CFS: 598
Water Temperature: 41-45 °F
Dries: Gray Drakes, Blue-winged Olives, March Browns
Nymphs: Large stonefly nymphs, Dark Perdigons, Pink Worms

FISHING REPORT

It’s been a very up and down spring here on Rock Creek, at least in terms of weather.  One day, it’s 70 degrees, the river comes up, and people get anxious that the river is too blown out to fish.  The next day, it’s 30 degrees, the river comes down and clears up, but then people get anxious that it’s too cold to fish.  There hasn’t been much consistency in terms of “normal” spring weather (whatever that means), but the fishing itself has remained consistent, so long as you adapt to the conditions.

For the most part, Rock Creek has been pretty chilly, even up to this point in May.  I can count on my hand the number of warm “let’s just wear a t-shirt” days up here this year so far.  I shouldn’t complain; these colder, rainier conditions are going to help all the rivers around Montana last farther into summer before droughts and hoot owl restrictions claim them.  Still, when you have gone through essentially six months of winter-like weather, you long for those warm, sunny days.  Fortunately it looks like we are headed in that direction for a good portion of this month.  Although it will inevitably start runoff season and make the water much tougher to fish, we’re going to have some nice dry fly days in the meantime.

For the most part, the dry fly fishing has been best with mayfly imitations.  We did see some skwala action earlier in the spring, but it’s never quite as stellar here as it is on rivers like the Bitterroot and the Clark Fork.  The March Brown is our first really good dry fly hatch of the season, and these little guys are still out and about and keeping the trout’s interest.  We also have had quite a few blue-winged olives this spring, especially with all the overcast, rainy days we’ve been seeing.  Drakes have also emerged in good numbers, but I would look for them flying in the air before actually putting on one of those patterns.  The cool thing about drakes is you can go big; size 12 or even 10 is a good option.  Although the current hatch of drakes is gray, I’ve caught fish on green and brown versions as well, so I don’t think the trout are being overly picky and are more interested in size and shape versus color.

As always, when in doubt, try dry fly attractors.  Purple haze and parachute adams are the go-to bugs, but I’ve also used royal wulffs and brindle chutes recently with success.  Try dry fly combinations or a dry/wet fly rig to see what interests them, and you will figure it out before long.

For nymphing, stonefly patterns have been working all spring and should be very productive just before salmon flies emerge.  At this point in the season, use big stones; size 4 or 6 Bitch Creeks are a good salmon fly nymph, or fish a brown or olive Pat’s rubber leg or a TJ hooker.  We also have a double-beaded prince nymph in the shop that starts to excel in May.  Whatever your stonefly of choice may be, it would be a good idea to add a small dropper behind it to simulate those mayfly nymphs.  Lately, a dark-colored Perdigon has been effective, but a pheasant tail, copper john, or a hare’s ear with a soft hackle can also attract the trout.

Finally, we come to streamers.  This is an area of fly fishing that I wasn’t keen on in my younger years, but with some practice, I’ve started to get some production here on Rock Creek.  I find long, medium paced strips with short pauses tends to see the most action.  Of course, this can very depending on a number of conditions, but I always start this way before changing it up.  Regarding WHICH streamers to use, black has been good when the streamflow goes up, white and olive are better for clearer water, and anything with sparkle on it is a great option whenever.  This week, I tied a variant on one of my grandfather’s patterns, the Wonderbugger.  I created what is essentially a minnow cutbow trout (lots of rainbow flash, red collar and an orange hotspot right behind the cone).  I call it the Westslope Wonder.  On it’s inaugural fishing voyage, it landed me this feisty cutthroat!

To sum it up, the fishing has been good as long as you know how to plan and prepare for whatever the weather or river conditions may throw at you.  Keep in mind that the water is going to be coming up at some point this month, so keep an eye on streamflows and always err on the side of safety if you are out on the water!

IN OTHER NEWS

1. Campgrounds – All the campgrounds are still closed for another week, but they should be opening up starting May 10.  In the meantime, if you are planning on camping, you can opt for one of the disperse sites (marked by numbers instead of names), or you can still camp at Bitterroot Flat campground, but keep in mind the amenities (toilet, pump water, etc) are still closed until it officially opens up again.
2. Ekstroms – Alas, our favorite restaurant changed ownership last year and will not be open for food service this year.  The new owners are still planning on running the campground and are introducing small cabin rentals in addition to tent camping and the RV sites.  As we get more information, we will pass it on with updates.
3. Rock Creek Lodge –  The Rock Creek Lodge at the base of Rock Creek near Interstate 90 also changed hands last year.  The new owners have been busy getting the bar ready for a June reopening, and hopefully they will have their own restaurant running there in the near future as well.  Expect more info as we learn more…
4. Shuttles – This is going to be a strange season on Rock Creek for the floaters.  Not only will the road be in rough shape (more on that farther down), but there is unfortunately no official shuttle service this season.  The group that did it the last two years ended up calling it quits, and there wasn’t enough time to get another service up and running in time for the June float season.  So if you are planning on floating the creek this season, you will want to have a shuttle plan in place before coming out.  If any of this changes or if a new shuttle company shows up, we will relay that information to you.
5. Rock Creek Road – This coming July, the dirt portion of Rock Creek Road, infamous for its potholes, ruts, and vehicle-shaking washboard, will be undergoing some major maintenance.  The county has plans to resurface the worst of it (mile markers 11 to 31) with gravel, and they will also be improving the drainage issues in this section to keep the road in better condition and to improve the fish habitat on Rock Creek.  Expect delays if you are driving in this section of Rock Creek and July.  A lot of us have mixed feelings on the improvements; it will be a lot easier driving up and less stress on vehicles, but I’m actually going to miss the dirt road and the overall feeling that you were deep in wild Montana country that came with it.

That’s all for now!  As you could probably tell, I’m not a huge fan of writing fishing reports as I’m not the most web-savvy guy.  Fortunately, I have some new hires and some fresh ideas for other, potentially better ways to get you all fresh content a little more regularly.  Stay tuned for some new stuff from the Merc!  Until the next report, stay safe and may you have tight lines!