Montana Fall Means One Thing...Big Brownies!
I can't believe it, I'm going to have to miss out on one of my favorite Fall fisheries in the country this year! I know dang it, a friend recently said "You can't be everywhere and fish every river in the Rockies this Fall Troutdawg!" My reply was simple, yeah why not? Okay so maybe I'll fish every Colorado stream but Montana will just have to wait until Fall 2010
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The Stone continues to be one of our favorite local rivers to fish this summer. The flows are still at a great level and the big fish are more accessable these days. There have been reports and I have seen the photos of a few 25 inch plus fish caught in the last few weeks. Hoppers and caddis and ants are the flies of choice. No one can keep the Morrish hopper in the fly bins at the shops, but yellow chernobyl ants, grand hoppers, and the carnage hopper is all working well. The trout have gotten a little smarter after seeing two months of foam flies float by. Twitching your hopper can trigger some unbeliavable strikes, and dropping a caddis or ant off your hopper will give them another option to choose if they refuse your hopper.
Hoppers: The all day hopper fishing has just now come to a close, but a few hours each afternoon still proves productive. There are a lot of fish holding on the banks in areas with current. Smaller Dave’s sz 10 and your hopper sandwich in larger sizes.
Dries: There are trico’s appearing for the spinner fall mind morning and fish have been keying into them on the surface on occasion. A few black caddis will appear on a day to day basis. Bugs: Spent wing Trico #20 trico spinner #20 cdc black caddis #20
Nymphing: Nymphing has been consistient throughout most of the day. Focus on your Scuds and Sow Bugs as that is really all they have been eating. They key in on some small baetis nymphs mainy in the afternoon. Bugs: Soft hackle Ray Charles grey #16, Grey Poxyback sowbug #20, Bighorn Scud orage #16.
Streamers: Our up and coming star is streamer fishing. We have had some great days throwing streamers, even with full sunlight. Off the banks and through the riffles is productive but if you have a sinking like the deeper swifter channels have been excellent. Bugs: Bow River Bugger #6, brown and yellow clouser #8.
It has been in the 80’s for the past 3 days and some very excellent fall weather! Flows holding steady at 3,000 cfs
Yellowstone Park Bud Lilly's
No new fishing regs for the Park this year, just remember "All Barbless".
The road between Madison Jct and Norris is now closed for the season.During the closure they will be building a new bridge across the Gibbon River and revamping the areas above and below Gibbon Falls. This is the completion of the project that was started 7 or 8 years ago. Trips from West Yellowstone to the Lamar Valley must go around Yellowstone Lake (an extra 48+ miles, plan on at least 3 hours from West Yellowstone to Tower Junction. The Firehole is cooling a bit but I'd wait at least another week. Madison is producing on hoppers in the meadow stretches. Flows on the Stone are finally below 2700cfs. Still some Goldens and green drakes - PMDs and Caddis - look for hoppers as well. Look for the hatch and look for the fish - if you don't see any fish move somewhere else. Some nice 20+ inch cutts taken lately. Still excellant fishing in the Lamar valley if you make the drive or stay in Cooke City. Hoppers, ants, beetles - have a variety of patterns and sizes. PMD Sparkle Dun 14-18, Para Quill PMD 16-18, Tilt Wing PMD 16, Hackle Stacker16-18, HOH Para Spinner, Delektable Halo Caddis Emerger, CDC Caddis Tan 14, Hemingway Caddis 14-16, Para Quill Gray Drake, Gray Drake Cripple, Para Adams 10-12, HOH Honey Ant, Deer Hair Ant, Ant Mis-behavin, Butt Munch Beetle, Krystal Leg Beetle, Morrish Hopper, Wilcox VW Hopper, HOH Spring Creek Hopper.
Hebgen Lake-Quake Lake:
We’ve had some really good fishing between Hebgen and Quake. Dead drifting nymphs has been the most effective way to find fish. Some nice browns and rainbows have been caught on Stonefly patterns, Princes and Caddis Larva. Late afternoon is the best time to try to get fish to feed on the surface with attractor dries, but as the days get cooler the window for dry fly fishing is starting to close.
Quake Lake-Lyon Bridge:
Terrestrial fishing is slowing down in the wade section, though hoppers remain effective at times. Fall Baetis have begun to hatch in good numbers. While these small mayflies make for some very good nymph fishing, one can find trout rising to them with a lot of careful searching. Bring Emergers and Thorax Patterns in #22. Seeing these small flies on the surface is a challenge. Larger parachutes can be helpful when fished in tandem with the smaller Baetis in tow. Cloudy days are best for these insects, but some will hatch even when the sun is bright. Nymphing with small Baetis Nymphs and Midge Larva has been quite good and the most consistent way to catch trout right now in the wade section.
Lyon Bridge to Ennis:
Hopper fishing has slowed down considerably, though fish can still be brought to the surface once the water warms up. Nymphing has been pretty good as fish are feeding on Caddis, Baetis Nymphs and Midge Larva. A few of our guides have found fishing willing to eat dead drifted streamers and larger stonefly nymphs fished below an indicator. Streamer fishing will get a boost when the weather clouds up. For now stick to the big flies in the mornings.
Traditionally, fall is my favorite time on the water. And the Big Hole has been good to me in the fall. The period of time in fall when night temperatures have cooled the water down enough to make fish active again, all the way to ice-up can be a productive time for monster hunting.
In fall, Baetis mayflies can be important during hatches, which occur during the warmest part of the day. A tiny, number 18 or 20 BWO or Black Baetis can take a surprising number of fish if you find an area where a good hatch is coming off. Watch along the banks close to good holding water. Trout move to the edge of the faster current and sip in the small mayflies right on the current seam. Takes are often very subtle, so keep a close watch on your fly and leader.
You can find good Baetis beds along the entire river system. I prefer to fish the canyon stretch near Divide when the Baetis are on, and during the periods when nothing is hatching, I will bounce a nymph along the bottom through the deeper water with hopes it will find its way into the mouth of a big brown.
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