September Fly Fishing Overview
The winds of fall are in the air and our Montana fly fishing guides are looking forward to a great month ahead full of fly fishing and having fun on the water with our anglers. We have had a great past month of hopper fishing and it looks like there is no end in sight! Looking ahead we are excited to fish with many of our long time returning anglers in Bozeman, MT and on the Missouri River.
September is always a favorite month as hopper fishing transitions to the mayfly hatches of fall, and with it comes some of the best fly fishing of the season in Montana. With cooler morning temperatures we expect the window for good dry fly fishing to be pushed later into the morning, but anglers can expect excellent nymphing and often times great streamer fishing during the morning session. By 11:30AM the dry fly bite is good with hoppers on sunny days and mayflies on cloudy days.
Hoot-owl restrictions have been lifted on the Gallatin, Jefferson, and Lower Madison Rivers. We excited to be back on these great waters with anglers soon. All 3 offer great streamer fishing through the fall and are a great day 4 or 5 option on an extended Montana fly fishing trip.
Generally anglers will find the best fly fishing in September on the rivers near Bozeman, MT through the first half of the month, but by the 15th or 20th the Missouri River becomes the main event. The combination of lower elevation and mild late season weather as well as epic hatches of caddisflies and mayflies can make for some of the best fly fishing of the year on the Missouri River. The streamer bite is also generally strong, and anglers willing to commit to throwing buggers will often connect with truly trophy brown trout.
In Bozeman, MT anglers will have a lot to look forward to. Hopper fishing will continue to be strong on the Yellowstone River and Madison River most afternoons with the possibility of hooking into trophy trout most mornings with streamers. Wade fishing on the Gallatin and in Yellowstone National Park can also be great, with hatches of mayflies kicking off by the middle of the month. September is fly fishing in Montana at its best, with great fishing on all of our rivers and the crowds of summer a distant memory.
Our Montana fly fishing guides are just about fully booked for September and are thankful for the continued support of our anglers. We do still have a few openings the second half of the month and looking ahead into October, many of our top guides are available and ready to work. Anglers interested in a Fall fly fishing trip with the Montana Angling Company are encouraged to contact us today, to learn more and plan your next Montana fly fishing adventure. Fish On!
