Clark Fork River Report 4.27.16

The weather has been anywhere from mid 40s to upper 70s over the past week and a half, and I was curious to see what that has done to our local trout. I took a trip up river to find that fishing was not easy. Water clarity was excellent, and flows were steady at 30,000 cfs. There were very few trout rising, and the ones that were feeding, were too sporadic to hook on a dry. Dries were not the answer, and to my surprise, nymphs didn't seem to be the ticket either. The fly that saved me from a fishless day was none other than the ever-so faithful #8 Olive Woolly Bugger. Once again, the most basic fly proves its worth, and I am thankful that it did.

In the last hour of sunlight, I caught 2 and had 6 strikes. There seemed to be more fish rising in slack water rather than the edge of a seam. The trout I caught weren't big, but they were still beautiful and healthy. Midges were abundant in the air and on the water. However, the bugs that really interested me were the size 12 tan caddis. In the few hours I fished, I probably only saw 20 caddis. Still, this is enough to get me excited for what is to come!