The following fishing report came from Fisherman’s Mercantile in Clinton, MT:
Streamflow – 600 CFS
Water Temp – 42-46°F
Happy Easter, anglers! It’s time to fire up the fishing reports again for the season. It’s been an erratic spring so far; one day it’s 60 to 70°F and warm and sunny, and the next we are seeing a blizzard. This is pretty typical of a Montana spring and something that fisherman should keep in mind when heading out on the water. It’s hard to give a clearcut fishing report in these conditions because there is no one-size-fits-all tactic when the weather is this inconsistent.
Fortunately, we have been seeing some dry activity up here on Rock Creek. Skwalas are the popular option, especially on the warmer days, but I would argue that the mayflies and their crippled emerger equivalents are more consistent. The main hatches are March Browns and Blue-winged Olives. You can also opt for attractor patterns like Purple Hazes, Brindle Chutes and even Royal Wulffs. People often ask me if you need to see fish rising before you try dry flies up here, and my answer is not necessarily. Whenever I go out, I always like to start with dries and see what kind of response I get to fishing them. To me, there is nothing better than a productive day of dry fly fishing, and at this time in the spring, you can get some big trout to rise to your patterns.
That all being said, if you find the fish just aren’t responding on top, it’s time to go down and dirty with some nymph combinations. Stonefly nymphs of varying sizes are always a good bet here on the creek. Pat’s Rubber Legs are the classic option, but the TJ Hooker jig nymph has been gaining popularity the past couple years. TJs sink very quickly and give you a longer window of opportunity to entice a trout. I usually like to fish a TJ or some other jig like a Perdigon or Spanish Bullet and then trail something lighter or smaller behind it like a soft hackle Hare’s Ear or a Pheasant Tail. The lead nymph will anchor the lighter nymph and give you maximum presentation for those fish lying low. Other patterns that have been working this spring include San Juan Worms, Copper Johns, and our locally-made pattern, the Jumpin’ Jack Flash. With a little trial and error, you will find out which combination works best on any given day. Just stick with it and experiment to figure out what they are keying in on.
Until we see the first big bump from runoff, Rock Creek should fish very well. Focus primarily on afternoons and early evenings for the time being and try to space yourself out from other anglers, especially if you are coming out on the weekends. Rock Creek Road is open and passable and decent shape this spring, so consider going into the middle section of the creek for less pressure.
To cap off the fishing report, it would be remiss of me not to share a couple fish pics! Special thanks to Zach and Luke for sending us pics of these beauties they caught here on Rock Creek this spring. Stay tuned for more reports as conditions change. Stay safe out there and tight lines!
