Distinctly Montana Magazine

w w w. d i s t i n c t ly m o n ta n a . c o m 19 gEt aS CLoSE to FEEDINg trout aS poSSIBLE Although spring creek trout can be excep- tionally spooky, it is still a good idea to get as close as you can before making a cast. Cur- rents in spring creeks vary, and if you have too much line out it is very difficult to get a drag-free drift on either nymphs or dry flies. When trout are feeding on the skinny flats, the minimum casting distance may still be a bit lengthy. When trout are in faster riffles or in deeper water, anglers can get much closer to the trout. It pays to take your time and slowly sneak into position, avoiding wading if possible. We frequently hook spring creek trout with just a rods-length of line out of the guides. The closer you can get to trout the better your presentation will be. uNDErStaND tHE LIFE CyCLES aND HatCH SEquENCES oF SprINg CrEEk INSECtS The abundance of aquatic insects found in spring creeks is truly staggering. Since trout have so much food available to them they become notoriously picky during hatches. Fish will completely ignore any offerings made except for those that imitate the insect that is currently hatching. Fortunately spring creeks generally have a lower diversity of insect species compared to rivers, which rely on snow and rainwater run off and simplifies the process to some degree. What spring creeks lack in insect diversity they make up for in sheer abundance of the spe- cies that are present. The most important hatches in most Montana spring creeks are midges in the late winter and early spring, baetis in the spring and the fall, and pale morning duns in the early summer. Caddis flies can also play an important role in late spring and early summer on some spring creeks. Understanding when these hatches occur and the time of day of the emergence is critical to success. Since water levels and temperatures are so consistent the annual se- quence of hatches is almost exactly the same from year to year on a given spring creek. FISH EMErgErS DurINg HatCHES Spring creeks are famous for their mayfly hatches. On Montana spring creeks fisher- man can expect to fish over blue-winged olives or pale morning duns during several months of the spring, summer, and fall seasons. During thick hatches trout become very selective and often prefer to take emerg- ers or crippled duns. Our guides almost always produce more hook-ups on emerger patterns than with traditional high-riding duns. I prefer to fish several of the CDC pat- terns that lie nearly flush in the surface film. 1 2 3 HErE arE FIvE tIpS tHat CaN IMprovE your SuCCESS ratE oN tHESE tECHNICaL FISHErIES. DePuy Spring Creek Brown Trout

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