THE BUGS OF FALL
Fall has arrived on the Bitterroot River and we’ve been having some good days on dry flies. In the mid mornings until about 1-2 pm the tiny tricos are out in force. These little mayflies (size 18-22) will test your eyesight and patience. Unfortunately, the fish love them. You should see pods of fish up and eating. Your best bet is picking out the best fish in the pod and make repeated good, soft casts. After the tricos disappear there have been decent numbers of hecubas (our last drake of the year) out. It doesn’t take many of these bugs on the water to make the fish take notice. A green and/or brown drake in a size 10-12 works for a good imitation. On the cloudy days there have been good numbers of mahogany duns (size 14-16) and blue winged olives (size 18-20) out. Don’t be afraid to throw a golden stone or a hopper pattern (size 8-10) in the afternoons as well. As long as we don’t get a prolonged cold snap we should continue to see good fishin’ on the Bitterroot River through most of October. However, winter is on the way so it’s time to get out and get it while you can! (UPDATED SEPT 26TH)
