As the days get longer and the sun shines a little brighter, the fly fishing in Montana slowly gravitates from winter mode to spring time consistency. Cut to the scene: It is mid-March on a trout river in southwest Montana. The riverside vegetation is greening but the mountains in the distance are covered with snow. The rare drift boat floats down with eager anglers casting streamers or head-hunting for trout rising to midges, March Browns, Blue Winged Olives, or perhaps Mother's Day caddis. Spring has sprung in Montana. When fly fishing in Montana in spring, fly selection is essential to angling success – without the correct fly you’re not imitating the available food source. In no particular order, here are five favorite dry flies for spring fly fishing in Montana.
Elk Hair Caddis. This fly is on the list purely because to be a dry fly angler you have to be an eternal optimist. In Montana, one of the most anticipated hatches of the spring season is the Mother’s Day caddis hatch. When water temperatures on the Madison, Gallatin, Missouri, and Yellowstone Rivers creep above 50 degrees, caddis can hatch in abundance. Because this is the first major caddis hatch of the spring or summer seasons, trout often feed with abandon. Plus, the hatches are often thick. If you plan to fish in Montana in late April or early May, it is essential to have some Elk Hair caddis in your fly box.
Parachute Purple Haze. Now is when Blue Winged Olives could hatch on any given day. A regular colored Parachute Adams can work, but the purple body of the Purple Haze can help your fly stand out, as well as work as an effective prospecting pattern. Gary LaFontaine--a famous angler and fly tier--was a believer in the way light refracts off a fly, and the addition of purple to this classic dry fly often seems to work well. Many of our Montana Angler guides carry this pattern in all sizes, from 8 to 22, because it works in so many situations. The Purple Haze will put a spell on you.
CDC Cluster Midge. This is a very simple pattern that can imitate a complex hatch in spring–midges. During March on our local waters, thick midge hatches can occur, but oftentimes midge hatches aren’t as easy to fish as people think. Adult midges often fly sporadically, so it isn’t until they conglomerate that trout often feed on them. The Cluster Midge is extremely effective on the Madison, Gallatin, Missouri, and Yellowstone Rivers, but it should work anywhere midge clusters get thick and gooey. When fishing the CDC Cluster Midge it is a good idea to put fly floatant on your leader so the fly floats higher on the surface. Plus choosing your leader and leader length when fishing midges is crucial.
BWO Loop Wing Emerger. Spring season’s most anticipated hatch is the Blue Winged Olive. The nymphs for this mayfly swim in our local trout rivers year-round, but in the spring when water temperatures are in the 46 to 56 degree F range these mayflies can hatch in abundance. When this occurs, having a fly that can imitate an emerging mayfly or an adult is crucial. The Loop Wing Emerger has a wing of CDC that catches microscopic air bubbles. This fly can be fished as a dry fly or as an emerger, depending on the type and amount of floatant you use.
Parachute PMX. A few early season stoneflies hatch in Montana. The most notable is the skwala stonefly. However, unlike thick hatches of salmonflies and golden stoneflies, skwala hatches are sporadic and subtle. In most cases it is rare to see abundant skwalas fluttering in the air or on the water during a hatch. Despite not seeing skwalas in the air or on the water, trout in spring in Montana can feed on these early season stoneflies. A Parachute PMX imitates these bugs well and can also be fished as the dry fly as part of a dry-dropper rig when a Blue Winged Olive mayfly, Mother’s Day caddis hatch, or skwala stonefly hatch is expected.
When spring hits Montana, eager anglers are always looking for the best places to fish. Home to dozens of world-class trout waters including rivers, lakes, spring creeks, and small streams, the fly fishing in Montana in spring can be as consistent and productive as the busy summer months. The cooler and more inclement weather keeps the summer tourist crowds away, so dedicated anglers looking to focus solely on fishing should look into these spring season fishing options in Montana when deciding when is the best time to fish in Montana.