Turning the Corner: Late February Fishing Report

When you know your boat’s going to fill with snow at least once more before the spring fishing really ramps up, it’s hard to get too amped about late February angling. However, with the weather trending so favorably, it’s hard to stay inside either.

This bank will give up a lot of fish this year — Fun to catch one of the first

With the Bitterroot in shape (which is offering a fair number of midge-eating fish and solid nymphing) and the Missouri (ditto), our guide trips have begun. Guests floating the river with us this week will most likely experience a good dose of solitude, solid action on nymphs, and the occasional rising trout — and they’ll definitely be treated to a hot grilled shore lunch, a Missoula on the Fly staple this time of year.

Don’t forget the Propane!

As we get past February and into March, the dry-fly fishing opportunities will increase as the hatch most beloved by class-skipping UM students, the skwalla hatch, arrives. More on this event in coming posts — if you’ve fished it before, you know why it’s the most anticipated hatch of the year. Large flies, large trout, large views of the Bitterroots through bare-limbed cottonwoods. It’s a little cold for heaven, but otherwise pretty damned close.

Call or email now to find an open day mid-March through mid-April on our quickly filling calendar.