Rock Creek Runoff Report - May 13, 2022

CFS: 967 Water Temp: 42-47°F

Dries: BWOs, Gray Drakes, Purple Hazes, Small Stoneflies

Nymphs: Double Bead Peacock Stones, Pink San Juan Worms, Perdigons, Pat's Rubber Legs

FISHING REPORT

Runoff season is officially underway on all the rivers of western Montana, and like years past, it's a roller coaster in terms of streamflow. As you can see in the chart below, warm weather and some heavy rains created a big bump a week ago, but since then, we've had cooler weather (a consistent theme this spring) which shot it right back down. This will be the trend over the rest of May with the river rising and dropping depending on what the weather does:

The best advice I can give for conditions like these is to keep an eye on this chart (it can be found here) and wait for the cfs to stabilize and sit steady for 24 hours. I've found this to be the best recipe for success when fishing high water. Rock Creek regains its clarity remarkably fast and becomes fishable when other waters are still muddy and murky.

Although the runoff can be intimidating (and rightly so), this is actually one of my favorite times to fish Rock Creek for a few reasons. For one, the crowds die down significantly, and the trout are relatively unharassed this time of year leaving more spots open and less wary fish. For another, there is minimal wading involved if you are on foot. I would still recommend wearing waders to cross any marshy ground or side streams while en route to the fishing holes, but you won't be wading into the main river any time soon. The third thing I enjoy about this time of year is it becomes pretty easy to figure out where the fish are riding out the high water. They don't want to be in the fast stuff any more than you or I would, so look for the soft, calm water on the edges or side streams where they take refuge. This can often mean having to hike a ways before finding another habitable spot, but if you are willing to put the work in, you can have a productive day.

When it comes to what patterns to fish, dry flies will be out, but the windows that fish will take them in are going to be pretty small. Until salmon flies are out in good numbers, I would stick primarily to nymphs and streamers unless you see fish actively rising. For nymphs, big stoneflies are a great option as the salmon fly nymphs are starting to move and the trout are watching for them.

I like using a double-beaded peacock stonefly to simulate this bug, but Pat's Rubber Legs are also an excellent option. If you aren't averse to fishing San Juan worms, try the pink versions of them this time of year. And of course, big streamers are very effective right now too. We have a couple articulated patterns that have been especially good lately; the Clarke's Rat and the Circus Peanut. The white versions of these streamers have been catching big brown trout the past few days. I'm not sure if it's because it sticks out better in this type of water or if the whitefish are moving more and being targeted by the trout, but whatever the reason, they are doing very well at this point in time.

FLOATING INFORMATION

Now that the water is running higher and faster, we're starting to get questions about the float season and potential hazards. I've only had a few boats coming up the road so far. To date, the upper section (Gilles/Bohrnsen Bridge to Egg-Shaped Rock above the Dalles) looks like business as usual with no reports of any new jams or fallen logs. Please keep in mind though that things can change quickly; we haven't seen the peak of runoff yet and that can always create new hazards, so stay vigilant and make sure whoever is on the sticks knows how to row this kind of water. With the lower float (Lower Fire Ring to Elkhorn/Tamarack takeout) there are a couple sweepers/strainers near Sawmill Fishing Access that require some skill on the oars to navigate, and then there is a log jam near Spring Creek to deal with. There is a side channel river right that can bypass it, but it is very narrow and technical and has a submerged log that you'll have to pull your boat over. Otherwise, the portage is about 50 yards over a rocky bank. As I get more info or new reports, I will update conditions. The other bit of news concerning floating is that the shuttle service is changing this year. From what I've been told, Bonds River Shuttles are in talks to take over the shuttling on Rock Creek this float season. I will relay more information about shuttles as I get it via social media and in the next fishing report.

COMING SOON...

With a little luck (and maybe some warmer weather) we'll see salmon flies on Rock Creek in the very near future. I will update all you anglers as soon as I see them on the bushes here on the lower creek. In the meantime, stay safe out there and tight lines!

Rock Creek Fishing Report - April 14, 2022

CFS: 394 Water Temp: 33-40°F

Dries: Parachute Adams, Purple Haze, March Brown

Nymphs: Perdigon, Jumpin' Jack Flash, TJ Hooker, Copper John

FISHING REPORT

We are almost a month into spring, and with the exception of a few nice days, it's felt more like extended winter. That is the way of Montana sometimes, but it is amazing how particularly cold it's been the past few weeks. As I write this, the air temp outside is 19°F. We had warmer days two months ago in February. The only thing I can say about the weather this year is that is completely erratic and unpredictable. While in the long run it will help with late spring and early summer fishing, it has slowed down the production on Rock Creek for the present.

This is not to say the fishing has been BAD. On the contrary, last week we had a warm spell that saw some amazing trout being caught, albeit mostly on nymphs. One of our signature patterns, the Jumpin' Jack Flash was the lights-out pattern for several fishermen:

My best advice would be to fish big nymphs when it's warmer, and smaller nymphs when it's colder. The past few days, the best patterns have been size 14 to 18 patterns like Perdigons, Copper Johns, and TJ Hookers, which is the newest pattern to grace our fly bins:

The nice thing about these patterns (as well as other jig nymphs) is they get down quickly to the riverbed, where many of these trout are holding when the water temps are as cold as they are. Lately, I have been recommending double-nymph rigs with a tungsten jig as your lead and a smaller/lighter nymph in tow, such as a San Juan worm or a pheasant tail. This combination removes the need for extra split shot and creates a direct line from indicator to the initial fly.

As for dry flies, there are occasional hatches on the water, even with it being this cold, but the fish simply aren't rising to the occasion (pun intended). Your best bet if you want to catch fish on dries is to wait for the warmest part of the day, and try attractor patterns like Parachute Adams and Purple Hazes. You could also try a dry/dropper rig of a skwala stone with a small nymph riding under it. Thus far though, this hasn't been an overly productive method of fly fishing Rock Creek this year. I hope that changes soon, but until the weather warms up on a consistent basis, it's best to stick with subsurface fishing, be that nymphs or streamers.

More to come as conditions change. Stay tuned and happy fishing!

Rock Creek Fishing Report - Early Spring 2022

CFS: 321

Dries: March Browns, Skwalas, Brindle Chutes

Nymphs: Hare's Ears, Pheasant Tails, Perdigons, San Juan Worms

FISHING REPORT

After what felt like a particularly long winter, we are finally starting to see some warmer, sunnier days on Rock Creek. Given that our geography means most of the creek lies in a narrow valley, the fishing doesn't pick up as quickly as other rivers like the Clark Fork and Bitterroot due to a lack of sun exposure in multiple sections. Keeping that in mind, fish the areas where the valley is wider and gets more sun for a longer stretch of time throughout the day. The insect life will fare much better in these spots, and the fish will respond in kind.

Early spring is one of my favorite times to fish the creek. The bigger trout are hungry and more eager to take your patterns versus later in the summer, when they are hunkering down and more wary. The reports from the fishermen going out have been very good this week, with everything from San Juan worms to pheasant tails to perdigons working well. I went out a couple days ago and tried a number of patterns, but I had the best luck fishing a classic hare's ear. This was the result:

As for dry flies, as I am writing this (March 24th), there has been very little action on the surface thus far. We have yet to see the skwalas or March Browns, just a few small black midges, of which the fish don't seem particularly interested. However, we are supposed to reach temperatures in the 60s and possibly even 70s in the next few days, and I'd be very surprised if that doesn't bring forth a hatch. When in doubt, you can always try a March Brown, Brindle Chute, or skwala pattern as a makeshift indicator with an appropriate dropper behind it to cover top and bottom.

This past winter, we have been keeping busy in the shop. We added a couple of fly bins (thanks to our friends Joe and Deb at Trout Bums for these beautiful additions!) and we painted the interior of the shop to add a little color and light to the Merc:

This is only the start of many projects in both the shop and our motel, which we are also in the process of updating. In the meantime, we will be open every day for all of your fly fishing and adventuring needs, so we hope to see you this spring here at Rock Creek!