Category: Beaverhead River Fishing Report

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The Beaverhead River is down to about it’s winter flow for the season. The outflow from Clark Canyon reservoir is 120cfs. The walk waders are happy but the drift boat guys are done for the year on the Beaverhead. You should find blue winged olives hatching and some midges. Streamers can be good on the overcast days and your basic nymph patterns are working well. CDC pheasant tails, zebra midges, WD 40’s and micro mayflies have been on the menu for the fish. Enjoy the nice fall weather and hit it before the next snow storm.

Guide trip availability the next two weeks! End of the year discounts on lodging! Give us a call 406-835-3474

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#4 Smokin’ Mirrors
#4 Sparkle Minnow
#4 Little Kim Copper
#6 Flash minnow
#18 BWO Parachute

#12 Purple Rooster
#12 Red Copper John
#12 Silver Lightning Bug
#16 Split Winged BWO
#16 Blue Winged Olive Comparadun

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September 13, 2019 Beaverhead River Fishing Report – Big dries and streamers. Red hot or frigid cold!

The flows are hovering around 300 CFS, making for great floating and wading right now. Blue wings have started on the right day, but its still the big dry that has been most productive on the top. Folks going down there have either been experiencing incredible fishing or are struggling to hook a single fish. One day its magical, the next is stagnant.

Our guides have also been reporting the same, so if you are willing to roll the dice it can pay off big. In the last two weeks, we have had both our best Beaverhead days and our worst Beaverhead days this season.

Stripping streamers has picked up tremendously, with that being a fun and consistent way to get into big trout. It is important to get down in the water column, so weighted flies with a proper sink tip is important. Holler if we can help you get your streamer game dialed in this fall. We have rods and the perfectly matched sinking lines that will have you casting far and true with the big uglies.

Give us a shout for the latest report. 406-835-3474

-Dan Soltau

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#4 Lil Kim Tan
#4 CH JJ Special
#6 She-Demon Bugger Copper
#10 Glommer
#8 Carnage Stone
#10 Frankenhopper Peach
#8 Fat Albert High Viz

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September 1st, 2019 – Beaverhead River Fishing Report – Grass. Hoppers.

If you walked through a grassy in Southwest Montana lately, you know what’s going on. There is a shocking abundance of grasshoppers, and the rivers with higher flows, especially the tailwaters such as the Beaverhead and Madison are experiencing a hopper year for the ages. A tan, pink, peach, or olive hopper in about a #10 or #12 is all you need along with a spool of 3x tippet and 9′ or leader. Tight to the bank has been best on the Beaverhead with some stellar trout being caught.

If the bite goes cold temporarily, try a drowned hopper, a worm, and/or a tiny mayfly nymph. Streamers also can cash in this time of the year. The hopper program is best suited from the boat, and can be an uphill battle for wading anglers.

We have guides to put you on the hopper bite on the Beaverhead available daily! Call us for the latest word! 406-835-3474.

-Dan Soltau

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 #4 Smoke & Mirrors JJ
#8 Mojo Minnow
#4 Little Kim Tan
#10 Al’s Glommer
#10 Chernobyl Ant – Tan
#10 Kicking Hopper
#8 Franken Hopper

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Big hopper eating brown trout for Lynn Harp on the Beaverhead River!

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8/19/19 Beaverhead River Fishing Report – Dropping flows and hoppers!

With the PMD hatch behind us, we are still seeing sallies along with some evening caddis. Nymphing has been most effective with a slightly shallower rig, and possibly a large attractor nymph such a worm or cranefly larvae. Small midges and trico-esque nymphs have been producing hook ups as well. Find the troughs between the weeds and hold on.

So far, it has been a pretty awesome run of hopper fishing. Tight casts and proper presentations have been required, and the results have been oversized trout. At 473 CFS out of the dam, it is still favoring the floating aspect but wading anglers can get in a little better as it drops. It’s below 200 CFS by the time it reaches Dillon, and 150 in Twin Bridges so float lower with caution knowing it could be a mud slog. Lots of water going to the hay fields right now.

We have had guide boats on the Beav’ lately, and the trout have continued to be thick and healthy. Holler for the latest word. 406-835-3474.

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#8 Glommer Chernobyl
#10 Morrish Hopper Tan
#10 Parachute Kicking Hopper
#10 Hot Bead Burgundy Worm
#18 Crystal Serendipity
#16 Soft Hackle Sow Bug

#8 Carnage Hopper

#8 Mojo Minnow
#20 Zebra Midge Black/Silver
#18 Psycho May Black

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8/9/2019 – Beaverhead River Fishing Report – Flows up, moss growing, & fishing great.

Flows are 660 CFS out of Clark Canyon Reservoir, and the fishing has been stellar. Finding the lane in the moss has been crucial in certain areas for the nymphers, and folks throwing hoppers with accuracy and persistence have been getting into great trout. Streamers can also produce really well with the elevated flows and lots of food moving around the river.

Subsurface, anglers employing a drop shot nymph rig have been doing great. There will be some moss involved but once you get your “feed line” right, you will be in good shape. Small mayfly nymphs and smaller sally nymphs have still been the ticket. This is a good time of the year to run a small black midge pupa, barrs emerger, or rs2 to imitate the tiny tricos that are hatching on a daily basis. You will lose lots of your fish due to the heavy flow and small hook, but its a great time nonetheless.

The Beaverhead has been known for many years as a great hopper fishery if timed properly late in the summer. This year it has been off to a great start. Irrigation demands down river have the flows between the dam and Barretts at a cool, strong flow and fish are ambushing grasshoppers that find themselves in the river. They will want it tight to the structure and drifting properly, but expect results with great presentations. An ant can pick off the selective ones.

Give us a shout for a Beaverhead guide or the latest report, we have a few spots left for August but not many. 406-835-3474.

-Dan Soltau

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#4 Barely Legal
#8 Mojo Minnow
#6 Mini Dungeon Black
#10 Parachute Hopper
#10 Kicking Leg Para Hopper
#10 Morrish Hopper Tan
#8 Clodhopper

#8 Gypsy King
#16 Flat Back Sally
#14 Birds Nest Olive & Gold
#18 SNM Nymph
#20 Zebra Midge Black Silver
#20 Clear Wing Trico
#20 Para CDC Wing Trico

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7/28/19 Beaverhead River Fishing Report – Summer hatches still kicking, with hoppers right around the corner!

We have had guides and anglers on the Beaverhead nearly every day lately, and for good reason. The big trout just keep coming, and are seeing the river come up into summer irrigation flows. Sally nymphs down deep and heavy are producing every day, with a small PMD nymph still being a great choice.

There are certainly fish looking up for a variety of snacks on the surface, but you will need to be on your game have your eyes peeled. Nooks, crannies, corners, and foam eddies are the spots to look. Very nice trout will also be looking for hoppers, so keep an eye on that by throwing it through out the day to test the waters.

The last hour has seen a solid caddis emergence with fish looking up last dark. Likewise, streamer anglers are seeing great action early and late with enough during the day to make it worthwhile.  Crowds are down, although there are still clusters of boats and wading anglers. It is best to give people plenty of space and try to step out of the way of other folks who may have hooked a dandy and are in hot pursuit.

Afternoons have seen a lull in the nymph bite, so that is a great time to try a hopper, look for noses, and/or strip a streamer.

Give us a shout anytime for the latest – 406-835-3474

-Dan Soltau

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#18 Green Machine PT or Chartruese
#4 Mini Dungeon White
#10 Henneberry Hopper
#14 Flat Back Sally Nymph
#6 CH JJ Special
#8 Chubby Chernobyl (UV) (Gold) (Purple)
#16 Missing Link

#20 Compara Dun Female Trico
#8 Mojo Minnow
#14 CDC Pheasant Tail Jig
#8 Cranefly Larvae
#16 Sparkle Flag Ant Cinnamon
#20 Chubby Trico
#18 Film Critic PMD or BWO

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July 17th ’19 Beaverhead River Report – Stellar fishing continues on the Beav!

The folks at Clark Canyon Dam have been raising the flows slowly to meet irrigation demands down river, and the flows are ideal for floating and wade fishing. We had a real gully washer yesterday which has put some mud into the river from Grasshopper Creek. PMDs are hatching, along with a bunch of yellow sallies. There are certainly fish rising in nooks and crannies, however the best action has been subsurface with a deep nymph rig setup with a pmd nymph and a sallie.

Quality over quantity has continued to be name of the game from the dam to High Bridge, and action has been hot down from there. Make sure to use plenty of weight and depth on your nymph rigs. 6′ roughly to the fly, and try keeping your split shot BELOW your fly using a tag end system. Or drop shot style. This sinks significantly better and offers enhanced sensitivity.

Small PMD dries and trico dries can fool those picky risers with a proper drift. Leader length should be at least 10′, down to 4x or 5x if 4x doesn’t fit through the eye.

406-835-3474 – Holler for the latest.

Dan Soltau

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#16 Tungsten Sunkist
#14 Kyle’s BH Yellow Sally
#4 Little Kim Copper
#4 Beldar Bugger Brown & Yellow
#18 Film Critic PMD
#18 Parachute Rusty Spinner
#8 Chubby Gold – below Grasshopper

#18 Split Case BWO & PMD
#14 Copper John Red
#16 MacGruber
#20 Compara Dun PMD
#18 Sparkle Dun PMD
#20 Trico Female

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