Fishing Reports

MIDDLE FORK OF THE FLATHEAD REPORT:  The Middle Fork is fishing absolutely red hot right now.  It has reached the perfect level making both wading and floating good options.  There are A LOT of nocturnal stones hatching right now so make sure you have plenty of golden chubbies.  Other major hatches include: Spruce moths, PMDs, caddis, brown drakes, and all sorts of terrestrials.  There is no need whatsoever for nymphing right now.  All that is needed to stay bent is a handful of "the chubbies," Potter's Spruce Moth, Modular drakes, and an assortment of attractors (purple hazes should be included in this catagory, just a hint).  No need for leader less than 4X either.  Good stuff over here right now.


-Cornfed

 MIDDLE FORK of FLATHEAD RIVER REPORT: We fished the MF over the weekend and had a lot of success.  The river is running about average for this time of year and is the perfect glacier green color.  We focused most of our efforts from Essex bridge to Paola Creek.  For those who haven't fished/floated this river, you need to be very careful (there are a lot of class II - IV rapids on the river, but manly below Paola Creek access).  There are tons of cutthroat in here and it doesn't take much to catch um.  It was somewhat cloudy and rainy when we fished, but that didn't stop um from comin to the top and whackin a bushy dry.  The streamer fishing was also really good, but you also have to be careful with the size of streamer you use because there is a HUGE population of native bull trout that are in the river that are protected.  I would recommend those on foot and boat alike to focus their efforts in the higher reaches of the river because it seems to hold larger fish and is somewhat easier to manage on the sticks.  As always, if you are headed over here anytime soon, call the shop and we will help guide you in the right direction.

-Cornfed