Missoula Stonefly Hatches
We are getting closer by the day, and anglers all over Montana are awaiting the arrival of the Missoula Stonefly Hatches. It is always one of the most exciting hatch cycles of the year and timing plays a huge role in an anglers’ success. Giant orange Salmonflies will kick off the stonefly season and they will hatch first on the upper Clark Fork, then Rock Creek, and the Forks of the Bitterroot.
Better Early than Late
When it comes to the stonefly hatches you are usually better off gambling on the front end of the hatch. That is when the most aggressive dry fly feeding will take place and when the biggest trout will be on the prowl. Salmonflies are a giant meal for a trout and if you want until you see pics of bushes full of salmonflies before you head to the river you may be too late. Trout binge feed on the first of the bugs and after the first few days there is almost always a hangover. The trout are simply too stuffed to eat any more and the fishing can be tough. If you find yourself in that situation all hope is not lost. If you have time on your side then those trout will tie the feed bag on again in a day or two. If you don’t have the luxury of time then your best bet is to scramble to one of the other local options.
The Over Achiever
Salmonflies get all the publicity during this time of year and for good reason. They are absolutely huge! and manage to raise some of our biggest trout of the year to a dry fly. But the salmonflies little cousin, the Golden stonefly is the favorite hatch of many veteran guides. Like I said earlier, salmonflies can be feast or famine based on how they feed on the bugs, but golden stones are a little smaller and the hatch lasts much longer. This produces much more consistent fishing where we can raise good numbers of nice trout day after day without the up and down swings during salmonflies. Try throwing a golden stonefly even during a heavy salmonfly hatch and you may be surprised with the results.
Down and Dirty
The buzz this time of year revlolves around dry fly fishing with big, bushy dry flies but you don’t have to live and die with the dry. Trout are still gorging on stonefly nymphs and some days fishing a dry/dropper combo or straight up nymph rig will produce better results than strictly dry fly fishing. Everyone loves the dry, but some days it’s the nymph that gets the job done
The Current Forecast
We have been cool and wet recently which is great for the rivers, but all signs point to an early stonefly season around Missoula. There have already been some trout caught on big dries and the next spell of warm weather will bring the hatch on full force. It looks like early June is going to be the time for Salmonflies in 2016. Don’t worry if you can’t make it that soon, the golden stoneflies should last into July.
