How is the fishing?
What do I need?
Fishing on the Selway River is excellent on later trips, more difficult during early trips. Fly and spin fishing are both popular. All fishing on the Selway and its tributaries is catch and release fishing using artificial bait and single, barbless hooks. Our guides will help you to pinch barbs and release fish properly.
Fishing Gear:
Spinning rod and reel
Spinners: #2 Mepps - red and white -
Panther Martin - black and gold
Rooster Tail - brown, maroon, or other. 4-6 pound line with swivels.
Fly fishing rod and reel with Case
Flies: See Below
Fishing License - We stop at a sporting goods store on the way to the river the day of your launch or you can shop the day before in Missoula. You must have an IDAHO (not Montana) fishing license.
LOCAL GAMEFISH
Cutthroat Trout - Cutthroat is the predominant fish on the Selway. 10"-16" fish are common. Rainbow Trout
Bull Trout
Flies:
June brings the giant salmonfly to the Selway river. The fish are not specific about pattern. They are very aggressive. Suggested patterns include:
Elk Hair Caddis, Goddard Caddis, X-Caddis, Sparkle Pupa, Emergent Sparkle Pupa, Chernobyl Ant, Stimulator, Humpby, Royal Wulff, Golden Ribbed Hares Ear, Zup Bug
July is the start of the terrestrial fishing on the river, grasshoppers & ants can produce some fantastic fishing. Suggested patterns include:
Dave's Hopper, Joe's Hopper (day in and day out, the most successful fly on the river)
What is the weather like?
Summer weather in Idaho's mountains is usually very pleasant with daytime highs of 70-90 and nighttime 20-30 degrees cooler. High mountain weather does vary and our suggested gear list is designed to meet a variety of weather conditions. We can easily handle the warm, sunny days, but when the weather turns cool and rainy, we recommend a layered approach (See What to Wear and How to Pack on the Plan Your Trip page). An undergarment of light synthetic material such as polar fleece or pile wicks moisture away from your skin. A layer of polar fleece, pile or some other material with loft provides insulation against the cold. A good rain suit on the outer layer keeps rain or splash from the river out. A cheap plastic poncho from the discount store is not adequate.
It is important that you pack light. For safety, the boats must be kept light and maneuverable.
Weather on the Selway
Click here to go to the weather.com web site. Type in Hamilton, Montana where it says Enter City and you will get weather pretty close to what is happening on the Selway. Selway River Flows
Click here to go to a web site that monitors the water flow at a gauge just below where we take off the Selway. Flow on the upper river will be roughly 1/5 to 1/3 what it is at the lower gauge. The reason is that multiple side creeks and tributaries add water to the river as we move downriver.
Selway River Snow Pack Information
Click here to go to a map of Montana. Find the "middle double red dot" on the far western border of Montana. Run your cursor over the left dot and click, taking you to the "Twin Lakes" Snotel Site. Select the Report Type: Snow Water Equivalent Graph, go over to the Current Water Year column and click on the "Daily Graph" link. You can see what the snow pack is this year on the Selway compared to an average year.
Northwest River Company * 9753 N. Golden Sun Dr.* Tucson, AZ 85737 * (208)344-7119