The Clark Fork river is by far the most consistent river in our area. This river is absolutely fabulous for the dry fly fisher. There are at least two to three hatches at all times during the spring, summer, and fall and sometimes many more. When the heat is on in late July and early August and other rivers in the state have little to no hatch activity this river shines. With an abundance of cold springs, the hatches continue right through the hottest weather. Lets not forget the great hopper fishing this time of the year as well. Large pods of rainbow and cutthroat trout work the surface very consistently from late June to the end of October with some of the best trico fishing occurring during August and September.

The Bitterroot river wanders through a panoramic valley between the Bitterroot/Selway and Sapphire mountains. This river has more than 20 miles of catch and release only water. We catch some tremendous browns and rainbows here along with Cutthroat and the occasional brook trout. More large browns are stalked and caught here than on any other of our rivers in the Missoula area. The Spring fishing on this river is second to none starting about March 15th until spring runoff in early May.

The Blackfoot river has a completely different character than the Clark or Bitterroot. It is fast and boulder strewn and boasts the best scenery around. While we fish it at all times of the year, it is at its absolute best from June 15th until the second week in July. This coincides with the salmonfly, golden stone, and green drake hatches. Some days all three are on the water at the same time and it is spectacular.

The Missouri river is a classic tailwater fishery. It fishes like the Lower Clark Fork with large pods of rainbows working the hatches and big browns working the banks and tail outs. While crowds can be a problem here, we typically fish this river in January and February and in late April into July. This allows for less crowded conditions and the weeds and algae are not a problem yet.

Winter fishing. You might be surprised at the mild temperatures that can occur between Nov. 1st and March lOth. Often daytime highs hit the forties. The days are shorter and the fish feed during the warmest part of the day. We typically start our day around lOam and fish until 4-6pm. Due to the short day we offer reduced rates during this period. If you can easily get to Missoula on short notice you can have excellent winter fishing with little competition. Keep an eye on the forecast and in touch with me and we can make it happen. The Bitterroot with it's wide gentle valley and abundance of springs is our river of choice in winter. Its warmer water temps make it the best choice here in Missoula area. This is a time of very large fish. The big boys that feed at night during the summer are on the prowl at midday. We have landed several 24" class trout this time of the year. The Missouri is our other winter destination. Due to warmer tailrace conditions dry fly fishing is an option here. On the right day large midge clusters bring up big fish for a 2 hour feeding frenzy. The rest of the time streamers and nymphs take care of business. Due to the warmer water temps these fish are active all day long on this river. It is not uncommon to catch a dozen browns and rainbows over 16" on a winter day. If it is warm enough to fish the action is very consistent.