When I'm not chasing trophy browns with my 8wt streamer setup, here is a list of places around the state you're likely to find me (not including hopper fishing thats for a different blog):
1. Skwala hatch on the Bitterroot and Clarkfork Rivers: This is the first major hatch of the year on the west side of the divide and nothing is cooler than watching huge fish blowup on your size 8 olive stonefly. Its definitely no secret though, with people from all over the world coming to Missoula for their shot at big fish on big dries. The fishing pressure doesn't seem to matter though, because these fish are just waking up from a long winter nap and are eager to eat any well presented pattern you have in your arsenal. Look for fish to be lined up on the rockier banks. Its seems that the skwalas prefer rocks to crawl out on and hatch more than anything else.
#2 Mother's Day Caddis on the Madison River: This too is the first major hatch for this river system that really gets the fish's attention. Yeah they have decent baetis and midge hatches before this, but nothing compares to Mother's Day caddis hatch up here. There are literally blankets of #14-16 dark-bodied caddis flies on the water. They're everywhere. They're on the bushes, all over the boat, they cover your body, get in your mouth, in your eyes and ears, and especially are all over the water. This is a really fun time of year to be on the Madison.
#3 BWOs on the Mo: Again, this is the first and last major hatch for this river and with it
some of the largest fish in the state to the surface. If you can hit this on an overcast day with little wind, you are likely to catch some of the biggest fish you have ever seen eat a dry fly. From the dam all the way to Cascade will produce fish, but the section I tend to favor is around Spite Hill. It is not the easiest of hatches though and requires a well presented fly with nothing larger than 5x tippet.
#4 Salmonflies on Rock Creek: After run-off has peaked and the flows begin to stabilize and clear, a magical time that only last for roughly two weeks begins on Rock Creek, the Salmonfly hatch. When you hear about this hatch, its always the Big Hole or the Madison you here people talk about and more rarely do you hear people talking about Rock Creek. Well that doesn't mean the secret is not out about this river because it definitely is and has been since I've started fishing it six years ago. This river sees a lot of angling pressure during this time of year, but still produces with #4 dries on average much better than any other in the state. Its a numbers game up here though with the size of fish averaging in the 13-17" range with the occasional fish over 20". Fishing from the boat is unquestionably the way to fish this hatch and requires some experience on the sticks.
#5 Green Drakes on the Blackfoot and Bitterroot: This hatch is very hit or miss, but if you
hit it you are likely to have a day or two that you will never forget. Last year I was wade fishing the Blackfoot on the lower reaches and ran into this hatch of #6 giant green drakes. It was easily the best day of fishing the BF that I've ever had on dries, which totaled out to be 33 fish, all on drakes. Most of the fish were in the 12-14" range but several were around 17" and the biggest was a 22" cuttie. The same goes for the Bitterroot, although the hatch seems to be more intense on the upper sections of the river around Darby. Certainly a hatch to fish for anyone who likes to fish big dries.
#6 Golden Stones on the Big Hole: To many, this is considered a secondary hatch to the world renown Salmonfly hatch that hits this area every early summer. But I have found that a fish will almost always take a Golden dry over a Salmonfly on this river. Even more so, I have seen/caught big fish coming to the surface to eat a #8 golden catpuke amidst the shittiest of conditions. I'm talking gail-force winds with sideways rain. Again, if you like to fish big dries, this is another hatch not to miss, but don't expect to have the river to yourself.
#7 Summer caddis on the Mo: This is probably the most dependable hatch that the Mighty Mo sees year in and year out. It begins with the Mother's Day hatch (usually with a two week break after the M.D. hatch is done) and ends with October caddis in October. Even during the warmest months of summer the caddis hatches remain intense and for that brief period right before dusk, you can find some of the best fishing to be had in the state. There have been too many nights after work that Sam and I have fished these hatches and I can honestly say it is some of the easier Missouri River dry fly fishing to be had (just ask Troy Robinson).
#8 Spruce Moths on the Gallitan River: This is one of the more hit and miss hatches in the area, but if its a good moth year this river should definitely be on your to-do list. The moths begin to hatch in the mid-summer up here and last through august. Fishing the canyon section is by far the most productive for this hatch as the Spruce Moths dwell in heavily wooded areas (hence the name right). A #12 or 14 light colored elk hair caddis is all you need for this hatch. Drag it through the buckets and pools (the moths are really erratic when they're on the water) and you will have a sick day.
#9 PMDs on the Beaverhead (I know KK was waitin for this and is pissed b/c of its low ranking): This is one of the more dependable hatches on the Beav. and its angling pressure shows for it. I have only fished this hatch three times over here, but each time has left me wanting to come back for more. It is amazing the size of fish that are in this river that at first glance appears to be an irrigation ditch (the average size fish on the Beav. is around 20"). This is also some of the toughest fishing I have ever done. I have had more fish come up and refuse a well presented #16 sparkle dunn on 5x fluoro. than anywhere else in the state and if you do hook up it doesn't mean you're gonna land it. The Beaverhead is a pretty cool stream that I think demands more respect than its given.
#10 October caddis on the Blackfoot River: This is probably the most exciting of all of the hatches to fish, but its window of opportunity is so short-lived that it lands in the #10 spot.
big bugs begin to appear around mid-september and are a primary food source for fish throughout the hatch, which makes fishing a skated #6 orange stimi chew toy worth while. The hatch is river-wide, but the majority of larger fish taken are on the mid to upper sections of the river.
There are many more great hatches that take place around the state of Montana, these are just a few of my favorites.
I originally read this article from a post at Rogueangels.net
During the summer months, Lee says he´s averaged 15 to 20 guests a day. Many are anglers up from the North Umpqua, though some are just curious passer byers. "Most visitors have a remarkable reaction to the fish," Spencer has observed. "The most common comment I hear is ‘Thank you for watching our fish.'”
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