The Kingfisher Fly Shop's Five-River Fishing Report

Close But No Cigar

By The Kingfisher Fly Shop, 3-15-06

Bitterroot

3/15/2006

REPORTS: Well, here we are again with another season of daily hatch reports beginning today. Once again, we will strive to bring you accurate and honest reports straight from the river . . . and by accurate I mean completed and by honest I mean black coffe induced and by river I mean pool halls or wherever we've been. On that note, we have been on the 'root lately and to be totally coffee induced, it hasn't been much to write home about. It's nymphing ok, but the dryfly action is not going off yet. We need a couple of 45 degree days strung together to make it happen. The nymphs are staged BIG time in the shallows so it'll be an any day now type of thing. In the mean time, you may want to just sit in a dark closet and lament the fact that your girlfriend is and entirely more adept steelheader than you are and has already beaten you with your own diaper size wise! (sorry, had to do it, punishing a loyal audience is what gets me out of bed in the mornings)



Blackfoot

3/15/2006

REPORTS: The fishing up here would be GREAT right now if it weren't so terrible. Still a case of real winter up the Blackfoot Valley these days. Let the polar bears and penquins migrate back north before you consider this one.


Clark Fork

3/15/2006

REPORTS: While we're seeing more naturals (skwalas) on this river than any others right now, there's just now a lot of fish looking up these days. The nymphing has been decent although not stellar, but that'll change in a hurry when daytime highs rise a few more degrees. Look for the skalas to be bigger on this river than on the others, and expect this hatch to go full swing right up until high water hits. Look for the big melt to begin around May 11th if this plays out like an average year.

Missouri

3/15/2006

REPORTS: Holding a frosty Moose Drool in your boat without mittens is going to be a frosty affair on the Mo today. The highs are looking at the lower 40s with a 10 to 20 mph wind. Hmmm. The nymphing's been decent when the wind stays down, and if you hit a run where the fish are stacked, it can be silly good. Bring your typical winter Missour box with smaller red and pink scuds and sowbugs. Darker midge emergers with a little bit of flash are also a good bet. It's still going to be nippy . . . bring your mittens.

Rock Creek

3/15/2006

REPORTS: Still a nymphing deal at this stage of the game. Red San Juans and size 10 dark bodies stoneflies have been taking fish on the lower end of the creek pretty consistently, but the dries are still 10 degees away. Much like the 'root, the nymphs are stacked up big time, so when conditions are right, it's going to get very good very quickly.

WEATHER: Today: Patchy fog this morning...otherwise becoming mostly cloudy with isolated snow showers. Scattered snow showers in the afternoon. Highs in the 40s. Tonight: Mostly cloudy with a chance of snow showers in the evening...then partly cloudy after midnight. Lows 18 to 25. Thursday: Partly cloudy in the morning then becoming mostly cloudy. Slight chance of snow showers in the afternoon. Highs in the 40s to lower 50s. Thursday night: Mostly cloudy with a chance of snow showers. Lows in the 20s. Friday: Mostly cloudy with a chance of rain and snow showers. Highs in the mid 40s to lower 50s. Friday night through Saturday night: Mostly cloudy with a 40 percent chance of snow showers. Lows in the 20s. Highs in the 40s. Sunday and Sunday night: Mostly cloudy with a 20 percent chance of snow showers. Highs in the 40s to lower 50s. Lows in the 20s.

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