With fishing season quickly approaching, we start compiling a list of “go-to” flies we are low on and need to tie up for the season. Even though new bugs are being developed every year, there are some bugs you simply can not beat. Here are some dry flies you better have in your box if your coming to fish in Montana.
SUV Salmonfly (or your favorite Salmonfly): If your going to be in Western Montana during May, June, and July you better have some Salmonflys in your box. Damien’s SUV Stonefly is produced by MFC and is one of our favorite Salmonflys. It is highly visible and floats a dropper very well.
Recipe:
Hook – Umpqua U203 #6
Thread – Uni-Thread 6/0 Orange
Tail – Krystal Flash Black
Body – Orange Poly Pro Yarn
Overbody – 2mm Foam Black
Underwing – Grey Poly Pro Yarn
Overunderwing – Krystal Flash Pearl
Wing pad – 2mm Foam Black
Thorax – Ice Dub Peacock Black
Wing – Elk Hair
Indicator – Razor Foam Orange
Kochi’s Spruce Moth: Spruce Moths are fairly common across Western Montana however, some years are better than others. The Spruce Moth is actually not a aquatic insect but lays eggs and hatches in the pine trees on the banks of Western Montana’s freestone rivers. If you can time it right, the trout go nuts for them. Kochi’s Spruce Moth is produced by MFC and is our favorite Spruce Moth pattern.
Recipe:
Hook: Umpqua U001 #12
Wing: Snowshoe Hare
Dubbing: Senyo’s Laser Dub White
Hackle: Cream or White Saddle Hackle
Carlson’s Purple Haze: Arguably one of the best mayfly imitations for Montana. Something about the color purple the trout seem to like. If their are mayflies on the water, I wouldn’t look past The Purple Haze.
Recipe:
Hook: Umpqua U001 #10-20
Body: Uni-Flex Purple
Post: Calf Body Hair
Hackle: Coachmen Brown & Grizzly Hackle
Quigley’s Film Critic: This is a great mayfly emerger for when fish are being picky. The Film Critic is a rather new (ish) pattern and is produced by Umpqua. Our favorites are the PMD and BWO versions.
Recipe:
Hook: Daiichi 1160
Thread: Yellow 8/0 UNI-Thread
Shuck: Amber Antron and bronze mallard
Rib: Amber Ultra Wire and Brown Uni-Flex
Abdomen: Super Fine Dubbing PMD
Hackle Post: White Poly Pro Yarn or McFlylon
Hackle: Grizzly dyed Yellow
Thread: Yellow 8/0 UNI-Thread
Shuck: Amber Antron and bronze mallard
Rib: Amber Ultra Wire and Brown Uni-Flex
Abdomen: Super Fine Dubbing PMD
Hackle Post: White Poly Pro Yarn or McFlylon
Hackle: Grizzly dyed Yellow
Stranahan’s Brindle Chute: This fly works great for Hecuba mayflies and other larger drakes. We fish this fly in sizes 8-16.
Recipe:
Hook: Umpqua U001 #8-16
Tail: Natural Elk Hair
Body: 50% hare’s ear/antron, 25% olive rabbit/antron, 25% rust orange rabbit/antron (add a little gold rabbit after the other stuff’s all blended)
Post: Calf Tail or Calf Body Hair
Hackle: Grizzly Died Tan
Thread: Danville 6/0 Flymaster Tan
Quiqley’s Cluster Peacock: Midge Clusters are a bit underrated in Western Montana, but can be very clutch multiple times in a year. From spring midge hatches to trico hatches in early fall. If you plan on doing any head hunting, better have some midge clusters.
Recipe:
Hook: Umpqua U001 #16-20
Thread: Uni-Thread 8/0 Black
Wing: Poly Pro Yarn
Body: Peacock Herl & Peacock Small Mylar
Hackle: Grizzly Hackle
Galloup’s Ant-Acid: A ant pattern is one of the most reliable terrestrial patterns you can find. The ant is not to be under estimated.
Recipe:
Hook: Umpqua U001 #12-18
Body: Super Fine Dry Fly Dub Black & Red
Overwing: Natural Comparadun Hair
Underwing: Holographic Gold Flashabou
Legs: Small Round Rubber Black
More-or-Less Hopper: Hopper season in Western Montana is from July through the end of September. It’s hard to beat a great hopper day on one of the numerous rivers in the Misssoula area. This is one of our favorite hopper patterns and is produced by MFC.
Recipe:
Hook: Umpqua U104 #8-12
Thread: Danville 6/0 Flymaster Purple
Back Legs: MFC (AK) Hopper Legs – Tan – Large (call shop to order)
Front Legs: Grizzly Barred Rubber Legs
Body: 5mm Tan Foam & 2mm Purple Foam
Indicator: 2mm Orange Foam
Eyes: MFC Hopplze Black Eyes (call shop to order)
Perry’s Bugmeister: Developed by John Perry, a outfitter here in Missoula, MT. The Bugmeister is a good general attractor pattern that we fish all season long. Can’t go wrong with peacock!
Recipe:
Hook: Umpqua U104 #8-16
Tread: Danville 6/0 Flymaster Olive
Tail: Natural Elk Hair
Body: Natural Peacock
Wing: Natural Elk Hair
Post: Poly Pro Yarn
Hackle: Grizzly Hackle
Chubby Chernobyl: You can’t make a top ten fly list without putting the Chubby Chernobyl on it. This is one of the most productive flies out there. The Chubby works great for imitating stoneflies, hoppers, October caddis, cicadas, and even spruce moths.
Recipe:
Hook: Umpqua U104 #4-16
Thread: Danville 6/0 Flymaster Gold
Tail: Pearl Krystal Flash
Body: Ice Dub Orange
Foam: 2mm Tan Foam
Wing: Poly Pro Yarn