LAte October Tips for Success

A few late October into early November fishing tips for your trout angling success here in central Montana. While many rivers are now finished for the season the Mighty Mo fishes all twelve months.

• Start late. No need to go out when the mercury reads near freezing. Many heading out about noon for the afternoon session.

• Streamer fishers like the leech. Black, Olive, Brown. All good in this river neighborhood. Intermediate tips, dry line action, or heavier tips to scratch the bottoms of the troughs.

• Swingers like the soft hackle. Small BWO and larger October Caddis patterns produce. Fishing to rising fish or subtle troughs can provide good action.

• Dry Fly anglers understand that the Hail Mary approach rarely works. Many show the fly to the trout badly, meaning dragging, approx. 15 casts before the perfect drift. That approach does not hold water. Practice beside the fish, near the fish, not on the fish. Toss the fly at the fish. Drifts reaching 10 feet, 8 feet, 15 feet to that rising trout will not get it done. A 3-6’ drift is about all you can achieve. Even the best casters, drifters, do not try to catch all the fish in one drift. Be effecient.

• Reach casts, slack line presentations, and a “hunting like approach” will catch more than the guessing only heavy dry fly casting approach.

• Adams and cripples. Small and large duns, cripples, emergers will entice trout bites.

• Nymphers love the sowbug. Say no more. Tie on a small BWO nymph if you like.

• Headhunters is your fall and winter fly fishing store. Open daily. Spey central here in Montana. Demo rods, lines, all kinds of flies, education/casting lessons, guide trips from those who are privy to the Trout Spey rod since the inception of trout spey rods.