With the smoke pouring in from the west, and the low/warm water, the fly shop has been seeing little traffic. We will be temporarily closing the shop until cooler weather breaks the grip of this heat. We will still be running shuttles for those brave enough to float. Shuttle sheets will be at the front door of the shop and must be fully filled out and placed in the mail slot. Shuttle drivers will be collecting shuttles between 9 am and 11 am.
The end of July is usually the heart of the heat in South West Montana. The weather has been scorching hot, river temps have been consistently high, and cold water and happy fish are getting harder and harder to find. Luckily we do have a few tailwaters within driving distance, but there are many more options to consider. The wading oportunities in the area are still plentiful. Many of our local gems are still hidden from sight, well above and beyond the heavily irrigated low lands. Be adventurous and be open minded when it comes to guided trips durring this time of year and you will not be disappointed.
The BIg Hole has is currently at the lowest we have ever seen it in over 20 years. That being said, we are still able to float between Jerry Creek and Melrose in rafts. The fishing has been better than expected, with lots of fish up and looking for dry flies in the shallow water. Ants, tricos, spruce moths, and summer stones have been the best flies for us most days. Nymphs have also been productive in the deeper holes throughout, with small, dark colored nymphs being some of the best. Emergers have also been working in the shallow riffles where dropping a weighted nymph is not an option. Streamer fishing has been moving some of the bigger fish in the morning before the sun gets straight above the river, especially in the faster riffles where the disolved oxygen is plentiful. Our best streamers have been small sparkle minnows, unweighted black and olive buggers, and tan zirdle bugs.
Most of the rivers have been hoot owled to some degree, which means you can't fish later than 2pm. Due to the timing, we have been getting our guides out earlier to provide clients with a full (or close to it) days fishing. We also are working with other services to provide jet boat trips on the Missouri River. If you are fishing yourself, be mindful and respectful of the resource by using a good net, keeping the fish wet, and getting them off the line and back in the water as quickly as possible. This is not the time to be dragging fish onto the rocks or bouncing them off of the boats. If you are not confident handling a catch, let the guide do it for you.
Current restrictions: The entire Big Hole River is under hoot-owl restrictions (no fishing from 2 PM to midnight).