When Montana’s Bitterroot
Gets Busy, Head for
The Blackfoot
Once the Bitterroot’s ‘bows and browns
feel the sting of a T-Bone, your best bet may
be on one or more of western Montana’s
somewhat overlooked streams.
by Joe Cummings
FORGOING THE SKWALA
Each March and April a fly-fishing spotlight shines
hotly on western Montana’s Bitterroot River.
The “promise” of voracious trout wildly spree-
feeding on floating mats of freshly hatched skwala
stoneflies lure bleary anglers from their fly-tying
dens in desperate attempts to shake the dreaded
shack-nasties.
These hollow-eyed zombies are looking for
dry-fly salvation. And you can’t blame them. But
that enthusiasm often creates an armada on the
river. Wade anglers add to the mix.
Due to that pressure, the Bitterroot’s dry-fly
action has become hyper technical, with lead-
ers getting longer, and flies smaller. Timing the
weather also has become crucial to getting some
le-gitimate spring action on top. When the stars
align, anglers count their days as some of the best
of their lives. Other times, they may wonder if there
wasn’t a better option. That’s why, when condi-
tions are right, savvy anglers, including my guides,
might forgo the skwala and explore the darker
edges of western Montana’s fly-fishing landscape.
DODGE THE BITTERROOT?
Everyone loves spring fishing because the trout
have been left alone all winter and may have for-
gotten what flies with hooks do to mandibles. Rising
water temps and a move by our rainbows into pre-