Cooler temps and clouds return to SW Montana this weekend and that spells dry flies. Beatis, Mother’s Day Caddis are in full swing on the Beaverhead River and the fishing has been extremely well. We’re catching fish nymphing or streamers in the morning and dries in the afternoon especially when there is cloud cover. There have been water visibility issues of late due in some part to Grasshopper Creek but more so further down near Dillon Blacktail Creek also has had some low recent snow melt add some muddy water. There is narry enough water to float a drift boat right now above Barrett’s so plan on wade fishing or doing some boat dragging. Check out our Montana Fly Fishing Tours  and get in on this springs great fly fishing!

FLOWS:

• Clark Canyon Dam 31.9 cfs
• Barrett’s 139 cfs
• Dillon 77 cfs

VISIBILITY: Good above Barrett’s at 3+ feet. Not so good below Blacktail Creek 1.5 to 2 feet.

NYMPHING: Expect to have to match the hatch on the Beaverhead so pattern sizes are generally little. # 14-20.
• Pheasant Tails with or without a beadhead and flashback’s
• Mercer’s Micro Mayfly in brown or olive
• Beadhead Flashback WD40 olive or grey
• LGF in olive, Tailwater Tiny
• Psycho May in olive or brown
• Mitchell’s Splitback in olive or brown
• Sparkle Pupa, Iris Caddis in cream tan or olive

STREAMERS: All in sizes from #4-10.

• Zonker’s in copper and pearl bodies with natural olive and white rabbit strips.
• Kiwi Muddler in natural or yellow.
• Mini Loop Sculpins, Big Gulp Sculpins and Stalcup’s Flash Fry in natural and olive
• Wooley Bugger’s, Wooley Sculpins and Bow River Buggers in black or olive or brown
• JJ Specials and Trick or Treats

Check out my Top 10 Streamers for SW Montana for a more thorough list.

DRY FLIES : Beatis and ‘Mother’s Day Caddis’ are in full swing, hatching like clockwork in the afternoon’s. The trout will prefer the Beatis early in the afternoon’s and usually switch to eating Caddis later in the day. You’ll find trout rising to them in foam lines, back eddy’s and along soft inside edges. I like to add a Beadhead Beatis pattern or Caddis pupa as a dropper if the trout aren’t eating the dry alone. If the fish are rising to both, try double dries, one of each. I like size #14-16 for the caddis and sizes #16-18 for the Beatis.

• Extended body parachute olive or grey
• Parachute Adams
• CDC Captive Dun
• CDC Beatis Emerger
• Elk Hair Caddis, Mathew’s X-Caddis
• Mathew’s Iris Caddis
• Lafontaine’s Sparkle Pupa
• Delekta’s CDC Spanker in PT, green or silver.

TIPS: The Beaverhead River is closed to fishing from The Spillway (Fishing Access Site) to Pipe Organ Bridge FAS until the general season opener May 16th. The Beaverhead is open to fishing from Pipe Organ Bridge FAS down. Also, the rainbows are in full spawn so watch you step and stay clear of any bright gravel that would indicate redd’s. Happy Angling!

For more information on Montana Fly Fishing, The Beaverhead River and guided fishing trips on The Beaverhead River please contact FishTales Outfitting. Check out our Montana Fly Fishing Tours to take advantage of this spring’s great fly fishing!