Snow???????
One thing that is consistent about spring weather in Montana is that it’s inconsistent. Woke up to snow falling this morning. Forecast is for 2-4″ in the valley and 9-14″ in the mountains. Maybe I put those skis away too early. No worries, highs should be back in the 60’s early next week. As for the fishing, it’s been up and down like the river. Last weeks heavy rain brought the Bitterroot up 3 times normal volume. Any significant rises in water levels usually shuts the fishing off until the river stabilizes and begins to drop. Thanks to the cold, the river has dropped big time since peaking on Sunday. Water clarity is also improving significantly. Dry fly fishing is on again but the afternoon window of opportunity is short due to the cold water temps. We caught a few fish in the afternoon on Skwala’s but they were all good fish. The spring hatches are in full swing and as we warm up I am expecting some of the best dry fly action this year. There are still lots of Skwalas, nemouras, and Capnia, but the big news is that the mayflies are emerging in big numbers. The river was covered with March Browns and a few Gray drakes. Fish what the trout are keying on or run a double dry with a mayfly behind a Skwala. See ya on the river……dress warm.