May 17th '19 Beaverhead River Fishing report - The long awaited opener on the upper Beaverhead River is here!

Tomorrow marks one of the most fun days on the water, the upper Beaverhead opener! The stretch between Clark Canyon Dam and Pipe Organ Bridge will open to fishing and we are looking forward to top notch fishing in that stretch. The river is coming out of Clark Canyon at 550 CFS, which is a great flow to float and wade fish in the right locations. We are anticipating a great sowbug bite, along with solid streamer fishing given the dark and rainy conditions.

The Mother's Day caddis may still make an appearance on a warmer evening, however they did pop last week and most reports indicated very little surface activity. We are thinking that Grasshopper Creek will be putting in mud due to the precipitation we are receiving.  The flows however can mix that up quickly and there can often be a great worm and/or streamer bite below the confluence.

The narrow channel on the Beaverhead can make for an interesting day when there are lots of anglers, so please be considerate to the other folks on the river. With the river remaining at a nice flows through out the past winter, we are anticipating great fishing on the upper Beaverhead which means that the top section can get a little congested. Call the shop to learn about other sections that can offer great fishing and less anglers. The Henneberry area can be spectacular, and can produce some phenomenal trout without as much crowding as near the Dam.

For the most part, our guides are sticking to the Big Hole but we would love to have anyone for a day down on the Beaverhead. It is well known for large trout and this season is set to be a magical one on Montana's favorite small tailwater. Call us at 406-835-FISH for the latest report or inquiries!

#4 Smoke & Mirrors - Cream
#6 Kreelex Minnow
#4 Little Kim Copper
#6 Clouser Crawdad
#6 Jewel Thief - Brown & Copper
#18 Film Critic BWO Emerger

#18 Split Case BWO
#16 Soft Hackle Scud Orange
#16 Hot Bead Sow Bug
#10 Ninch's Fish Finder Worm Pink
#14 Brown Hot Spot San Juan Worm
#6 Zirdle - Tan

Beaverhead River trout grow quick and make for a great day on the water!

The Beaverhead River is fishing well from Pipe Organ Bridge down to Grasshopper. Below Grasshopper Creek the clarity has improved dramatically. Currently we have 3 feet of visibility below Grasshopper Creek. We have done the best on zebra midges and blue winged olive nymphs. The Blue Winged Olive hatches have been thick but fish have not been up eating them. Streamers below grasshopper creek and nymphing San Juan Worms have been the best option.

Reminder: From the Dam down to Pipe Organ Bridge is closed until May 18th.

Book Your Spring Special Package today!

Recommended Flies: #18 Zebra midge; #18 Shop Vac; #16 Green Machine; #18 Sow Bug; #6 J.J. Special #8 Flash Minnow Olive;

The Beaverhead River is currently fishing pretty good from Pipe Organ Bridge down to Grasshopper Creek. Below Grasshopper Creek the river is pretty darn muddy due to runoff in the Grasshopper Valley. This can change daily so please check in with us on the most current clarity of Grasshopper Creek. Our best flies below Pipe Organ Bridge has been midge nymphs, sow bugs, and blue wing nymphs. On the warmer day we have  had good streamer fishing during the heat of the day.

Reminder that from the Dam down to Pipe Organ Bridge is closed until the 3rd Saturday of May.

Recommended Flies:

#18 Shop Vac; #18 Green Machine; #16 Soft Hackle Sow Bug; #16 Zebra Midge; #10 San Juan Worm; #6 J.J. Special; #6 Sparkle Minnow

Sunrise Fly Shop opens April 1st! We got out on the Beaverhead the other day and it fished very well in there afternoon. The morning was slow due to cold weather but as soon as the water stopped freezing on our guides we were into fish the rest of the day. All subsurface nymphing and slow stripping streamers. The Blue Winged Olives are about to hatch as we found many nymphs in the water column.

The Dam down to Pipe Organ Bridge is closed until the 3rd Saturday of May. Currently, you must float or wade fish below Pipe Organ Bridge.

Book your Spring Special Fishing package today! Details Here. 

A nice Fish caught below Pipe Organ this week

Recommended Flies: #16 Shop Vac, #18 Green Machine; #18 Zebra Midge; #8 San Juan Worm; #18 Disco Midge; #6 J.J. Special; #6 Flash Minnow Gold; #6 Sparkle Minnow

The Beaverhead River is predicted to have a banner season for us. Clark Canyon Reservoir is 90% full for this date in time and when we have runoff in the spring it should fill to capacity. We will have excellent flows this season on the Beaverhead. Our winter flows on the Beaverhead have been around 200cfs which is fantastic for the trout. The winters we have had in the past when flows remain above 100cfs has allowed the fish to grow and stay healthy, also it has helped the fish habitat and bug life. Our spring fishing packages are available again. We are excited to have our own lodging this spring for our clients. Click here for more information. 

February 7, 2019 at Sunrise Fly Shop

Winter has set into the Big Hole and Beaverhead Valleys. The trout are in hibernation mode and so are many anglers. Here are some updates for the holiday/winter season at Sunrise Fly Shop.

Holiday Gift Cards are available. Send your friend or family member a gift card for a guided trip. Give us a call 406-835-3474

SIMMS FREESTONE WADERS 20% OFF and select Simms Boots: CALL THE SHOP FOR ORDERING 406-835-3474

Winston BIIIX 6 weight rod(s) 1 left at 30% off 

In the Winter of 2019 we will be hosting another trip to Belize. We have 1 spot still available for each week. We are going to be in Punta Gorda, Belize at the Copal Tree Lodge https://copaltreelodge.com fishing for permit, bone fish and tarpon.

February 23rd - 28th 1 spot available ( 2 anglers)

March 2nd - 8th 1 spot available ( 2 anglers)

Give us a call to book or gather more information on this incredible trip 406-835-3474.

Below are photos from last years trip

Clark Canyon reservoir has flipped, which typically happens this time of year. When the reservoir flips the water is murky coming out of the spillway. Fishing has been tough from the dam down to Barretts. Our best fishing has been through the Dillon stretches below Barretts. Streamer fishing and some hoppers in the afternoon has been getting it done. When the clarity improves up top near the dam we will let you know. Flows still remain good out of Clark Canyon reservoir. Look for the flows to start dropping soon as irrigation demands subside.

Check out our Sunrise fly Shop Lodging Here. Call for availability 406-835-3474

Recommended Flies:

#8 Parachute Hopper
#8 CFO Hopper
#8 Fat Albert
#16 PMD cripple
#18 Pandemic
#18 Crack Back PMD
#18 Eddie Vedder

#18 tan sow bug
#18 Mayhem
#18 Super Flash Pheasant tail
#18 rollin' Stone Sally
#18 Psycho Prince
#20 Split Back PMD

The Beaverhead has continued to fish well. You will find pockets of PMD's, some tricos and a few stray Yellow Sallies. Look for the trico's and hoppers to take charge this week. We have had some fantastic hopper fishing on the Beaverhead recently. Flows out of clark canyon reservoir are currently @ 600cfs. It is time to get out and enjoy the last of the hopper fishing because fall is around the corner.

Check out our Sunrise fly Shop Lodging Here. Call for availability 406-835-3474

Recommended Flies:

#8 Parachute Hopper
#8 CFO Hopper
#8 Fat Albert
#16 PMD cripple
#18 Pandemic
#18 Crack Back PMD
#18 Eddie Vedder

#18 tan sow bug
#18 Mayhem
#18 Super Flash Pheasant tail
#18 rollin' Stone Sally
#18 Psycho Prince
#20 Split Back PMD

Fishing has been pretty good on the Beaverhead lately. We have been fishing from High Bridge down to Barrett's. You will find yellow sallies below High Bridge. The hopper fishing has been pretty good from Henneberry down stream. If you stick with the hopper you will be rewarded with a tremendous brown trout. You will find moss below the dam until you get to High Bridge. The water below High Bridge is clear and the moss is not putting a damper on your fishing. The Flow out of Clark Canyon Reservoir was 651cfs this morning.

Check out our Sunrise fly Shop Lodging Here. Call for availability 406-835-3474

Recommended Flies:

#8 Parachute Hopper
#8 CFO Hopper
#8 Fat Albert
#16 PMD cripple
#18 Pandemic
#18 Crack Back PMD
#18 Eddie Vedder

#18 tan sow bug
#18 Mayhem
#18 Super Flash Pheasant tail
#18 rollin' Stone Sally
#18 Psycho Prince
#20 Split Back PMD

Sunrise Fly Shop Guide Andy Barkley with a great hopper eater on the Beaverhead River

The Beaverhead River currently has an outflow of 750cfs. The Beaverhead River has been fishing very well for us over the last several weeks. We have been enjoying hatches of PMD's, Yellow Sallies and caddis. It has been a fantastic big fish month on the Beaverhead River. You can stalk fish rising to PMD's and sallies right now or sling some nymphs on the bottom. The river remains crystal clear and we look for this fishery to keep bending rods for awhile.

Recommended Flies:

#16 PMD cripple
#18 Mayhem
#18 Eddie Vedder
#18 Pandemic

#18 Crack Back PMD
#18 tan sow bug
#22 Split Back PMD