Talking Trout

Here is the Bitterroot River fishing report courtesy of Bill Bean, owner of Hamilton’s Fishaus Fly Fishing:
The past week has shown a vast improvement in fishing on the Bitterroot River. Most of us have been prepared for a longer runoff earlier than normal, but for the most part the runoff is over for a couple more weeks.
Cooler weather has brought the river down considerably, and at almost 2,000 cubic feet per second it has been almost fishable throughout the river system. The water at Painted Rocks reservoir has been high, causing some spillage into the West Fork but not enough to make the upper West Fork unfishable. There has been a lot of pressure there because of the clear water and most fishermen have discovered that it has been heavily fished during the past week.
Most of the fishing on the main river has been with nymphs and streamers, and some nice fish have been taken on patterns that are a little brighter in color than normal so fish have been able to see the patterns from some distance through the somewhat cloudy water. When fishing nymphs, the best patterns have been the heaviest weighted or with bead heads so fishermen can get the nymph patterns close to the bottom with the faster water. The best streamer patterns have been some with sparkle flash in them so they can reflect well in the water.
Some of the best places to fish still include the many braids that have been filled with the higher water conditions.
The prognosis for the weekend remains good for fishing. The river levels continue to descend and they will continue through the weekend. The rainbow trout and the westslope cutthroats are in the tributaries spawning, which should end sometime in the next couple of weeks.
Afternoons are still better than mornings for fishing conditions your trip might better be postponed until later mornings or early afternoons. You will see some dry fly activities throughout the afternoons with some March browns and caddis being the primary hatch.
Golden stones and a few skwalas remain, and those dry fly patterns are working well in areas that you can get a good float.
The river at this level can be extremely dangerous if you have not been on it before with a raft or drift boat. With the river high during the past couple of weeks, some debris and trees along the river banks have washed in and produced some blockages. If you are not an experienced rower, please wait until the river goes down a little more before attempting a trip on the main branch.
The East Fork remains a little high, but there has been a few rafts on it during the past week. Proceed with caution as always and if you are unsure of the water ahead be sure to walk a little bit before approaching the stretch.
Patterns that will work best this weekend will be the large salmonfly nymph, golden stone nymph and other large patterns such as the girdle but with lots of legs. Dry fly patterns include the skwala, March brown, goddard caddis and other large stimulators in a variety of colors.
Have a great weekend and enjoy the spring.

By Roger Phillips
rphillips@idahostatesman.com
© 2012 Idaho Statesman
If you see people on a river fishing for trout during winter, chances are good they’re fly anglers.
It’s not that fly anglers are tougher than the average angler, or more motivated, they’ve just figured out winter is a good time to catch fish and enjoy their sport.
Meridian fly fisherman Nate Brumley used to tuck away his fly rod after the first hard frost and get out his shotgun.
But he was on a November chukar hunt in 1983 above the South Fork of the Boise River and looked down and saw thousands of trout rising.
He returned with his fly rod a few days later and found himself surrounded by rising trout without another angler in sight. But the fish mostly ignored his flies.
That started a decades-long odyssey to learn the intricacies of winter fly fishing, which not only improved his fly fishing skills, it helped spawn his business at dryflyinnovations.com.

Simply complicated
Brumley is strictly a dry fly fisherman, and he quickly learned winter is a productive, yet challenging time for dry flies.
Many fly anglers struggle with matching hatches, but there’s typically only two insects that hatch during winter midges (aka chironomids) and a small mayfly called baetis (aka blue-wing olive).
That’s the simple part, but within those two insects lie multiple challenges, including timing the hatch, understanding its phases and finding rising fish.
“Winter fishing is more like hunting than fishing,” Brumley said.
Hatches that bring fish to the surface to feed are sporadic during winter, and often shortlived.
They tend to happen during the warmest parts of short winter days, so there’s no need to arrive early. Late morning or mid-afternoon are best.
The colder the weather, the shorter the window of time when hatches might occur, and they will occur only in certain parts of a river, typically the slower-moving sections.

Unmasking the hatch
Although only two types of insects hatch, fish are very selective about the stages of those hatches, Brumley said.
“It’s a very, very technical time for fishing,” he said.
The first stage is the pre-emergence phase when the insect hangs just below the surface film of the water while they’re starting their swift metamorphosis from an aquatic insect to a flying one.
The second is the emergence phase when they’re just about the shed the shuck they are emerging from. This phase takes place on the surface just before the insect takes flight.
Third is the adult phase when the wings are fully formed, the shuck is gone and the insect is either getting ready for flight, or it has landed on the water.
Fish will almost exclusively favor insects in one of those phases, Brumley said. Typically, they will select whatever phase is most prevalent at the time.
If you cast to fish and get a few refusals, be ready to switch flies to imitate whatever phase fish are keying on, he said.

Exact imitations
Rivers are typically low and clear during winter, and insects are commonly found in placid stretches, which means trout have plenty of time to examine a fly before eating it.
It’s critical to use flies that closely imitate a real insect’s size, color and shape, Brumley said.
That means about six different patterns to match midges and baetis and all phases of their hatch cycle.

Ready, aim cast
So you have rising fish in front of you, the right fly tied on and you’re ready to catch fish.
Now comes strategy.
There are two things to remember, Brumley said. Fish are going to be skittish, and the clock is ticking. The hatch will be shortlived, and a fish spooked may not return to the surface.
You have to be an accurate caster. Baetis and midges are tiny and are a small meal even for trout, so they won’t move much to eat them.
“Winter fish will not move to the fly right or left or chase something,” he said.
Brumley aims for the upstream fish in the school and makes sure he doesn’t cast over it. He casts right at the fish’s nose.
“Don’t flock shoot, and cast sparingly,” he said.
Despite the challenges, there are rewards.
“When you get the combination of the perfect bug and the perfect cast, you will get him almost every time,” Brumley said.
Finally, beware that your success can be shortlived if you hook a fish that spooks the rest of the school and drives the rising fish off the hatch.
“Get that son of a gun out of the group as quick as you can,” he said.

One recipe for many rivers
Winter fishing can be tricky, Brumley said, but it also has a big upside.
When you perfect the methods for winter fishing, they will work on practically any river in Idaho and beyond.
“That’s the beauty of winter fishing,” he said. “If you have perfect matches of those bugs, you can be successful anywhere.” 

Getting down
If winter dry fly fishing sounds too challenging, there are other options.
Many winter fly anglers are successful without ever tying on a dry fly. They favor wet flies, such as nymphs and streamers.
Fish feed subsurface the majority of the time. The river is like a conveyor belt of food. Trout will grab a morsel as it’s drifting by, and they are a lot less finicky about what they eat when it’s practically delivered to their mouths.
Nymph fishing is arguable easier than dry fly fishing because trout tend to be more approachable when they’re not near the surface, they will feed on a variety of things so fly selection isn’t as critical, and your casting doesn’t have to be as precise.
But there’s still an art to nymph fishing. You need to get your fly down to the fish and drifting naturally. Without the visual clues of a ring on the surface, detecting a strike can be difficult.

Two flies and an indicator
That’s the standard recipe for nymph fishing, according to Matt Brower at Idaho Angler in Boise.
You want the indicator to be up the leader about twice the depth of the water you’re fishing, which ideally should be knee-deep to waist-deep and moving about the speed of walking, Brower said.
Look for structure, such as boulders or large cobble with trenches or shelves. Fish will lay in surprisingly swift water when they have something in front that’sbreaking up the current.
Cast upstream of a trout’s holding area and let your indicator naturally drift through it. Keep your fly line upstream or even with the indicator so it’s not dragging the indicator downstream.
Fly preference is up to the angler, but most prefer contrasting flies, such as one large and heavy with a smaller one trailing it. You might also try one dark and one bright fly.
When you hook a fish, remember that spot because it’s likely a place where trout rest or feed during water. When you come back next time, there will probably be more fish there.

Streamers
These large wet flies prey on a trout’s appetite and aggression.
You want to give them a large, easy meal or invade their space and get them to attack the fly.
Fish these with a short, stout leader. Rising fish will often spook at the sight of line, but it doesn’t seem to bother fish that are chasing a streamer. They may be too focused on the fly to notice it.
You want your streamer to mimic an injured fish, so give it lots of erratic movement by quickly pulling a few inches of line then letting the fly settle and jerking it again.

Adapt your game
Winter fly fishing doesn’t differ that much from other times of year, but minor adjustments where, when and how you fish can make a big difference in your success.
If you respect the differences and adjust your strategy to the fish’s winter habits, you will find, as others have, that it’s a productive time to fish.

By Rich Landers and Alan Liere
The Spokesman-Review
With the cooling water, dry fly fishing is just about over on Idaho and Montana rivers.
The Clark Fork continues to be the favorite fall option for guide shops out of Missoula. The Missoulian Angler on Wednesday reported Baetis hatches were still strong on the river below Missoula.
But observations on the rivers from Clark Fork to the Missouri near Craig indicate that many anglers are working streamers, often with a cast and fast-strip retrieve.
Close to home, the St. Joe and Coeur d’Alene are still providing fishing opportunities and you needn’t get up too early.
Sprague Lake fished pretty well Thursday for fly-tying guru John Newbury of Chewelah.
“We started trolling flies at 10 a.m. and pulled off the lake at 2 p.m. and had six fish to show for our efforts,” Newbury said, noting that he and his partner lost three other nice ones at the boat.
“Four of the fish were 19 inches long, and the other two were 15 and 16 inches long and heavy. Only three other boats on the water. I was surprised the lake still was showing signs of a bloom. Apparently the cold weather is just starting to clear up the lake.”
The Grande Ronde River is still a good bet for a steelhead. Small patterns are working best.
Amber Lake is kicking out good-sized cutthroat for float-tubers throwing nymphs. A friend reported good nymphing recently on the east end of Sprague Lake.
Clark Fork Trout and Tackle in St. Regis has wrapped up its guiding season. When the outfit reopens in March, the retail portion of the shop will be moved nearby to the Stang’s Food Center, where shop owner Brooks Sanford plans to meet his guided clients.

Steelhead and salmon
Steelhead fishermen say numbers of fish near Bridgeport on the Columbia River are building, but they are still catching more triploids than anything. Some of these are up to 10 pounds.
Steelhead anglers are successfully backtrolling plugs above Heller Bar, but the majority of fish have been wild. Purples and hot reds are working. The bite at the mouth of the Grande Ronde at Heller Bar has slowed some as more fish leave the Snake to start their spawning run up the tributary.

Trout and kokanee
Rufus Woods triploids are active near the net pens if there is some current in the reservoir. Without current, Rufus is difficult to figure out. Anglers dropping small purple jigs have done well recently in deeper water.
Lake Roosevelt rainbow seem to be getting active again on the surface. Try a Rippin’ Minnow behind monofilament. A lot of the fish caught this week have been in the 20-inch range.
Rock Lake is picking up again. Trollers are doing well against the walls, with some large brown trout reported.
Curlew Lake is kicking out some big rainbow for the few anglers trying for them. A trolled fly and flasher just under the surface will get action.
Waitts Lake produced this week for fly-fishers, who could see brown trout trying to spawn.
Sprague Lake is an excellent bet for huge rainbow. Trolling the middle of the lake is effective, but just lobbing Power Bait from shore is sometimes even better.

Spiny ray
The Pend Oreille River still has good, green weed beds and the pike action remains steady. Spoons seem to be working better than anything. On Coeur d’Alene Lake pike are still hitting, as are the largemouth. Plastics in shallow water do well.
Smallmouth bass will still hit aggressively on Lake Roosevelt, but they are in deeper water and prefer either jigs or plastic worms and grubs. Roosevelt walleye are also deep. Anglers jigging and blade baiting down river from Spring Canyon did well this week.
With the low water, Banks Lake fishing is erratic. Anglers say that some days walleye and bass fishing is so simple it’s ridiculous, and the next day you can’t buy a bite. Coulee Playland still has a usable ramp.

Overheard
Several reports of bass anglers catching northern pike at Long Lake (Lake Spokane) have surfaced recently. All catches were in the vicinity of the old Forshees Resort near Tum Tum.
* Steelheading has been particularly slow this year at the Hanford Reach, largely because of an absence of one-salt fish. The overall run is below the 10-year average to begin with, but there is no explanation for the missing 1-year-olds.

I lived in Idaho Falls for five years and there were some huge browns caught out of the Snake during that time, but nothing like Rob Thornberry writes about here.

By Rob Thornberry

Of the Idaho Falls Post Register

The fish is a jaw-dropper.

Idaho Department of Fish and Game biologist Greg Schoby is holding a 31-inch brown trout that weighs somewhere around 15 pounds. It was caught in early October.

It is a fish of a lifetime, a pig of a size that most anglers will never touch.

Normally, anglers would die to keep the location of the catch secret, fearing the onslaught of crowds.

Fish and Game, however, wants everybody to see the fish, which Schoby caught using electricity on the Snake River near Osgood.

Department biologists are surveying that stretch of the river for the first time ever. Using electro-fishing gear, they are trying to find out how many fish are in the river. Armed with that information, they can draw attention to an under-utilized stretch of water, which will set the stage for its use.

“We have to know about the fishery so we can make educated comments about potential impacts on flows and other management,” said Dan Garren, fisheries manager in the Upper Snake River Region.

Simply put, can biologists make the river better for fish?

Can they build more access points for anglers?

Can they work with irrigators to better use flows?

For example, two nearby irrigation districts are exploring the idea of putting power turbines on the Idaho and Great Western canals. That would mean running water through the canals during winter when river flows are at their lowest.

Would that harm the fishery?

Could it help?

Fish and Game needs to know.

“We just want to know what that fish population is like so we can be in a position to make decisions and comments on flow management,” Garren said.

Alan Kelsch, chairman of the Idaho Irrigation District, applauds the department.

“The district is receptive to the study and commends Fish and Game for doing it,” he said. “We all have to work together on the river.”

Canals are only a part of the impetus for studying the Snake, Garren said.

The department has spent years studying the nearby famous waters of the Henry’s Fork and South Fork. Management programs are largely set on those rivers, giving the department more time to see whether it can nurse improvements out of the main Snake River.

“There is a lot of low-hanging fruit left to be harvested there,” he said.

If, for example, the department learns spawning success is limited on the Snake, biologists could stock fingerling trout.

He also said it is smart to devote resources to improving fisheries closer to town because tight economic times make it harder for people to travel long distances to fish.

“This area (the Snake) is where we can make our biggest improvements,” Garren said. “Learning more about the fishery is a step in that direction.”

What he’s learned so far is that there are some huge trout in the Snake.

“It is an incredibly impressive fish,” he said. “I would venture a guess that it is fairly typical of some of the largest trout up and down the Snake River.”

Schoby returned the fish to the river and, in the process, the department learned a little about another eastern Idaho treasure.

Before you grab your Ugly Stik and head to the Osgood area to catch monster brown trout, it is important to know access is extremely limited.

The river is surrounded by private property and it is crucial to ask for permission to cross other people’s property.

The best access point is for motorboats at the boat ramp on the west side of the river above the upper Idaho Falls power plant.

By Roger Phillips

of the Idaho Statesman

Some anglers say using flies to fish for steelhead is a handicap. Don’t believe them. It’s a challenge, no doubt, but if you approach fly fishing as a versatile and viable method of catching steelhead, you will find it’s an effective way to fish for them on Idaho’s river.

Choose your weapon

Any single-hand rod that’s a 6-weight or larger will do. A 9-foot or 9.5-foot rod works best.

You want a reel with a good, reliable drag, but you don’t have to spend hundreds of dollars on one. Steelhead can be hard fighters, but most reels can handle them.

Your line is as critical as your reel. A multi-tip line is a good option because you can switch to a sink-tip as conditions require. If you’re planning to nymph fish (and you should), you will need a line that can turn over a heavy nymph rig on a long leader.

As you get more into steelhead fishing, you will eventually want to add a two-handed rod, either a switch rod or Spey rod, or both.

They will allow you to cover more water and with less room needed for a back cast. Two-handed rods are also easier on your arms and shoulders. Make sure your line is properly matched to your two-hand rod. This takes some homework, but it’s critical to casting effectively.

Start small

With the size of river, that is. Idaho Fish and Game stocks steelhead in the Boise River this month between Glenwood Bridge and Barber Dam. It’s a good place to give steelhead fishing a try because you don’t have to drive three hours to the river, and smaller rivers are easier to read.

Fish that don’t immediately get caught will remain in the river all winter and into spring, so you have plenty of time.

Other options for smaller waters are the Little Salmon, South Fork of the Clearwater and Upper Salmon. These areas tend to fish well during spring, typically starting in late February through April.

Reading the water

This may be the most challenging part of steelhead fishing. Steelhead are found in specific areas in a river, which means much of the water won’t have any, and you will be wasting precious time fishing there.

The basic rule of thumb for fly anglers is to look for water that’s shin deep to waist deep and moving about walking speed.

Steelhead tend to shun an even, uniform river bottom, so look for structure such as rocks, riffles, trenches, and other features.

They often hang out in areas similar to trout, but think brown trout rather than rainbows. Steelhead like cover.

Finding good steelhead water is sort of a Catch 22 and takes practice. You rarely see them, unlike trout, which commonly rise for insects, so to really find out where they hold, you have to hook a few. But until you do, you’re only guessing where they might be.

Swinging flies

The classic way to catch steelhead is swinging a wet fly. It’s arguably the most fun because the take is electrifying and the fish often goes airborne.

To hook a steelhead skating a surface fly is doubly exciting.

Wade into the river and face the opposite shore. Think of the area directly across from you as 12 o’clock, cast across and downstream at about two o’clock.

Let the current swing your fly downstream in an arc. Slow the swing by mending line upstream. You want the fly to swing as slowly as possible, even in swift water. Steelhead typically aren’t aggressive and won’t chase a fly that’s swung too fast.

After a few casts, step downstream and repeat the process to cover new water.

Nymph fishing

Nymph fishing is an effective way to catch steelhead, and also opens up more water to the fly angler.

Essentially, you fish nymphs for steelhead the same way you do for trout, but use bigger, heavier flies and concentrate on steelhead holding water.

The key is getting the flies down where the fish are and getting a natural drift. Steelheaders typically use larger nymphs than trout anglers, such as heavy stonefly nymphs, or Prince nymphs or copper Johns tied on larger, stronger hooks.

Anglers take steelhead on small nymphs, too, but make sure the hook is strong enough to land them.

If in doubt about which fly to use, use an egg pattern. It is a universal steelhead nymph that will work on any body of water, any time of year.

Be relentless

Steelhead are often called the “fish of a thousand casts.” It’s an exaggeration, but a fly anger has to be dedicated.

The key to steelhead fishing is being confident in your flies, fishing the right water, and fishing it effectively.

Remember that unlike trout, steelhead don’t have to feed to survive. They have enough fat in the bodies to carry them through fall, winter and the spring spawning season. But they do feed. You just have to be there and get a fly in front of them when they’re ready. It’s simple, but not easy.

The hardest part of steelhead fishing is the mental challenge rather than mastering techniques. You have to spend lots of time on the river and have faith that what you’re doing will catch fish. It may take a lot of casts for it to happen.

Adapt to the seasons

Steelhead start arriving in late summer, and the migration peaks in mid-autumn. Steelhead winter in mainstem rivers, or in deeper holes in smaller rivers. They start their final ascent to the upper stretches of rivers and tributaries during spring to spawn. Tailor your techniques to what season you’re fishing.

Swinging flies tends to work best when fish are more active, which is fall and spring. You can still catch them on swung flies during winter, but you have to get your fly deep with sinking or sink-tip line and swing slowly.

Nymph fishing will work during all seasons, but can be especially effective during winter and spring when fish are stacked into the tributaries.

First-timers may want to concentrate on spring fishing because the fish are congregated into the upper stretches and tributaries where rivers are smaller and easier to wade.

Anglers gather around areas where steelhead traditionally congregate, so you can easily determine which stretches of river have fish in them. But you can also expect crowds and lots of competition for prime fishing spots.

Beware that steelhead are spawning during spring, so don’t cast to fish that are chasing each other in the shallows, or digging spawning nest (redds) with their tails.

Never stop learning

Steelhead fishing is a constant learning process. There is no better teacher than time on the water with some success that you can build upon.

Good steelhead anglers are keen observers of the river. They pay particular attention to such things as clarity (slightly murky is best), flows (dropping is usually better than rising) and temperatures (stable or warming is usually favorable, except during summer).

Catching a steelhead is among the greatest challenges in fly fishing, but Idaho’s runs have been abundant and consistent in the last decade, and many rivers lend themselves well to fly fishing.

With some effort and a little luck, catching one on a fly is not only possible, it’s a great opportunity.

The Bitterroot River fishing wrapup from Bill Bean,  Fishaus Fly Fishing:

Wrapping up can be quite a bit of fun because it brings back memories of the past and some of the pleasantness we have experienced during the year.

As the end of the calendar year and fishing season nears, we find ourselves looking back at what took place when the weather was warmer and fishing was great. We began the fishing season with a lot of high water and rain. It seems such a long time ago, but our memory was that we couldn’t go fishing.

We waited and waited until the water finally went down enough to do some fishing during the last couple of weeks in July. Fishermen lost almost a month before we could take to the streams and rivers once again. Summer and fall fishing on the Bitterroot has been above average. There was plenty of habitat and water so the fish were spread out a little more.

Some fishermen complained that they didn’t take as many fish in sections that they had normally taken several but the fish were able to stretch their territory a little.

Fall has come a little early with colder weather and some rain. Fishing has been good but most fishermen stayed away from the river because of the weather.

Weather experts are predicting the same weather pattern this winter, which means plenty of snow and colder weather. What this means for us is that if we get the snowpack we had last year we will experience the same conditions for fishing again in the spring. Mother Nature will take care of the snowpack runoff, but we may have another high-water spring and early summer with no fishing.

Fishing during the past week has been good, if you are a nymph fisherman. The fish have been cooperative and most fishermen are reporting taking 3- 6 fish while fishing in the afternoon. This is a pretty good catch rate for this time of year. It would be productive for fishermen to fish the major holes and runs, but keep your nymphs away from the fast current. The fish have a hard time getting into heavy water because their metabolism is so low and it is hard on the fish as they wear out easily during the colder water temperatures.

It is a good reminder to read through the fishing regulations during the last part of the season. As the regular fishing season ends this month we need to be more sensitive to the type of fishing we can do and the types of baits we can use. The Bitterroot remains open during the winter months and becomes catch and release for all species of trout. Whitefish can be caught and taken but there are some regulations regarding what you can use and how many can be kept.

Have a great weekend on the Bitterroot!

Here’s the Bitterroot fishing report from Bill Bean,  Fishaus Fly Fishing:

Fishermen have begun to wince a little when they find their favorite holes and stretches of the Bitterroot beginning to recede as the water nears the late summer levels. The East Fork is getting lower even though it still has plenty of good water in it. It just seems that because we have had plenty of water this year it is natural that it will seem to run out as we head into the fall months. There is still plenty of good fishing left during the next couple of months, so don’t get discouraged at these events.

Painted Rocks reservoir still has a lot of water in it and water flows from it were increased again this past week. Current water flows show the West Fork at 426 cfs, which is 150 percent of the normal flow for this time of year. The Darby flow is 576 cfs, which is another 150 percent of normal flow.

Unfortunately for some rafts and drift boats the river widened in several places and moved some rock around causing large flat areas with flat water.

Some of these places are hard to navigate because the water is so thin it causes floaters to have to drag their crafts across these flats.

September brings some new hatches to the Bitterroot and the predominant one is the small blue wing olive. This hatch is from the eggs laid by the blue wing olive hatch in the spring and early summer. They are smaller than the spring hatch, so we need to use smaller patterns, usually in a size 14, 16 or 18. There are quite a few other mayflies and caddis that appear during these times as the river and air temperatures cool. September also begins to bring the cottonwood tree leaves down. As they begin to fall many of them end up in the river and fool the fishermen when a sunken leave gives off an afternoon flash of sunlight and appears to be a fish turning in the water. Many a fisherman has been fooled into making a strike only to catch their favorite pattern on a leaf.

Fishing during the past week has been good. Once again a lot of small fish are being caught by the fishermen but an occasional large fish has risen to a dry fly. Most of the large fish caught were cutthroat, which are known to rise more often than rainbows or brown trout. The brown trout is the most elusive of the trout family and harder to catch than the other types of fish in the river. The best fishing places on the Bitterroot continue to remain on the upper river. While the middle and lower river contain some big fish, they are harder to hook this time of year. However, the time will soon be here that fish of all sizes realize that the cold weather is coming and food will be a little harder to find on the surface. That is why nymphing is a great way to fish even through the summer months. Fish feed more actively below the surface rather than on top. It is a good idea to use a second fly called a dropper when fishing with a large fly on top such as a grasshopper or stimulator.

Patterns to use this weekend include spruce moth, large olive caddis, small grasshoppers, parachute madam x, purple craze, blue wing olive, pale morning dun, prince nymph, girdle bug nymph and pheasant tail nymph.

Have a great weekend on the water!

Here is the Bitterroot River fishing report from Bill Bean, Fishaus Fly Fishing:

If you have not gone fishing during the past week I would recommend that you go this weekend. Fishing pressure is beginning to decline and there are plenty of opportunities for fishermen to tag some good fish. Larger fish are not responding to small dry flies, but they are still eating the wet flies and nymphs. Some great reports of larger fish have been the norm for the week and fishermen have seen fewer rafts and wading fishermen this past week.

We are beginning to see the end of the summer doldrums where hot weather dominates the fishing scene. Shorter daylight hours are beginning to drive the fish toward feeding more heavily as the fall selection of fly hatches also begin to kick in. A few large hatches still remain but they are short and only last an hour or so. This is typical of the pale morning dun hatch and a few species of caddis. The blue winged olive hatch is yet to come and will begin to appear when fall becomes more evident. BWO’s like cooler and overcast weather before they hatch as do some of the small caddis.This type of weather is yet to come.

There is plenty of water still left behind Painted Rocks Dam. An abundance of water has provided us some good fishing this summer and has kept the water temperatures below 70 degrees, which is almost unreal for summer weather. More water has been a blessing for the fish and habitat has been at its best for all sizes of fish. Unfortunately, the Bitterroot is a small river and can only handle a certain amount of fish. There is just so much room for fish to hide and so much to eat. Unlike the Bighorn that has as many as 3,000 fish per mile, the Bitterroot can only handle 300-500 fish per mile in certain stretches. Fishing pressure on both rivers I have mentioned is tremendous, so you can determine that the Bitterroot fish can sometimes take quite a beating and we see this when-lip damaged fish are caught several times. Carefully releasing fish should always be a norm and barbless hooks prevent damage to fish in a big way.

The age-old argument between keeping and releasing fish continues to this day. I have read several articles about which is best and it is a difficult decision to make on this river. I leave it up to the fish biologists to give us that input when they take the fish census on the different parts of the river during the year. There can be a real positive argument made that taking fish from the river allows more fish that remain to grow larger and encourages smaller fish to enter the main river from the tributaries. Whichever side is right depends on the river and the fish.

Fishing this weekend will continue to be good. Pale morning duns are best in the early morning hours and evening hours. Caddis hatches are also best during these times. During the day, fish stimulators and other types of attractors to bring the fish to the surface. Hoppers are also a good bet during the day when they are most active.

Here’s the weekly Bitterroot River fishing report from Bill Bean of Fishaus Fly Fishing:

The Bitterroot River has changed a great deal during the past two weeks. As we approach normal levels throughout the river system, the fishing has improved greatly. As the river levels recede, the fish begin to congregate and compete for habitat that only allows a few fish. Not all of the river has good hiding places for fish. Most of the places that fish use hide them from natural predators that can see the fish in the waters. Some of the best places are in deep holes, under river banks and behind large rocks.

Fishing during the past week has been good. A lot of reports have included smaller fish in the 10- to 12-inch range. Although this is not what most fishermen like to catch it is a great sign for the river. It means that the river has a good future for larger fish and that the tributaries and the upper forks have continued to produce good numbers of fry.

We all want to catch large fish and we continue to pursue them with some passion and regularity. Sometimes we just don’t hook them and we have to be satisfied that they are there and go back for another try. Small fish feed more actively than large fish, especially when a hatch is occurring in the summer. The waters are a little warmer and the larger the fish the easier it is to become cannibalistic and feed under water on smaller fish or nymphs. Shallow water also makes it easier for a large fish to be seen, so they have to stay in hidden more.

The hot spots of the week are on the East and West Forks. Cooler water there enables the fish to be more active and feed more. We have seen an increase of wade fishermen on the East Fork this year. More people are discovering that it is a great fishery and are learning where and when to fish there. The East Fork has a lot of access and is in the National Forest, so there are less landowners to deal with than the West Fork.

Traditionally the West Fork has been the target of most wade fishermen, but this is changing. The hot spot for fishermen who float has been the West Fork. You might see several boats as you use this location, but the fish have been cooperative and some lunkers have dared to take a dry fly recently. DNRC continues to release water from Painted Rocks Dam in an effort to deliver the 15,000 acre feet of recreation water and they are doing a great job. Water levels on the West Fork have been higher than normal and should continue through the next few weeks.

Patterns to use during the weekend are many. There are some great hatches of caddis during the afternoon and evening hours, so have plenty of them in your fly box. Dry fly patterns should include pale morning duns, blue-winged olives, purple crazes, Adams, golden stones, olive stones and royal Wulffs. Good nymph patterns are prince, hare’s ear, pheasant tail and girdle bug.

Here is the weekly Bitterroot River fishing report from Bill Bean, Fishaus Fly Fishing:

The Bitterroot River continues to have higher than normal water levels and a trickle of water is coming over the spillway at Painted Rocks Dam.

Floating fishermen continue to have some problems with the high water and some crafts have been either overturned or lost some passengers during the past week. Some of these events happen without most people becoming aware of them, but the river is still dangerous at the current flows in some of the stretches. Safety should be the No. 1  priority when fishing any river. After all, fishing is a hobby and while we all live in some of the best fishing country in the world, we can still wait for tomorrow for a safer time to fish.

Fishing during the past week has been great. The main river water levels are returning to somewhat normal conditions and the fishermen who float and fish still have the advantage from Hannon Memorial access to Missoula. The fishing pressure from rafts and boats continues to be high with other rivers in our area high and not fishing very well. Wade fishermen are now beginning to access the upper stretches with some of the best fishing on the East Fork and below. The West Fork remains pretty good fishing, but some of the larger fish have moved down river because of the declining water levels.

It is apparent that DNRC will begin to release water soon from Painted Rocks as the owned water released must be finished by Oct. 1. This does not include the Lake Como water, which is usually released after the Painted Rocks water is finished, but will only affect the main river below Rock Creek, which flows from the lake.

The hot spots for fishing are the East Fork and Hannon Memorial to the Darby Bridge. Float times are still reduced, so make sure you take plenty of time to stop and fish the slower parts of the river between these two access points.

As many of you probably are aware, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks has had an open comment period regarding changes in the  fishing regulations in Region 2, which includes the Bitterroot. Many of you have taken the opportunity to weigh in and now these comments, suggestions and potential changes will be presented for adoption in the next regulation cycle.  It is important that we support these changes because they make sense and will affect the fishing on the Bitterroot for the next couple of years.

Hatches this weekend will be much the same as they have been for the last couple of weeks. The largest hatch is the pale morning dun mayfly and the stone fly hatch is next. The olive bodied summer stone is still producing some good fish as are the yellow humpies and parachute madam X.

Grasshoppers are appearing in smaller numbers this year, probably due to a colder spring, so use some of these patterns especially on the lower river.

Have a great weekend on the river!