The Clark, has bumped to 6400cfs. The mud is back. I mean can we catch a break? As Hank Patterson firmly belives: "These fish love the mud. They're mudfish. Mudders. MUUUD!" The Clark is definetley worth fishing this week if you have time however, it has seen a big bump since monday and is pushing some poor visibility water trhough Missoula. I would still try to get out in the evenings when the sun is about an hour from setting, and fish a dry fly in whatever semblance of soft water you can find.

Hatch activity is continuing to build, with March Browns, BWOs, Mothers Day Caddis, and the beggining of the Fluttering Stone hatch all in the mix. Fish will look up in softer water during warmer parts of the day in the evening, or if there is cloud cover during the day. Patterns like a Purple Haze, BWO Comparadun, Last Chance Cripple, and Parachute Adams, X-Caddis, Corn-Fed Caddis, and CHUBBIES can pick off opportunistic risers in back eddies and slower seams.

That said, nymphing and streamer fishing remain the ticket for consistent success right now. With the added turbidity, getting flies down into the strike zone is critical. Heavier indicator rigs with stonefly nymphs, San Juan Worms, and mayfly patterns like Pheasant Tails, Frenchies, and dark perdigons are producing. Focus your efforts on inside seams, slower buckets, and transition water where fish are holding out of the heavier current.

Streamer fishing continues to be very effective in these conditions. The off-color water favors larger, high-contrast patterns, so lean into darker flies like black, purple, and olive Dungeons, Gongas, and Woolly Buggers. If you find slightly cleaner side channels or improving clarity, mix in white or gold patterns like Sparkle Minnows or Masked Avengers. Fish them slow and deep along structure, undercut banks, and softer edges. While it’s not quite prime dry fly season yet on the Clark Fork, there’s still solid opportunity if you focus subsurface and adjust to the river’s color and flow.