Rivers
The Yellowstone & Stillwater Rivers
The Yellowstone and Stillwater excellent dry fly fishing pre-runoff. Both offer prolific hatches of drakes, caddis, and baetis during the months of late March, April, and early May. When spring falls upon the Big Sky State, you can experience some of the best dry fly fishing in the state on these two rivers.
You can enjoy a day cruising the scenic Stillwater, either floating or wading, looking for pods of rising trout that are eager to gobble your dry. Then spend a day or two floating the upper or less crowded lower Yellowstone where trout slam caddis till they are gorged, or throw wooly buggers and catch trophy brown trout.
From mid May through June, runoff from the mountains hit these rivers and they are unfishable for the most part. The Yellowstone still produces big water but the salmon fly and golden stones hatch creates the biggest meal for the trout on these rivers. Every trout in the river is looking to gobble these gigantic bugs. Both rivers provide excellent dry fly fishing with attractor patterns such as hoppers, stimulators and wulffs in August and September.
Missouri River
This river is an unbelievable fishery. Hatches consist of baetis and midges (May & June),Caddis, Yellow Sally’s, and PMD’s (June & July), Tricos (August & September). There are many days when floating the Missouri you can find pod after pod of rising trout ready to eat your dry if presented correctly. The Missouri River is an aquatic factory that produces hatch after hatch throughout the spring, summer, and fall.
Big Hole River
Absolutely hands down my favorite river and also one of the best blue ribbon trout fisheries in the US. The Big Hole is always consistent and can catch five different species including the endangered grayling. You always have a chance to catch a brown trout that could be your biggest. I have caught them all the way up to 28 inches. The best time to fish this river starts in June with the salmon fly hatch, usually starting the second week in June. July can offer excellent dry fly fishing. Patterns used are determined by the hatches which include Golden Stone, Caddis, Yellow Sally, and PMD’s. In August, the water gets low and warm, but the fish still feed on attractors and certain special nymphs. September and October can be some of the best fishing you will ever see on this river before the cold winter months set in and slow down the feeding frenzy.
Other rivers to consider for your trip are the Beaverhead, Madison, and Bighorn, which are as equally good, but tend to be overcrowded.