Today's Read
Blackfoot River is fishing around blue-winged olives and march browns. Start with the patterns below and adjust only after fish show you something different.
Ovando to Bonner, Montana
Best Flies For Blackfoot River
Expect a nymph-and-streamer day more than a hatch day unless you catch a softer weather window.
Bugs & Best Matches
What's active
Fish this
Blue-winged olives, size 18-20, sporadic midday
BWO Comparadun, size 18-20, dry; Zirdle Bug olive or black, size 6-8, streamer
March Browns, size 12-14, warmer afternoons
Pat's Rubber Legs, size 6-8, nymph
Midges, size 18-22, slower water in the morning
Hare's Ear, size 14-16, nymph
General subsurface
Prince Nymph, size 12-16, nymph; Parachute Adams, size 14-18, dry
How To Fish These Flies
- Start by checking clarity. If you cannot get away with a standard nymph rig, fish bigger profiles or streamers with slower strips.
- Target the inside bend, the protected edge below structure, and any slower side seam beside the main tongue.
- If you find a clear, buggy stretch in the afternoon, swap to a mayfly dry only after you see actual rises.
Current Conditions
FlowThe Blackfoot can change quickly in spring, so clarity and side-channel volume matter as much as raw flow.
Water TempCold spring water usually keeps fish near softer edges and deeper buckets until the afternoon.
WeatherA stable, cool day helps. Sudden heat pushes the river toward runoff behavior fast.
Rating5/10
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