March Updates!
Doubles in February on the Missouri River
Exciting news. . . We’re attending another trade show!
First off, a HUGE THANK YOU to all of our Texas Folks who came out to support us at the Guadalupe Trout Unlimited Texas Trade Show this past weekend in New Braunfels, TX! Our favorite part was the opportunity to meet new people and catch up with familiar faces. We love sharing our passion for fishing and spending time outdoors, and we really appreciate each and every one of you for showing up for us.
Since our Texas experience was such a hit, we’re coming back for round two in Reno, Nevada! Come check us out March 14-16th at the Reno Events Center! Click here to buy tickets and find additional information on the Nevada Premier Sportsman Expo!
“What’s the fishing report?”
In fishing language, the fishing report is the local scoop! We test out different fishing spots all around Montana to figure out the best spots to take our clients, what flies are fishing best on the water, and overall if it’s worth getting out there! Overall, the shoulder season fishing is looking great this year. The weather is warming up and the days are getting longer, which means the fish are coming out of their winter hibernation state. They are becoming active and hungry!
We’ve been fishing and scouting for upcoming guide trips mostly near Bozeman and Helena. The tailwater rivers are a slightly better option, but the freestone rivers are starting to open up too. Just be careful with ice melt on the freestone rivers. As for flies, we’re landing fish on primairly nymphs and streamers. Worms, sow bugs, and midges are what’s happening. Hopefully, we’ll be fishing shoulder season mayflies and skawala stoneflies later this month!
Near Bozeman, MT, walk and wade fishing has been epic on the Gallatin river. We are starting to fish the upper Madison, but the lower Madison is better suited for float trips at the moment.
Just outside of Helena, MT, we’ve been fishing the lower MO below Holter Dam all the way down to Cascade. This section has mostly open boat ramps and has been great fishing as well. Pink flies and firebead nymphs are what you want to use. Upper Holter Reservoir aka, “Land of the Giants,” is still frozen but should open up soon towards the end of March!
Overall, the fishing report is looking great for the shoulder season and we only anticipate it getting better!
SNOWPACK Equivalent REPORT
The snowpack report gives us a visual for how much snow is up in Montana’s mountains. From this, we can get an idea of what our fishing season will look like. In the image below, the green sections (around Bozeman) are showing a slightly above average water year. This means the water conditions will be great all season long! The yellow sections around Helena predict a slightly below average water year, which means water temperature and water levels will be great up until around August. We always find spots that are fishing well later in the season, but this report suggests fishing earlier in the year, while water levels across the state are ideal for fishing.
Consider coming up for spring break to get some fishing in! We have a few dates left in April & May and are already starting to fill up our summer calendars. The snow equivalent report is updated daily, to give us the most accurate predictions of our fishing season. You can check it out here. Give us a shout!
Shoulder Season Fishing is the way to go!
I cannot emphasize this enough . . . this is my FAVORITE time of year to fish! The weather is as perfect as it gets — sunny and beautiful, but not too hot. The fish are becoming more active as the water heats up and the water is still cold enough for the fish to put up a mean fight!
In the springtime, just before runoff season, the water sits at the ideal level for fishing. Plus, there’s a great Skawala hatch across the state of Montana. Skawala’s are one of the first type of stoneflies to hatch during the year and are very fun to fish. Most Skawala fly-fishing is done with a dry fly (the fly floats on top of the water) leading to action packed, Big Bug Dry Fly-Fishing.
So book a trip before the crowds roll in! And don’t forget to renew your annual Montana fishing license if you haven’t already! The new license year started on March 1st, so if you bought an annual license last year it’s time to renew and get on the water :)
Our AO apparel shop is live!
Yes, you heard that right. You can order Atlas Outfitting swag today!
Check out our shop here :)
