Rock Creek Spring Fishing Report 2021

CFS: 713

Water Temp: 38-44°F

Dries: March Browns, Skwalas, Purple Haze

Nymphs: Pat's Rubber Leg, Double-bead Stonefly, Beaded Prince, Hare's Ear

FISHING REPORT

April is a fascinating month for fishing on Rock Creek. One day, it will be raining/snowing and the next it will be 60 degrees and sunny (which is the current weather trend as I write this report). This can make the fishing difficult at times due to a lack of consistency, but as I always like to advise, change your tactics given the conditions. Double nymph rigs have been the most consistent producer; try the combination of a large stonefly nymph or a brown Pat's Rubber Leg with a smaller dropper behind it like a hare's ear or a psycho prince nymph. Add a bit of flash, partridge hackle, or purple to any of these nymph patterns, and you'll have a lethal combination.

On the warmer April days, we often get our first good dry fly hatches of the season. Big trout that normally lay low and refuse dries in the summer months will hungrily rise to the occasion this time of the year. Next to salmon fly season in June, this is my preferred time to fish dries. Although most people immediately think "skwalas,” on Rock Creek the March Brown mayfly is actually the better hatch. We do have a skwala hatch, but it is nowhere near as prolific as the nearby rivers, and the March Brown has more consistency in getting strikes. When in doubt, try a foam skwala with either a brown mayfly cripple or a hare's ear nymph riding underneath it.

Given that the water levels have bumped thanks to some warmer days and rain, Rock Creek is higher and faster than normal for the time of year, so I urge using good judgment when going out on the water. Choose wisely where you decide to wade and err on the side of being overly cautious:

To cap off this report, I wanted to share some fish pics from friend of the shop Matt as well as some video of Rock Creek itself for those of you who need your fix and can't yet make it out here (Billy Grant, Chuck, Catfish, Woodwards, et al, this is for you guys!). Here's to a safe and happy fishing season on Rock Creek!

Coronavirus Information

During the Coronavirus pandemic, we will remain somewhat "open." Most of these hours, we will be in the process of spring cleaning and implementing a new layout for the fly shop. While doing this, we will be sterilizing all frequently-touched surfaces throughout our open hours.

That being said, we'd like to play it safe and minimize the potential spread of the virus as much as possible. So if you are hesitant to come in, we are offering curbside pickup for anyone who calls ahead. Simply give us a call at 406-825-6440 to place and process an order, and when you pull up, we'll bring your order out to your car. We will also be expanding the online fly shop in the next few weeks and discounting some our holdover items from last season, so keep an eye out for those as well!

I hope this finds everyone safe, happy and healthy, and let's hope we can get back to normal sooner rather than later.

Doug's Rant: The Argument for Wade Fishing

I've noticed the past few years that there are fewer and fewer people wading and fishing our local streams. At the same time I've seen the float fishing business explode in popularity. People seem to like climbing into a boat and letting the guide do all the work. In the most extreme cases, the clients are picked up at the airport, driven to the lodge they are staying at, wined and dined and tucked into bed. In the mornings, they are fed breakfast, driven to the put in where the guide has rigged their rod and reel up and even tied a fly on. As soon as they're settled in the boat, the guide starts rowing. If the guide is good enough, he or she (yes there are women guides and some of them are so good they make me feel incompetent) can put the boat in position so that all the client has to do is to get the fly into the water ten feet from the boat. Then, the client just has to set the hook. I've even heard of a guide back rowing to set the hook when his client couldn't.  

     This can be great fun for the clients, who can take pictures of all the twenty-inchers they boat and show them to their friends but, is it fly fishing? I think not. You can't learn how to read water effectively from a boat. Further, you don't have to be even a decent caster to get fish to take your fly. If you're going to become an accomplished fly fisherman or woman, you've got to hone your skills by wading and learning your craft through trial and error.

     Now don't get me wrong. I love to float. A trip on the Clark Fork or Bitterroot is a supreme treat for me. I float four or five times a year and thoroughly enjoy every trip. But I wade our local streams far more often than I float them. And, over the years, I've developed into a pretty fair fisherman. I'm not advocating that anybody give up floating. I'm suggesting that we'd all appreciate the float trips we take if we waded and polished our skills when we can't float. I've heard quite a few people say that if they can't float they don't want to fish. When I hear it, I feel sorry for the people who say it. They won't ever know the satisfaction of stalking a big trout, making a perfect cast and fighting the fish with your feet planted precariously on slimy rocks. 

      I think both types of fishing have merit. I'm mainly making the point that everybody who fly fishes should pursue both aspects of their sport. If you're like me you'll cherish the floats for the amount of water you can cover and the number of fish you can cast to and you'll cherish your wade trips for the chance they give you to improve your skills.