Stillwater River: Small Flies, Foggy Mornings, and a Race Against the Rain

Conditions on the Stillwater near Absarokee are about as good as early November gets. Fly Fish Food reported on November 1, 2026 that the river is running 424 CFS at 1.59 ft — low, clear, and exceptionally wade-friendly, with easy access to the prime seams. Overnight calm and morning fog will hold light levels down through the early hours, keeping fish comfortable in the shallows, so a quiet approach matters. The fly box is all about small and subtle: size 22 Baetis patterns (Juju Baetis, Parachute BWO, Barr’s Flashback Emerger), Black Zebra Midges in 20, and Olson’s Peacock Blowtorch down to a 24. For the anchor fly, go bigger — Olson’s Straggle Stone or Egan’s Thread Frenchie Jig in olive on the bottom, with a small midge or BWO nymph trailing above. The 7–11 AM window is the day’s best nymphing stretch; work the inside seams of every bend before the weather changes.

That weather change is the day’s defining feature. Rain arrives by midday Sunday with a 90% chance of precipitation, and flows should bump and color up by evening — so plan accordingly. From 11 AM to 3 PM, overcast skies will trigger the best dry fly action of the day: Blue-Winged Olives (size 20–22) and midges hatching over the flat, glassy water between riffles, with fish sipping steadily enough to demand a long, fine tippet in 6X and an accurate Parachute BWO or emerger presentation. When the rain moves in and the first dirty water flushes through, shift to streamers — a Coffey’s Sparkle Minnow Sculpin swung deep or an olive Tungsten Jig Bugger stripped through pools and undercut banks should draw strikes from aggressive late-season browns. The short version: fish early, fish small, and be ready to change roles when the river does.

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