A recent article by the Madisonian news paper in Ennis, Montana, reported near normal and and above normal snowpack for the Madison River drainage and southwest Montana overall.  I thought it worth while to take this prompt to break down the current state of our 2016 southwest Montana snowpack and look at how it is likely to impact the 2016 summer Montana and Madison river fly fishing season.  

The map below shows that we are currently holding at about 91% of average snowpack Madison River drainage and that the greater part of southwest Montana has accumulated near average snowpack. That is not to say that we have reached 91% of the snow fall that we typically see on an average year. Rather, we are at 91% of what the average snowpack on February 11th looks like.  However, we still have several more months that can produce large amounts of snow in the mountains and while it may not snow much in June, it can be one of our biggest months in terms of precipitation, which can have a big impact on spring runoff. 

What does this mean for fishing in Montana?  It is still too early to tell.  The next few months could produce record snowfall, which would likely create a heavy and extended spring runoff.  Likewise, if the weather dries up and heats up (like last year) we could still be in for some great spring water conditions for fishing, which would likely be followed by warmer and lower flows in the mid-late summer.  For now, we are right around average and thats probably a good thing.  On an average year we will have good spring fishing conditions until late May and early June when we experience runoff and then good conditions throughout the rest of the season (as long as it does not get too hot in August).  More snow always seems to be better for the rivers and fish.  It is much better to have heavy flows and cooler water.  This might create a little longer runoff but the rest of the summer will usually fish much better as a result.  I will take all the snow that we can get!

Most fly fishermen in Montana don't seem to like lake fishing.  There are plenty who do but the majority of anglers I meet just like moving water better.  However, lakes frequently produce more trophy class fish than rivers.  The state record Montana brown trout is not from any river...it's from Wade Lake near the upper Madison River.  Most anglers shy from lakes because they find the style of fishing a little boring but if your put in the time and find the right spots there is some incredible trout action on Montana's lakes.  The style of fishing in lakes does not have to be boring either. In fact most of the Montana lake fishing that I do involves sight casting to rising or cruising fish....theres nothing boring about that.  

Its a fact of life...big fish eat better in bad weather.  Next time you see a photo of someone with a really big fish, take a look at their apparel because chances are, they are wearing a rain jacket or it is at least overcast outside (never mind the sunny photo above...).  There are lots of theories as to why big fish might eat better during less than favorable weather conditions.  People point to barometric pressure changes and difficulty for arial predators.  For me it seems that low light is the trigger.  For whatever reason large trout just seem to be more comfortable in low light conditions.  The same is true of pacific salmon. They just eat better on cloudy days.  It is in their DNA.  

In Montana and around the world, tailwater fisheries below dams consistently produce big fish.  Dams get kind of a bad wrap because of all the harm to salmon and steelhead that they have historically caused.  However, rivers like the Madison, Missouri, Bighorn and the Beaverhead would not be the fisheries that they are today if they did not flow from below a dam.  These rivers are all known for consistently producing trophy trout and a lot of that has to do with the dams.  Tailwater fisheries produce huge amounts of insect life and more stable water conditions allow for much longer yearly feeding seasons.  The White River in Arkansas is a great example. There is no way this fishery would hold trout if not for the existence of Bullshoals Dam.  Even with an impressive number of catch and kill bait and spin fishermen along its banks, it still managed to produce back to back world record brown trout in the 40 pound class.  

Streamers may not always be the best way to catch a lot of fish but a committed streamer angler is often the guy who ends the season with the biggest fish.  I call it chasing the dream.  After 5000 casts with a 7 weight, the guy in the back of the boat chucking meat may be down in numbers 10 to 1 but chances are by the end of the day he is going to be the one showing off his pictures at the bar.  Streamer fishing just seems to trigger something in the larger fish that gets them moving.  It probably has a lot to do with the fact that they have to eat bigger food to maintain their size.  That is not to say that plenty of anglers have not landed lunkers on tiny nymphs.

Early and late in the year are my favorite times to target big rainbow and brown trout in Montana.  Before and after the spawn, the fish seem to be more active and more accessible.  Fish that you might not have a shot at any other time of year will show themselves in the spring and fall.  Our lake run fisheries here in Montana are a great example.  In the spring and fall we consistently catch more big fish as they move into the river from the lake below to spawn or feed behind other spawning fish.  The Madison River above Quake and Hebgan lakes is a great place to see this and catch a monster Montana trout.  This is not to say that you should target spewing fish.  They feed a lot better before or after the spawn and it is bad luck to interrupt a fish that only gets laid once a year.  

When people plan their Montana fly fishing trip, most of them are careful to avoid being here during the runoff.  On the Madison River and on most southwest Montana fisheries, spring runoff tends to raise and dirty the water from sometime in late May until early June.  However, for guides and anglers who are good at watching weather and stream flows to find fisheries with 1-3 foot of visibility in the water, this is a great time of year to catch a monster.  The high water pushes the big fish into shallows along the banks and reduced clarity makes them much more willing to eat a fly and do it on heavy tippet.  All of this without seeing any other boats...sounds fun to me.

One of my favorite aspects of Montana fly fishing is the endless amount of water to explore.  I can blow a whole morning drinking coffee and scouring google earth for new fishing spots that might have that one huge trout that I am always looking for.  When I head out to try my new potential gold mine the anticipation is awesome.  Most of the time I come back skunked with my fishing buddies annoyed that we drove 3 hours and blew a day without catching a fish.  However, on the occasions when the plan comes together, these are the spots that produce my biggest and most memorable catches.  The Montana brown trout below was from such a trip.  I put in 3 hours of driving and 5 hours of fishing and that fish was my only bite of the day...worth it!