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A cutthroat trout is released back into Rock Creek near Philipsburg on Sunday. 

You can say all the right things, but it’s all about follow through.

I can sit here and blab until I am blue in the face about how it’s dangerous and stressful for trout when we fish certain bodies of water during certain times of year.

Admittedly, following this advice isn’t easy.

From the time I leave my door, put on my boots and rig up, I can be at my favorite spot on the Big Hole River in about an hour after I leave my front door.

Even though the very newspaper I work for has thoroughly reported the bleak conditions of this river and the immense stress it endures during hot summer months, convenience is sometimes too difficult for humans like me to pass up.

But this past weekend I woke up at 4 a.m. and sped over to Rock Creek after a breakfast comprised of a peanut butter and honey sandwich washed down with Red Bull and a Zantac. I made it just in time for sunrise.

The sun rises over Rock Creek near Philipsburg on Sunday morning. 

I started out with a dry-dropper setup and tied on a chubby Chernobyl with an olive Spanish bullet off the back. It wasn’t long into my prospecting when it became abundantly clear the fish were keying in on hoppers. One smaller fish gobbled the nymph, but the rest were all over the chubby.

I switched over to a double-dry setup after noticing a few spruce moths fluttering around. From about 8 a.m. until noon I was treated to some of the best dry fly fishing I’ve ever experienced, which included netting a beautiful native westslope cutthroat.

Should I be bragging or feeling like I was somehow rewarded for simply heeding the advice of every fly shop, guide and conservationist in the state? Probably not.

But I felt compelled to write about how leaving my comfort zone led to one of the most enjoyable days I’ve had on the water since moving to Montana.

Bighorn River — Fishing has been excellent. Strong hatches of PMDs and black caddis have the fish looking up from sun-up to sun-down. Nymphing has been steady with split-case PMDs, Frenchies, poodle sniffers, Perdigons, PTs, carpet bugs and orange scuds. A few fish are keying in on hoppers, but not consistently. — Bighorn Angler, Fort Smith. 

Canyon Ferry Reservoir — Walleye fishing is really good along the west shore from White Earth to the Silos and around the Ponds while using bottom bouncers with blue, red or chartreuse blades and worms, or jigs with a worm. Rainbow trout are being caught around White Earth and along the east shore between Goose Bay and Cemetery Island while using the same jig or bottom bouncer combos that are catching walleye. An occasional perch is being picked up by walleye and rainbow anglers.  Shore fishing has been slow for all species. — FWP, Helena.

Flathead Lake (North) — The whitefish bite has been very consistent with a good number of lake trout mixed in. The delta, Woods Bay Point, Hatchery Bay, Summers Bay and Shelter Island are all good places to put a line in the water. Try trolling your favorite whitefish jig in about 35-50 feet of water. If you're targeting the lakers, trolling a jig with some cut bait or a whole fish, various flashers, flies and Brad's Super Baits have all worked well. If you find some whitefish, the lake trout are probably close. — Chancy and Dave’s Fish Camp.

Beaverhead River — Fishing on the Beaverhead is fair. After a tough week, the cold flowing tailwater bounced back for some good nymphing up top near the dam. Lower stretches have provided some larger fish chasing terrestrials. Nymphs that are working at the dam are starting to trend toward larger bugs, indicating to that the crane fly hatch is starting to brew. Until then, steady nymphing and occasional risers to hoppers and other terrestrials will be the name of the game. — Frontier Anglers, Dillon.

Big Hole River — Fishing remains pretty good on most days. Spruce moths are still around and the best hatches tend to be in the canyon sections. Hoppers, ants and beetles can be fished throughout the day. Tricos are around in the mid-morning and fishing a size 18-20 can be productive. Nymphing or a dry-dropper setup is still good. Use a size 14-16 jig nymph like a Frenchie, black Spanish bullet, or purple Perdigone to get hooked up. It is becoming very important to bring a thermometer and check water temps. Reel it in if temperatures reach 68 degrees. — The StoneFly Fly Shop, Butte.

Bighorn Lake, Ok-A-Beh — With the heat and hunting season being right around the corner, reports are few and far between. The smallmouth bite, as is the case during this time of year, will probably be more subsurface than top-water. So a crankbait or paddle-tail swim bait would be good bets. Also given the heat, if you’re after some walleye, bottom bouncers with a worm harness would likely be the way to go. — Scheels, Billings.

Bitterroot River — Hoot-owl restrictions are in effect on the entire river (excludes east and west forks). Fishing is open from midnight to 2 p.m. daily. The middle to lower portion is fishing slow.  The upper river around Hamilton has been much better. Tricos should be around on a regular basis soon, but for now the terrestrial game is about the only thing going. Hoppers, ants and beetles with attractor dry flies thrown in will be your go-to setup. Pick your favorite hopper in a pink or tan and drop a Perdigon, jig prince, San Juan or rubberlegs off the back. If you just want to throw a dry, an ant, purple haze, hippie stomper or brindle chute with 4x tippet will do the trick. Get on the water early when water temperatures are coolest. — Grizzly Hackle Fly Shop, Missoula.

Blackfoot River — The Blackfoot has been one of the most consistent rivers around. It’s getting hard to find a big trout, but they’re out there. Change techniques often if you have to, and look for water that isn’t getting fished as much. The big ones know what to look for and where to hide this time of year.  Spruce moths are still around in spots. Miller’s moth, Andy’s moth, cream elk hair caddis and yellow PMXs will be wise to have. Terrestrials and attractor dry flies should be next in line if you’re not seeing moths. Drop a San Juan, Perdigon, jig prince or rubberlegs off the back. Fish early mornings to just after lunch. — Grizzly Hackle Fly Shop, Missoula.

Boulder River — On the lower Boulder, fish hopper-dropper rigs and keep an eye out for fish feeding on spinner falls, rusties and tricos. In the National Forest try micro chubbies with small bead-head droppers like a size 18 black copper john. Small hoppers and beetle patterns are also good choices. — Sweetcast Angler, Big Timber.

Clark Fork River, Missoula — The Clarkfork from Flint Creek upstream to Warm Springs, and the confluence of the Bitterroot to the confluence of the Flathead is hoot-owled. Fishing is open from 12 am – 2 p.m. The mouth of Rattlesnake Creek within a 100-yard radius of where it dumps into the Clark Fork is closed to fishing right now so that bull trout can head up the creek to spawn. The Clark Fork is fishing well in the mornings. PMDs are still out and trout are eating them regularly. A few tricos have been spotted, but nothing crazy just yet. Hoppers are starting to really get going. A tan, yellow or pink hopper twitched has been good. Nocturnal stones like a peacock Plan B, Luna Negra or purple chubby have also been good when twitched. Throw a rubberlegs, 20-incher, San Juan or crayfish off the back and you should be set. — Grizzly Hackle Fly Shop, Missoula.

Flathead River, below Hungry Horse — Orange Humpies, orange parachute madam Xs and orange elk hair caddis will be the first bugs out of your box. The cutthroats are mostly in the 10-15 inch range with a few bigger fish mixed in. But with the water being crystal clear, you’ll have to use 6x tippet most of the time. A 13-inch trout on light line in fast water will give you a pretty good fight. Quite a few black bears have been spotted down by the water so be bear aware. — Arends Fly Shop, Columbia Falls.

Fort Peck Reservoir, Big Dry Arm — Bass and northern are biting good in about 10-20 feet of water. Walleye can still be picked up, but they’re hiding in deeper water at about 30-35 feet. If you’re using the standard walleye fishing methods – bottom-bouncing rigs and crankbaits in about 15 feet of water – you’ll probably have a good day catching bass and pike. If you still want to target walleye, some anglers have been attaching a leader with a crankbait on their bottom-bouncer and having success. But those fish are down deep hiding from the heat. — Rock Creek Marina.

Fort Peck Reservoir, Hell Creek — Catching has slowed down a bit from its peak during July, but there are still fish to be had. The bass bite has been most consistent. If you find a school that’s feeding, you’ll want to try pitching a jig toward the weeds or rock pile. If you find a school that isn’t very active, you can still get a bite dropping a jig down about 20-25 feet. Northern and walleye can also be caught pulling crankbaits in 14-16 feet of water near weeds, but it’s becoming more difficult to locate a school that wants to cooperate. — Hell Creek Marina.

Fresno Reservoir — The bite is mediocre to slow. As walleye tend to do, the ones caught have been had by crawlers and leeches. — Roberts Bait& Tackle, Great Falls.

Gallatin River — Last week, the Canyon continued to boast great catching. Foam chubbies, hoppers, sallies or spruce moths will work for your top bug on a dry-dropper setup. Behind that, try trailing various Perdigons, iron sallies, tungsten split-case PMDs, hare's ears, prince nymphs and stoneflies. Or for a double-dry, fish a chubby as the top fly and an x-caddis or missing-link caddis as your dropper. Hoot-owl restrictions are currently in place from Cameron Bridge to the confluence of the Gallatin and the Missouri, which means get your line out of the water between 2 p.m. and midnight. — Montana Troutfitters, Bozeman.

Georgetown Lake — The lake continues to produce fish but fishing early and late in the day is best. A few blue damsels should be around in the morning and big caddis usually arrive in the evening. Never leave your ants at home when headed to any lake. Subsurface leeches, seal buggers and sheep creeks are good to get you through when the fish aren’t looking up. It is important to watch water temps and stop fishing if the lake is too warm. — The StoneFly Fly Shop, Butte.

Glacier National Park — The heat paired with a couple fires that sparked near the park has deterred most anglers. — Arends Fly Shop, Columbia Falls.

Hauser Reservoir — Rainbows continue to be picked up while trolling cowbells with lead-core line between Black Sandy and Devil’s Elbow during the early morning hours. A few rainbows are also being caught from shore below Canyon Ferry Dam and at Black Sandy using spinners, spoons, Rapalas, or crawlers and a marshmallow. A few walleye are being caught in 15-30 feet of water in the Causeway Arm while using various jigs and crawlers, slip bobber setups with leeches, or trolling bottom bouncers with green, orange, or white spinner blades and crawler harnesses. — FWP, Helena.

Holter Reservoir — Walleye and perch fishing has been great while using white or perch colored jigs and crawlers in 10- 25 feet of water around weed beds and docks on the lower end of the reservoir, and in the small bays inside the canyon. An occasional kokanee has been picked up on the lower end of the reservoir while trolling Dodgers or flashers tipped with a spinner and shoepeg corn in deep water during the early morning hours. A few rainbows continue to be caught on the lower end of the reservoir while trolling cowbells with lead core line. — FWP, Helena.

Kootenai River — Lots of caddis are around. A parachute mahogany will be your go-to fly in about a size 14-16. The water is also low enough to walk and wade – above and below the falls – as long as you are physically able to walk up and down the river. — Arends Fly Shop, Columbia Falls.  

Lake Frances — Walleye are eating leeches and crawlers fished while drifting. — Roberts Bait & Tackle, Great Falls.

Madison River, Lower — The lower has lethal water temps for trout fishing, so it is recommend to fish elsewhere. The river is also hoot-owled, which means no fishing from 2 p.m. until midnight. If you insist on fishing it, get to the river early when the water temps are at their lowest, up as close to the dam as you can get. Pinch those barbs, keep the fight short and keep the trout in the water as you remove the hook from their mouths. — Montana Troutfitters, Bozeman.

Madison River, Upper — The Upper is also hoot-owled. Make sure you’re off the water from 2 p.m. until midnight. Catching has been excellent. Hopper-dropper season is in full swing and big fish have been caught all over the river. Streamer fishing has been decent downstream of Lyons bridge, and double-dry fishing has been better above Lyons near $3 and Reynolds bridges. Quite a few caddis are routinely out, and some spruce moths have been spotted up high. — Montana Troutfitters, Bozeman.

Marias River — Catfish and sturgeon are both eating night crawlers. Cut bait has also yielded decent results. — Roberts Bait & Tackle, Great Falls.

Missouri River, below Holter — The water is really warming up, eclipsing 67 most days, which means the fish aren’t as active. Hoppers and big ants have been the best way to get a bite, as it seems these trout only want to put forth the effort if the payoff includes a lot of protein. A double dry rig with a pink hopper and a size 8-10 Bubba’s ant off the back fished during the morning has been most productive. There are still plenty of caddis hatches, but you might have a tough time finding fish that are up and feel like pursuing them. — Montana Fly Goods, Helena.

Missouri River, Fort Benton — The fishing has been almost the same as the Marias. Catfish and sturgeon are eating night crawlers, and cut bait has also been productive. Walleye and sauger fishing is slow. — Roberts Bait & Tackle, Great Falls.

Nelson Reservoir — Conditions are for the true die-hards. Water is so low at the boat ramp that it’s darn-near impossible to keep your tailpipe out of the water when launching a boat. If you do get out on the water, you’ll be fight through the algae. If you throw everything in your tackle box out there, you might get a bite or two. — Hardware Hank, Malta.

Noxon Rapids Reservoir — Conditions have changed significantly since last week. Water clarity is around 12-15 feet with temperatures in the mid to high 70s. Fishing isn’t as good as it was, but you can still go out and catch a few. Trout can be had at the mouths of the feeder creeks during the early and later parts of the day when water temps are at their coolest. Bass are biting near deep weed vines and steep banks in 10-15 feet of water, as well as some bigger fish hanging out in deeper water. You can also still find bass in the shallows when utilizing the right techniques such as a Texas rig various top-water baits fished early in the day. Northern have been chasing crankbaits and inline spinners in 15 feet of water along weed vines. Perch can be found in the shallows near boat ramps and weed vines. Walleye have been taken from 35-45 feet of water near main lake bridges and channels, as well as deep main lake points using deep-diving cranks and bottom-bouncing rigs. — Lakeside Motel and Resort.

Pishkun Reservoir — A few northern pike have been landed recently. Successful anglers have been using smelt and herring. — Roberts Bait & Tackle, Great Falls.

Rock Creek (West) — Rock Creek is still fishing great. Get out early and fish hard because the fish aren’t very active during the heat of the day after lunch. Spruce moths are still around in certain stretches, but the hopper fishing has really turned on. Pink, tan or purple hoppers in sizes 12-14 with a small Perdigon, jig prince, San Juan or rubberlegs off the back will produce some eats. — Grizzly Hackle Fly Shop, Missoula.

Stillwater River — Hopper-droppers are still the ticket, and it looks like fish prefer the drowned grasshoppers just beneath the surface. So either put the floatant away, or leave a heavier dropper on the back so that top bug sits a little lower in the water. — East Rosebud Fly Shop, Columbus.

Yellowstone River, Big Timber — This stretch of the ’Stone continues to fish well. Try a hopper-dropper combination or any setup that has a heavy bead-head nymph. Bead-head PTs, bead-head hare's ear and bead-head prince nymphs are all good choices. Look for fish feeding on spinners, too. Trico and rusty dry flies should do you right. You can also try swinging streamers into the riffles for a little excitement as well. — Sweetcast Angler, Big Timber.

Yellowstone River, Columbus — The stretch saw some improvement before a mudslide near Gardiner mucked up the clarity of the river. Things are expected to straighten out in the next couple of days. Big streamers and big hoppers will be your bread and butter. A chubby with a Batman nymph dropper has been a reliable setup. — East Rosebud Fly Shop, Columbus.

Yellowstone River, Livingston — This stretch has also been good recently. Mornings and evenings have been the best as most of you would expect, but trout can be caught all day. Hoppers and streamers have been the name of the game because 99% of the bug life was flushed away during the flooding earlier this year. The only thing available to the fish right now are terrestrials and other baitfish. Try tying on various hoppers like the thunder thighs, panty droppers, Morrish hoppers, chubbies and water walkers. Our favorite streamer recently has been both the full size and mini sex dungeon in yellow, olive, white or black. A few more streamers to try would be McCune's sculpin, hare sculpin, butt monkey, drunk and disorderly, dolly llama, Kreelex, wooly bugger and Krystal bugger. There was recently an emergency closure from Meyers Landing to Sheep Mountain due to a possible structural collapse on the Highway 89 Bridge. — Montana Troutfitters, Bozeman.

Bighorn Lake, Horseshoe Bend — Sauger, walleye and bass have been the primary targets of anglers recently. A modest number of each have been caught using crankbaits. While the catching has been a bit slower overall, more smaller channel catfish have been taken on the southern end of the south narrows. — Horseshoe Bend Marina.

Matthew Kiewiet is the managing editor for the Montana Standard and writer for frontpagebets.com. Email him at matthew.kiewiet@mtstandard.com or follow him on Twitter @mattkiewiet406.

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A cutthroat trout is released back into Rock Creek near Philipsburg on Sunday. 

The sun rises over Rock Creek near Philipsburg on Sunday morning. 

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