Shields River Montana Fishing Report & Options for Selecting Flies: Email us at (sales@perfectflystore.com) with the dates you will be fishing and we will send you a list of our fly recommendations. We can get flies and gear to you within two to three business days from the time you place your order via Priority Mail. If you provide a budget for flies, we will select them to match the budget and get them to you on time for your trip. Your can also call us at 800-594-4726 and we will help you decide what flies and gear to use. All orders are shipped free in the U.S. If under a $100 order requiring Priority mail is a charge of only $8.10. Orders over a $100 are shipped free via Priority Mail.
We have custom Perfect Fly selections in 3 different price ranges for this stream that come with or without fly boxes that make excellent gifts. Click Here To Order or Call us at 800 594 4726 or email us at sales@perfectflystore.com.
Type of Stream
Freestone
Species
Rainbow Trout
Cutthroat Trout
Brook Trout
Brown Trout
Size
Small to Medium
Location
Southern Montana
Nearest Towns
Clyde Park
Wilsall
Livingston
Season
3rd Sat. May – Nov 30th
Access:
Access is generally poor due to lots
of private property
Non-Resident License
State of Montana
Weather
National Weather Service Link
Seasons:
Fly fishing the Shields River follows the Montana general trout season regulations.
Spring:
Springtime is a good time except during the time of the runoff.
Summer:
Summertime is the best time to fish the river.
Fall:
Early Fall can provide some good fly fishing opportunities, especially for the brown trout.
Recommended Tackle & Gear
Fly Line:
4, 5 or 6 weight
Leaders:
Dry fly: 9 to 12 ft., 5 or 6X Nymphing:
71/2 ft., 3 or 4X, Streamers 0-2X
Tippets:
Dry fly: 5 or 6X, Nymphing: 3 or 4X,
Streamer 0-2X
Best Fly Rods:
Perfect Fly Supreme Four, Superb Five
or Ultimate Six
Fly Reels:
For 4/5/6 fly line
Fly Floatants and Misc Items:
Floatants, KISS Strike Indicators
Tools & Accessories:
Nippers, forceps, retractors, etc.
Copyright 2013 James Marsh
Fly Fishing The Shields River in Montana
The Shields River is a tributary of the Yellowstone River that’s approximately 50 miles long. It begins in the Gallatin National Forest in the Crazy Mountains and lows between the Bridger Range and the Crazy Mountains to the Yellowstone River near Livingston, Montana.
Fly fishing the Shields River isn’t very popular for visiting anglers due to the many other popular trout streams in the area including the Yellowstone, Missouri and Boulder Rivers. Access problems also prevent it from being a popular destination. Yellowstone National Park and all of its highly famed trout streams are in relatively close proximity to the Shields River.
Like many other headwater streams in Montana, the headwaters of the Shields River have a good population of cutthroat and brook trout. Once the stream flows out of the mountains and into the valley, rainbows and brown trout begin to show up. The lower section of the river has some very nice size brown trout.
For most of its entire length, the river is a small, winding stream. Fly fishing the Shields River is definitely a small stream undertaking. You want need a drift boat to fish it.
The river can become off color due to sediment and erosion. It can also become low in the Summer months. Casting is difficult in many areas due to lots of bushes and brush along its banks. Much of the water is used for irrigation.
Another problem anglers face is the river flows through private property for most of its entire length. The best access is at bridge crossing but there are plenty of them to choose from.
With all the disadvantages we have mentioned, you may be thinking that the stream isn’t worth fishing. That’s not he case at all. The fact that it is not heavily pressured and one usually has multiple places along the river to fish makes it somewhat of a sleeper trout stream. We have been pleasantly surprised each of the few times we have fished this small river. The odds are good that you will find fly fishing the Shields River rewarding.