Great Falls, Montana Fishing Report 08.08.19
Current Conditions
Missouri River below Holter Dam -
The water has dropped below 5K CFS. That means easy wading opportunities and fish looking up for bugs in skinny water. For the dry fly crew, its tricos in the morning and terrestrials through mid-day, including ants, hoppers and beetles. Caddis, callibaetis and even damsel flies can also get the attention of surface oriented fish.
Underneath, there are a large variety of nymphs getting it done. As we dip later into August, the tiny micro mayflies and midge sized offerings become key players. A larger attractor nymph like a standard hare’s ear, pheasant tail or something with a little flash followed by a zebra, tufted zebra or any size #18-22 micro pattern is a reliable combo.
Creeks and Smaller Rivers - Waters are late summer low. It’s all about water temp when looking for prime trout action this time of year. Water temps cool overnight and are fishy at dawn. As the day progresses, they warm up, often exceeding the threshold preferred by the trout. Get out early and enjoy some fantastic fishing.
Ponds and Reservoirs - As with the creeks and smaller rivers, the best action is usually early on warm sunny days. Look for some big callibaetis hatches to come off over the next few weeks.
Warm Water - Its prime time for fish that don’t mind water temps in the 70 degree range. Fishing on the lower Missouri River recently, my party landed carp, goldeye, drum, walleye, channel catfish, smallmouth bass, bigmouth buffalo and smallmouth buffalo. That’s eight species if anyone is counting. Should have had a pike too. Chasing multi-species with plenty of sight fishing opportunities for carp and drum is a super fun way to spend the day.
Match the Hatch
Its hopper time and I’ve been seeing lots of little guys bouncing around in the grass along the waterways I’ve been fishing. Size 10-12 yellow, green and tan bodied options are where it’s at right now. In the weeks ahead, they will grow larger and more colors will come into play.
Need to fill the box before you go? Order flies online here.
Tips & Techniques
One of the keys to fishing terrestrials is to fish them in fast skinny water. Put them over fish that don’t have a long window to view them. On long slow glides, fish can see every imperfection. In a fast riffle, they view a blur of motion and colors. They have to make a snap decision. That decision is more likely to be in the anglers favor.
Did you know...
Hoppers come in a variety of sizes and colors, ranging from green to tan to yellow and brown, with a variety of variegated and colorful markings mixed in. Both size and color can be important when choosing imitations, though fish are generally less selective on hoppers than they are when targeting the more homogenous mayflies and caddis. Trout are used to seeing some variety in grasshoppers, thus a good hopper box contains offerings in various colors and in sizes ranging from #12 to #6.
See past reports from the Great Falls region here, or click here to view all northwest regional reports.