Mid Fall Report
Fishing continues to be very good in SW Montana. Weather has been cooperative and the browns are beginning to show their fall spawning colors!
Dry fly fishing is about over in the Rockies. You should expect to fish primarily nymphs and streamers. You may encounter sporadic baetis hatches on some of the more blustery days but don't come to Montana with high hopes of much dry fly fishing.
The Madison: Ten days ago the Madison was running at above spring run-off levels due to a gate failure at the Hebgen dam. Now the river is low and clear. Fishing between Quake Lake and Ennis and Ennis and Three Forks is very good. From the town of Ennis to Quake Lake you probably will do best with nymphs deep. We are fishing stone fly patterns with smaller bead heads dropped off the back of the stone fly. Copper Johns, Lightening bugs, prince and pheasant tail nymphs all work well in sizes 12-16.
On the Lower Madison below Ennis try crayfish patterns, streamers fished off the banks and the usual line up of suspects for your bead head fishing.
The Big Hole: Fall fishing conditions on the Big Hole are excellent. Flows are staying around 400 cfs and if you will fish nymphs deep on brighter days and streamers when you have some clouds, your fishing should be fine. Try the San Juan Worm with a lightening bug dropper.
The Beaverhead: As we reported last week, the Beaverhead is low now as Clark Canyon Reservoir is being filled. You cannot float the river but if you want to just walk/wade fish you can catch fish in the deeper holes with small nymphs. Go down to size 20 bead heads such as the Micor May fly nymph. You may even find a few fish rising to blue winged olives then you need to match the hatch.
The Jefferson: It sounds like the weather is changing in the next few days and if we get stormy skies with lots of cloud cover you should fish the Jefferson. Fish streamers if you are comfortable with them and when you find rising fish use blue winged olive patterns like the adams parachute and purple haze. As always, nymphs fished deep will be effective.
The Ruby: Flows on the Ruby are excellent for the fall fisherman. With the dark stormy days approaching we recommend streamers like the wooley bugger, strip leech and zonkers. Fish size 6 and 8 on floating line.
Good luck and enjoy the beauty of Montana in the fall.
Dry fly fishing is about over in the Rockies. You should expect to fish primarily nymphs and streamers. You may encounter sporadic baetis hatches on some of the more blustery days but don't come to Montana with high hopes of much dry fly fishing.
The Madison: Ten days ago the Madison was running at above spring run-off levels due to a gate failure at the Hebgen dam. Now the river is low and clear. Fishing between Quake Lake and Ennis and Ennis and Three Forks is very good. From the town of Ennis to Quake Lake you probably will do best with nymphs deep. We are fishing stone fly patterns with smaller bead heads dropped off the back of the stone fly. Copper Johns, Lightening bugs, prince and pheasant tail nymphs all work well in sizes 12-16.
On the Lower Madison below Ennis try crayfish patterns, streamers fished off the banks and the usual line up of suspects for your bead head fishing.
The Big Hole: Fall fishing conditions on the Big Hole are excellent. Flows are staying around 400 cfs and if you will fish nymphs deep on brighter days and streamers when you have some clouds, your fishing should be fine. Try the San Juan Worm with a lightening bug dropper.
The Beaverhead: As we reported last week, the Beaverhead is low now as Clark Canyon Reservoir is being filled. You cannot float the river but if you want to just walk/wade fish you can catch fish in the deeper holes with small nymphs. Go down to size 20 bead heads such as the Micor May fly nymph. You may even find a few fish rising to blue winged olives then you need to match the hatch.
The Jefferson: It sounds like the weather is changing in the next few days and if we get stormy skies with lots of cloud cover you should fish the Jefferson. Fish streamers if you are comfortable with them and when you find rising fish use blue winged olive patterns like the adams parachute and purple haze. As always, nymphs fished deep will be effective.
The Ruby: Flows on the Ruby are excellent for the fall fisherman. With the dark stormy days approaching we recommend streamers like the wooley bugger, strip leech and zonkers. Fish size 6 and 8 on floating line.
Good luck and enjoy the beauty of Montana in the fall.
posted by LK Outfitting at
10:12 AM
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