Spring has shown up and the hills have begun to turn green. The last few days have had temps up into the 60’s and even 70 degrees in some areas of southwest Montana. The rivers have spiked for the last 4 days, making visibility very limited. Even though the air is warm, water temps are still very low, limiting bug movement in the river bed. I fished the Big Hole on Friday, April 8th, and the fishing was tough. The water was on the rise all day and their were little to no bugs moving in the river. Once this initial flush of water stabilizes, the water should begin to clear and fishing will pick back up.
The Beaverhead fished much better for us April 10th. The water was a little off color down low, but we were able to pick up some good browns and one rainbow on a JJ’s Special #8. The blue wings were out in force from 12 to 3, but the wind prevented the bulk of the hatch from getting on the water. The best fishing was between 1 and 4 in the afternoon.
Both rivers are making big moves in terms of clarity, temps, and water levels. Snow packs are still hovering around 90-100% of normal for now. This week is going to reach 70 degrees, and the water will remain off color. The catching might be limited, but the fishing/floating will be fantastic. We just received our shipment of MFC streamer patterns, so swing by the shop and check them out. We are open 7 days a week from 9 am until 3 pm. Tight lines.
Here are a few pictures from this last weekend out. Thanks to Lane and Mary for an awesome couple of days on our local rivers!
