Mid-summer is here and there are plenty of fly fishing opportunities available to angler across the west and more. While the most notable hatches like salmonflies, drakes, and skwalas have passed, it doesn’t mean that the fish stop eating. In fact, mid-to-late summer can be one of our favorite times to fish!
One of our favorite things about peak summer is the huge variety of different places to go fly fishing in Montana. From the local go-to’s like the Bitterroot River, Blackfoot River, Clark Fork River, and Rock Creek to the tiny tributary streams that drain numerous valleys out of the neighboring mountains — the options are endless and there is no better way to explore these places than with a fly rod in hand. So, don’t put that rod away just yet, strap on the wading boots and hit a new trout stream next chance you get.
Flies for Summer Fly Fishing in Montana
Hitting the water and want to know what works for our Missoula fly fishing guides? Keep reading to learn more about our top 5 must-have flies for any river or creek where trout live in Montana.
1. Micro Chubby
Your favorite dry fly in bite-sized portions! In western trout fishing circles, the famous Chubby Chernobyl is king of dry flies, and for a good reason — it catches fish, period. Now, you can have it in smaller sizes, perfect for fishing as a single dry or with a light dropper rig on any trout stream across the west.
2. Purple Haze
What you find when you look up “dry fly” in the dictionary. Created by Andy Carlson in Hamilton, Montana in the early 2000s, the Purple Haze has become a staple of trout fishing across the world, but especially on Montana fly fishing rivers. It’s a perfect mayfly imitation but performs well as a “prospecting” fly when trout aren’t keen to a the hatch yet. This is a must-have in any trout fly box.
3. MFC’s Yeti Hopper
Coming in smaller sizes, the Yeti Hopper performs well when the trout have seen hundreds of the common hopper fly patterns and are starting to get wary. Featuring a furry 3-layer foam body, it looks realistic but floats like a cork and is more than capable of holding up a variety of nymphs.
4. Stimulator
It might be illegal to exclude the Stimulator in our list of must-have flies for summer fly fishing in Montana, so here it is. A timeless stonefly dry fly pattern that gets the job done anywhere stoneflies and trout collide. Coming in a variety of sizes, it can mimic the different varieties of stoneflies but makes for a great caddis and spruce moth imitation, as well.
5. Jig Duracell
As much as we hate to say it, fly fishing can’t always be dry fly fishing for big dumb trout. There are going to be days when the fish just don’t want to rise, and when that happens, we must ply the depths to find success. Enter the Jig Duracell. If we were to have one nymph to get the job done during peak summer as the river gets low, this would be it. Tie it on, you won’t be dissappointed.
These are our top 5 must-have flies for summer fly fishing in Montana. All of these flies patterns can be found at our Missoula fly shop or our online fly shop.
Have more questions about what to fish during your Montana fly fishing trip? Give us a call and our Missoula fly fishing staff is happy to help!
