Montana Troutfitters
The Gallatin
Talked to a few crazy guys heading out to the Gallatin over the past few weeks, and success has been limited, and that doesn't surprise me. December is not typically the greatest of months on the Gallatin, but if we do get a few days in a row where things warm up enough over freezing it can be a good way to cure the craving for some fishing. The best thing is you don't have to go far, stuff in the valley is typically the only place I go - don't bother with the canyon unless you are going up around Big Sky where the sewage comes in and the fish will often times concentrate around those warmer areas... It's going to be all 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.
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 BHFBPT: 16-18-20 Zebra Midge: 16-18-20
Last Updated: 12/8/07
The Upper Madison
Talked with Dan and Nancy up at Beartooth about whats been going on because we haven't been up this way in a while with temps that were in the teens and not getting above freezing... That's honestly why I haven't had a report for you, because if you're nuts enough to be out in that, then you probably don't need to hear from me!!! Anyhow, there haven't been hardly any people up here, lots of deer and wildlife, but the fishing has been decent when the weather broke earlier in the week, now that winter has settled back in your guess is as good as mine. I have fished this in December and typically I don't get too overly nuts with patterns - a healthy amount of san juans, pheasant tails, midges, some stoneflies and of course eggs... That should really just about do it. Streamer stripping is done, if you want to you can deaddrift a sculpin with a beadhead off the back but make sure you are getting it deep and slow...
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: 12/8/07
The Lower Madison
Well Ennis Lake is done turning over by now as you would have expected and besides the slush ice now and again the Lower is in good shape. Not that I'm giving away a secret here, but this is a pretty decent winter fishery in Beartrap and for those of you who really want to get out and have called me know that I like to fish this below the dam when things are icy and crummy everywhere else because it's easy fishing!!! Pink soft hackles, ray charles and pheasant tails, san juan worms and eggs are what I roll with up here all winter long... When the midge fishing picks up in a couple of months I will start venturing out of the canyon in between Warm Springs and Cherry Creek. Other than that, I don't really fish much of the rest of the river in the offseason because the lower you get on this river the more ice flows and slow water you have, and I just don't like battling that stuff. Although every once in a while I'll go beat my brains in on Darlington with some midge fishing for browns... good way to kill an afternoon! But I'd 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 Super Soft PT: 16-18 Eggs: 10 San Juan Worm Red, Tan & Brown: 6 Pink & Tan Soft Hackles: 16-18 Zebra Midge: 16-18-20
Last Updated: 12/8/07
The Yellowstone RIver
Kiel and Wes made it out here this week to do some fishing and see what was going on since we had a few warm days in a row. Low and behold there was some slush ice in the river, wouldn't expect anything less at this time of year, so if you are wading, just be careful as you don't want to get swept downstream by an errant iceberg. Fishing was decent in between the wind howling! The boys said they picked up fish mostly on little midges and bugger patterns deaddrifted below an indicator. That would be my suggestion as well, unless you really see something going on, which I would be surprised, I would stick with your basics for this time of year, midges, small nymphs, sculpins and buggers, san juans and stonefly nymphs. Other than that, don't know what else to tell you than check the weather and look for open windows when we get 2 or 3 days in a row above freezing and once the shelf ice settles in for the winter, forget it till about March.
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 Zebra Midge Red & Black: 16-18-20
Last Updated: 12/8/07
The Spring Creeks
This is when I like to fish the Spring Creeks in Livingston, when everyone else is indoors and thinking fly tying and tv watching. These babies are worth a trip to if for nothing more than to kick the duldrums in the wintertime in Montana if you don't ski... Hatch wise, look for midges and midges only... Take 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 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. Wes fished over here this week and despite the winds howling on the Yellowstone it wasn't too bad on the creek and fish were active towards the evening as the wind died down on midge larvae and small leech and bugger patterns. Might be a great little Christmas present to get for a special someone a day on the creeks with a guide!!!
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 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: 12/8/07
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
I had to do a double take on this report when I read it at first, but sure enough Kiel said when he spoke with the guys at the Trout Shop they said that the Missouri has been good on streamers! Well that wouldn't have been what I would have thought of, but hey I'm definitely not one to turn that down, I love streamer fishing just don't think about it during the winter... Anyhow, not much dry fly fishing as of yet because it has been really windy and cold. Nymphing has been pretty consistent with your typical tailwater flies: scuds, sowbugs, tiny mayflies and worms etc. This is a great winter fishery and if the roads aren't too bad is worth an afternoon trip almost any time the weather is cooperative. Don't bother draggin a boat though, this is a good one to just pound runs on foot on in the offseason.
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
Last Updated: 11/20/07
Other Waters
Most of the dry fly fishing is going to be non existent around the state at this time of year, I would be counting on mostly nymphing and streamer fishing from here on out until we get deeper into midge season in February.
Talked with the guys over on the Beaverhead and they said there haven't been many folks out and fishing lately as it has been so darn cold. But the few people that have been making out said things have been good on small nymphs - mostly what you would expect, sow bugs, scuds, tailwater tiny's, midges, etc. Apparently Pointdexter Slough has been fishing pretty decent - that can be some fun at this time of year when things are freezing over and it typically fishes well on streamers and nymphs...
Might be worth a trip over to the Ruby at some point, haven't talked to anyone who has been over there lately, but this is typically the time things start to get going a little bit on midges all through January and February, and there aren't many folks over there either.
All of the small creeks closed on Nov 30th.