Blackfoot Valley Fishing Report

Fourth of July week signified three things this year: Our Nation's birthday, the official Montana start of summer and, this year especially, the official start of the fishing season for the Blackfoot Valley.

With waters high and in flood stage an entire three months, they finally receded and cleared up enough by the first week of July to bring out the largest hatch of them all: the fishermen. The rivers have gone from barely a soul on them to, as reported to us just yesterday, more than 50 boats departing from Harry Morgan fishing access during the weekend to float the upper river. That is a boatload of fisherpeople.

Other than the water, the other reason so many fishing rods are slamming the waters is that the rising temperatures resulting in mini-heatwaves has brought the bugs out. During the high water the salmonflies were prevalent, but the off-colored water still made catching difficult.

Now with the clearer water and the caddis and mayflies and spruce moths all coming alive; it is every fishermen's fantasy to throw out more than one kind of fly to see what they will go for. Currently the fish are still going for the big fuzzy leggy Chernobyls, but good results are being reported on mottled caddis, spruce moths, yellow sally, green drakes, and even the occasional purple haze. See the trend here? Go for all the colors of the rainbow and you'll attract something.

In the meantime always remember: The fishing is great. The weather is perfect. The scenery is spectacular. And if the catching is difficult; three out of four ain't bad.