Feb.

As the winter winds down we continue to get good moisture both in the form of valley snow/rain and mountain snow and are looking really good for the coming summer. Last week I finally got out of the boat shop and headed to the Oregon coast to fish for winter steelhead. We had decent fishing and landed some nice ones each day. The new skiff is coming along nicely and sure is a looker! It should be done in a week or so if I can keep up the pace. I have set this one up with both front and back casting braces so it has a stand and fish option just like a driftboat but with the wider hull foot print and flat bottom so it runs in really shallow water. Can't wait to get this one out on the water. If the weather continues to warm slowly like it has been doing we should begin to have decent dry fly fishing by Mid March and great dry fly fishing by the 20th of March and I still have a few openings for the spring Skwala Hatch. Shoot me an email if you are interested @ karl@sheerwaterguides.com

First Trout of 2012

While the winter hasn't been exactly freezing and cold we have great snow packs and will continue to get more.  We have been having these warm spells recently so on Sat. a buddy and I drove over and fished the Missouri River in Central Montana and it is official, the trout are biting in 2012.  We had great nymph fishing and could have caught fish on Midges if the wind would have laid down for a second.  I haven't yet been out but have heard the Bitterroot is starting to fish as well look for midging fish and skwala nymph action in the afternoons.  Mostly I have been holed up in my new boat shop creating a low side bitterroot skiff for this year.  I was so pleased with last years design I needed to refine and create once more to try and perfect the final product.  Our season starts around March 20 around here and that mean there should be dry fly fishing by that time, we will begin to be able to catch consistent numbers on nymphs in a couple of weeks.  I still have openings in March and April so give me a call and get on the books for one of the best dry fly fishing times of year!  karl@sheerwaterguides.com

Winter

Well the new boat shop is finally finished and I will begin construction of a new 15 ft. skiff and a 9 ft. pram after new years.  Winter has definitely set in around here and we are lucky if the highs for the day get above freezing.  Haven't thought about fishing much although I saw one rise to a midge in the duck decoys the other day.  If you are interested in a boat or fishing next spring or early summer please contact me asap since both season will fill up (hopefully) in the next couple of months.  Stay warm and look forward to rising trout and healthy flows. http://www.sheerwaterguides.com/

Fall into Winter

As the fall winds to a close and my favorite time of year is fading, I can't help but think of all the great days of trout fishing we had this year and the great clients that make it all possible.  After doing my last days in Oct.  I spent a number of days swinging flies for steelhead in Idaho and then hitched up my new '65 airstream trailer and headed to Eastern Montana to hunt pheasants and sharptails with my dad for 10 days.  The trip was a total success and some of the best upland hunting I have seen in years both Pesca and Futa did awesome this year (my yellow labs)!  Then it was off to elk camp where I scored again with both a mule deer buck and a nice cow elk.  Now that the freezer is full and snow is on the ground I am beginning to think about next year.  Spring comes fast around Missoula and we will have great fishing by March 20.  Give me a call and lets set up some dates.  Thanks again for a great year and have a great Thanksgiving!

Fall is here!

As the summer ends and fall rushes in I can't help but think what a great season it was.  What an incredible snow pack we had the rivers really never got low and the trout were truely happy.  Thanks again for all of your buisness!  Fishing as a whole was fantastic this year and the Clark Fork is really beginning to show it's true colors again.  Mahagony's are going strong and head hunting is really good right now.
  It was opening day of duck season today and a couple of friends and I got up to a little pothole in the Mission Valley and shot three limits.  What a nice change of pace.  October will continue to fish well as long as the temperatures stay moderate.  It is now time to begin thinking about Spring Skwala's I already have a few bookings so if you want a specific date please contact me asap.  Cheers and thanks again!

August and the fishing is awesome!

Summertime and hopper fishing is in full swing.  All three of Missoula's rivers are fishing great right now and should only get better as the weather moves towards fall.  Spruce Moths on the Blackfoot are really going strong and we are getting a 5 plus hour window of great dry fly fishing everyday.  Hopper fishing on the Clark is really good right now and the Bitterroot is beginning see hoppers as well.  I still have a couple of more dates left in late August, Sept, and October so get ahold of me as soon as possible come see why high water spring rock! in the fall.  karl@sheerwaterguides.com

Fishing is going to be awesome for the rest of the season

It has finally happen and fishing is great everywhere on the Bitterroot and Blackfoot.  The Clark Fork will begin to fish in the next couple of weeks. Golden Stones, Drakes, PMD, Yellow Sallies.  The fish are really on the Chew. With the Bitterroot and Blackfoot both still around 5000 cfs we are going to have alot of water for the whole summer so get up here enjoy fishing from my wooden boat all year cause we will not need to use the raft.  Still have plenty of opening in Late August, Sept., and Oct. so send me an email and we will get you on the books.  Cheers.