insects mid-morning to late-afternoon including both varieties of mayflies, caddisflies, and midges. Nymphing with midges, sowbugs, and a variety of mayfly nymph will produce all-day action. We’ve seen great numbers of fish on both Armstrong and DePuy’s Spring Creeks. There are fish top to bottom in both, but the lower end of DePuy’s Spring Creek is backed up and will continue to be until the Yellowstone River drops. Which could be awhile. Check out our latest guide to fishing the Montana Paradise Valley Spring Creeks for more scoop.

Yellowstone River, Gallatin River, and other Freestone River Report:

High flows, lots of mud, and whole cottonwood trees floating down river is about all we have to report on. Check back in July.

Yellowstone National Park Fishing Report:

The 2018 Yellowstone National Park fly fishing season has started but reports have been mixed. Rivers all over continue to run high. Lakes have and will be the best option looking forward for the next week. The Firehole River will hopefully come into form later this week or next. Then it is game on. For anglers willing to hike, early season lake fishing in Yellowstone can be great. Small streamers, dryflies, and nymphs can all be effective to fool these lightly pressured backcountry trout. Get your map, bring your bear spray, and get hiking for early season fly fishing success in Yellowstone National Park.

Bozeman, MT Fly Fishing Report 10/24/18

Bozeman, MT Fly Fishing Report 10/24/18

Fishing Reports, Madison River Fishing Reports, Missouri River Fishing Reports, Paradise Valley and Spring Creeks Fishing Reports, Yellowstone National Park Fishing Reports, Yellowstone River Fishing Reports

Bozeman Fly Fishing Overview

Fall has settled in all around Bozeman, Montana and fly fishing has been solid on all of our area waters. Angling traffic has been light on the Yellowstone River, Missouri River, and Madison River. Weather has been great. Perfect combination for Fall guided fly fishing trips. Our anglers and Bozeman fly fishing guides having been making the most of their opportunities and have been treated to some great days of dry fly fishing. Hatches of BWOs, midges, caddis, and lingering terrestrials have kept our trout looking up and on the feed. Still a few more weeks of fly fishing left for the season. Time to make the most of it before the snow starts to pile up.

Yellowstone River Fly Fishing Report

Late October is one of our favorite times to be on the Yellowstone River. Very quiet and very fishy. We’ve been mostly fishing close to Livingston, MT and have seen rock solid nymphing with buggers and larger attractor nymphs. Look for this to continue well into November. The sunnier weather is always a trade off on theYellowstone River as it makes for comfortable floating but thin hatches and a weak streamer bite. Larger parachute style flies with dropper nymphs have been productive but the consistent hatches of BWOs we saw earlier this month are all but gone. Clouds and crummy weather make for great dry fly fishing. Sun and blue skies make for great floating. Still a few hoppers bouncing around the banks and still a few fish looking for it.

Missouri River Fly Fishing Report

After spending most of the month guiding anglers on the Missouri River I can confidently say the fishing has been rock solid but not easy. What does this mean? You’ve got to be better than your average angler to really get into them right now. This is one of our favorite times of year on the Missouri River because there a bunch of different ways to catch fish whether is be nymphing, dry fly fishing, or streamer fishing, but you’ve got to know when, where, and how to employ each tactic effectively to keep rods bent. Nymphing has been consistently good from the Dam all the way down through Craig and beyond. Deep in the mornings (4-6ft) and shallow in the afternoons (6-24in)has been the ticket. The past few weeks treated our anglers and fly fishing guides to some of the finest dry fly fishing of the year. Caddis small and big, BWOs, midge clusters, and terrestrials all caught fish. As we move later into the month look for the variety to thin and the fish to really key in on the larger BWOs. Thinner hatches on sunny days. Streamer bite has been fair but will only improve. Head below Craig and you’ll likely have the whole place to yourself.

Madison River Fly Fishing Report

The Madison River is always a great fall fly fishing option near Bozeman, Montana and we’ve seen consistently good fishing for the past few weeks and look for this to continue into November. Sunny weather has made for thin hatches but comfortable days. Nymphing has been king with light tippets and smaller flies turning in the best results. We like the worm up top and thin and flashy #18-22mayfly/midge imitations trailed behind. Great time of year to get out and wade fish. Streamer fishing has been tougher on sunny days but look for the bite to improve as inevitably the weather starts to turn in the coming weeks. Then it will be game on.

Paradise Valley Spring Creek Fly Fishing Report

Probably your best option for great wade fishing close to Bozeman from now through next April. Hatches have been thin with the sunny weather but getting going around 12:30 and lasting until 3:30. Mix of BWOs, midges, and a few rogue PMDs and caddis sprinkled in. Plenty of targets to throw your dry flies at. Our fly fishing guides and anglers have been enjoying great nymphing in the early AM with midges, sows, and scuds, followed by a few great hours of dry fly action.

Yellowstone National Park Fly Fishing Report

Just a little bit of time left before the end of the YNP fly fishing season closes on November 4th. But still lots of great fly fishing to be had. The Madison River and its tributaries is where most of the action is at. Lots of anglers but lots of big brown trout moving through the system still on their annual run. Some will swing, some will strip, and some will nymph for them. It all works. Just be respectful of other anglers. We like to skip the circus and instead head to the Firehole River. Good hatches and lots of open water. Things have started to cool down on the Yellowstone River, Lamar River, Soda Butte Creek, Slough Creek and their many tributaries. Still some fish to be caught but the window of good action has gotten short. And as always: bring your bear spray with you and leave your felt boots at home.

Summer Fly Fishing Trips in Montana

Summer Fly Fishing Trips in Montana

Montana Fly Fishing

Montana Summer Fly Fishing Overview

There is so much to love about summer fly fishing in Montana. For our Montana fly fishing guides it means flip flips, sunglasses tan, sunny days, and of course fishing everyday. Summer is what we live for: long sunny days, big dry flies, red-hot trout, and lots of happy anglers.

Fly fishing on all of our homewaters kicks into high gear and as the song goes: summertime and the living is easy. Great hatches happen daily. Stoneflies, mayflies, caddisflies, ants, beetles, and of course hoppers: big tasty hoppers. The trout are happy and happy trout make for happy anglers.

Expect to fish the blue ribbon waters of the Missouri River, the Yellowstone River, the Madison River, Yellowstone National Park, the Paradise Valley Spring Creeks, and smaller stream options during a summer Montana fly fishing trip. Our rivers closer to Bozeman, MT really come alive this time of year and make for can’t-miss fly fishing.

For us, summer is classic Montana fly fishing for trout. Our guides are out, working hard, everyday, sharing with anglers from all over the ultimate Montana fly fishing experience. Dryflies, nymphs, and streamers are all effective tactics. Just remember your sunblock.