Gallatin River
This Blue Ribbon stream is really our home water...Cache Creek Outfitters is located on it! We can hear the water, see the bugs and smell the fish. The Gallatin provides excellent fishing for wild trout, ranging from the young of the year to true trophies.
Madison River
Unbelievable beauty, truly world class. Trophy trout are abundant with unsurpassed fish counts river-wide. Full day wade trips and outstanding float fishing are the norm here. Consistent water flows, epic insect hatches and thousand of fish per mile, make this river a slam dunk! Truly a fly fisherman’s paradise.
Yellowstone River
Flows from the northern boundary of Yellowstone National Park and is quite possibly the most scenic and wild of all Montana rivers. The Yellowstone is the longest free-flowing river in the lower 48 states. This river provides excellent fish diversity, featuring rainbow, brown, cutthroat and cuttthroat hybrid trout species, each with their own unique personalities. Grasshoppers, attractor patterns and streamers make for incredibly exciting fly fishing.
Missouri & Big Horn Rivers*
Classic tailwaters (dam controlled). These rivers have constant water temperatures and consistent water flows providing near perfect habitat for trophy trout at unbelievable numbers. *2 day minimum for Missouri river trips, 3 day minimum for Big Horn river trips.
Private Waters and Spring Creeks*
Spring creeks are the most challenging and pristine of all fly fishing waters. We have many famous spring creeks available to us. Ask about trip times and pricing.
Seasonal Fishing Report
Winter | Spring | Summer | Fall
Winter - December through April
Winter is an excellent time to enjoy fly fishing around Southwest Montana. The main hatch that will produce rising fish is the midge. Midges are tiny aquatic insects that make up the bulk of a trout’s diet throughout the year, especially in the winter.
Nymphing techniques are the norm during the winter. All of the aquatic insects are in the nymph stage through the winter and depending upon the day various fly patterns such as; prince nymphs, golden stones, pheasant tails, midge larvae, and caddis nymphs will produce hungry fish. The fishing does not change rapidly during the winter however, once March rolls around the fishing improves and changes for the best. In March we start to see the emergence of Baetis Mayflies, Early Browns Stones, and continued strong Midge hatches. Spring is a great time to enjoy fishing the rivers and skiing in the Big Sky area. If the slopes are not to your liking then the fishing will be!
Spring – May through Late June
Mid May through mid June is our high water period. Most of the rivers and streams are running high and muddy. With this in mind, there are still some fishing opportunities available. Early May can be some of the best fishing of the year with some of the most unpredictable weather. The May Day caddis hatch occurs on the Yellowstone River very Early in May and the same hatch, called the Mothers Day caddis, occurs on the Madison River. These caddis hatches are the most prolific hatches of the season. Millions of caddis hatch on a daily basis producing a “blanketing” effect on the river. Just imagine an entire river covered with caddis flies and every fish feeding voratiously on them. This is definitely a spectacle of nature every fly fisherman should experience!
Summer – Later June through September
Summer brings the best of both worlds of weather and fishing. The fish feed very consistently and the weather is predictable enough to make plans well in advance of visitor’s arrival. Summer is also the most popular months for other anglers to enjoy the area, which leads to slightly busier rivers. Let’s go month by month:
Late June through July – Salmon flies start off the post runoff fishing. Fishing the enormous dry flies is what every angler dreams about. Casting large 3 &Mac184; ” dry flies to starving trout simply stimulates the senses and is one of the few times of year truly large may raise to dries. Along side the Salmon flies are excellent hatches of caddis, pale morning duns, other stoneflies, and midges.
Mid to late July - Anglers can start to see fish taking various terrestrials such as ants, beetles, and grasshopper patterns. Dry fly fishing is the standard technique later in July, which is the real allure of fly fishing.
August – A large variety of insects hatch during August making for some exciting attractor dry fly fishing. Patterns such as the royal wulff, royal trude, stumulator, and grasshoppers should fill your fly requirements for the day.
August is the month for hopper fishin’. There’s something about covering 10 to 12 river miles flippin’ hopper patterns at the banks in search of a monster lazy Brown Trout that makes this time frame a must do. We like to float fish, with drift boats, to hunt for the best waters for our clients to enjoy. Float fishing helps us get away from the crowds, while all the time providing the best fishing opportunities for our guests.
September - This months sees an end to the busy tourist season after Labor Day. Most of the families have left due to schools starting making this month great for more secluded fishing on the waters of Southwest Montana. Grasshoppers and terrestrials are still fishing well and the warm weather usually subsides, turning the on to feed more. With the change of weather we see excellent Baetis mayfly hatches on cloudy days. This is the best late season hatch we have for good rising fish. Late September brings occasional snow showers to the high country. Many of the local sportsmen’s attention turns to the elk hunting season, relieving more pressure off the rivers. Later in the month you should start thinking of changing weather and bring plenty of warm clothes.
Fall – October through December
Many of us have switched from fishing to enjoying the various hunting seasons for personal pleasure. However, this is the month for the Brown Trout spawn. Streamer fishing works the best now and if searching for monster trout sounds like fun, then give us a call.
