For April 27, the Clark Fork near Missoula is fishable but still on the high, spring-transition side. The “above Missoula” gauge was reading 6,240 cfs, 5.18 ft, 42.3°F water. Today’s weather keeps the report a little mixed but not unfishable: Missoula is starting cool, with a forecast around 52°F for the high, 35°F for the low, sun and clouds, and a couple of showers possible. That points to a slower morning and the best trout window from late morning through mid-afternoon, especially if the clouds settle in without dumping enough rain to stain the river. The cool water temp says do not expect fast early dry-fly action, but the modest turbidity and cloudy-showery weather should help nymphs, streamers, and afternoon mayflies.

As the waters start warming into early summer, the trout will be much more willing to come up for those epic surface eats. Hatches are the classic late-April Missoula mix: March Browns, BWOs, some Skwalas sticking around, Nemouras, and Gray Drakes, with March Browns and BWOs most likely to bring heads up when the water warms during the day. Using a Purple haze or a Last Chance cripple in BWO can almost certainly coax a hungry fish to he surface in slower back waters.

When the spring brings showers, we throw streamers. Expect our Montana days to randombly turn from gorgeous to gross in a matter of minutes, and without much warning. As every good angler knows though: when the clouds come rolling over, and the waters become dark again, the big fish come out to eat. Throwing bright white and gold streamers in undercut banks and logjams will almost certainly bring a big brown to the boat. Anything that mimicks a hatching or spawning whitefish. Patterns like Goldie's or a Silk Kitty in white is this fishermans choice for either the upper or lower Clark Fork. If the water is DARK, throw DARK like a black gonga, black and purple dungeon, black sparring partner, black wooly headed sculpin.

If you're on the river this week, and the water is filled with a bunch of picky eaters, you can always throw a nymph. Any kind of dark perdigon, pheasant tail, or Frenchie underneath a Chubby or Skwala pattern is the fastest way to get any skunk off a boat. They're still eating the stonefly under the surface, so TJ hookers, Dave's Neo 20 Incher, and Double Deaded Stones, are a great bet. If all else fails, well, we always have a great stock of San Juan Worms and Patt's Rubber Legs at your disposal.