Missoula August Fishing
Monday I was back out with Herb and pups, Grace and Molly. The rain the night before didn’t bump the river too much and there wasn’t much chance of rain today so we decided to head to the lower West Fork.
With the cooler weather, we met a little later and started off with a single dry fly. A few small fish were looking up early as we cycled through different flies looking for something the better fish would eat.
Eventually, we found a fly that would move some decent fish and Herb put a couple of respectable cutts in the net. Then the little guys were back at it before we stopped for an early lunch as dark clouds approached.
The rain started during lunch and started to get heavier as we put on rain gear for the first time in ages. The heavy rain and a few thunder rumbles had us just pushing downriver.
Eventually, the rain let up enough that we fished the last mile of river. We threw ants, hoppers, and other dries at them at the end and moved a handful of fish but they were mostly small. The weather made for a short day.
Herb put a few fish in the net and the dogs were able to swim and have a good time on the river.
Missoula August Fishing
Wednesday I fished with local anglers, Cindi and Sandra, again. The ladies wanted to take a shot at catching a pike which I am always up for so we decided to float a stretch of the lower Bitterroot for a trout/pike combo.
We started the morning with single dries and there were a couple of fish slapping at the dry in the first mile, but that action dried up fast. Then we fished a bunch of different dry/dropper combos.
It was tough with very little action. Finally Sandra came tight to a 13″ rainbow on the dropper. We had to work hard for that fish and I hoped it was a sign of things to come, but it remained challenging.
We made it into a side channel where Cindi hooked a small cutthroat and further down that run Sandra connected to a hot fish that peeled line off her reel. After a good fight she had a solid 17″ rainbow in the net.
We stopped for lunch in the shade and then dedicated most of the afternoon to pike fishing. Cindi and Sandra took turns each fishing long banks with the big pike flies and even though the casts and retrieves were good.
We didn’t move a single fish. First time pike fishing this year that we didn’t even have a follow or spot any fish to cast at. It was just one of those days for us. We finished up the day looking for trout again.
I put Sandra on a single hopper and she had a couple decent fish try to eat the fly and landed a smaller brown. From a fishing standpoint it was one of the tougher days of the season for me, but we had a great time on the water.
It was a stretch of river the ladies had never seen and they look forward to making another try at pike down the road.
Missoula August Fishing
Thursday I was back out with Herb and the pups for a short float on the upper Bitterroot. We had a little cloud cover this morning and the fish were looking up right out of the gate for a mayfly dry.
We spent a fair bit of time in a run just below the put in. Herb connected on fish every pass and he landed a a solid cutthroat and big rainbow in there before we moved on.
A bigger dry fly was the ticket after that as we had eats in most of the likely spots including another big cutt off a rip rap bank. Herb picked up a couple more and then the sun poked out and the fishing was spotty.
We switched flies a few times and found a hopper the fish were happy to see before pulling into the shade for lunch. It was still sunny to start the afternoon but the trout were a little more receptive.
Then the clouds rolled in at we were back in business again. Herb landed 3 quality fish on top in one run including a nice brown. We just fished the best spots after that and had fish eat the dry in almost all of those.
It was nice to find some quality trout with Herb today. There were still plenty of smaller ones on the hunt, but he put a few fat 16-17″ class trout in the net with a good mix of 12-15″ fish too.
It’s been a lot of fun sharing the boat with Herb again over the last couple of weeks.
Missoula August Fishing
Friday I finished up the week with local angler, Jim, on the upper Bitterroot. We met early and launched with cloudy skies overhead. I started Jim with a dry/dropper and a couple runs into the float he connected with a bright 16″ rainbow just above a root ball.
The dropper was good for a few more decent fish early before we switched over to a single dry. At that point the fish were looking up with some quality trout willing to rise early. The good runs were giving up a solid fish in each spot and Jim banged a pair of nice brown trout in a fast run.
The biggest was a little over 17″ that hammered the dry. The fishing remained consistent until the sun poked through in the late morning. We had a bit of a lull in the action just before and after lunch with the bright sun.
Switching to the right hopper in the afternoon helped. Some nice cutts and rainbows ate that bug in the fast water and when Jim twitched the fly in slow runs he was able to raise some fish out of the depths.
Toward the end of the day the clouds came back and that definitely helped in a couple of spots. We closed out the float with another cutthroat on the hopper just as I pulled into the take out. For the current conditions, it was solid fishing from start to finish.
Nice to see a better class of fish eating the last two days. Jim had a handful of nice cutts, rainbows and browns from 15-17″ and a bunch of other fish in the 10-14″ range. Relatively clear skies, nice temps, and not another boat on the water.
Can’t ask for much more in August and Jim and I had a great time on the water.
Missoula August Fishing
Big news this week was Hoot Owl Fishing Restrictions being put in place on the Bitterroot and Clark Fork. No fishing after 2 pm until the restrictions are lifted. It really doesn’t change much for us as we have been meeting early and getting off early since the beginning of July.
Despite the restrictions, it feels like we may have turned the corner on the dog days of summer. A couple of cooler, wet fronts have moved through and we have temps in the 70’s and 80’s on tap for next week.
Tricos are starting to show up in a few spots and there are more and more hoppers around each day.
Book Your Next Fishing Trip Today! – Click Here
Check out our Fishing Packages – Click Here
Tight Lines,
Tony Reinhardt
Montana Trout Outfitters
406-544-3516
