I got out on Flathead River yesterday for the first guide trip of the 2018 season. Fishing was a little slow but there were a few trout that were hooked. Fish were found in slower deeper runs and were brought up with heavy nymph rigs with worm variations and stoneflies being used most often.
Bug activity was pretty slow, which is to be expected this time of year but I did manage to see a few small stoneflies flying around and what appeared to be a mahogany mayfly made an appearance in the late afternoon when the day was at it’s warmest. There is a noticeable change in water level on the Flathead River. Engineers at Hungry Horse Dam are starting to throttle down the water release out of the South Fork and at last check they were releasing water at around 9000 CFS. The Middle Fork was starting to get a little bit of color with all the nice weather we had throughout the week but I suspect it will clear up with colder weather we are experiencing today. Word on the street is the mythical Skwala hatch is happening on the middle fork and fish are starting to look up for smaller stonefly patterns. Fishing is only going to get better as spring progresses so get out there and give it a go! Remember, treat them well, “keep em wet”, and you will be happier in the long run. Mark
