Spring Trout Fishing on the Bitterroot
Monday was the last day with the Allison group. I was back out with Eric and today we were joined by Art. The weather was brutal in the morning with snow, cold temps, and wind. The forecast for the rest of the day didn’t look much better so we took our sweet time driving down the Bitterroot, stopped for a hot coffee, and enjoyed the warmth of the truck at the boat ramp for 45 minutes.
When we decided to gear up it wasn’t terrible outside so we launched on the middle river and started off with dry/dropper rigs. Art hooked up immediately, as in he wasn’t even fishing yet. He just had his line dangling over the side of the boat getting ready when his line came tight and shot upstream.
That one got away, but it was an encouraging sign. A couple runs downstream Eric landed a bright 14″ rainbow on the dropper. A little further downriver and Erik came tight again on a solid fish. This trout was digging toward a log jam but Eric did a great job and a short while later had an awesome 20″ brown in the net.
That certainly wasn’t what I was expecting on a 33 degree morning. Not long after that the first squall of the day moved through with cold winds and snow. We had a few of those move through on us today and each time it made for tough fishing.
Once the weather broke for the better the fishing picked back up. Art hooked 2 in one run, including a trout on the dry and the next spot produced a nice brown for Art and a healthy rainbow for Eric. After a break for lunch Eric stuck a quick rainbow on the dropper and then tagged the first dry fly fish of the day.
For the rest of the day I had Eric on a single Skwala dry and Art stayed with the dry/dropper. The dropper was more productive with hook-ups including a 19″ rainbow for Art, but Eric also managed to fool a few fish on the dry as well.
It was a tough weather day with cold temps, wind and snow but the guys stuck with it and managed to land some really nice trout today. It’s always a lot of fun to fish with this group and I look forward to seeing them next spring! Spring trout fishing on the Bitterroot River can be a challenge sometimes.
Spring Trout Fishing on the Bitterroot
Tuesday was my first float of the year with local anglers, Mike and Nancy. The weather was borderline and it was a 50/50 decision to go, but Mike was game so we decided to give it a shot. Because of the cold temps we decided to meet late for an afternoon half day float.
Even at 1:00 the temp was still in the chilly 30’s. We set off with single dry flies and hoped for the best. At the first corner Nancy picked off a nice cutthroat tight to the bank. She added another when we saw a riser in the tail out of a run.
Slower water was certainly key today with the cold temps. We had to clear ice out of the guides more than once and never did see any bugs on the water, but fortunately there were still fish looking up in the right spots.
We had to work the fly really tight to structure and even a couple of fish that ate way underneath bushes which made for some exciting action. Mike played around with some different flies in the back seat and had a run of tough luck in the first half with some misses and other fish that spit the fly during the fight.
Nancy fished incredibly well and connected with nice cutts and cuttbows in many of the likely spots. Once Mike hooked up and landed his first fish, he went on a bit of a roll from there. He boated a colorful 18″ cutt in slow water and then came tight on another fish that he fought down and over a diversion dam that was quite the rodeo.
Through it all the weather never really warmed up much and at times we had a downright frigid wind blowing. Despite that the trout continued to eat dries. Mike added one more healthy cutthroat to the tally and in the next run Nancy stuck a heavy fish.
After a good fight she boated a great 19″ cuttbow which was a perfect end to the day. Challenging weather today, but solid fishing considering the conditions and the first of many days with Mike and Nancy this season. Spring trout fishing on the Bitterroot River can be a challenge sometimes.
Spring Trout Fishing on the Bitterroot
Wednesday was the first day of a long-standing tradition to fish the Skwala hatch with the Howard clan. I was sorry that the patriarch, Bill, couldn’t make the trip up this spring so brothers, Jeff and Jim filled the boat. I was excited to see them as we set off for a stretch of the Bitterroot around Hamilton.
It was cold and sunny at the put-in, but Jeff hooked a rainbow on the dropper in the first run to get us started. We had a considerable lull in the action after that. I changed flies a few times, but no clear strikes until Jim got us back on track with a couple of cuttbows in the same run.
Still, it remained spotty fishing with only a couple more fish on the dropper before we stopped for lunch. While we ate I watched 3 or 4 real Skwalas drift by and so we started the afternoon with single dry flies. Jim hooked one a couple runs in that threw the fly, had another solid eat, and then came tight on a nice brown trout off a log jam.
I expected the fishing to gain momentum as the day warmed up but it never really got going. Jim moved the occasional fish on a dry from the front of the boat, but Jeff couldn’t get anything going in back.
I changed flies several times but the only chances he had were when I pulled into back eddies or upside channels and that only happened a few times. Eventually, I switched him back to a dry/dropper rig and he did stick a thick 18″ cuttbow off a nice bank.
He picked up another decent cutthroat in a back eddy while Jim teased a nice cuttbow out from under a log on the dry and finished off the day with one last cutthroat just above the takeout. The combo of a cold morning and bright sunshine made for tougher fishing today. It was beautiful to be on the river, but the guys had to work for every opportunity today. Spring trout fishing on the Bitterroot River can be a challenge sometimes.
Spring Trout Fishing on the Bitterroot
Thursday I fished with local angler, Mike and Nancy. We were joined by their son, Nick, from out of town and fellow guide Tucker. We met later in the morning and started off fishing single dry flies. A couple runs into the day Mike picked up a nice cutthroat from a bucket on an inside bend.
He moved a couple others and had a big fish break off in a log jam. Downriver, Nancy picked off a fish in a side channel that we saw rise and then Mike added another in a back eddy. It was a decent morning of dry fly fishing as Mike rolled into lunch with another cutthroat on the end of the line.
What a difference a couple days makes. 2 days ago when I floated with Mike and Nancy we were chilled to the bone and had ice in our guides all day. Today was bright, sunny and pleasantly warm. While we had lunch there were lots of Neumora stones flying around and we switched up to some smaller dries.
Right away Nancy tagged a cutthroat in the first run and then had another nice fish eat the dry super tight to a log. Mike raised fish in each of the next two spots on his bug. It was a good start to the afternoon, but the fishing came in spurts for us the rest of the day.
Despite the warmth and the bugs I think the bright sun was having an effect. Some normally great water wouldn’t produce anything and then we would get a couple of random eats. Mike and Nancy doubled up on a good current edge and then Nancy had a great eat from an 18″ brown trout in the shade.
We did our best to keep Nick and Tucker out front since it was Nick’s first day fishing this year, but those younger guys were working the water so hard we just couldn’t go slow enough. Eventually we took the lead and the action stayed pretty similar the rest of the day.
We picked up fish in some spots and others were vacant. It was fun just finally being warm on the water for once and Mike and Nancy boated some nice fish today. Nick and Tucker were about an hour behind us and he had an awesome first day to start his trip. Warmer day – more spring trout fishing on the Bitterroot River.
Spring Trout Fishing on the Bitterroot
Friday I was back on the river with the Howard brothers, Jeff and Jim. With the combo of nice weather and the weekend I knew it would be very busy on the water. We met extra early and planned on a long float to avoid the traffic.
We started off with dry/dropper rigs, fishing fast and highlighting the best spots. The action was spotty as I changed flies several times and the guys picked up a fish here and there. The best was a fat 17″ cuttbow that Jeff landed, but we made the switch to single dries early.
I figured we could do just as well with a Skwala dry and it’s more fun to fish anyway. The first spot was a long run that is great dry fly water and after working through most of it without a look I was starting to doubt the change when the guys doubled up.
Jeff landed a third fish before I even picked up the anchor. We were off to the races from there with trout looking up in all the main runs and some great eats in little buckets and pockets. Jim tagged a bright, hard-fighting 16″ bow in a back eddy and then had a really big trout eat super tight to a log and then break us off in the rocks.
The early dry fly action was great and we stopped for lunch hoping that it would get even better in the afternoon. There were as many bugs around as I’ve seen all season and the trout definitely responded.
It was the kind of day where nearly every single spot produced something and I lost track of the number of doubles Jeff and Jim had. Lots of 12-15″ cutts and cuttbows on the hunt and enough bigger fish looking up to keep us on our toes.
Jim nailed a thick 18″ rainbow under an overhanging tree and Jeff had a big 19.5″ brown explode on his dry. The guys have been fishing the Skwala hatch for 15 years and today was the best dry fly action they have seen.
We covered a ton of river miles and the plan worked as we saw only one other boat the entire day. By the end, the guys were tired, the flies were shredded, and an absolute pile of trout had been in the net. Days like this are what make the spring Skwala hatch so special and I was lucky to be on the water with Jeff and Jim today. A fantastic day of spring trout fishing on the Bitterroot River in Montana.
Spring Trout Fishing on the Bitterroot
The weather in Missoula has been a little too nice lately and we are seeing the first bump in streamflows of the season. Flows have been on the rise for the past two days, but it is supposed to be cold tomorrow and that should reverse the trend. Check our stream flow levels page here.
Conditions will be a little challenging for a day or two, but dropping flows should get the trout fired up again. This is the kind of scenario that can produce some of the biggest brown trout of the season and I am excited to get back on the water to see how the week plays out! Schedule your Trout Fishing Trip Now – Click Here
