The Stilly is clear! Still high, but perfect for boat fishing. Golden stones and yellow sallies are in evidence, haven't seen the giant stones yet. The fish are definitely looking up for the big bug.

Stoneflies in clear water? I won’t know how to act. Probably just act up.

Stonefly hatches are some of the most sought after fishing experiences in the West. The “Salmon Fly” hatch on Rock Creek near Missoula is world-renowned. The big drawback to these hatches has always been high water conditions. The normal run-off can make any stream impossible to wade. Boat fishing is better, but high water usually means fish won’t rise to a dry. They’re just trying to survive the flood. It’s when the water starts to come down and clear up that good stone fly fishing starts. Most of the flies have hatched, done the “wild thing” and died before run-off has run-off. We depend on the late bloomers to get the fish up and eating on the surface. This year we have a great chance to be on the water in the thick of the hatch.

Stoneflies don’t hatch the same way as mayflies and caddis. The nymphs migrate from deep channels up to the shallows and then wait for darkness to fall. They crawl out of the water and burst out of their skins, leaving a dry husk clinging to the rocks on the bank. Later the females return to the water to lay eggs. They hit with a “splat”, lay the eggs, swim madly about and get eaten by Mr. Rainbow. This means that a delicate presentation with nearly invisible dry flies on spider-web thin leaders isn’t necessary. Tie some #8 trudes, attach them to a 3x tippet, smack the water as hard as you can and watch the show. It even helps to twitch the fly or drag it across the surface. (That gasp you just heard was the sound of hard-core dry fly men everywhere clutching each other and turning blue in the face.)

Don’t worry. For the tiny dry fly purist, June also means PMD’s and Flavs. These mayflies provide classic technical dry fly fishing. I’m expecting an early start to these hatches if the water clears soon. Normally, these flies become important in late June. “PMD” is what cool fishermen call Pale Morning Duns. These mayflies are indeed pale and can be present in the morning (or not). A #16 yellow parachute will get the job done. Flavs are very similar flies, just a little more olive in color. I mix yellow and olive dubbing to get a fly that works for both. Sometimes.