September is one of the most fun times of all year to fish in Montana. The vibrant leaves begin to fall while the nights and mornings become crisp. October Caddis and Blue Wings replace Hoppers and Ants while we trade the heat for cooler weather.
The fishing over the last few weeks has improved since August with the water temperatures finally dropping accompanied by a few heavy rainstorms! Nymphing or Streamer fishing has been the ticket, with the Dry Fly fishing having its moments with some sporadic hatches of Caddis and BWOs in cloudy weather.
Sculpin patterns and attractor Nymphs have been fishing solid and have been getting the majority of the fish on the river. Targeting the fast to slow transition water and drop offs with these flies have been the most productive with a lot of fish holding before they make their way upriver to spawn towards the end of the month.
In the coming weeks we expect the fishing to improve as the temperature continues to drop, and weather moves in. As usual, the morning and late afternoon remain the best time to get out there on a bite window.
Dries: Delektable Lil’ Chubby UV Tan, Royal, UV Cinnamon or UV Pink #14-#18; Delektable Halo Royal, Peacock or Mo River #16-#18; Delektable Chubbyness Rootbeer, Royal, UV Cinnamon, UV Purple or Olive Brown #12-#16; Micro Water Walker Peanut or Pink #14-#16; Bloom’s Stealth Ant Purple #14-#16; Yaeger’s 409 Red #14-#16; More or Less Hopper Yellow or Peach #10-#12; White Cloud Hopper Tan or Peach #12-#14; Thunder Thighs Hopper Pink or Tan #12-#14; Delektable Flying Ant Red, Purple or Black #14-#18; Delektable Lil’ Secret UV Pink, Royal or Goldrush #14-#18; and Parachute Adams Sparkle Purple #16-#18, Purple Haze Parachute #16
Nymphs: RS2 Olive or Grey #18-#20; BH Montana Bullet Black/Red #18; Delektable Guide Stone Olive/Brown, Black or Black/Brown #10; Delektable Lil’ Spanker Red, PT, Silver, Gold or Blue #16-#18; Delektable Hammerhead GTBH PT, Prince, Hare’s Ear or UV Purple #16-#18; Tungsten BH Jiggy Frenchie #16-#18; Delektable Formerly Prince #14-#18; Delektable JH Tungsten Spanker Holo Red, PT or Holo Black #16-#18; Wire Worm Red or Orange/Red #4-#8; Delektable Prince Brandon #16-#18; Geppert’s Mega Emerger #16-#18; Pat’s Rubberlegs Black or Olive/Brown #8-#10; BH Lightning Bug Gold, Pearl or Silver #14-#16; Geppert’s Skinny Dip Black #14-#16; BH Guide’s Choice Hare’s Ear #14-#18; and Psycho Prince Purple #16-#18. Delektable Tungsten JH Micro Spanker Holo Olive, Holo Black, Hare’s Ear #16=#18. Delektable Delektable JH Tungsten Bling Black, Purple, Olive #16-#18.
Streamers: Delektable Screamer Single or Double Olive, White, Olive/Black, Badger, Yellow/Brown, Olive/White #6; Delektable SS Jointed Screamer Olive/White, Olive/Black with Gold Size #8; Coffey’s Sparkle Minnow JJ, Smoke or Sculpin #6, Coffey’s Articulated Sparkle Yummy JJ, Smoke or Sculpin #6; Sculpzilla’s White, Olive/White, Black or Natural #4-#8; Mini Loop Sculpin Natural and Olive #6; Zonker Natural Copper, Natural Pearl or Olive #6-#8.
