A Montana Fly Fishing Blog
There is a lot to be excited about in Bozeman, MT for fly fishing anglers. Over the past week we have been treated to as good of a Mother’s Day Caddis hatch as we’ve seen on the Madison River, clear water on the Yellowstone River, quality sight fishing on the Paradise Valley Spring Creeks, and exceptional catch rates on the Missouri River.
A lot has changed in Bozeman, MT since our last Montana fly fishing report in mid-April. Montana is open for business, COVID-19 cases are under control, and the new life of spring has finally arrived. Things are starting to get back to normal.
Stay safe and go fish. Spring has arrived in Montana and fly fishing will continue to remain an escape for anglers in Bozeman, MT. There is a quiet and tranquility on the water that always seems to soothe the soul. No better time to explore your own backyard. For those of us lucky enough to be surrounded by rivers, that means there is still some great fly fishing to be had and reported on.
Plenty of solitude on the water in Bozeman, MT. Stay local, stay safe, and go fish. The good news is that the fly fishing has been great on all of our local rivers. The daily rhythm this spring has been nymphing in the morning followed by streamer fishing or dry fly fishing in the afternoon.
It is feeling like spring on the rivers in Bozeman, MT. Our anglers and fly fishing guides have been enjoying the mild early season conditions and getting into some really great fishing. The Madison River, Gallatin River, and the Missouri River has been particularly productive. High winds, normal for this time of year, have largely kept us off the Yellowstone River but we are looking forwards to getting on it soon.
It’s middle of October in Bozeman, MT: fall is in the air, our rivers are quiet, and the fly fishing has been great. Great fly fishing doesn’t necessarily translate into easy fly fishing every day, in all conditions, but when conditions have been right and angling has been good, the fly fishing has been as great as great gets.
Our Montana fly fishing guides and anglers on the water have seen a little bit of everything since our last report: snow, sunshine, more snow, fall colors, and lots of rising trout. We had a historic early season winter storm move through that marked an abrupt end of summer-like conditions and brought about colder-than average fall temperatures in a hurry. In spite of often trying conditions, the fly fishing has remained solid around Bozeman, MT particularly the fall dry fly bite.
Fall is in the air in Bozeman, MT and our Montana fly fishing guides and anglers have been enjoying great fly fishing on a daily basis. We’ve received our first taste of cooler and wetter weather over the past week and were treated to great hatches of Blue Winged Olives (BWOs) and Fall Drakes on our Bozeman area rivers. Anglers can expect this pattern to continue through the end of the month: cooler overcast and rainy days will mean good mayfly hatches while warmer and sunnier days will continue to produce good hopper fishing. Smaller terrestrials will also continue to be important for dry fly anglers and trout as flying ants and beetles will stay on the menu. Streamer fishing has started to pick up across Montana as has the fall nymph bite on the Missouri River. Look for hatches and the fly fishing to only get better through the end of the month. Late September is one of our favorite times of the year to fly fish in Montana: quiet river and strong hatches make for fun days on the river. Our guide’s calendars are just about booked for September but still time to plan your Fall fly fishing trip to Bozeman or the Missouri River in October.
Flows are solid, water is cold, and the fly fishing has been great in Bozeman, MT this August. Dry flies have been king on all of our local rivers with hoppers and stoneflies producing some of the largest average size fish we have consistently seen in years. Some days it has seemed like every big brown in the Yellowstone River and Madison River have been looking up and eager to crush the first big hopper that comes their way. Sure makes things fun.
Snow day in Bozeman. Coming down pretty good, reports indicating several feet deep in the high mountains. What does this mean for anglers that aren’t ready to call it a season yet? Still lots of great fly fishing to be had in Bozeman, Montana. Fly fishing pressure is non-existent on our local rivers like the Madison River and Yellowstone River. Weather becomes the major variable that can hamper success on our rivers in November. Water temps are still great and the fish are on the feed. Float tips this past week on the Madison River were great. Calmer days with highs above freezing will be your best bet from here on out.
Rain today, 80 degrees yesterday, and they are calling for 85 degrees in Craig, MT by Friday. Sounds like Spring to me! The fishing gods have been generous to us this past week. Despite variable flows, changing weather, and all of our major freestone rivers remaining blown out (check back in July), our anglers and Montana fly fishing guides were treated to consistently great fly fishing this past week. The Missouri River fished as well as it ever has for us and the Paradise Valley Spring Creeks had good hatches on the more overcast and rainy days. This will be our story for the next month. For clean water and great fly fishing, our local tailwaters and spring creeks will be your best bet. Want to learn how to fish the Missouri River at 15000+ CFS? Give us a shout to hire a guide for the day.
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.
We offer full-day and half-day trips, as well as float and wade fishing options, that cater to seasoned and beginner anglers alike. Book your fly fishing trip with our professional guides.
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