Yellowstone river:
The good news came through this week, it's hopper time on the Stone now baby!!! Restrictions have been lifted on the entire stretch from Gardiner to 89 and my father fished it the first day it was open yesterday and said that it was good in the afternoon on hoppers straight through till they took off. So now you can start to rethink your floats on the Yellowstone, no need to be on the water at 5am now, in fact I would bet that the action in the afternoons and evenings is pretty good since those fish haven't seen a darn fly past 2 in nearly a month. It's mostly the stuff you would think of that's working - hopper/dropper combos, ants have been fishing well, I will be religously throwing hopper patterns in the afternoons now, because I'm thoroughly convinced that it will be good terrestrial fishing for the next month or so. Streamer fishing in the mornings can be decent too, water temps have dropped quite substantially over the past few weeks, but we really would advise against floating down low - it's still quite hot between 89 and Big Timber - do the fish a favor and float where the restrictions have been lifted.Fly pattern suggestions:
Ugly Bug Brown, Golden, & Black: 6-8-10 Mega Prince: 6-8-10 CH Bow River Bugger Olive & Black: 2-4-6 Silvey's Sculpin Olive, Tan & Black: 2 Chubby Golden: 6-8-10-12 PMX Lime, Black, Red & Peacock: 10-12-14 Chubby Orange: 10-12 Twisted Baby Yellow and Red: 14-16 Twisted Baby Purple: 14-16 Twisted Baby Tan & Chartreuse: 14-16 Mustang Sally: 16-18 Lightning Bug Gold: 12-14-16 Chubby Hopper: 6-8-10 AttractAnt: 16 Fat Head Beetle: 16 Hopper Popper: 6-10 Grand Hopper: 8-10-12-14-16 Little Bit of E: 16
Last Updated: 8/15/07
Gallatin:
The Gallatin has been clear now for a while and things have been fishing well. Consistent is the name of the game, caddis in the evenings and that's pretty much it for hatch activity right now. There aren't really many tricos or PMD's to speak of on this river and the spruce moths are pretty much done for now. Been fishing this south of Williams Bridge up in the canyon and in the flat meadow stretch up above Big Sky towards the Park. Throughout the canyon it's been an attractor dry fly affair - stimulators and PMX's with nymph droppers. Outside of the canyon down lower it's mostly caddis and up high towards the Park it's terrestrials and attractor dry flies. For whatever reason I have never done well on grasshoppers in the canyon, but once it gets meadowy up higher hoppers and ants work pretty well. Whitefish tournaments are always fun too, get a few buddies together, get some of the flashiest, gaudiest nymphs and fish the slower water to nymph up whities, the winner has to buy dinner.Fly pattern suggestions:
BHFBPT: 12-14-16 Little Bit Of E: 12-14 San Juan Worm Red & Brown: 10 Mega Prince: 6-8 Mega Pheasant Tail: 6-8 Mr Rubberlegs Hares Ear: 6-8-10Tungsten Golden Lab: 6-8 Yummy Gummy Golden: 8-10 Mangy Caddis Olive & Brown: 14-16 Mangy Pooper: 12-14 Yellow Rubberleg Stimulator: 8-10-12 Birkenstock Special Olive & PT: 12-14-16 PMX Peacock, Royal and Lime: 10-12-14-16 Elk Hair Caddis Tan & Olive: 12-14-16 CDC Elk Caddis: 14-16 X Caddis Olive: 14-16 Ripcord Caddis Tan: 14
Last Updated: 8/15/07
Upper Madison:
The flows have continued to drop, it's around 914CFS now, down low around town there isn't much water for the fish to be in, so the deep runs and holes are stacked with big fish, has some good fishing on Wednesday and Friday last week, and trips out this week did well but were heading up a bit higher with the dropping flows. Cameron flats is a bit#* again, don't take a drift boat through it if you can help it. But fishing continues to plug right along. The Bow River dropper nymph combo was really effective again, the Little Bit of E was absolutely killer on Friday. Hopper action in the afternoons has been good as well, the chubby hopper has been deadly on top - too many guides think that the golden version is the only one that works, we know the secret, the hopper version gets em... The upper stretches around 3 Dollar are fishing decent, and now that should all be easily wadeable, the whole river is pretty wadeable at just over 900CFS and dropping. On that note stuff's pretty shallow down past 8 mile right now, might not want to be taking a hard bottom boat that you care about down there.Fly pattern suggestions:
Ugly Bug Brown, Yellow & Black: 6-8-10 BH FB PT: 14-16-18 Brokeback Goldenstone: 6-8-10 Firey Juan: 10 Electric Caddis Olive: 14-16 Gummy Stone Golden: 6 Copper John Black & Red: 16-18-20 Silvey's Sculpin Tan & Olive: 2 Eyez Wide Open Tan & Olive: 2 Bow River Bugger Olive & Black: 2 PMX Red, Yellow, Black & Lime: 10-12-14 Twisted Sister & Babies (Purple & Chart): 10-12-14-16 Mustang Sally: 16-18 Brokeback Sally: 14-16 Grand Hopper: 6-8-10 Chubby Hopper: 6-8-10 Foam Flying Ant Cinnamon & Black: 16-18 Hi Vis Beetle: 14-16 Hairy Sculpin Brown & Light Olive: 2-4
Last Updated: 8/15/07
Spring Creeks:
Nothing really new to report on. Trico spinners, that's the ticket at least out on Milesnicks. Fortunately this is a hatch you don't have to be up at the crack of dawn for. Right around 11 or noon it gets pretty nuts. With the rain again last night and rivers a tad bit off color, the creeks might be a good option. The FFF Conclave is done in Livingston as well so you have a better chance of finding an open rod on the creeks. Pretty much the same story still on the creeks although afternoons are getting better with cooler temps, making the terrestrial fishing with ants, beetles and hoppers quite a bit more productive. Right now hatch wise it's mostly PMD's - spinners, duns and emergers and of course tricos. As we continue into August with winds drying out the grass and blowing insects on the water, small ant beetle and hopper patterns are becoming a bit more effective. The terrestrial fishing will pick up into mid to late August and through the early part of September usually. Just got in some excellent Rene Harrop CDC Ant patterns, perfect for the fish on the spring creeks, stop by and check em out.Fly pattern suggestions:
Real Meals Black & Olive: 16-18 Scuds Olive, Tan, and Grey: 16-18 Ray Charles Grey and Tan: 16-18 Pheasant Tail: 16-18 Mini Juans: 16-18 Wilcox's Little PT: 16-18 Bow River Bugger Black & Olive: 6-8 Black Pheasant Tail: 16-18-20 PMD Emerger: 18-20 Cripple PMD: 16-18-20 Real Thing PMD: 16-18-20 Tailwater Tiny Brown: 18-20 Hogans Sipper PMD: 18-20 Pheasant Tail: 20 Hat Creek PMD: 18-20 PMD CDC Spinner: 18-20 AttractAnt: 16 Fat Head Beetle: 16 Grand Hopper: 14-16 Foam Flying Ant Cinnamon: 18\
Last Updated: 8/15/07
Yellowstone NP:
Yellowstone Park officials have NOW issued mandatory fishing closures from 2pm to 5am on many of the major fisheries in the Park including the Firehole, Gibbon and Madison, Slough, Soda Butte and Lamar and the Yellowstone. For complete listings give us a call.Things are getting quite a bit cooler in the park with cold nights. The fishing has been picking up accordingly. Park officials told me yesterday on the phone that they were meeting to evaluate the closure situation, keep your fingers crossed that they lift a few, Soda Butte, Slough and Lamar are in good shape. So with the nice cooler evenings water temps are easing back to fishable levels and fish are active, things should be good for the weekend barring any rains in the park. Come late August and September this is one of the best places around to go and pitch ants and beetles as well as hoppers and attractors. Closures are still in place, although with cooler evenings in the park, it would be nice if they started lifting a few of them... Wait and see on how things shape up, but plan on there being some decent terrestrial fishing on all of the typical stuff. The Gallatin in the park isn't on restrictions and it has been fishing well again, a sometimes forgotten place the Gallatin inside the park fishes pretty well and the terrestrial fishing in August can be a really good time. Consider making a weekender and heading down and checking out the northeast corner.
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Last Updated: 8/15/07
Missouri:
Reports are again that things continue to be pretty tough up on the Missouri right now. The word continues to be, tough and a bit weedy. The one nice report coming through is that there is some decent hopper and terrestrial action on the Missouri in the afternoons if you can stand the smoke. Along with the tougher fishing you have some tough fishing conditions, smoke, wind and warm afternoons. Fishing is definitely better in the mornings when the tricos are going, that's going to be the best bet on top, but really they haven't been spectacular according to what we've been hearing. If the wind dies down a bit and some cloud cover hangs around, the fishing can be decent. The other thing you have to contend with is some moss, it's getting bad. Plan on mostly nymphing this right now, it's been pretty tough up on top, but decent below the surface, now isn't the time to be learning this river - go with someone that knows what they are doing, or be prepared to smell like skunk...Fly pattern suggestions:
San Juan Worm Brown & Red: 10 WD 40 Red and Grey: 18-20 Disco Midge: 18-20 Zebra Midge: 18-20 Scud Pink and Grey: 18 Pheasant Tail: 18-20 Ray Charles Grey and Pink: 18 Wilcox's Little Green Machine PT: 16-18-20 Bloom's Para Caddis Tan: 14-16 PMD's (Cripples, Emergers, Duns): 18-20 Tailwater Tiny Brown: 18-20-22 Hogans Military Nymph Brown: 18-20 The Brokeback Flymph PMD: 18-20 Bloom's Sedge Hammer Ginger and Brown/Olive: 16-18 Lawson's Spent Partridge Tan & Peacock: 16-18 CDC Trico Spinner: 18-20-22 Trico Emerger: 20-22-24
Last Updated: 8/15/07
Big Hole:
Fishing has dropped off some in the last few weeks according to some reports, and has stayed steady according to others. The spruce moths have tapered off, only a few left around and not worth concentrating on. Tricos in the mornings, but not as many and fishing getting tougher. Flows are coming down more, getting too low to be floating in a drift boat anymore, hanging around the 140 level, but evenings have been downright cold. Fly wise right now, it's going to be mostly nymphing and hoppers if you go, but from the sounds of the reports, it may not exactly be the best place in the area to be on right now, I would probably head to the Ruby or Beaverhead instead.Fly pattern suggestions:
CH JJ's: 2-4-6 Silvey's Sculpin Tan, Black & Olive: 2 Delektable CDC Baby: 14-16-18 Lightning Bug: 14-16 Pheasant Tail: 14-16 Chubby Golden: 6-8-10 Mustang Sally: 16-18 Rusty Spinner: 14-16 PMX Peacock, Yellow, Red: 14-16-18 Headlight Sally: 14-16 Yellow Stimulator: 12-14-16 CDC Elk Hair Caddis: 12-14-16 PMD's (assorted duns, and spinners): 16-18-20 Trico Spinner CDC: 18-20 Para Trico: 16-18-20 CDC Trico Emerger: 18-20 Sunken Trico: 20-22
Last Updated: 8/15/07