By Patrick Straub EBS FISHING COLUMNIST
As fall
creeps into our area, despite our desire to cling to our flip-flops and
sunshirts, we can be excited for a very good fishing season. Blessed with ample
summer streamflows and some of the best hopper fishing we’ve had in recent
memory, fall in southwest Montana is shaping up to be one to remember.
Here are
some helpful tips to get the best out of your fall fishing:
Time your fishing appropriately. We
stress this often in winter but, for fall fishing it is equally important. A
few more hours of sleep never hurt anyone, and for me I’m happy to be waking up
at 7 a.m. instead of 5 these days. Watching a Montana sunrise is often
spectacular, but for fall fishing, your time’s better spent watching the sunset
on the river than stumbling for your coffee in the dark of the early morning.
As the
nighttime lows dip into the 30s, it will take longer for the water temperatures
to rise and make for hungry and happy trout. A good rule: If the nighttime low
is below 30 degrees, hit the water no earlier than 9 or 10 a.m.; if above 30, 9
a.m. is do-able but you might have cold fingers for a while before you hook a
fish.
Invest in quality gear. A local angling
legend once said to me, “There is no such thing as bad weather, only bad gear.”
The few times I’ve been cold and miserable on the river were the direct result
of poor planning on my part because I did have the appropriate gear. By gear, I
mean your entire outfit from socks to stocking cap.
Technology
has evolved to create fabrics that offer a lot of warmth with very little bulk
and materials for outerwear and waders have exceptional water and wind
resistance. From friction-fused microfibers to extreme vapor-fighting powers, these
fabrics are winning the war against the elements, but like any technology, it’s
only as smart as its user. Fortunately zipping a Gore-Tex jacket is much easier
than programming your smartphone.
Adjust your fishing tactics. Fishing
guides enjoy the change of tactics that occurs when morning frost shows-up. The
most obvious and popular tactical adjustment is fishing streamers and larger
baitfish imitations. Brown trout become more aggressive in the coming weeks as
they prepare to spawn. Rainbows and cutthroat trout also become more
opportunistic.
Anglers
targeting lakes or fishing in rivers dependent on lakes, such as the Madison
River upstream of Hebgen or the river “between the lakes,” should use sink-tip
lines and weighted flies in the larger holes or deeper runs. Patience here is
key—get to your spot, ensure your fly is getting down to the necessary depth,
and continue fishing as fish come and go migrating upstream.
Dry-fly
anglers will find matching the hatch becomes a little more important during
these cooler months. On most of our rivers, the primary hatch is the fall blue-winged
olive mayfly. A purple Parachute Adams or a Purple Para-Cripple will get it
done most of the time, but it is a good idea to have a few mayfly emergers in
your box along with some spent mayflies.
Be flexible. This past week I guided
some new clients—despite my suggestions of waiting until the day-of to decide
where to fish, we spent a lot of lip service weeks-prior discussing where to go
and what would be the best option. They wanted a plan in place before they got
off the plane, so we set one: Monday the Yellowstone, Tuesday the Madison,
Wednesday a spring creek, and so-on.
I’m a firm
believer in fishing the best water given the current conditions. Naturally our
angling itinerary changed. We ended up on the spring creek the day we were
supposed to be on the Madison because of wind on the Madison and overcast skies
in Paradise Valley; we fished the Madison on the day slotted for the
Yellowstone because of rain muddying the section they wanted to fish. Rain,
wind, colder temps in one area versus another, and even the day of the week—weekends
being busier—all should play a role in choosing the best places to fish this
time of year.
Each spring
I look forward to fall, and not just because the finish line to another guiding
season is in sight, or because I get an extra hour of sleep each night not
having to be on the water shortly after sunrise. It is because in my soul I
believe trout fishing’s heart belongs to chilly mornings, fishing hatches
during the gentlemanly hours of the day and a river feeling frigid against the
skin.
Patrick Straub is a 20-year veteran guide and outfitter on Montana’s waters and has fished the world over. He now writes and manages the social media for Yellow Dog Flyfishing Adventures. He is the author of six books, including “Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Fly Fishing” and has been writing The Eddy Line for seven years.
