Thats a wrap!

Well the Spring of 2015 is officially over tomorrow.  The weather has changed to summer and so have the hatches.  We had one of the finest spring fishing seasons ever both from conditions and the customers that made it happen.  Thanks again.

The last month I have been over on the Missouri river mostly and the fishing was fantastic on Nymphs, Dry's, and streamers depending on the day.  If you haven't ever fished the Missouri before is a definite bucket list river with a lot of large rainbow's and brown's and some of the prettiest scenery in Montana.  June this year is going to be awesome and with Salmon Flies already on most of Missoula area rivers it will be exciting!  Since May was a cool wet month this year we are looking pretty normal on water levels and thing's around Missoula should fish really well all summer and into the fall.  I still have some good dates open in August and September if you haven't got your dates yet.

This is going to be a great year to fish Montana so get ahold of me asap.  Karl@sheerwaterguides.com

April and the fish are Biting and the rivers levels are great!

Hi Folks just want to give you all an update.  As you probably know we had a really unseasonable February and March but things have settled out now and cool spring weather has been the norm for the last couple of weeks.  We had some runoff already but with the close to freezing nights lately things have stabilized and both the Bitterroot and the Clark Fork are fishing well on Dry's in the afternoons!  Western Mt should continue to fish all the way through April and possible on into May this year.  We continue to get some snow up in the mountains so summer conditions should be decent when compared to a lot of other places in the west.  If you haven't booked year please get ahold of me and lets talk dates!  karl@sheerwaterguides.com

New Bitterroot Skiff pic with Nice fish caught on a Skwala Dry

We caught this fish among many others last Wednesday and when this water bump subsides fish like this will again be rising to dry's!

Springtime!

Well here it is folks the winters boat work is wrapped up and the new Bitterroot Skiff is awesome!  The Rivers in the Missoula area are really starting to fish well both on top and underneath.  The Skwala Stone Fly hatch is going and will continue through April.  We have a decent snowpack but only in the higher elevations so rivers should stay in reasonable shape all the way through the spring!

The weather has been great for getting the hatches going.  I have guided a few days already but really don't get going until next week.  I still have a few prime dates open for the Spring.

Overall I think we are in good shape around Western Montana for water but we will not be having a huge runoff like most years so things will fish really good in May and June this year!  Salmon Flies will be more of a Last week in May through Middle of June.  July of course will be awesome and August should fish just fine on Hoppers and Trico's.  If you are thinking about coming to Montana this year start planning now!  

Hope to see you all soon! Keep in Touch! Karl@sheerwaterguides.com

2015 Things are looking good!

Well I just realized it has been a really longtime since my last post but this year I will try and be more consistent!

What has happened since my last post?  Lots of things but 2014 was a great water year and fishing was spectacular until early Nov. because of the warm fall days.  My wife and I had our first son in November named Flint Travis Jones.  He just had his 12 week birthday yesterday and he is growing rapidly and really fun to be around!

2015

We have had a decent winter up here although it has been really warm the last three weeks or so.  The Snow Pack is still near 100% or more.  Spring fishing will be awesome this year since the warm up is happening now instead of in March.  We should have good water through the summer but nothing extremely high like in past years.

I have been working on a New Bitterroot Boatworks skiff for the last couple of months and am almost done.  Should have it on the water in the next few weeks!  Come fish with me in it!

I have room in Late April, late May, Early June, August, Sept. and Oct. so get a hold of me if you want to get in the books for 2015!  See you all on the water!  karl@sheerwaterguides.com

Early Summer and the fish are biting!

Hi Folks, I have a couple of days off and thought I would give an update about our upcoming summer fishing season.  Fishing on the Missouri a(tailwater doesn't get dirty during runoff) the last month has be good to great and currently is on fire!  We had a giant snowpack this last winter but because we have had a very dry spring I believe we will have good dry fly fishing soon.  The rivers  of western MT already seem to be on the drop.  I think overall that we will have a really nice summer here in Western Mt so if you haven't booked your fishing trip get ahold of me soon.  Tightlines and see you all on the water.

Summertime!

I know I haven't been blogging for  a while but here is the pre summertime update!  Things are shaping up for an amazing runoff this year.  What this means is that since we have more than 140% snowpack in most of our mountain ranges we are going to have awesome water conditions July through Oct. this year!  We haven't seen a runoff like this in a few years so if you haven't experienced high water nymph fishing in late May or June give me a call.  There are still openings in August, September, and Oct. so get ahold of me soon or follow us on facebook (Sheerwater Guide Service) for all of the latest river reports.  karl@sheerwaterguides.com

March Madness!

I know you all have been awaiting another blog entry but I have been really buisy refinishing guide boats for the upcoming season and skiing really deep powder in the mountains.  We have had an awesome winter with upwards of 140% snowpack in some of our mountains!  Things are beginning to fish around the Missoula area as we head towards the fabled Skwala Stonefly hatch of March and April.  Although not many skwalas are out yet we should see the first good hatch in the next week.  The Bitterroot has been fishing well subsurface all day.  I still have some openings in April if anyone is interested but as a whole our summer fishing is going to be awesome!  August through October should have great water conditions this year as well so come on out.  Follow us on facebook for more info.  Cheers.

January in Montana

Well 2014 has been great so far we have a great snowpack in the mountains and this next spring looks like it is going to be great fishing!

Spring Skwala Stone Fly Fishing in Western Montana.

  Now that fall is gone and winter and the Holidays are here it is time to start thinking about the great fishing options for 2014.  Many of you probably have a warm saltwater trip planned or maybe an adventure to Patagonia for Southern Hemisphere trout but there are also some great options in Montana that are just around the corner. 

  The Skwala Stone Fly hatch on the Bitterroot, Clark Fork, and Blackfoot rivers of Western Montana is definitely some of the finest stone fly/dry fly fishing of the whole year!  Skwala nymphs begin to move and crawl out from under rocks in late February and depending on weather and water temps begin to offer good dry fly opportunities in the Afternoon by mid March.  This isn’t your typical cool weather fishing, when the trout get on the dry’s it can be really exciting with lots of eats, they are very aggressive and they really crush the bug.  Skwala’s are typically a size 10 or 12 dark colored stone fly, olive or black but with some lighter segments to their under bodies.  What is so unique about this hatch is the time of year, this hatch happens months earlier than any other aquatic hatch and is prolific and since the fish are just coming out of winter they are ready to feed heavily.  March is generally solely Skwala stone fishing but as you move into April you begin to see other types of small stones as well as March Brown and Grey Drake Mayflies.

  The season for fishing this hatch runs from about March 15^th to April 20^th with the three best weeks being the last week in March through April 15^th.   This is because this hatch occurs  pre mountain runoff so the farther you get into April the higher the chance that the snow will begin to melt and the rivers will start to rise.  The weather can be cool in the 40-55 day time temp range but the fish are like clockwork once they get on the bugs they get on them every day whether the days is warm or not.

  A day on the water goes something like this.  Meet at your hotel at around 8 or 8:30 am depending on the weather (you guide will pick you up at your hotel).  Head out to the river, dry, dry/dropper, or streamer fish until noon and have lunch.  Shortly after lunch the fish will be looking up well and we fish single or double dry’s all afternoon until the hatch quites at 5:30 or 6 pm.  The fish of western Montana are a nice mixture of Rainbows, Westslope Cutthroats, Cutbows, and brown trout and the average size most days is between 16 and 19 inches with the occasional trout going over 20 in.  I always recommend booking atleast 3 guide days so that you get to see a wide selection of the different types of water and fish we have to offer in Western Montana.

  Sheerwater Guide Service still has some prime dates open for the spring so if you  want to get in on some of the best dry fly fishing of the year please contact me at karl@sheerwaterguides.com 

Karl Jones

Sheerwater Guide Service, outfitter #10893

www.sheerwaterguides.com

           Karl Jones

Happy Fourth of July!

Finally have a day off and what a June and Early July we have had!  Fishing has been fantastic!  Hope everyone has a wonderful fourth and see you all on the water soon.  Here is a nice one we caught on the Smith last month!

It time for the big bugs!

April ended beautifully this year with great dry fly fishing all the way to the end.  Now it is Missouri River time and the "Mo" is fishing great!  I spent the last week there with a day on the Dearborn as well.  We had fantastic fishing on the Mo and a great day on Salmon Flies on the Dearborn.  The next couple of weeks should be just as good!  The Missoula area will start to fish soon with a salmon flies so summer has finally come.  I still have some openings in July and August so if you want to get in on the awesome golden stone or hopper fishing ahead let me know and we will get something lined up.  Tightlines!

April

April has been fishing great! Although we did have some high water last week there was a large number of great fishing options.  With the cooler weather this week everything will drop into shape nicely for the next 10 days or so and dry fly fishing should be awesome!  If you haven't booked a day yet get ahold of me there are still a couple of days open in my April calender.  Cheers see you on the water!

Its on Like Donkey Kong!

Well so far March has been great fishing overall with the exception of a couple of days last week where it blizzarded and the skiing was much better than the fishing.  Skwalas are out in force and since the weather is warming now and should be nicer through April the bug hatch should only increase to include Grey Drakes, Baetis, and March Browns.  This is one of the very best times of year for dry fly fishing!  If you haven't grabbed some dates yet you better get on it cause things are going fast.  See you on the water!

Skwalas are here!

They are here and fishing has been really heating up on the Bitterroot!  Look for thing to only get better as long as the boat crowds don't overrun the river.  If you haven't booked anything for the next month get ahold of me soon! this only last until runnoff starts!  Cheers.  karl@sheerwaterguides.com

Springtime is almost Here!

Well since my last blog which has been quite a while we have had a bunch of adventures.  I finished up my trout season in Late October and man did we have great fishing through to the end the Missouri was on fire with streamers and Baetis.  It was really fishing just like the old days!  This is a must if you haven't seen mid October fishing in Montana. Then it was time for my personal favorite time of year! and maximum recreation I caught some nice steelhead, shot some pheasants, ducks, and a nice bull elk and that got us into Dec.  Steph and I had a great holiday with friends and family and then it was off to Patagonia.  Steph and I hosted some of my customers at a lodge in Chile for the first two weeks of January and the fishing was great!  Weather was interesting and the overall experience was fantastic!  We then traveled to into Argentina and visited friends who own the premier fishing lodge on that side of the border.  The plan for Sheerwater Guide Service in the winter is to host fishing trips in Patagonia through the connections I developed over the years I guided down there.  All in all we were in Patagonia for exactly one month.  February was spent doing boat work and house hold chores in Montana getting ready for the 2013 season up here.  We are in good shape on our snow pack and it looks like we will have an average year so plan accordingly or send me an email if you have any questions.

Here is what you and I have been waiting for.........

  My first guide day was yesterday March 2nd and we were out on the Bitterroot.  Although it is a bit early in the month for dry flies we has some excellent nymph fishing and you can tell that the Skwala Hatch will be here soon.  Plan on fishing getting good by late March and holding up through April.  Let me know if you want to fish one of the best dry fly hatches of the year.  Cheers and Tightlines! karl@sheerwaterguides.com

Another Season is done!

Well as another great trout season wraps up here in Montana I can't help but think that it was all of the great customers that came out this year that made it all worth while.  We had great trout fishing right through the third week of Oct. both in the Missoula area and on the Missouri.  The last couple of weeks I have been traveling between steelhead spots in Idaho and bird hunting spots in Montana and thinking about next trout season.  Tomorrow we are headed to far eastern Montana to chase roosters for a couple of weeks and then back to the Missoula area to hunt elk until I get one or the season closes.  My wife and I will be taking customers down to a lodge in Chile in January to fish for trout (hopefully huge ones) on the other side of the world.  Spring comes early in Montana and fishing is great by early March so let me know if you are interested.  Here is a steelhead I caught the other day that went about 7 or 8 lbs.  Cheers and be well.  Tightlines!

Fall is here!

Well fall is finally here and with the cooler weather the fish have really turned on in the last week.  Our summer was a pretty hot one this year and although hopper fishing was decent it just never had a chance to get rolling since afternoon air temps were so high.  With the cooler air temps of the last week we are seeing great hatches of tricos every day and are waiting expectantly for the Mahogany's and Baetis to get rolling soon.  I still have some openings in the first two weeks of Oct. if anyone wants to get a couple of days of fantastic fishing in before the snow flies.  Let me know.

Hopper Season is Here!

Well July is over and with it most of the stoneflies.  Even thought we had a hot month the fishing over all was great on all three rivers and my customers where fantastic!  Thanks again.  We are now in the transition to big terrestrial stuff, hoppers mostly and Tricos should arrive soon as well.  We are still in great shape water wise so the next two and half months should have great fishing opportunities for those of you who haven't  yet gotten to Montana this year.  I still have some openings in August, Sept., and Oct. so give me a call or shoot me an email.  I am taking the next week off to hangout with the wife and do a little steelhead fishing in Washington with my dad and when I get back we are going to be pushing grasshoppers for Montana's finest trout.  Talk to you all soon and see you on the water.  karl@sheerwaterguides.com

Bugs are here!

I will keep this short and sweet.  Summer is here for real the number of different bug species on our rivers currently is simply amazing!  Goldens, PMD, 2 types of Drakes, Yellow Sallies it all here and fish are eating them.  It is going to be an awesome next couple of weeks! 

June and the bugs are here!