Bitterroot shaping up!
After a long period of high water the Bitterroot is clear and dropping. Warm dry weather over the last month has helped bring a bunch of mountain snow down. There is still a good amount of high elevation snow that should keep the river flowing all summer. Salmon flies have begun to appear on the main river and should be about 1 to 2 weeks away on the east and west forks. Fish are seeing lots of the big nymphs migrating to the banks and are feeding aggressively on them. There are also some golden stones , pmd’s , and green drakes. There is very little surface activity and the majority of fish are being caught on nymph patterns fished in the slower runs.. As water levels continue to drop dry fly action should pick up significantly. While the river is dropping it is still quite high and above normal levels for this time of year. Please use caution if wading or floating. The high water has moved a lot of debris around and there are several trees blocking passage on the east and west forks. Wear life jackets and when in doubt scout it out. See ya on the river……….