Tonight Clear Lo 31 °F

Sunday Sunny Hi 78 °F

Sunday Night Clear Lo 36 °F

Monday Sunny Hi 80 °F

Monday Night Mostly Clear Lo 39 °F

Tuesday Sunny Hi 84 °F

Tuesday Night Mostly Clear Lo 44 °F

Wednesday Mostly Sunny Hi 83 °F

Wednesday Night Mostly Cloudy Lo 42 °F

Crazy warm weather heading out way. Highs in the 80′s and lows in the high 30′s to low 40′s could wreak havoc on our freestone rivers for the next few days. NOAA is calling for possible flooding in Northwest Montana by the middle of the week. There is still alot of snow in the high country so I would guess that might be a possibility. Good thing the lakes are fishing so great. Rogers lake is fishing great. Lots of midges and callibaetis on the water. Water temps are 52 and probably going to be on the rise after a few warm days. Lots of nice sized grayling being caught. Most are 13-16 inches with a few reports of 17 inchers being caught. Dries? Yup. Callibaetis Duns on the surface and they love to eat the parachute adams. You dont have to get crazy with your dry game just about anything that looks like a callibaetis will work. What does a callibaetis look like you ask? A parachute adams. Its a gray mayfly with two tails in about a size 14. The wings are speckled, callibaetis are often called speckled wings. Nymphs you ask? PT’s, hares ears, leeches, hula girls, dons emerger, midge emergers and damsels. Nymph rigs set up to get close to the bottom are working great. Throw on 1 BB split shot if you are fishing over 5 feet deep. This will help get your flies in the zone better.

Brent With Another Nice Trout.

Tired of fishing? Want to do some Catching? What river should you be fishing? You know, The MO! Its great, water levels are low and water temps are great. 4820 CFS with a water temps peaking at 51. The last few weeks has been great on the Missouri. Nymphing is solid and dry fly fishing is great. If you have never seen the river at these levels you should get down there. It’s a completely different river. Walk wading is great. Lots of new structure for you to fish. BWOs, March Browns, Midges?, I did see a few Gray Drakes and caddis are the bugs in play. I know, you want to know about the carpenter ants? If you see them….fish em! Just say’n.
Our Spring Guide Special is still in full effect. Its time to do some fly fishing in Montana and get you fish fix! Full day trips, $399 and half day trips $299, need lodging? We got you covered. Want to enjoy a dinner in the Best Bar in Montana? No problem, the cabbins are right next to it. Just imagine…..

It’s time you reward yourself! Go fish! That’s why we are all here! Go anywhere…Lakes, Rivers and Coming Soon….. Small streams. Don’t know which lake to fish? Grab a map and pick one! But I don’t know if there any fish in it? Where do we live?
How do I fish it?
3 ways….
1- intermediate sink line, 9 foot leader and a leech. Throw it out, count down to 20 or 30. Close to the bottom? Strip….strip….. Find a strip pattern that gets the fish. Long, short, fast or slow….. Any order or combo.
2-Floating line, 12 foot leader… Indicator.. Split shot and midge emergent. Depth? Bottom. Start there…not catching fish? Bring it up 2 feet. Not catching fish? Move it up. Keep working to find the depth they are swimming at.
3- Fish rising? Floating line, 9 foot leader tippited out to 12 feet 4X fluorocarbon and a 16 parachute adams.

Need moving water? Flathead is on the rise. Maybe. How about a tail water? Let’s get to the Missouri! It’s fishing great! Dries? Yup. Out in the full sun eating like its cloudy. What bugs are on the water? March Browns and BWOs are getting eats. Caddis dries yet? A few fish eating the caddis. What flies? See lake technique 3, rusty parachute, PT parachute, purple haze, spring creek baetis, cripples and emergers. Nymphs? Rainbow Czech, lightning bug, fire bead, sow bugs, caddis pupa, zebras, rojo, purple Jesus, juju black and purple, military may, red headed step child, rs2 and any other micro may you like.

Flathead river is running under 22,000 and on the fall. Warm weather is on the way, are the cold night time temps gonna be enough to keep the river from blowing out? Gotta keep an eye on the flows. Can you catch some fish? Yup, as long as the river is on the fall it will be good. Starts rising, probably not gonna happen. If so……. Start fishing the lakes. Water temps are on the rise, cutts and bows spawning, lakers moving in shallow? Really? Great fishing! Whitefish lake is giving up lakers, look hard enough and you’ll find cutts in shallow water. Play the leach game, indicator game( best option), intermediate sink game and maybe the dry game. Rogers is giving up lots of grayling and a few reports of cutts breaking people off? Just say’n.

Gotta be moving water!!
OK…. Let’s go to the Missouri. It’s good. Nymphing is great. Dry fly fishing is great. Lots of scum suckers around the back eddies and the hot rods in the riffles. Get that fly first and your in the game. Rainbow Czech nymph, firebead, PT’s, mercuries, juju, purple Jesus and caddis pupa will get fish under neath. Dries? Lots of march brown and BWOs. Is it Mothers day yet? Rumored in the lower river, bottom low. Maybe in the next 2-3 days? Could happen, maybe? It’s gonna be warm and water temps hit almost 53 at my boat.

Missouri River Report, straight from the dam to you via the iPhone. What would we do with out all our gadgets?
Well…. It’s wet, rainy and fishing great. The morning was sunny, warm and very little wind on the water. Late morning was a little slow but the afternoon fished great. Size 18 and 20 Baetis nymphs got most fish. Fly of the day? 20 rainbow warrior followed by Purple Jesus. Shallow water nymph rigs worked best for me today. Throw a swing in at the end and your getting a few more. Heads? Noses? When the clouds rolled in the noses started showing up. Don’t be fooled by the whitefish. Fish were pretty picky, gun shy? That’s what I told myself after I made three horrible presentations on his head. The Missouri is always a great time… Even when it’s raining!!!!

How about this weather? A few weeks ago it was almost 80 and now we are back to spring weather. Last week the river blew out and was muddy. Now the river is on the drop and things can come back into shape if we dont get a lot of rain in the next week. We also need those night time temps to stay low if we are going to get some fishing in. This is a tough time of year and things will be hit and miss on the river. Gotta keep an eye on the flows and weather forecasts. Give the shop a call and we will give you up to date information. So where is the fishing?

Overnight Partly Cloudy Lo 26 °F

Thursday Chance Showers Hi 57 °F

Thursday Night Chance Showers Lo 34 °F

Friday Chance Showers Hi 52 °F

Friday Night Chance Showers Lo 35 °F

Saturday Chance Showers Hi 50 °F

Saturday Night Chance Showers Lo 32 °F

Sunday Chance Showers Hi 54 °F

Sunday Night Chance Showers Lo 26 °F

 
The Lakes are fishing great right now. Whitefish Lake has turned on in the last week. Lakers, Cutthroat and Pike are all on the bite. With the water temps warming the lakers are just starting to move in the shallow water. White streamers, Sparkle Minnow and Buggers in Brown and Black are the ticket.

Gary Getting Them On Whitefish Lake! Fish Tacos Anyone?

Rogers lake is also fishing great! Lots of grayling with a few nice trout in the mix. It’s a little early to be stripping leaches, nymphs are the ticket. What are they eating? Any nymph with some shine to it. Could I be more vague? I’m just sayin, get it in their zone and they will eat it. When it is not windy look for midge activity and Callibaetis. On the right day you could find some dry fly fishing.

Looking for some moving water? The Missouri River will not disappoint! Nymphing is great and on the right day…. Dry or Die! Look for overcast days, warm temps and light winds if you are thinking dries. Bugs? Baetis, Midges and soon…Caddis! Fire beads, scuds, small pink junk, juju’s, purple jesus, PTs are all good choices. Dries? You know I love the Parachute Adams, midge clusters, BWO emergers and midge emergers are all getting it done. Come by the shop for our selection of Techy Mo Flies.

Our Spring Guide Special is still in effect. $399 for a full day and $299 for a half day. We have boats on the water everyday, its time! Time for what? Time for you to go fishing in the great state of Montana!

Enjoying all this warm weather? The sun and heat feel great but is causing problems for our local freestone rivers. River flows are on the rise and pumping mud in most places. The Flathead is running at 42,600, the Clark Fork is running at 31,900 and the Blackfoot is running at 8,540. Can you say mud? It seems we have a little blast of runoff for the next little while. Rain is on the way but we might find relief in low night time temps. Will it be enough to bring our rivers back in shape? We will have to wait and see.

Today Chance Showers Hi 72 °F

Tonight Showers Likely Lo 43 °F

Thursday ShowersHi 63 °F

Thursday Night ShowersLo 40 °F

Friday Showers Likely Hi 51 °F

Friday Night Chance Showers Lo 33 °F

Saturday Slight Chc Showers Hi 55 °F

Saturday Night Slight Chc Showers Lo 32 °F

Sunday Chance Showers Hi 59 °F

 
So where should we go to fish? Lakes and tailwaters. Local lakes are fishing great. Whitefish Lake is producing some great cutthroat, lakers and a few rumors of pike. Rogers? It’s open and fishing great.
How about the tailwaters? The last 5 days have been great on the Missouri. Water flows are stable and running 6750cfs. Water temps run are currently running between 45-48 and the fishing is great. Midges everywhere, BWOs are in the mix and carpenter ants are twitching on the surface. Nymphing is great, fire bead Ray Charles, rainbow czech nymph, worms, smaller winter pink junk are great lead flies. Trail a some sort of baetis or midge nymph below and your in the game. On cloudy days look for heads and noses poking out of the water. The dry fly fishing is great when the conditions are right. You could spend a whole day just looking for fish to throw at. Flies? Parachute Adams? Love that fly. A few sizes of Adams and your in the game. BWO emergers and cripples all get eats. If you are going down the midge road, Griffiths Gnats, KISS CDC Emerger, Buzzball, Size 20 Parachute Adams(Love the PA) or any of your favorite cluster patterns you use. What are the keys to dry fly success? A little stealth goes a long way, FLY FIRST PRESENTATION!!!!!!!! and a nice slow hook set. Keep these three things in mind and your catch rate will go up. Nothing feels better that spotting a nice fish two inches off the bank, sneaking in to position, watching for a bit, putting that fly 4 feet above his nose, watching him eat, take a second to enjoy what you just did, give a lift and enjoy the fight!

Happy Lew, Enjoying A Few Days On The Missouri

This is a great time of year to get out and enjoy what Montana is all about! We have guides out everyday and we want to see your smiling face holding some great fish! Take advantage of our Spring Guide Special, $399 for a full day and $299 for half day trips.

What a week we have had. The river has been up and down and seems to be on the drop again. This week it looks like we are going to get some rain and warmer temps during the day.

Tonight Showers Lo 35 °F

Tuesday Chance Showers Hi 54 °F

Tuesday Night Slight Chc Rain Lo 33 °F

Wednesday Showers Likely Hi 53 °F

Wednesday Night Chance Showers Lo 33 °F

Thursday Chance Showers Hi 56 °F

Thursday Night Chance Rain Lo 33 °F

Friday Rain Likely Hi 52 °F

Friday Night Chance Rain Lo 35 °F

What is going to save us? Night time temps are nice and low, this will keep our snow pack around and not melting into the river. Water temps are hovering around 40 on the main river and probably a few degrees more  in the Middle and North Forks.

On The Drop

How is the fishing you ask? It’s decent, we have been out everyday and finding fish. This is the time of year to find those big nasty Cutthroat. The Main Stem of the Flathead is running at 17,300 CFS and temps hovering around 40. Once again, keep looking for holding water. The river is big and the fish are not going to be in the summer dry fly water. Look for slower water where they can be lazy and eat. Whats on the menue? Keep it simple, K.I.S.S., G-Bugs, princes, PT’s, fast water princes, yuk bugs, 20 inchers, SJW and eggs. Eggs you say? Well, only if you can live with yourself after tying one on. Dont worry, it’s ok….. Fish Like Eggs! Dont like to fish nymphs?  What about dries? I would keep an eye out for BWOs, March Browns, Numoras, Skwallas and my favorite fly the Purple Haze. This is also a great time of year to watch your Thingamabober get chewed on by a giant trout. So if you want to make yourself mad, go out and fish the tangerine Thingamabober over your favorite nymph rig. Sooner or later it is going to get eaten. Now you know he is there, row back up and spend the next three hours trying to get that guy to come back and eat a dry.

Brandan Double Fisting!

Another perfect day to be fly fishing the Flathead River! Air temps hit 70 today, water temps hit 43.9 and the fish were eating. In the last 4 days we have had lots of boats on the water and everyone is having a great time. Lots of smiles from happy fisherman and happy guides. What are you doing tomorrow? Should be fishing. Call in sick and get out on the river with us. This is the time of year we see some of our biggest fish on the Flathead. Lots of Cutthroat being caught over 18 inches in the last few days. Throw in our Spring Guide Special and it’s a no brainer! Full days $399 and half days $299.

Tonight Mostly Cloudy Lo 32 °F

Wednesday Chance Tstms Hi 73 °F

Wednesday Night ShowersLo 35 °F

Thursday ShowersHi 54 °F

Thursday Night Showers Likely Lo 31 °F

Friday Showers Likely Hi 54 °F

Friday Night Chance Showers Lo 32 °F

Saturday Chance Showers Hi 53 °F

Saturday Night Chance Showers Lo 30 °F

For the last 4 days the Flathead has seen some solid nymphing on G-Bugs, Pt’s, Prince variations and worms. Stay away from the fast summer water and concentrate on the slower winter water. Sound familiar? If you are not getting them dont be discourage as the fish are not in every spot they should be. Keep looking and fishing the holding water and you’ll find them. Also keep your eyes peeled for surface activity. There are bugs moving around and fish eating them. Keep your dries simple, Skwallas, Numoras, March Browns and BWOs. A good drag free drift is rewarded with an eat.

If I didn’t know any better I would think that summer is upon us. The weather has been great the last few days and looks like it is only going to get better….. Until…… Thursday. A high of 74 on Wednesday? Crazy!

Overnight Partly Cloudy Lo 30 °F

Tuesday Mostly Sunny Hi 64 °F

Tuesday Night Mostly Cloudy Lo 33 °F

Wednesday Chance Showers Hi 71 °F

Wednesday Night ShowersLo 33 °F

Thursday Showers Likely Hi 54 °F

Thursday Night Showers Likely Lo 32 °F

Friday Showers Likely Hi 50 °F

Friday Night Chance Showers Lo 29 °F

We have seen some great fly fishing on the Flathead over the last few days. The last big push of water we had brought some nice fish out of the lake and into the river. Yesterday we had solid nymphing for most of the day. The fish seem to be on the move and are not in all the usual spots. Deep slow holes, slots and drops are where you want to be looking. The river is running about 11,000 cfs, so slow holding water is a good bet. Today Justin put his clients in the middle of a great BWO event and had solid dry fly fishing. I temped the water at 43.1 today and we think there could be more of events in the next few days. Looking for big Cutthroat? This is the time of year to get em!

John From Calgary With A Nice Fish.

What bugs? Girdle Bugs, PT’s, Princes, Big Black Stones, Small Black Stones, Skwallas, SJW’s and Green Crystal Buggers are all geting eats subsurface. Dries you ask? Well, for me the tangerine Thingamabober is getting eaten more than anything! Really? For Sure, it’s driving me crazy! It would be tough to commit a full day to the dry but keep your eyes pealed for surface activity and then get you dry fly game going. BWO’s should be a in the mix, March Browns, Gray Drakes if the water temps come up some more, Numoras and the elusive Skwalla.

The next few days are going to be good on the Flathead, get out and get some of you slice of heaven! Our Spring Guide Special is in full effect. $399 gets you a full day fish and $299 gets you a half day fish.

Let’s hear it for the weather! The last few days have been warm and the orange orb in the sky has been producing some heat. Thats crazy! The weather guessers are predicting some more snow and then sun on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. My feeling is that the Flathead drainage is going to come into shape for the next few days.

Today Chance Snow Hi 45 °F

Tonight Chance Snow Lo 26 °F

Friday Snow Likely Hi 46 °F

Friday Night Chance Snow Lo 25 °F

Saturday Slight Chc Snow Hi 48 °F

Saturday Night Mostly Cloudy Lo 25 °F

Sunday Mostly Sunny Hi 54 °F

Sunday Night Partly Cloudy Lo 32 °F

Monday Mostly Sunny Hi 54 °F

On The Drop

On The Drop

Also On The Drop!

If we dont get a lot of rain in the next few days we dont think the river will blow out. That means some more great spring time fly fishing on the Flathead!Visibility has been about 4 feet and probably better today. Two days ago Justin, Jerrell and Crissy were on the river and reported lots of bugs on the water. March Browns, Midges, crazy carnivorous diving beetles and stoneflies galore. Girdle bugs, princes, pt’s, midges and stonefly nymphs all produced fish. How about dries? A few fish were looking up and eating flies. Parachute Adams and midges got eats. This is a great time of the year to be on the water, not many boats and big fish around looking for a meal. Keep an eye on the flows and get some fly fishing on the Flathead River!