The Clark Fork River is all but fishable right now due to high and muddy water. An angler might be able to pick some fish up in the soft water along the banks, side channels, or just below Warm Springs.
Here are a few tips for fly fishing the Clark Fork River:
1. Identify fishable water all the way up against the banks.
2. Try swinging a march brown emerger soft hackle behind a streamer in the long, walking speed runs.
3. Try a black and purple chubby with a medium length dropper of a hot bead worm or perdigon.
Here are a few fly suggestions:
1. Micro-chubby size 14, in black and purple
2. Purple Haze size 12-20
3. March Brown Soft Hackle Emerger size 12-14
4. Kreelex Minnow size 6, in copper/gold
5. TJ Hooker size 12-14, in coffee/black
6. Pheasant Tail Nymph size 16-20
7. Hot Bead San Juan Worm size 10, red with a hot orange bead
Flows and looking ahead:
Flow: 12,000 cfs at the time of publishing this report.
Here is a link to the Clark Fork River above Missoula, Montana, USGS Water Information.
The Clark Fork River is not the best option in the area. We recommend trying the side channels of Rock Creek, Flint Creek, or the Big Hole River.
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Tight lines!