Montana is routinely considered one of the best places for fly fishing in the country. The fall means low, clear rivers, perfect for wading or floating. Autumn colors abound as larches, aspen, and other deciduous trees change to oranges, yellows and reds, bringing a new season of beauty to the riverbanks and mountainsides.
Some of the top fishing in Montana happens in the fall, when large trout are looking for big meals. It’s a good time to tie on a streamer—a larger fly that imitates a leech, large insect, or small fish—and go after a big brown trout. It is important to watch out for redds, the shallow areas where spawning fish have laid their eggs, and not fish there—aim for the deeper runs and pools instead. The spawning fish are busy protecting the redds and, for the future health of the river, should not be fished out.
If you don’t want to go big with a streamer, try going very small. Fish are used to eating nymphs and midges this time of year, and will be interested in taking a bite of whatever is hatching. If you’re interested in getting more involved with fly fishing, the slower fall season is a good time for finding classes on how to tie flies at your local fishing shop or outfitter.
The best places for fall fly fishing are the same rivers that fish well in the summer.
• In northwest Montana, the Flathead River is a good place to catch trout migrating downstream from the North Fork or the Middle Fork toward their winter territory in Flathead Lake.
• Around Missoula, the Clark Fork, Bitterroot, and Blackfoot Rivers offer a chance at rainbow or brown trout, as well as the rarer bull trout and westslope cutthroat trout. Bull trout are a threatened species and the cutthroat are listed as sensitive, so careful catch and release is important for the health of both species.
• The Madison River, in southwest Montana near Bozeman, boasts world-class trout fishing. Many anglers try their luck at a trophy trout inside Yellowstone National Park as trout make their way upstream from Hebgen Lake to spawn.
• Southeast of Billings, the Bighorn River is a great place to hook a brown or rainbow trout.
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