Top Five Flies for Dirty Water

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Date: 01/01/2025

It’s that time of year again, as we are enjoying some warm weather around Bozeman that means melting snow in the mountains, and high dirty water on a lot of our local rivers. There are still some good tail-water options around and lots of lakes to fish, but if you’re just trying to sneak out for a few hours close to town you’re going to have to deal with some dirty water. But don’t fret, you can still catch fish in these conditions! Focus your fishing in the slower moving water up against the banks and you might be surprised what you find. Here are five of our favorite flies during runoff.

San Juan Worm – try these guys in bright oranges or pinks and with firebeads

Rubberleg Stoneflies – I like fishing these guys in black for dirty water

Prince Nymphs – Size them up a bit and fish them under the worm or stonefly

Wooly Buggers – fish these guys tight to the bank in black or yellow

Sex Dungeon – Any large streamers that push lots of water are good for lower visibility