Category Archives: Spring Fishing

April in the Bozeman area means a mix of spring, winter, and a hint of summer. Hatches of Blue-Winged Olives can happen any day on any river near Bozeman. Rivers are out of winter mode, and more Montana fly fishing guides are on the water every day than not. Within an hour's drive of Bozeman flow...

The annual occurrence of the Western March Brown mayfly is a hatch that is widely anticipated in Montana every spring. This hatch is reliable and steady, starting in April and lasting until spring runoff muddies the rivers. Cloudy days during March, April, and May can trigger the most prolific...

If you spend enough time around veteran fly fishing guides in Montana, the weather and its impact are going to come up in conversation. From stories about bluebird days and twitching grasshopper patterns to fishing through the rain on a great day of streamer fishing, the weather dictates fly fishing...

Planning a fly fishing trip in Montana should be as much a part of the fun as going fishing in Montana. With a variety of rivers like the Madison, Yellowstone, Gallatin, and more, choosing when and where to fish some of Montana's best fly fishing rivers, creeks, and lakes might seem a little...

Mid-May and early June in southwest Montana is the heart of our snowmelt runoff season. Despite what some people think, many long-time Montana fly fishing guides this is a favorite time of the year to fish--our tailwaters and spring creeks are in prime shape with hatches of Mother's Day caddis and...

Spring fly fishing is some of the most anticipated of the year. Getting out of the winter hibernation mode is often an excuse enough to go fishing. For many anglers catching a fish is a bonus–the real success is just getting out on the water after another long winter. But, wouldn’t it be nice to...

“Streamers” is the common term used to describe flies tied to imitate baitfish or other larger prey, such as crayfish. Because spring is when most of our Montana trout rivers come into play and trout swimming in these rivers have gone most of the winter without seeing a lot flies, anglers in-the...

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...

You’ve heard it before and time and time again: the Madison River is world-famous, the Missouri River has Montana’s biggest trout, and Bozeman is the epicenter of fly fishing in Montana. Well…you aren’t going to find much argument from us on those points. There are plenty of rivers, creeks, and...

Spring and summer-time fishing in Montana is often defined by when snowmelt runoff begins and ends. From year to year, the exact timeframe of our runoff period varies, but it typically begins in mid-May and runs into mid-June. Montana’s freestone rivers like the Gallatin and Yellowstone often run...