Category Archives: Spring Fishing

When discussing fly fishing in Montana, May can be a double edged sword. On the positive side, the angler is presented with abundant hatches, ice free rivers, and hungry trout that are eager to feed and put on body mass. On the other hand, mountain snowpack is beginning to melt resulting in...

May in Big Sky Country is a magical month. The trees are full of buds, the grass is green, the mountains are still white, and the fish are feeding. May marks a season of change in Montana. Spring and summer both readily characterize the weather observed in May, with sunshine, snow, rain, wind and...

April is one of our favorite times to get out and fish our local waters. April provides excellent fishing, minimal crowds, and glimpses of good weather to come. Spring fishing is so wonderful that it pains me just a touch to share this information. The days of blistering cold have receded for the...

Early spring in Montana offers a welcome set of changing conditions on our local waters that are welcomed by anglers. While March and April can still feel wintery at times, fisheries are quickly moving out of wintertime mode. Montana's rivers and streams come alive with aquatic activity in March and...

Fly of the Month: April 2018 El Camino, Skwala Stonefly tied by Andrew Grillos April fly fishing in Southwest Montana brings a wide variety of options, a favorite option is trying to hit the skwala stonefly hatch on one of our Montana Rivers. Certain rivers have larger populations of these small...

The fishing season in Yellowstone National Park begins at daybreak on the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend each year. For me, this is a special occasion viewed with much anticipation. The park was the site of my first fly fishing trip as a young kid. I spent my college summers working and living...

The annual Mother’s Day Caddis hatch in early May is one of the most anticipated events here in Southwest Montana. While it may not be quite as famous as the Salmon Fly hatch, the fishing can be every bit as good, if not even better. The sheer number of bugs that take to the air during the peak of...

Spring is unquestionably the most underrated time of year to fish the Yellowstone River. As water temperatures rise, the trouts’ metabolism begins to increase, putting them on the hunt for food. Fishing pressure is low during spring, and most trout on the ‘Stone haven’t seen a fly in months. While...

Fishing regulation changes for 2016 have opened up some great new options for anglers on the Madison River. Previously, much of the river was closed between the end of February and the 3rd Saturday in May. Now, the entire river from Hebgen Lake to the Missouri River, nearly 100 miles of productive...

Early Spring (late March thru early May) is the most underrated time of year to fish in Montana. The trout are hungry after a long winter and have not seen a fly in months. Low water levels have fish concentrated in specific areas and crowds are sparse. While visiting anglers have discovered our...