The Gallitin
The river is in good shape, nothing too exciting happening right now out here, I imagine since the snow has fallen that has really put the kibosh on your streamer fishing etc. It's going to be mostly nymphing when it's cold out, so drag out all of your nymph boxes - eggs, san juans, pheasant tails, etc. Bigger stonefly nymphs with midge trailers, or egg trailers, that is another good winter time bet. Bottom line you are going to want to get the flies near the bottom and get them moving pretty slow and in the deeper holes. If you spot some redds you might fish some eggs behind them for the rainbows - typically find a lot of that at this time of year. As far as dry fly fishing goes you'll have to wait a couple of months when the midges start to come off heavy.
Fly pattern suggestions:
BH FB PT: 14-16-18-20 Copper John Black, Olive & Chartreuse: 16-18-20 Copper Bead Mayfly: 16-18 Wilcox's Little Green Machine: 16-18-20 Anatomay Hares Ear & Peacock: 14-16-18 Mega Prince: 8-10 Mega Hares Ear: 6-8 Olive & Black Woolbuggers: 2-4-6-8 CH Bow River Bugger Black, Olive & Brown: 2-4-6 Eyez Wide Open Olive & Tan: 2 JJ's Special: 2-4-6-8 Hotwire Mayfly Olive: 14-16-18 Biotic Nymph Black & Olive: 14-16
The Lower Madison
Ennis Lake turned over last week and since then things have been dirty and a bit cloudy water clarity wise. So it's not exactly "clean" but it's definitely fishable now and would be worth some nymphing if you are wanting to get out somewhere close to town this Thanksgiving weekend. Fish are starting to wind up the spawning gig - so if you see fish on beds be kind and leave em alone, but fish the eggs behind the beds for the rainbows looking for an easy meal. With the snow I always start thinking about winter midge fishing - not quite time for that yet. Beartrap should be good still, just probably want to fish a bigger fly if the clarity is off with something smaller behind it that way you get their attention. Typicall speaking the lake turnover takes about 2 weeks or so then things settle back in and should be good for the rest of the winter. Other than that, don't really have anything new to report on, if we hear of something happening I'll let you know - but plan on nymphing till the midges start popping in Jan/Feb.
Fly pattern suggestions:
Stinger Sculpin Olive & Tan: 2 Cone-nan The Barbarian: 2 Silvey's Sculpin Olive & Tan: 2 BH FB PT: 16-18-20 Copper Bead Mayfly: 16-18-20 Deaddrift Crayfish: 4 I Ain't Yo Baby's Daddy Tan & Rust: 10 CDC BWO Emerger: 16-18-20 Olive Anatomay: 16-18 Skip's Nymph Olive: 16 Super Soft PT: 16-18 Brooks Sprout BWO: 16-18-20 Hackle Dun Baetis: 16-18-20 Bubble Back BWO: 16-18 Rootbeer Float BWO: 16-18 Eggs: 10 San Juan Worm Red, Tan & Brown: 6
Last Updated: 11/20/07
The Upper Madison
Haven't really heard anything about anyone fishing the Upper Madison since the snow started flying, but I would imagine at this point things are starting to slow a little bit with the cold front settling in and getting snow dumps these past couple of days. However, that typically means that the midge fishing game should start kicking in on the upper stretches of the river between Quake and Hebgen and from 3 Dollar and Slide area. This is not the time to be stripping big bugs, put those away now and get out your small nymph box and get ready to nymph fish your brains out for the next few months here until the midges start coming off then you'll get a mix of dry fly fishing in. With river flows as low as they are, chances are there will be plenty of wade fishing opportunities this off season. Deaddrifting buggers with small beadheads is a good way to pick up the bigger fish at this time of year - yuk bugs and such can be good too.
Fly pattern suggestions:
JJ's Special: 2-4-6-8 BH FB PT: 14-16-18-20 Firey Juan: 10 Copper John Black, Olive & Red: 16-18-20 Silvey's Sculpin Tan & Olive: 2 Eyez Wide Open Tan & Olive: 2 Bow River Bugger Olive & Black: 2 Mustang Sally: 16-18 Hairy Sculpin Brown & Light Olive: 2-4 Copperwire Mayfly Olive & Tan: 16-18 BH FB PT: 16-18 Copper Bead Mayfly: 16-18 Big Red: 6-8 Coppertone: 6-8 Eggs: 8-10 San Juan Worm Red, Purple, Tan: 6
Last Updated: 11/20/07
The Yellowstone
So this is going to start to slow down and expect that it will be even slower into the end of December as the temps drop and snow starts flying. Reports were decent before the snow started flying, not sure I would be going over here expecting a heyday, but you might do well fishing Pine to Carters or something and fishing a few of the Spring Creek dump ins... Other than that, going to be nymphing time - grab indicators, some smaller split shot and be prepared to work the productive areas of the river harder than usual. This is not a particularly fantastic winter fishery because of the ice flows etc that start forming in the middle of winter... but until that happens you can probably fit in a few more trips here and there you're just going to have to shorten them up because you certainly don't want to get stuck in a wind and snow storm on this bad boy!
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 BH FB PT: 14-16-18 Mustang Sally: 16-18 Lightning Bug Gold: 12-14-16 Eyez Wide Open Tan & Olive: 2 Stinger Sculpin Natural: 2 JJ's Special: 2-4-6-8 Dirty Bird Rust & Tan: 12-14-16 Copper John Black & Olive: 14-16-18 Biotic Nymph Olive & Black: 16 Eggs: 8-10 San Juan Worm Red, Brown and Cinnamon: 6
Last Updated: 11/20/07
The Spring Creeks
The Spring Creeks look pretty tempting at this time of year when the snow starts flying and temperatures outside drop because the water temps stay consistent. Hatch wise, look for midges and midges only, no more baetis at all... Start thinking about taking some good midge larvae and emerger patterns along with you. The creeks are on off season rates now, and that makes these things a lot more attractive to me at least, I can shell out the $40 to go fish DePuy's - especially on a weekday when there aren't as many anglers around. Fly wise, fish seem to be keying in on midge larvae, some eggs, and small copper bead mayflies and such. That's going to be it, mostly midges and lot's of nymphing at this point. As well as of course keeping your eyes out for reds, there should be plenty of beds around, typically fish some small midges with eggs off the back and do well on the lower end of DePuy's. And don't rule out pitching a small streamer pattern or two over here... Most of the creeks have plenty of availability now, and at offseason rates it makes the creeks a tad bit more attractive to us local folks, and might I add it's still pretty decent fishing at this time of year all through the winter.
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 Tailwater Tiny Olive: 18-20 Hogans Sipper BWO: 18-20 Pheasant Tail: 20 Zebra Midge: 20-22 Disco Midge: 18-20-22 Miracle Midge: 20-22 Eggs: 8-10 Bead Head San Juan: 10
Last Updated: 11/20/07
Spring Creek Phone Numbers: DePuy's - (406) 222-0221 Armstrong's - (406) 222-2979 Nelson's - (406) 222-6560 Milesnick's - (406) 388-7001
The Missouri
The Mo believe it or not has fished pretty well even today when we called for reports up there. Said that the wind has died down with the cold setting in and fish were up and eating on top pretty good on midges. Browns seem as if they are back in from the spawn now and nymphing has been really solid on the predictable stuff - soft hackles, pheasant tails, small sow bugs and midge larvae etc. From Wolf Creek on down there have been various reports of guys doing well on different things - if you like to head hunt there are still some fish podding up and eating baetis when it hasn't been too windy. But the majority of your fishing should be below the surface on smaller nymphs when the wind picks up! As I always advise, if you're only heading up for the day check the weather and see what's forecasted for the Wolf Creek area before making the trip from the Bozone, or wherever you may call home!
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 Tailwater Tiny Black, Olive & Red: 18-20-22 Hogans Military Nymph Black & Olive: 18-20 Copper Bead Mayfly: 20 Brooks Sprout BWO: 16-18-20 Hackle Dun Baetis: 18-20-22-24 Hogans Sipper BWO: 16-18 CDC Bubbleback BWO: 16-18
Last Updated: 11/20/07