Kootenai River Report 10.10.16

As of late, Kootenai River flows have been steady at 4,000 cfs and fishing has been pretty slow. I haven't heard a decent report in over a month, unless you consider catching 20 trout in the 4 inch range decent. Nymphing has been producing the best quantity of trout. Try a #14 Prince nymph, #16 Pheasant tail, #18 Crust Nymph BWO, or #8 Deep October Pupa under an indicator. Midges will catch rainbows too, but I refuse to go that small just yet. Don't be surprised if an epic BWO hatch pops off on a beautiful overcast day. If you are looking to hook into something a little bigger that will put a bend in your 8 weight, throw a #4 Articulated Sparkle Minnow, #6 TFP Stinging Smolt, or a Cheech Leech (Fall).

Want to try out some new flies? Check out our fly selection here

The upper section near Libby seems to be fishing slightly better with the low flows. Montana has plenty of shore access, and with the flows down, accessing holes behind big rocks won't be an issue. Having said that, floating the Kootenai River with a drift boat is by far the most effective way to fish this underrated river.

If you are headed to the water and need to quickly update you fly box, stop by the Ponderay fly shop, and I'll give you down and dirty details of what's working. Don't forget to fill up your thermos with our hot coffee in the shop!