Clark Fork Fishing Report

 

 

Date: November 1, 2011

Report:  I had a nice day on the water last week on the Lower Clark Fork.  I would have  done better if I streamer fished the morning hours, but the fishing is good.  The cool down coming this week might hinder the nice fall hatches still happening in the afternoon and if the wind is down, the trout are feeding.  I used a personal october caddis style pattern with about a 24-30 inch pheasant tail dropper and it worked well.  The first dropper I tried was just a regular p-tail, but then I tried a tungsten dropper and it worked better.  When the fish started looking up around 3-4 in the afternoon, we caught some nice rainbows on dries.  I have had some great late fall fishing in the past and as long as it warms up enough.  The streamer fishing in October can be awesome.  You have to concentrate on slower waters and not riffles and don’t be too aggressive on the retrieve.  The temperatures are dropping but the trout still need to feed to fatten up for the winter.  Good Luck and stay warm.

Report for September 30: The Clark Fork is fishing great.  The trico hatches have kicked in and there is some great technical head hunting in the morning hours, especially by about 11 AM.  The trico hatches are better in the stretches closer to Missoula than down by Superior.  After trying for the picky fish put on your best hopper/attractor and maybe an ant pattern and be ready for some good fall action.  Don’t be afraid to twitch it and look for good holding water off the bank when there is no obvious cut bank.  The cooler fall temperatures on deck will kick in some of the fall hatches.  All of the hatches have been late this year, so I am curious when the first really good baetis and mahoganey hatch will occur, probably in the first cold, cloudy day.  The upper Clark Fork still has some great fall fishing with our extended heat.  The hopper fishing is still good.  Good Luck

Date: September 16, 2011

Report: The Clark Fork is fishing pretty well right now.  the fall temperatures have arrived and there are some good hatches.  Closer to Missoula in the local waters there are finaly some trico hatches kicking in, sticking with the theme this year that everything is late.  The lower Clark Fork is fishing well with attractors and hoppers and I have even started hunting heads with mayfly patterns like cripples and parachutes.  If you are looking for nymph advice I am the wrong place.  I had a big season this spring with nymphs and now I am dry fly fishing.  The are still some recent nocturnal stonefly hatches, I just saw one the other day, so the big bug fishing is good.  Look for risers and seam lines and sometimes fish 10-20 feet of the bank.  I just started seeing what I call big yellows, a size 10 big yellow mayfly and then there are lots of other mayfly hatches like pseudos, pmds, rusty spinners, and more.  I have been fishing double dries. A big bug like a size 8 or even 10 attractor with a mayfly dropper about 24 inches on 4x.  Good luck and remember you can still hopper fish in the heat of the day at this time of year. 

 

 

DATE: August 16, 2o11

REPORT: The tide has shifted!  Once we have made it past the middle of August the fishing will only get better.  Make sure you don’t fish too close to shore.  The attractor fishing is getting good and the fall hatches are right around the corner.  The fishing can be tough from 3 in the afternoon until the magic hour in the evening.  Make sure to fish the heavy riffle water with confidence and let the drift go in the slow water.  There is a color I have had succes with, especially in more cutthroat ridden water down by Superior and St. Regis.  Try a red or peach colored foam fly.  Dont ask me what they think it is but it does get some attention and sometimes it can be the ticket.  I always like experimenting with different color schemes whether I am streamer fishing or attractor dry fly fishing.  There are some great hopper patterns in every shop and I am a believer that there is no magic pattern.  Presentation and where the fly is played is the key.  Keep an eye out for nights that get under 50 degrees because that will get the bite better and kick in the fall hatches.  Good luck and feel free to call for more advice.