The first week of April dumped feet upon feet of heavy, spring snow across the mountains of Southwest Montana. Great for our rivers and the summer outlook for fly fishing in Montana, but not so much fun for those of us that have been looking forward to spending more days on the water. Oh well, the storms have moved on and the forecast looks great for a mixed bag of spring fishing on the rivers near Bozeman.

Blue-winged olive and March brown mayfly hatches will “get going” with the mild weather and overcast conditions forecasted through the middle of April.

This means "match the hatch" dry fly fishing across the region is just around the corner and I am looking forward to putting some new gear into use after the long winter.

The Best NEW Dry Fly Tippet

Umpqua Stratos X Nylon Tippet: New from Umpqua for the DFO angler is this camo-dyed tippet designed specifically for the techie dry fly angler. Made from a super-supple copolymer that is less dense than traditional nylon tippet, the Stratos X floats high and relaxed in the surface film for enhanced presentations over picky trout. The material is strong, knots well, and has been proven to be surprisingly abrasion resistant.

Application: Think lower Madison River brown trout that move into skinny water during spring Baetis hatches or fishing to pods of Missouri River rainbow trout in the shadows on a bright, sunny day. Maybe think about fishing that Mount Cook spring creek too...

When Presentation Matters

Sage Classic R8: All this talk about this spring dry fly fishing has me looking forward to putting in some days with the recently released Sage Classic R8 fly rods.

The replacement to the Trout LL family leans into R8 graphite technology, delivering super lightweight blanks with moderate actions. These are fly rods designed for those moments in angling when accurate presentations are called upon most. Lively blanks bend deep and recover quickly to make smooth work of delivering little dries on long leaders.

Application: Slow rising, confident, and astute are a just few of the terms used to describe the trout that anglers in need of the Classic R8 drop with regularity From the flats of Island Park to the tailouts below Ft. Smith, the trout that feed on the surface in these places won’t tolerate your cast, best described as “sloppy.” So, work on that timing, slow down that stroke and for God's sake...let the rod do the work!

Get "Lined Up" For Montana Fly Fishing This Spring

Rio Gold XP and XP Max Fly Lines: Overcast Spring days may bring on the mayfly hatches, but thankfully we often find ourselves more concerned about sunscreen than rain gear as we emerge from the winter solace. Nymph fishing is the day-to-day stalwart tactic of anglers fly fishing in Montana during the springtime. Both insects and trout become more active as water temperatures warm, and the subsurface activity starts to light up in April. This is the best time of year to fly fish the Madison and Missouri rivers for big numbers of hard charging, wild trout.

Oh wait, you don’t want to “watch” a bobber all day? Sorry, I forgot. Ever heard of skwalas? NO, I’m not talking the Bitterroot – they can be encountered on a variety of rivers in Southwest Montana during April. Although you won’t necessarily see a lot of adults around like you would during a salmonfly or golden stone hatch, these big stoneflies get the attention of trout (and savvy anglers) this time of the year. If you don’t know, do some asking around at your favorite fly shop as I’m sure not going to say anything about where I’m fishing them this week.

The point is, winter is gone and spring fishing is here. Whether you are particular about your style of fly fishing or not, the next 4 weeks of Montana fly fishing can be characterized as varied and productive. This is one of my favorite times of the year to be out there – whether fishing dries, staring at indicators, or dredging the depths with a streamer – the spring warmth is welcomed in these parts.

Before you get too excited and call in the shuttle to the wrong takeout for the first time of the year, plus forget that your boat plugs are sitting on the workbench 45 miles back home – make sure your gear is still up to the task. If you fish a lot, chances are that your fly line was shot by early August last year, but you limped through the end of the season knowing that the end was near.

Go get setup with the new Gold XP or Gold Max fly lines from Rio. Available with either their low stretch core in the Elite family or in the tried and true Premier family more familiar to most anglers. These versatile fly line taper additions to the gold family are a half-line heavier (XP) and full line weight heavier (MAX) to handle a broad range of situational fly fishing.

Applications:

The Rio Gold XP is for those April days on the Missouri when blue-winged olives pop mid-day, bringing fish to the surface all over the river - from the bullpen all the way to that flat upstream of Cascade that you thought you were the only one silly enough to walk to. The line throws a “dime” in the dry game and more than suffices during the indicator hours before and after. This is a great line choice for summertime Gallatin River anglers – we have a few of those around Bozeman these days.

The MAX is for those other (most) days. Days like this coming week when we are doing what we do here in Montana – floating a big river. There will be streamer sessions in the mornings followed by a few stops to prospect with nymphs and then we will be fishing a big dry and dropper once that sun gets up. No need to take 3 rods to get through the day – just pair that Sage Igniter or St. Croix Evos 5 weight with an Elite Gold MAX and…”fish it well.”

The XP is more for the dry fly angler that does a bit of nymphing. The MAX is for the fast rod loving angler that likes to throw junk, big dries, and is too lazy to switch to a heavier rod when streamer fishing from a drift boat.

The Gold is NOT dead! It’s still the best all-around taper out there and is true to its designated line weight. Whether you are fishing March browns on the lower Boulder, skwalas over on that other river, or nymphing away on the lower Madison – you can’t go wrong with the Rio Gold.

I prefer Rio fly lines built on the Connectcore Plus for their durability, low-stretch, and sensitivity. These cores are featured in their top-range Elite family of freshwater fly lines. The standard coldwater core is used for the Premier family and works great day in and day out as well. Both families feature the Slickcast coating which helps the line shoot further, mend easier, and last longer.

Get Out There

As I look out the office window this morning, the sun is on the rise up I can feel the warmth starting to break through the morning frost. I probably won’t get out there today or tomorrow, but I will most definitely waste a few days some point this week. This is such a great time of year for Montana fly fishing near Bozeman – enjoy it before the mud reigns supreme!

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