Bighorn River Fly Fishing in Fall

Bighorn River Fly Fishing in the Fall

The crowds of summer begin to disperse from Ft. Smith as autumn settles into south-central Montana. Solitude is always hard to find on Montana’s Bighorn River, but it is relatively quiet by early October as many local anglers turn their attention to big game and upland bird hunting. Anglers fly fishing in Montana on the Bighorn River during the fall can expect to feel unhurried while working the most productive trout runs, surrounded by the brilliant gold of the changing cottonwood trees that line the riverbank.

Bighorn River Fly Fishing Hatches in the Fall

Blue-winged olives and Pseudocleon mayflies dominate the fall hatches of the Bighorn River. Blanket hatches of Pseudos will be seen on sunny days and flies that imitate their nymphs are a trou favorite. BWO hatches improve as fall progresses and are ideal on cool, overcast days well into November.

Caddis will still be around in surprising number, but their pupa have always been more important to the trout than the adults this time of year.

Bighorn River Fly Fishing Techniques in the Fall

Floating grass and algae can be a real issue for anglers fishing in Montana on the Bighorn River throughout August and September. Grass breaks free as the water cools off with the onset of autumn and can make getting a “clean drift” almost impossible for a week or two.

However, the grass is easy to remove from the flies with a quick “snap” of the flies across the water’s surface between casting strokes. Keeping the flies clean of grass is the single, most important key to finding angling success on Montana’s Bighorn River in the fall.

Nymph fishing with a tandem rig through the mainstem “trenches” is a staple fly fishing strategy for Bighorn River guides in the fall. Long leaders in the 8-11” range with two nymphs and a small split shot placed about 2’ above the first fly is a standard setup.

Rising fish can be found along shallow water seams and flats during BWO hatches and are typically pretty cooperative to a well-presented adult or emerger pattern.

Streamer fly fishing is best with single-hooked sculpin patterns until the floating grass and algae clears out. Bighorn River brown trout spawn later in the year than in other places around the region. Exceptional days can be had while fishing streamers well into December on the river section between the Afterbay and Bighorn fishing access sites.

Bozeman Fly Fishing Guide Pro Tip:

Streamer fly fishing with tandem, single-hook Sculpin or leech patterns is a guide favorite when fly fishing MT on the Bighorn River in October and November. Try a Thin Mint or Conehead JJ Special with 2’ of tippet and a leech or simple wooly bugger as a trailer fly. We fish these on both floating and intermediate fly lines, focusing on the mid-river, rather than bank edges.

Bighorn River Fly Box in Fall