Bitterroot Weekend

This weekend the usual suspects of our fishing crew and I floated one of my favorite stretches of the Bitterroot. Garret and I put our boats in the water over big ice chunks blocking the landing, and once we got in the water, realized how low and clear the river was. We got going down the float and started getting into fish.

The day turned out colder than predicted, but we were happy to be fishing water we hadn’t been on in a while.

Beautiful Westslope Cutt

Cody with a nice Rainbow

Our new fishing friend and University of Montana placekicker Chris was with us again this weekend. As usual he was all smiles when bringing fish to the boat.

Even though it’s mostly a nymph and streamer game right now, the Skwala hatch is not that far off. The Skwala stonefly nymphs will soon make their mass migration to the shorelines to hatch into adults, from the middle of the river. We just need that water temp to about 40 degrees first to get them to hatch, which will probably happen in early to mid March. I’m pumped up for it though and can’t wait to start throwing dries again.

Adult Skwala form last year. Photo by Cody

Adult Skwala from last year. Photo by Cody.

The snowpack is in decent to pretty good shape right now, but we still need some more snow in the next month or so to sustain late summer flows. You can check the snowpack levels out here. This fishing is definitely heating up and it should be an awesome spring!