The Bitteroot has been dropping from the cooler weather we have been having. This will have the biggest impact on the bugs. The cooler water temps will keep the bugs pretty dormant. Fishing during the heat of the day will be your best bet until we see some warmer temps. Even though the bugs might not be hatching, Skwalas, march browns, baetis, and midges are all still on the menu. March brown nymphs, San Juans, and skwala nymphs have been the ticket for subsurface. Focus on working side channels and walking pace water. Remember to have long drifts with more mending rather that picking up and recasting.

Double dutch bugs, flush floater skwalas, royal chubbies, olive chubbies, Amy’s ants in olive, and bugmeisters are all good choices for skwalas. For nemouras just sharpie up your smallest skwala pattern and you will be good. Underneath use pheasant tails, pearl green lightning bugs, San Juan worms, amber princes, Pat’s rubber legs, jigstones, and hare’s ear nymphs. Streamers have been working well in the down time between hatches with Aztec streamers , sparkle minnows, bighorn buggers, sculpzillas, and sex dungeons. The streamers have been fishing best with short strips off the banks.

HATCHES/Flies: Midges, skwalas, march browns, baetis, grey drakes A Review of the Winston Fly Rod

For more info on the Winston Nexus