Clark Fork River Fishing Report 9.28.2017
—North 40 Outfitters Ponderay
Expect the Clark Fork’s flow to fluctuate as water managers draw down Cabinet Gorge Reservoir. Unfortunately, that translates to unpredictable flows. The only trend I see is that flows shoot up, at least once a day, to somewhere between 6,000 cubic feet a second and 18,000 cfs, even on the weekends. Despite these radical flows, fishing is good if you hit the river when the water is low. October caddis should appear soon, but don't count on giant hatches—when I’ve seen the big caddis on the Clark Fork I’ve only seen a few bugs. Dry flies will still work on the Clark Fork. Some top performers are a #10 October Caddis, #14 purple Grumpy Frumpy, #12 red PMX, and a #10 pink Transfoamer. October is when I generally like to nymph or swing 2-to 3-inch long streamers. Small, olive sculpin patterns can save the day when the trout just aren't looking up. Some productive streamers include a #4 olive Sculpzilla, #6 olive Woolly Bugger, or an olive Stinging Smolt. For nymphs, a #8 black Pat's Rubberlegs, a #16 red Copper John, a #14 Twenty-Incher, a #16 Taylor's Gut Instinct, a #10 October Caddis Pupa, or a #18 Crust Nymph BWO will hunt down trout. If you find the fishing to be tough, sit on the bank and enjoy a great lunch. That could be just enough time for the flows to drop, and the fishing to turn on. If the flows are down, and the fishing is still tough, it isn't meant to be.
Lake Cocolalla
Not a whole lot to report here. The fishing has been mediocre, but will turn on any week. As the water temperature drops, the trout come to the surface and feed throughout the lake. When this happens I like to fish an intermediate line and strip #6 olive Woolly Bugger—my go-to fly for this lake. Occasionally I’ll substitute it out for a #6 Rusty Slump Buster. Remember, these trout are primarily feeding on perch and aquatic insects. Make a point to fish perch-like flies, and general nymphs like a #12 Flashback Pheasant Tail. Dries aren't out of the question either. The last time I fished the lake, the surface erupted with feeding trout for 30-to 45 minutes around, beginning around 8 a.m. It looked like the fish were on big, #14 midges, but the rises were irregular and I couldn’t predict where a fish might rise next.
Kootenai River
The river has held strong at 6,000 cfs. This is great because the flows are low enough to allow wading from shore, and the driftboats don't have to worry about the river randomly jumping up a few feet. Overall, fishing has been great. Reports of feeding trout are trickling into the fly shop daily. With the cooler weather, trout are feeding throughout the day. So sleep in, get a nice breakfast in you, then hit the river for an epic day. If the Idaho portion of the Kootenai is where you wish to fish, try where the Moyie River dumps into the Kootenai. Remember, most of the the land is private, but a section of the river is open to fishing as long as you pay a small fee at the Twin Rivers Canyon Resort. Montana has much more access. I greatly enjoy driving along the Montana section, pulling over wherever the water looks fishy. The area near Canoe Gulch Ranger Station is a good spot to fish if you are near Libby. Most anglers are throwing dries, but don't leave your nymphs and streamers at home. A #12 Royal Stimulator, a #12 purple Moodah Poodah, a #10 purple Chubby Chernobyl, a #10 pink J-Slam, a #10 October Caddis, a #18 BWO Ext. Body, and a #18 BWO Film Critic gets the job done. For nymphs, a #8 large Black Stone, a #14 black/white Copper John, a #14 Tungsten Warrior, a #16 purple Lightning Bug, and a #18 Crust Nymph BWO will draw attention. If you throw streamers, go with brown, white, or olive. Try a white Complex Twist, #6 Polar Minnow, a #2 olive Circus Peanut, or a #4 Bald Eagle. September is almost over, which wraps up my favorite time to fish the river, but October should be great, too.
If you need to re-up on flies, you can find most of those ^ right here.