OUR REPORT
TIPS OF THE WEEK –
1. Fish early and late. Try a small terrestrial with a thin-bodied nymph as a dropper
2. The early morning or evening streamer bite can be good
3. Bring a thermometer. The water is warm. If it is above 65 deg fish earlier or later. Take care to handle and release fish properly. Call us if you don’t know how. We will give you the run down
7 DAY OUTLOOK –
The water is low for this time of year with limited precipitation in the forecast. Fishing early and late will be the ticket.
BEST TECHNIQUES – Prospecting with dry flies and nymphing.
Good luck and don’t forget to stop in our Philipsburg shop Flint Creek Outdoors and our NEW JACKALOPE JOE’S espresso bar! We’re open 7:30-5 seven days a week. Be sure to stop in to talk to Josh, grab a coffee, some Orvis gear, and flies from the the best fly selection in the region.
CONDITIONS
The entire creek is fishing well but the water is getting warm. Invest in a stream thermometer and check temps. It takes literally 10 seconds. If the water is above 65 deg please take care while releasing fish and even better, try fishing earlier or later as water temperatures are safer for the fish.
THE HATCH
Hoppers, ants, beetles, craneflies, spruce moths, caddis, yellow sallies, pmd’s, midges, tricos, hecubas
FLY PATTERNS
NYMPHS – Pat’s Rubber Legs in black, brown, #6-#10; Pheasant Tail Nymph, #12-18; Pink San Juan Worm #8-10; Hot Bead San Juan Worm Red; Montana Prince tan #12-16, double bead stone black #4, yellow sally nymph #14-16, yellow frenchie #14-16; lightning bug #14-18 DRIES – Purple haze #14-20, yellow sally #14-16, pmd #14-16, hopper #12, ant #16, spruce moth #14 STREAMERS – Sparkle Minnow #6 in Olive; Zonkers #6, 8 in Natural, Olive, or Yellow; Kreelex Minnow #6 in Copper/Gold, Gold/Silver, or Purple/Silver.
SPECIFICS
Water temperature at mid-day
68 deg.
Water Condition
Low and clear
Best time of day to fish
Early morning and late afternoon into the evening. The water temps are warming up in early evening. Take a thermometer and be sure to be careful fighting and handling in water temps exceeding 65 deg.
Best stretch
The entire creek is fishing well.
Best access point
Upper: Gilles Bridge Lower: Valley of the Moon
Fish species
Cutthroat, rainbow, cutt-bow, brown, bull, some brook trout, and whitefish.
Fishing season
Open year round, but catch and release for trout during winter.
Nearest airport
Missoula International Airport
Recommended fly fishing leader
9′ 3x
Recommended fly fishing tippet
3x and 4x top to bottom bug respectively unless you are swinging streamers then bump up to 2x
Best fly fishing rod
Crisp 9′ 5wt for nymphing but super fun spot to swing streamers with switch rods.
