If you are fortunate enough to be in the Bozeman area this fall, get prepared for some of the best Montana fishing of the year by making sure your streamer fly fishing setups are ready for a variety of conditions, including shallow water riffles, deep pools, and mixed current runs.
Streamer fly fishing season is just around the corner as the days are now getting shorter and the nights cooler. Soon enough, Brown Trout will become more active with aggressive “attitudes” towards other fish in advance of their fall spawning season. Fall in Montana is one of the best times to be here as the weather and landscapes change weekly as the plants and animals begin to prepare for the long winter ahead. If you are fortunate enough to be in the Bozeman area this Fall, get prepared for some of the most enjoyable fishing of the year by making sure your streamer setups are ready for a variety of conditions, including shallow water riffles, deep pools, and mixed current runs.
The most common streamer setup involves a fast-action fly rod and a reliable reel paired with a weight-forward floating line, with a sinking tip. The fly line is the most important part of the equation as its configuration - along with the style of the streamer – dictates how effectively the angler can cover certain types of water. Some fly line types are better for the wading angler while others are designed to be fished while floating a river. The rivers around Bozeman are variable in their character, so having a handful of streamer lines in the kit will help the angler find success during streamer season on the rivers around Bozeman.
Brown Trout move into “skinny” water during pre-spawn activities for pairing and feeding purposes. They are typically “spread out” during this phase of the spawning process, which can take place up to a month before the actual spawning cycle begins. They are particularly aggressive during this time and actively feed on insects, small fish, crayfish, and other trout as well. A full floating fly line or a fly line with a slow sinking tip enables the angler to effectively cover this type of water using variable stripping methods. A heavier (and more conventional) streamer line is more difficult to fish in shallow water as the flies and line tend to “hang up” with moderate or slow retrieves.
We prefer to fish lightweight flies in these shallow water scenarios, oftentimes, fishing two, single hooked streamers spaced about 2 feet apart. Its always a good idea to mix up color and profiles between the two flies when first starting the day as somedays the fish prefer “showy,” light colored flies and other days they prefer muted colors on small, leach-style flies.
The fly line is the most critical piece in the setup (assuming the angler has selected appropriate flies, of course) and we prefer fly lines with long heads and variable, slow-sinking rates. The RIO Elite Predator line in the F/H/I (floating running line with a 10’ Hover and 10’ Intermediate sink tip) is ideal for covering shallow water with streamers.
As the water temperatures plummet in late fall, fish move out of the shallow runs to the cover of deeper water where they expend less energy. Trout metabolism slows with the cooling water, so the angler should slowly and methodically cover the deeper runs and pools later in the season. A fast-sinking line gives the angler added versatility to cover deeper runs by adjusting the length of the cast and speed of the retrieve. Whether fishing from a boat or wading a large river like the Yellowstone, having a fly line with mixed densities - designed to sink quickly - is particularly effective when fish are holding in the deepest sections of a river.
Fishing deep water with a weighted streamer on a long, fast sinking head is ideal for late fall and winter conditions on the waters around Bozeman. Having a broad range of flies with articulation and some flash is key to maximizing one’s opportunities while fishing the slow and deep waters this time of the year.
When choosing a fly line with a fast-sink rate, there are a few things to keep in mind that will help the angler get the best line for their application. The most important parts of these lines – in our opinion – are the running line portion and the length of the sinking head. When fishing from a boat we prefer a floating running line rather than an intermediate sink rate running line. The intermediate running lines have more memory and are constantly getting tangled on just about anything in the boat as they “prefer” to be coiled rather than straight. Also, the intermediate running line creates a full sinking line which is more difficult to pick-up for quick recasts when fishing along bank structure. A long head on a floating running line allows the angler to quickly cover deep, fast water with short casts and long, slow glides with long casts and slow retrieves.
There are lots of fly line choices out there for this style of streamer fishing, the RIO Elite Predator in the F/S5/S7 is our favorite. When wading and swinging flies through deep tail outs, we prefer the Airflo Streamer Max (intermediate running line) as it gets down quickly with its super long, single density sinking head and the “tangle” issues are less bothersome when out of the boat.
This category of “water type” represents most streamer fly fishing scenarios that an angler encounters on the rivers around Bozeman. Oftentimes, these are the stretches of water between riffles and tailouts, but also include heavy currents around boulders, rip-rap lined banks, and outside river bends, to name a few. This type of water is most effectively fished from a boat with flies and fly lines that cover a variety of water quickly while looking for opportunistic and aggressive trout.
Mid-speed current seams in water that is 2-6 feet deep along the Yellowstone, Madison, Gallatin, and Jefferson are prime locations to find both Rainbow and Brown Trout that are willing to eat streamers, most of the year. A nice selection of articulated streamers in a wide array of colors fished on a sinking line with a moderate sinking rate enables the angler to cover a variety of depths and current speeds.
The default fly-line for us, in these situations is the RIO Elite Predator in the F/I/S3 sink rate. The moderate sink rate gives the angler the ability to fish deeper with heavier flies or go shallow with a quicker retrieve. The floating, running line makes quick work of short recasts to structure and shoots nicely when long distance casts are needed. A traditional sink tip line (RIO Streamertip) with a 10’ integrated Class 6 head on a floating line works well for fishing this type of water as well, but the long head of the RIO Elite Predator series adds versatility for multiple applications.
The ideal streamer fly fishing days in September and October are those 50-degree windows with cloud-lined skies and a gentle breeze here in Southwest Montana. Those conditions are rare – but when the “stars align” it is certainly worth taking an early “powder day” if streamer fishing is high on the list. The key to success is to understand how water temperatures affect trout behavior and to have the proper gear (and skills) to effectively cover the water where the active fish are during those conditions.
There are hundreds of miles of accessible, wild-trout waters within an hour’s drive of Bozeman that are suitable for both the wading and floating angler in the fall. Rivers are near their annual lowest flows this time of year, so even the largest and most intimidating rivers are much more manageable for the less experienced angler this time of the year.
Our guided fly-fishing service is available year-round and a day or two with one of our guides is a great way to learn more about the waters in the region while improving your knowledge and skills as well. Streamer fly fishing is our favorite method of fishing the waters around Bozeman in the Fall and sharing that passion with other anglers is always a highlight for us as we wind down the season.
The lower Madison is consistently one of the favorite choices of our Bozeman fly-fishing guides, whether we are fishing with clients or on our own. We are fortunate to have...
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