The guys writing over at False Casts and Flat Tires (Missoula) stumbled across a nothing-short-of-astounding change to the Bitterroot in the vicinity of the infamous Mitchell Slough… The Bitterroot is one our favorite rivers. Its close proximity to Missoula, a strong trout population and the fact that their are still a few hidden gems where [...]
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From today’s Missoulian….. The Clark Fork and Bitterroot rivers near Missoula would be closed to high-speed watercraft under a proposal by the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks. Increasing conflicts between homeowners and non-motorized boaters on one side and speedboaters on the other prompted the plan, according to FWP fisheries manager Pat Saffel. The [...]
There’s still some fishing to be done on the Bitterroot this week, and the weather forecast doesn’t look bad at all….. A couple of friends from Seattle have been trying to put a trip together to make a run over here, and they’ve been stymied at every turn. I told them that if they really [...]
Pic via DiscountFlies.com
All things considered, this should be a decent week on the river. The forecast this morning is calling for a little more sun than I’d like to see, but low 50’s the first week of November makes for a nice afternoon on the water whether your getting much done fishing or not. Sometimes we just [...]
The Bitterroot continues to give it up for the dry fly aficionado; the weather has been ideal save for some wind on the day before these storms roll through. I wasn’t on the water yesterday but heard it got tough (wind) in the afternoon. The game is still BWO and mahoganies. Bring a nice assortment [...]
The word is ‘yes’. The Bitterroot is still fishing well. We’ve had a good week (more or less) since the seasonable weather returned to the Bitterroot valley, though today and Saturday are both forecast to be windy with Saturday forecast (as least as of this morning) to be very windy. The blue wings and mahoganies [...]
I’ve got to agree this morning with my friends at the Kingfisher shop in Missoula – when you look at water temps, the Bitterroot has had the advantage over other waters in the area for most of the week. The warming weather and rain due over the next several days should produce some fine fishing [...]
There are a few things that Montana is never short on – great fly fishing, big sky, changing weather, and wind. The transitional weather we’re having has made it seem pretty damned windy lately; I was on the river yesterday and it was windy as hell. I can only think of one truly useful thing [...]
We didn’t get the weather that the southwestern and south central part of the state did (I hear there’s snow on the ground this morning in parts of Bozeman for instance), though at my place outside of Hamilton temps struggled to reach 50 yesterday and its 33 right now. From the looks of things there’s [...]
Days are still pretty warm but cool nights are helping move us closer to the heyday for fall hatches we’re all waiting for. It’s going to be closer to 80 all week for highs, but lows in the high thirties and low forties feel damn good and are at least a little closer to what [...]
Before sharing some good news about the Bitterroot, I’d like to add my ‘well done, boys’ to the growing list of people who are saying good things about Fish Can’t Read. What’s been particularly impressive to me is that some of the old school, crusty, I’ve seen it all fly fishing guides and shop folks [...]
Those pining for fall weather have at least another week (and no doubt longer) before true fall weather sets in; yesterday afternoon was warm and sunny and the rest of the week and upcoming weekend looks that way too. Warm sunny weather will keep fishing looking up for Tricos and terrestrials and their attractor kin. [...]
It’s damned hard not to be biased about the Bitterroot. I’ve lived in her valley for basically all of my life, fished the river in good years and bad, through drought and deluge, fought the battles over access and keeping the river, and watch development wash over in waves. All that said the Bitterroot continues [...]
Better eat a big breakfast before heading out on the Bitterroot. Despite the heat the past few days the upper river is beginning to fish all day. I haven’t fished it this week below Florence, but the word is down that low things have been slower during the middle part of the day. It’s not [...]
Musings from Jess at Fire Girl Photography