Top 5 Flies for Early September

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Date: 01/01/2025

Labor Day weekend has arrived, and it is bringing September with it. After a pretty mild summer it feels as though fall is just about to set in. We’ve been seeing cool temps at night, some rain storms, and even snow in the peaks. Elk have been bugling and this means fishing is about to escalate quickly. Fall is our favorite season to fish and with it we have a few favorite flies. Here are our top 5 flies for early September in the Bozeman area.

1. Parachute Adams #18 - Fish are still after attractors but BWO's have been spotted and will begin to hatch in big numbers. The classic Adams in small sizes works great for these purposes.

2. Natural Sculpzilla #8 - Trout will be after bigger meals and can now move around a lot more to get their food without becoming fatigued. No better way to hook these fish than using a sculpin.

3. Pearl Lightning Bug #18 - Again, the baetis activity will increase as these bugs are hatching

4. Morrish Hopper Pink or Tan #12 - Hopper season continues well into September and the Morrish is a fly that just gets it done!

5. Orange Zirdle #12 - Crawfish start to get hammered on by the slightly more aggressive trout as do stoneflies, we have a geeling this pattern gets eaten as both.