Montana Dry Fly Fishing on the Bitterroot River
Fly Fishing Guides
Bitterroot River Fly Fishing Guides – Dynamic Diversity
The Bitterroot River is one of those rare Montana rivers that does it all for Bitterroot river fly fishing guides. It is will impress the advanced angler with its challenging large trout in the Mid River and reward the new angler to the sport with West Slope Cutthroat trout in the upper River. The Scenery is exactly what we imagine a Montana Fly Fishing River should look like.
I was raised on a ranch in the Bitterroot Valley and I am hard pressed to find a better place to fish, float, hunt, and live.
– Joe Cummings
Outfitter, Bitterroot Fly Fishing Guides, Missoula River Lodge
The Bitterroot River Fly Fishing Guides – Missoula Fly Fishing Diversity
We are Bitterroot river fly fishing guides. This is my home water that I grew up fly fishing as child. It is beautiful and diverse in a way that sets this water apart in the fly fishing world. This Western Montana watershed is healthy and loved by our Missoula fly fishing guests. The Dry fly fishing season starts in March with Skwala Stoneflies and runs deep into October to the rises of Blue Wing Olives on the Bitterroot River near Missoula Montana. From the Spring Creek influenced mid river in Stevensville Montana to the pure canyon freestone water in the West Fork near Darby Montana out to the long rainbow flats at the mouth near Missoula Montana, the Bitterroot River has everything for the dry fly angler. To see videos of fly fishing action on the Bitterroot river please click here.
If stalking tough gator headed Brown Trout with Bitterroot river fly fishing guides shelved up on skinny gravel bars sipping little dries is your idea of heaven, then the Bitterroot River is the place.
If Cruising the banks floating big attractor dries to willing westslope cutthroat trout is your idea of magic fly fishing, then the Bitterroot River fills that fly fishing bill as well.
The Bitterroot River Fly Fishing Guides
The Bitterroot River, or as our Missoula River Lodge fly fishing guides call it “The Root”, is a river of three different worlds. It begins deep in the Bitterroot range of the Rocky Mountains and runs north through Montana’s Bitterroot valley bracketed by the Sapphire Range to the east and empties itself at Maclay Flats in Missoula into the Lower Clark Fork River.
Fly fishing the Upper Bitterroot River – Upstream of Hamilton, Montana, East Fork, and West Fork
The State of Montana Fisheries Department’s population count of the water upstream of Hamilton places the wild trout population at over 1700 per mile of mainly pure strain West Slope Cutthroat Trout representing one of the great sources of this native trout’s home watershed. The Upper Bitterroot River’s cutthroat trout are a willing group that rewards the beginning angler with short casts, easily seen flies, and a species that is programmed to eat dry flies. The Trapper Peak complex with its 10,000 foot snow capped mountains provides a fitting back drop for the angler that should look up from the water as much as he watches his big dry get gulped by a native Montana trout.
Bitterroot Fly Fishing Guides on Hamilton to Florence Section
The Bitterroot River slows its drop here and settles into the Hayfields and Cottonwood groves around Stevensville, Montana. It is our favorite section for Bitterroot River fly fishing guides. The trout population drops almost in half but almost all our trout over 20 inches live in this reach of the river. They are bigger, smarter (as all old fish are), and relate habitually to the plentiful downed wood and shallow gravel bars. We will take multiple trout well over 2 feet long throughout each season when all the stars align and the Middle Bitterroot River gives us its soul. The more experienced angler is at home here and will find this arena filled with the clichés of what a classic Montana River fly fishing float trip targeting large trout should be. The float from Bell Crossing to Stevensville bridge is my all time favorite float in this State. Rich, plentiful, diverse big fish habitat is everywhere in the Middle Bitterroot River to test your fishing mettle, and our Bitterroot fly fishing guides skill as well.
Fly fishing the Lower Bitterroot River – Florence to Kelly Island
The Bitterroot River slows down even more and starts to look like its wide Lower Clark Fork Sister. The rainbow trout are plentiful and the Cutthroat trout appear again. The long, slow glides over pea gravel lend themselves to Mayfly Hatches and pod creation. Lots of 16-19 rainbow trout live here with the occasional lurking whopper brown trout to keep things interesting.
Fly fishing the Upper Bitterroot River – Upstream of Hamilton, Montana, East Fork, and West Fork
The State of Montana Fisheries Department’s population count of the water upstream of Hamilton places the wild trout population at over 1700 per mile of mainly pure strain West Slope Cutthroat Trout representing one of the great sources of this native trout’s home watershed. The Upper Bitterroot River’s cutthroat trout are a willing group that rewards the beginning angler with short casts, easily seen flies, and a species that is programmed to eat dry flies. The Trapper Peak complex with its 10,000 foot snow capped mountains provides a fitting back drop for the angler that should look up from the water as much as he watches his big dry get gulped by a native Montana trout.
Bitterroot Fly Fishing Guides on Hamilton to Florence Section
The Bitterroot River slows its drop here and settles into the Hayfields and Cottonwood groves around Stevensville, Montana. It is our favorite section for Bitterroot River fly fishing guides. The trout population drops almost in half but almost all our trout over 20 inches live in this reach of the river. They are bigger, smarter (as all old fish are), and relate habitually to the plentiful downed wood and shallow gravel bars. We will take multiple trout well over 2 feet long throughout each season when all the stars align and the Middle Bitterroot River gives us its soul. The more experienced angler is at home here and will find this arena filled with the clichés of what a classic Montana River fly fishing float trip targeting large trout should be. The float from Bell Crossing to Stevensville bridge is my all time favorite float in this State. Rich, plentiful, diverse big fish habitat is everywhere in the Middle Bitterroot River to test your fishing mettle, and our Bitterroot fly fishing guides skill as well.
Fly fishing the Lower Bitterroot River – Florence to Kelly Island
The Bitterroot River slows down even more and starts to look like its wide Lower Clark Fork Sister. The rainbow trout are plentiful and the Cutthroat trout appear again. The long, slow glides over pea gravel lend themselves to Mayfly Hatches and pod creation. Lots of 16-19 rainbow trout live here with the occasional lurking whopper brown trout to keep things interesting.
Bitterroot River Dry Fly Hatches – A Missoula Fly Fishing Guide’s Perspective
March – April fly fishing on the Bitterroot River: Skwalas, March Browns, Blue Wing Olives
Skwala Stoneflies begin in early March and represent the best early season large dry opportunity in North America. The big bug is a size 10 and fished on short 3x leaders. As we warm in April, we pick up March Browns and Early Season Blue Wing Olives.
Weather: Highs in the 50-60s, lows in the 30s
May fly fishing on the Bitterroot River: Mother’s Day Caddis
About of half of May we are experiencing run-off as our snow melts. In the dips in flows we are able to take advantage of Mother’s Day Caddis hatch. May can be hit and miss on good water conditions, but when flows are right fly fishing can be exceptional.
Weather: Highs 60s-70s, lows in the 40s
June fly fishing on the Bitterroot River: Salmonflies, Golden Stones, Green Drakes
Early June is Salmonflies in the Upper Bitterroot River. By Mid June, our Golden Stones cover both the Mid River and upper Bitterroot River. Late June Brings in our Green Drakes. By the end of the Month we are in the happy place of bug soup and lots of dry fly options.
Weather: Highs 60s-70s, lows in the 40s
July fly fishing on the Bitterroot River: Golden Stones, Pale Morning Duns, Caddis
Still Golden Stones are in across the drainage, but now we will get our Pale Morning Duns and Caddis in the mornings and evenings. This change to mid sized hatches produces more true rising fish pods and rewards the longer caster that likes to stalk big fish on rhythm to dries.
Weather: Highs 70s-80s, lows in the 50s
August with Bitterroot Fly Fishing Guides – Tricos, Hoppers, Hecubas
Tricos are our smallest Mayfly but come off in massive numbers in the Middle and Lower Bitterroot River. Fly fishing is to sipping sighted trout targets that can be challenging, large, and rewarding. In the afternoon after staring at little flies on gossamer tippet, we cut the leaders back to thick fluorocarbon and large Hoppers that are coming off the grass in the warmth of August. On the rainy days we get our Fall Green Drakes – Hecuba. Those are the easiest days that although damp get our top end fish sipping big Hecubas in the afternoon.
Weather: Highs 70s-80s, lows in the 50s
September – October fly fishing on the Bitterroot River: Mahoganies, Blue Wing Olives, Streamers
The Daytime Mayflies pile back in across the Bitterroot River drainage providing afternoon pods up on Mid Sized dries. They are smart, willing, and motivated as our trout start to feel the creep of November’s cold water and a long Montana winter coming on. Our Brown trout get into a nasty pre-spawn mood that the angler with a large streamer can take advantage of and stick trout in the 4-7 pound range. September and October is awesome scenery, fishing, and consistent fall conditions.
Weather: Highs 60s-70s, lows in the 40s
Another Great Source for information on the Bitterroot Valley is here