Missoula Fishing 2022

Missoula Fishing 2022

Monday I was back out for the second day with Chris on this trip. We met early and went to the upper Bitterroot with hopes of fishing dry flies all day. I started Chris off with a mayfly dry and he had a couple fish flash on it in the first run and then a good eat from a big cutthroat in the next spot.

Just below that Chris put the first fish of the day in the net and then he added a chunky 16″ cutthroat a little further down. Then we found a little back eddy in the shade with rising fish and Chris tagged 3 out of there on a PMD spinner. We switched to a golden stone in some faster water and the fish were looking up for that bug too.

The golden proved to be most consistent the rest of the morning as Chris connected with nice fish in most of the likely water. Right out of the gate after lunch we picked up a couple more on the golden and then the fishing was spotty for a while. We switched bugs several times and raised the occasional fish or just had looks on the dry.

The wind started to blow hard too which made things a challenge. We kept after it with dries and finally started to see some small goldens and yellow sallies. That was enough to get some fish looking up again and Chris finished off the day with some of the best fish of the float, including a gorgeous 18″ cuttbow that ate a small golden in the shade. Aside from the wind it was a gorgeous day on the Bitterroot and we only saw one other boat all day.

Lots of colorful cutthroat today - Missoula Fishing 2022
Lots of colorful cutthroat today – Missoula Fishing 2022
Morning light on the Bitterroot - Missoula Fishing 2022
Morning light on the Bitterroot – Missoula Fishing 2022
Single dry fly from start to finish and some great trout in the net - Missoula Fishing 2022
Single dry fly from start to finish and some great trout in the net – Missoula Fishing 2022
Single dry fly from start to finish and some great trout in the net - Missoula Fishing 2022
Single dry fly from start to finish and some great trout in the net – Missoula Fishing 2022

Missoula Fishing 2022

Tuesday I was out with local angler, Jeff, and his brother Jim. Jeff lives on the Clark Fork so I thought we should take the chance to show him some of his home water.

We fished dry/dropper rigs all day and it took a couple runs to get things going, but the guys doubled up in the first good piece of fast water we fished. It took a little while for the trout to get going as some of the normally great runs didn’t produce early. We picked up a couple more before stopping to work a little seam for a while. Jim tagged a couple small fish right away and then hooked into a solid cuttbow.

It was even more exciting to watch a big pike chase that trout around the run for a bit. The guys doubled up again in the next good run we fished but both of those big bows came unbuttoned. We stopped to wade fish that spot for a while and Jeff hooked 3 more and landed a really nice rainbow. From there the action was consistent. There were a good number of 13-15″ rainbows with some bigger fish mixed in. In the afternoon the guys doubled up one more time and Jim boated the fish of the day, a big rainbow near 20″.

While it was mostly rainbows we did land one brown and a couple of cutthroat too. Once the heat started to build in the afternoon the fishing dropped off. After working a couple of good runs with no strikes we decided to call it a day and push the short distance to the ramp. I always have fun fishing with Jeff and Jim, and it was great to show them a new piece of water today.

Healthy cutts and rainbows in the morning - Missoula Fishing 2022
Healthy cutts and rainbows in the morning – Missoula Fishing 2022
Healthy cutts and rainbows in the morning - Missoula Fishing 2022
Healthy cutts and rainbows in the morning – Missoula Fishing 2022
Jeff hooked up wade fishing - Missoula Fishing 2022
Jeff hooked up wade fishing – Missoula Fishing 2022
Jim with a big Clark Fork bow - Missoula Fishing 2022
Jim with a big Clark Fork bow – Missoula Fishing 2022
Another nice specimen - Missoula Fishing 2022
Another nice specimen – Missoula Fishing 2022

Missoula Fishing 2022

Wednesday was my last day this trip with Chris. We met very early to fish his favorite stretch, the canyon of the Blackfoot. It was only 41 degrees when we launched on the North Fork and started pushing to the confluence. We started off with a dry/dropper rig and on his third cast Chris came tight to a nice cutthroat on the dropper.

We hit a couple more runs on our way to Munchmore and actually had fish eat the big dry. It was a little early for the fish to be rising in Munchmore but Chris did manage to stick a big cutthroat on the dry before we left. From there it was a single dry fly the rest of the day and the fish were looking up. It started with a few smaller cutts, but as the day warmed up every run produced at least one quality dry fly eater.

It was the perfect fishing for a single angler. Chris would stick a 14-16″ cutt or cuttbow in every run and I just kept the boat moving so by the time we landed and released the fish it was time to hit the next spot.

A golden stone was our best fly for most of the morning, although I did switch to a PMD at the bottom of the canyon that happened to fool a couple of big cutts. The highlight was a pair of fat 18″ cutts that ate in back to back runs, The morning was absolutely stellar and when we picked up again after lunch the action was still solid, but it was a smaller class of fish on the hunt in the afternoon.

Every spot was still producing, but it was 12-14″ cutts eating the dry. As the temps started to get hot, the fishing tapered off. Instead of every spot with a good eat, it became every 2 or 3 spots over the last mile. We moved fast today because I anticipated it would be busy.

That plan paid off as Chris had very good fishing with only one other boat around. We arrived at the takeout to find the parking lot full of trailers. It definitely paid off to get up extra early and Chris was rewarded with some solid dry fly fishing on the Blackfoot.

Fat cutthroat on a dry fly - Missoula Fishing 2022
Fat cutthroat on a dry fly – Missoula Fishing 2022
Chris hooked up in the middle of the canyon - Missoula Fishing 2022
Chris hooked up in the middle of the canyon – Missoula Fishing 2022
Crazy to still see Salmonflies on the bank this late in the year - Missoula Fishing 2022
Crazy to still see Salmonflies on the bank this late in the year – Missoula Fishing 2022
Chris with a solid cutthroat - Missoula Fishing 2022
Chris with a solid cutthroat – Missoula Fishing 2022

Missoula Fishing 2022

Thursday was my first day of the season with local angler, Cindi. This was also the first time Cindi fished as a single. We launched early on the middle Bitterroot for a half day float.

Cindi tagged the first rainbow of the day on a dropper in a foam back eddy. Another back eddy produced our second bow of the day. Then a couple dry fly eats followed before we pulled into an inside and Cindi stuck 3 nice fish in a row including a nice bow on the dry.

The fishing remained steady all morning long. Most all of the good runs gave up at least one fish. Cindi landed a bunch of quality rainbows with a couple approaching 18″, she also connected with a cutthroat and an especially hard fighting brown trout.

We were just above the takeout when we landed another solid fish and decided to end the day on a high note. We didn’t see another boat all day and Cindi found nice trout from start to finish. I’m already looking forward to our next day on the river.

Cindi spent much of the day with her rod bent - Missoula Fishing 2022
Cindi spent much of the day with her rod bent – Missoula Fishing 2022
Lots of nice rainbows - Missoula Fishing 2022
Lots of nice rainbows – Missoula Fishing 2022
Lots of nice rainbows - Missoula Fishing 2022
Lots of nice rainbows – Missoula Fishing 2022
Cindi landing another nice fish - Missoula Fishing 2022
Cindi landing another nice fish – Missoula Fishing 2022
Colorful brown trout - Missoula Fishing 2022
Colorful brown trout – Missoula Fishing 2022

Missoula Fishing 2022

Meet Luna. I picked up the newest member of the family on Saturday and have been on puppy duty when I’m not on the river. Hence the late fishing report this week. Summer continues to roll on and we have had some hot days recently. Early meet times have been the key to success as the fishing is still solid in the mornings into early afternoon. Hopper fishing is just starting and we still have good water levels in the river. The Fishing Report might be a little abbreviated the next few weeks as I don’t have much spare time in the evenings due to Luna. My wife tells me that Luna is just short for Lunatic!

Book Your Next Fishing Trip Today! – Click Here

Check out our Fishing Packages – Click Here

Current River Conditions

Tight Lines,

Tony Reinhardt
Montana Trout Outfitters
406-544-3516