North 40 Fly Shop eMagazine October 2017 | Page 70

I have only floated downstream from Quinn’s
once or twice over the years and found the fish-
ing to be fair. That’s probably because the wa-
ter warms and becomes a bit nondescript. Now
that doesn’t mean poor fishing—I know guys
who fish it a bunch in the spring and do well,
but only for a short spell. Some of the trout they
catch here are very photo worthy, meaning 20
inches long or more. Remember, there is decent
smallmouth fishing on the lower river below the
junction of Highway 135 and Highway 200.
SEASONS & TIMING
The Clark Fork can start fishing as early as mid-
to late February. Some winters can be mild and
we may see a mid-to high 40 degree tempera-
tures, or a 50 degree day or two in late Febru-
ary and early March. When this happens, you
will see a great midge hatch along with a few
BWO’s. Nymphing can be good at this time us-
ing Pheasant Tails, Zebra Midges in black and
red, San Juan Worms, and rubber-legs.
Anglers start to see small stoneflies, called
Nemuras, in early March. Soon after, the Skwala
stoneflies arrive and their presence may con-
tinue into late May. These bugs are matched by
a size 8 hook and are the first big bugs of the
year. The trout take notice and dry-fly fishing,
when conditions are favorable, can be as good
as it gets. In mid-to late March grey drakes and
march browns add to the hatch mix. Streamer
fishing can be fantastic early, too.
Fishing the lower Clark Fork in May can be
touch and go, due to snowpack and warming
weather. The river usually bumps in and out of
shape so you need to pick the right day to be
on the water. June is almost always shot due to
high water, but some years we get some favor-
able conditions and the fishing is awesome.
By mid-July the flows drop and it’s game-on.
This is the most consistent time on the Clark
Fork, which means it’s also one of my favorite
times to be on this river. Mid-summer through
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