Fishing Reports

Rock Creek flows are trending down at this time. We have been out on the creek and picking up a few fish but it has not been lights out, this last push of water being the main culprit. Fish are displaced and difficult to pick up in the main channel. While the creek is floatable, it is dangerous. If you're planning a float, be safe. Wear a life jacket. If in doubt, scout it out. 

That said, the fish are still eating. We recommend wading side channels for the best fishing. See below for our tips for fly fishing Rock Creek near Philipsburg.

Here are a few tips for fly fishing Rock Creek:

1. Try the side channels, slow inside deeper bends, runs with a couple feet of walking speed water and structure, riffles, and undercut 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 zebra midge. The fish have been looking up!

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

8. Zebra midge

Flows and looking ahead:

Flow: 2430 cfs at the time of publishing this report

Here is a link to the Rock Creek USGS Water Information.

Stop by the shop for the latest report and for everything you need for your trip. We're open 7a-4p daily!

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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.

Stop by the shop for the latest report and for everything you need for your trip. We're open 7a-4p daily!

Tight lines!

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Rock Creek is high for this time of year. Very high. At 600 cfs Rock Creek is pretty difficult to wade. At the time of this report, Rock Creek is approaching 3000 cfs. While the creek is floatable, it is dangerous. If you're planning a float, be safe. Wear a life jacket. If in doubt, scout it out. 

That said, the fish are still eating. We recommend wading side channels for the best fishing. See below for our tips for fly fishing Rock Creek near Philipsburg.

Here are a few tips for fly fishing Rock Creek:

1. Think slow inside deeper bends, runs with a couple feet of walking speed water and structure, riffles, and undercut 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 zebra midge. The fish have been looking up!

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: 2930 cfs at the time of publishing this report

Here is a link to the Rock Creek USGS Water Information.

Rock Creek side channels are full of water and are probably the best places to access fish. Other options are wading up one side of the creek and finding the soft water with a couple feet of depth and some structure, and cast tight to the bank.

Stop by the shop for the latest report and for everything you need for your trip. We're open 7a-4p daily!

Tight lines!

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Flint Creek has been running high and a little muddy. The good thing is that there is fishable water. In our experience, if there is 4"-12" of visibility on the banks, Flint Creek should be very fishable. While other streams in southwest Montana are running very high for this time of year, Flint Creek can provide some runoff bliss. See below for our tips on fishing Flint Creek near Philipsburg.

Here are a few tips for fly fishing Flint Creek:

1. Cast streamers at the undercut banks and let them swing out into the current
2. Try swinging a march brown or BWO emerger soft hackle behind a streamer
3. Try a black and purple chubby with a short dropper of a hot bead worm or zebra midge along the undercut banks

Here are a few fly suggestions:

1. Kreelex Minnow size 6, in copper/gold

2. Micro-chubby size 14, in black and purple

3. March Brown Soft Hackle Emerger size 12-14

4. Pheasant Tail Nymph size 16-20

5. Zebra Midge size 18, in red

Flows and looking ahead:

Flow: 268 cfs at the time of publishing this report

Here is a link to the Flint Creek USGS Water Information.

Flint Creek will fluctuate greatly over the next week. Look for flows that are on the way down to have the best fishing experience.

Stop by the shop in Philipsburg for the latest report and for everything you need for your trip. We're open 7a-4p daily!

Tight lines!

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We've enjoyed a few really good days on the Clark Fork this Spring. However, as the snow in the high country begins to melt the Clark Fork will likely start to muddy up and blow out.

Here are a few tips for fly fishing the Clark Fork River:

1. Cast streamers at the undercut banks and slow inside bends and runs and let them swing out into the current
2. Try swinging a march brown emerger soft hackle behind a streamer
3. Try a black and purple chubby with a medium length dropper of a hot bead worm

Here are a few fly suggestions:

1. Kreelex Minnow size 6, in copper/gold

2. Micro-chubby size 14, in black and purple

3. March Brown Soft Hackle Emerger size 12-14

4. Pheasant Tail Nymph size 16-20

5. Zebra Midge size 18, in red

6. Hare's Ear Nymph size 14

Flows and looking ahead:

Flow: 3640 cfs at the time of publishing this report

Here is a link to the Clark Fork RIver USGS Water Information.

The Clark Fork will certainly bump a lot over the next week and may not be the best river to fish. Look for days where the river has 4"-12" of visibility on the banks and is on the way down.

Stop by the shop in Philipsburg for the latest report and for everything you need for your trip. We're open 7a-4p daily!

Tight lines!

Read more