The following report is by Grizzly Hackle in Missoula:
Grizzly Hackle’s Clark Fork River fishing report comes to you straight from their boats on the river. They are on the Clark Fork River fly fishing daily during the season and know what’s happening. For the most successful tips, techniques, and fly selections, check back often for their up-to-date Clark Fork River fishing report.
QUALITY RATING: 3 / 5
Full details below
CURRENT REPORT
Consistent fishing on the Clark Fork should continue, as long as conditions are mild into next month. Flows are low and very managable throughout the entire river. Most float anglers are concentrated on the lower river, as the upper river is low and technical at these flows. Still, good fishing can be found throughout.
BWOs are the name of the game now, yet they’re not hatching consistently and make for hit-or-miss dry fly fishing. Cloudy days will make for more consistent dry fly action, but trout will be looking for those bugs subsurface, too.
Fish looking for mayfly adults are falling for Para. Adams, Hi-Vis BWOs, Thorax BWOs and cripples like the DL Cripple, Film Critic or Last Chance.
Fall mayflies not the only thing on the menu. Subsurface, fish a TJ Hooker, Pats RL, Jiggler, Jig PT, Duracell and SJ Worm. Fish will be congregated in the slower buckets first thing and move into quicker riffles in the current conditions looking for emerging mayflies. As it starts to heat up midday, reach for small, flashy BWO nymphs like the Jigged BWO, PLT or olive perdigons.
Some anglers fishing streamers from ramp to ramp on the Clark Fork doing well. Sparkle Minnows, Kreelex, Mason’s Juniors all getting chased in quick water. Big, articulated streamers starting to move fish, too. Our favorites are Mini Dungeons, Foxy Cleopatras and Rusty Trombones.
Looking Forward
It feels like fall in Missoula! Get out and enjoy the fall fishing before winter creeps in.
