Summer is here and the fishing is only getting better.

Finally summer is here.  Both the Bitterroot and Blackfoot are fishing well and fish are starting to look up consistently each afternoon.  We are seeing tons of Goldens of vary sizes as well as Drakes and PMD's.  The next couple of months should be awesome fishing so come on out and see us.  karl@sheerwaterguides.com

It has finally happened!

As rivers continue to drop around Missoula the fishing is really taking off.  Although we are still mostly fishing small tributaries with Salmon Flies and Golden Stones both the mainstem of the Bitterroot and Blackfoot should begin to fish well by this weekend and the Clark Fork in a couple of weeks.  This is going to be an awesome summer with great water levels give me a call dry fly fishing is here to stay until late October.  karl@sheerwaterguides.com

Things are looking up!

As the water continues to stay high in most of western montana.  Things are still starting to fish.  I have spent the last week between the Dearborn, Missouri, and Upper Rock Creek.  Although the Creek is now closed to floating for the rest of the season.  We caught fish on dry's and streamers on both the Dearborn and the Creek and I expect the Bitterroot and West Fork to begin to fish well ASAP.  What all this really means is that August, Sept, and October are going to be awesome fishing.  Since we are having such a cool summer so far water temps will be great in August and fish should be hammering hoppers.  If you want to fish this year and haven't already booked now is the time! karl@sheerwaterguides.com

Check out the new pics of the Bitterroot skiff on the website.  I will be running a special price on these boats this winter just to get a few more of them out on the water.  I strongly believe this skiff design is the best rowing boat I have ever been in and I have been getting really strong reviews from both customers and other guides.  It is really stable and really light and as a result you just don't have to work as hard to catch fish.  CHECK IT OUT!

June around Missoula.......

Finally! The water is dropping yippeee!!!!!!!!!  We are finally seeing runoff begin to fall and fishing oportunities are looking good for the next couple of weeks.  Some reports have trickled in about possible Salmon Fly fishing on the upper Bitterroot and Rock Creek.  Although the rivers are still high.  There should be fish biting on the tributaries and upper Bitterroot.  The Missouri continues to give up great fish but the pressure is intense so if you want to get out in the next two weeks give me a call and head to Missoula.  karl@sheerwaterguides.com

Rainy wet June

As we near mid June I can't help but be amazed that after the huge snow pack that we recieved last winter we have had nearly five weeks of constant rain.  Many years we are right in the middle of awesome salmon fly fishing but not this year.  Although finally the rivers around Missoula may be near the top and ready to fall the other way and start to clear soon it is mid June and we arn't sure if the end is in site.  What this means is that July, August, Sept. and October are going to be awesome this year and the fish are going to be extremely well fed.  I still have a number of openings for July and the rest of the summer so come on up the whole season should be awesome.  The fishing on the Missouri continues to be excellent although the lower river isn't much of an option with the Dearborn putting mud in the river.  Come and see what the worm hatch is all about.  The quality fishing on the Mo should last through the first week of July atleast.  karl@sheerwaterguides.com

June like no other!

Well I have just gotten back to Missoula from my second trip of the season over the the Missouri River.  The fishing was great!.  Even though most of Montana has been inundated by flooding and snow melt the Missouri as usual is fishing fantastic!  The rains of the last few weeks on top of the already considerable snow pack have swelled many rivers above their banks but I still hold out hope that the Bitterroot and Blackfoot will be good to go in a couple of weeks both have been down to fishable levels in the last week and only just came up again because we got a ton of rain yesterday around Missoula.  I don't think that the huge water we are experiencing right now in Montana will hurt our summer fishing at all if anything it will just make it that much better.  I will keep you all updated as things progress around here but right now I think Western Montana should begin to fish great in the next couple of weeks.  Cheers and contact me at karl@sheerwaterguides.com I still have a number of openings in the first two weeks of July. 

May and the water is big!

It is time to start thinking about tailwater and tributary fishing.  Having just got back from tropical 89 degree weather, great surf, and big Jack Crevalle in Mexico I am pumped to see the runnoff in Western Montana in full swing.  Many people think May is a poor trout fishing month but this is simply not the case.  My favorite river in May is the Missouri which has over 4000 trout per mile and in some sections double that number.  Because it is a tailwater (damn release) it runs relatively clear even at extremely high flows which keeps the fishing biting no matter the cfs levels.  The average size of fish in the "Mo" is simple amazing and after all of the great runoffs we have had over the last few years it only seems to be getting better.  We spend the majority of May and early June fishing the Missouri but there are a number of smaller options that if the weather cools off for a couple of days the waters will clear and present some excellent early season stone fly hatches.  I always tell people that the last two weeks of May and the first two weeks of June are possibly the best fishing weeks of the whole year, the only thing not guarenteed is if you will get it don't on a dry fly.  Many times we have to nymph 'em up to catch the bigs ones, but most people agree that a big one under a bobber is way better than no fish at all and the fact that you usually catch way more big ones per day at this time of year kind of sells itself.  Come expecting to chase big strong trout in a big river with lots of current.  It is a really exciting time of year to be out on the water.  I still have some days available in early June so send me an email at karl@sheerwaterguides.com and we will go fishing.