Every year it seems like we just start getting serious about fly fishing and we start getting assailed by rising waters. What to do? If you live here you dust off the golf clubs and get your golf season over with. If you planned your fishing trip 6 months ago and you find yourself in southwest Montana for the annual spring run off, fear not - all is not lost. There are alternatives. You just have to be creative and be mobile.
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First look for cleaner water. This usually means either a tailwater or high water on a river that hasn't had a lot of logging. My home court is the Madison and when it blows out my next choice is the Bighole. The Bighole doesn't have a lot of logging so even if it comes up, it doesn't lose clarity like the Madison or the Yellowstone. In fact the salmonfly hatch often coincides with high water on the Bighole. I like to fish the high reaches above the Wise River or get above some of the tributaries. This tends to shrink the whole equation down a little.
On the Bighole and high water in general, fish the banks. Rivers flow most swiftly at their middle depths and on their surface; they run slowest on the bottom and on the banks. The fish want to get out of the fast water to save energy. If you're fishing from a boat, you want to cast close to shore, get a quick mend and get that thing down. Early season usually calls for salmonfly nymphs, big black and heavy dead drifted, with an indicator. Standard fare for any preseason salmonfly situation.
Read More Tips for Successful Nymph Fishing
Another good option for blown rivers is a tail water. In my neck of the woods this usually means the Beaverhead outside of Dillon. Or over to Craig and the Missouri. Both rivers can go way up, especially the Missouri, but both stay gin clear and fishing can be good. For me either option is a two hour drive so I often look for options closer to home.
Fish the mud? I've been a fishing guide for over 30 years and until a few years ago I would never have dreamed of fishing "brown water." A few years ago a friend of mine, Joey D, was forced to guide under thick, muddy conditions. He was the only boat on the river for 3 days and yet with only mediocre skills, he killed it! I couldn't believe it until I got out and gave it a try. I went up above the palisades with my wife and we caught 4 big fish in an hour.
Tactics have to change. You can't just float down the middle and hope for the best. In fact it was very difficult to catch anything from a moving boat. You need to get out and pound. Find some slow water, get something black right on the bottom and put it right in their face. I like a size 2 or 4 black girdle bug with a San Juan worm on for a dropper. I have also had great luck throwing a big black streamer straight up stream right next to the bank and stripping it back down as fast as possible, usually a black Circus Peanut or a size 2 black buggar.
So when the waters rise, remember all is not lost. Fish on and you just might be pleasantly surprised.
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