Lilly & Kemph Outfitting

Pre Runoff Fishing

noreply@blogger.com (LK Outfitting) — Sat, 01 May 2010 13:47:00 +0000

SW Montana is in the last week or ten days of pre-runoff fishing conditions. The weather has been cool and stream flows are excellent.

The Big Hole is at a flow that is ideal. You should fish primarily nymphs with indicators but on cloudy days the fish will chase streamers very well. If you get some warmer temperatures in the after noon give skwalla stone flies a try.

The Beaverhead has a very good spring flow. Again nymphs are the primary way to catch fish right now. San Juan Worms and small may fly bead heads work well off an indicator. You can fish streamers when the skies are not too bright.

The Madison has been very good south of Ennis with stone fly nymph and bead head combinations.

Clark Canyon Reservoir continues to turn out very big rainbows stripping streamers or fishing various patterns on indicators. Stop at the local fly shops in Dillon for information on the fly of the day.

The Ruby and Jefferson Rivers are both a bit too off color to fish well so unless you get right up to the dam on the Ruby you are going to struggle.

Good luck and enjoy your early season fishing

Snow Melt in SW Montana

noreply@blogger.com (LK Outfitting) — Sun, 18 Apr 2010 14:28:00 +0000

A late spring snow storm and warmer temperatures have produced early run-off conditions on some SW Montana trout streams.

The Big Hole has climbed to about 2000 cfs the last couple of days but will hopefully level off and become fishable again. The river is off color with about 18 inches of visiblity.

The Beaverhead is in good fishable shape from Pipe Organ Bridge down stream. Fish nymphs in the pools. In the afternoon you may encounter some hatch activity and be able to fish dry flies.

The Madison north and south of Ennis in very good shape. Flows are low with nymph fishing being the method of choice. Fish stone fly nymphs and bead heads.

Clark Canyon Reservoir remains very good. Streamers stripped on sinking lines or indicator fishing with a variety of nymphs will produce lots of large rainbows.

Good luck

Real Spring Fishing

noreply@blogger.com (LK Outfitting) — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 15:15:00 +0000

We have finally moved into actual spring fishing conditions. Air temperatures are much higher average each day and the stream temps are rising. Trout in all SW Montana Rivers are in a good frame of mind!

The Madison always fishes well in the early season. You will have to nymph fish with a mixed bag of patterns. Rainbow trout are spawning now and that means a small egg pattern works well. Additionally we fish small midge patterns like the Zebra Midge, Brassies and Small Copper Johns.

The Big Hole will have early season stone fly hatches soon (Skwallas). Prior to their emergence you want to fish with Pat's Stones, large prince nymphs, san juan worms and larger copper johns or pheasant tail nymphs. When the dries appear fish a Skawalla pattern in about size 8.

The Beaverhead will have bwo hatches when the weather is right. That means having overcast, cooler weather or even blustery weather. When you get the hatch you will find fish taking about a size 16 sparkle dun in olive. If no fish are working the surface, use san juan worms and small bead head nymphs on the bottom.

The Jefferson and the Ruby are also very good early season rivers. As with other streams in SW Montana you should fish mostly small bead head nymphs. However on warmer days you may find that you can stir fish up with streamer patterns.

Finally don't forget to fish Clark Canyon Reservoir this spring. Here you will catch large Rainbows cruising the banks.

Good luck in the 2010 season

Spring has sprung in the Rockies

noreply@blogger.com (LK Outfitting) — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 16:22:00 +0000

Spring has arrived in SW Montana and fishing is definitely picking up. Streams are low and clear and the fish becoming pretty active. You will not find much dry fly fishing yet but if you fish nymphs deep you can generate a lot of activity.

The Madison both below Ennis lake and above the town of Ennis fish very well this time of year. We like egg patterns, small red midge nymphs in sizes 16, small bead head nymphs like the copper john and brassies. Once again fish these patterns in sizes 16 and 18. Use lots of weight and get the flies on the bottom. Typically fish will not chase flies too far in cold water.

The Beaverhead The Beav from Pipe Organ Bridge downstream is open and stream flows excellent for this part of the season. Fish san juan worms and midge nymphs deep with indicators and lots of weight.

The Big Hole The Big Hole can be a lot of fun in the spring. You may actually hit some blue winged olive and midge hatches on the surface with the right conditions but I would count on primarily fishing nymphs. The usual spring suspects such as SJ Worms, midges, prince nymphs and egg patterns.

The Ruby River For a small walk/wading stream the Ruby is a wonderful choice. Fish nymphs but as the days warm you may find some caddis in the afternoons.

Finally, don't over look still water fisheries like the Clark Canyon Reservoir. As the ice goes out of these bodies of water, rainbow trout move in along the shores to find spawning areas and some large fish are taken with regularity.

Good luck

Mid Winter Opportunities

noreply@blogger.com (LK Outfitting) — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 15:54:00 +0000

It is mid January and Montana should be encased in ice. However we have been enjoying very mild temperatures and for those who like to get a few hours in on the water every month, you have a great oopportunity.

It looks like the temperatures will remain in the mid to high 30's or low forties even for a few more days. The Beaverhead from Pipe Organ bridge down is fishable. Both the Upper and Lower Madison has open water and is wadable. The Ruby River below the reservoir is also fishable in sections. On all these waters you want to fish nymphs deep with lots of weight. You may need to try a variety of patterns. Experiment with your fly size and color. Use bead heads with an indicator. The fish will be very sluggish and strikes difficult to detect.

Any fish this time of year is fun even Whitefish! Get out and get some exercise and fresh air.

Good Luck

Late Fall Fishing

noreply@blogger.com (LK Outfitting) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 17:21:00 +0000

The formal fishing season is over in SW Montana for most people but remember, many of our streams do remain open to fishing all winter long. The state of Montana believes that there is no reason to prevent anglers from enjoying a nice day on the stream when it comes along.

Generally in late fall and winter you are going to have to fish nymphs deep with weight and a strike indicator. The water will be too cold for the fish to be active enough to chase streamers and you will not find much hatch activity to provide top water dry fly fishing.

This fall the Beaverhead is much higher than we have experienced in the past several years. The river closes from Clark Canyon Dam to Pipe Organ Rock to protect spawning trout but you can fish from Pipe Organ Bridge all the way to Barrett's Diversion through the entire winter. Fish small nymph patterns like the ray charles, pink softy scud, brassies and micro may flies. We recommend sizes 18-22. Use lots of weight and fish very deep.

The Big Hole is a bit higher than normally seen at this point in the fall but that is good for anglers particularly if you want to float the river. I would suggest a larger stone fly pattern like the Pat's Stone with a small copper john dropped off the back. Use at least a BB shot and fish deep.

The Madison is very good in the off seasons. You should find fish moving from Ennis Lake up into the Varney Bridge area. As always, you should fish some type of nymph deep. The standard bead heads are always a good choice as well as the stone fly patterns. Fish about a size 8 stone fly and size 12-14 bead head. I like the lightening bugs, copper johns and prince nymphs as my dropper.

For the smaller stream fisherman we recommend the Ruby below the Ruby Dam. This stretch of the river is open year around and you should be able to enjoy some good mid-day fishing with bead head nymphs on any nice day this fall and winter.

Finally, the Jefferson is another option but as we always like to let anglers know, it is a river with a lower fish count per mile so you should not expect to have as active a day's fishing as you would on other area rivers. You can hook some very large fish on the Jeff but not a lot of fish typically.

If you are an out of area fisherman we would not suggest you plan a vacation to SW Montana specifically to fish this late fall or winter but if you find yourself in the area on business or for recreation of another type and you have a free day when the temperatures are comfortable, don't forget that you can fish most of the rivers of SW Montana all year long!

Good Luck

Early Winter Weather in SW Montana

noreply@blogger.com (LK Outfitting) — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 15:51:00 +0000

You never know what you are going to experience for weather when you visit Montana. September was spectacularly nice and October has been horrible. Fortunately we are supposed to see a moderation of the cold temperatures and you should expect some good fall fishing conditions.

The Beaverhead continues to flow well above its past few fall levels and fishing is fine. Some blue winged olive activity and very good small nymph fishing. For those who enjoy streamer fishing you can work wooley buggers off the banks effectively. Fish ray charles, micro may fly and pink scud nymphs with indicators.

The Big Hole flows are way up and the river in fine fishing condition now. Once again you will not find too much dry fly fishing but the nymph fishing will be good. Use larger copper johns and pheasant tail nymphs. We like size 10 and 12. You can also drop a second fly off your rig with a san juan worm or smaller may fly nymph imitation.

The Jefferson is a good fall river. Our personal preference is for streamer fishing. We like the lighter colored flies like a white zonker leading a darker wooley bugger in black, brown or olive.

The Madison is primarily nymph fishing now. The usual array of bead head patterns with weight off an indicator will produce good fishing.

Don't let the weather deter you. Get out and enjoy the few remaining nice days of the season.

Fall Has Arrived in Montana

noreply@blogger.com (LK Outfitting) — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 16:45:00 +0000

Fall has finally gotten to SW Montana. September weather was more like August's weather but fishing was excellent. Hopper fishing on area streams and spring creeks was superb this season but now we have to look to limited dry fly fishing with primarily nymph and streamer action.

The Beaverhead flows are much better than previous seasons. Some blue winged olive action with very good nymph fishing when the dries are done.

The Big Hole is still relatively low and floating is best with a raft. Fish large pheasant tail nymphs and copper johns in sizes 12 and 14.

The Madison is erratic but nymph fishing should produce good steady action.

The Jefferson should really pick up with streamers now that we are getting more cloud cover.

The Ruby continues to fish well with small nymphs and streamers.

Get on the water and enjoy what remains of the 2009 season!

Fall Has Arrived in SW Montana

noreply@blogger.com (LK Outfitting) — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 16:30:00 +0000

The mornings are cool and crisp and the afternoons quite warm and pleasant. Fall is in the mountains of SW Montana and Anglers should get out and enjoy the few really fabulous days we have left before winter arrives. The fishing is good and should remain so for the next six weeks.

This fall we have more options than we have experienced in about 8 years.

The Jefferson is fishable and the populations of trout up quite a bit from the drought years of 2000-2007. We still like to have cloudy overcast weather to maximize the Jefferson's potential but you may actually find a few fish still feeding on hoppers on the Jeff. but if it is slow on top fish nymphs deep.

The Beaverhead which has been very low and unfloatable the last few falls is going to run about 450 cfs this fall which means we will enjoy great fishing through the remainder of the season. Think about fishing Crane fly patterns off the banks with a skittering motion or hoppers in along the willows in the afternoon.

The Madison both above and below Ennis fishes well in the fall. The big fish that typically seem to disappear in August, resurface in September and you should have steady fishing on nymphs and streamers.

The Big Hole is lower and must be floated with a raft rather than a hard boat but the fishing is quite good. Nymphs in the mornings with some trico action on top. In the afternoon you can fish attractor dries and hoppers on the lower river.

Clark Canyon Reservoir is red hot again. Strip small leech patterns or streamers you favor.

The Ruby still produces dry fly fishing on hoppers in the afternoons. Nymphs and streamers in the mornings are the answer on the Ruby.

Enjoy these soft,quiet days on the waters of SW Montana. They will not be here long enough!

Fall Fishing is here

noreply@blogger.com (LK Outfitting) — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 15:02:00 +0000

It is hard to believe but September is almost upon us and that means that we will begin to see some changes in weather and the fishing that is available in SW Montana.

Currently the weather is very warm and we are still experiencing summer fishing conditions.

The Beaverhead is at a nice level and providing good nymph fishing in the mornings with hopper fishing in the afternoon.

The Big Hole is floatable with rafts but if you have a hard boat be sure to choose a section of the river with very few braids that will make navigation difficult. The fishing on the Big Hole is especially good when we have some high cloud cover. Otherwise we recommend that you leave fairly early in the morning and expect fishing to drop off by about 3:00pm. Fish tricos in the morning, attractors and hoppers in the afternoon and when fishing on top slows down use a nymph rig with bead head nymphs and no weight on the leader.

The Madison is typical August Madison fishing. If you fish deep with nymphs you will find better sized fish. Fishing on top will produce fish but you will move a lot of small fish with the occasional larger trout. Fish deep with your favorite bead head nymphs or try a sculpin pattern dead drifted with an indicator. On the surface try hoppers or attractors.

The Ruby for the wade fisherman is a good choice. Fish above the reservoir near the Cottonwood camp with small attractors and enjoyable pocket water fishing. Below Ruby Reservoir fish hoppers and expect to see some larger trout.

We always mention Clark Canyon Reservoir as a choice for anglers looking to hook fish over 20" and sometimes up to 24" or 25".

Good Luck!

More Cool Weather

noreply@blogger.com (LK Outfitting) — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 17:03:00 +0000

Summer and Fall are fighting for control of SW Montana. One day it will be in the high 80's and the next the high 50's. If you are planning a trip to Montana in the next few weeks be sure to come prepared for any weather. Have fleece garments and a good rain jacket with you but you may also want to have a pair of wet wading shorts!

Fishing remains very good with a variety of things happening:

The Beaverhead from Clark Canyon to Barrett's diversion is fishing consistently well. As always you can nymphs successfully and in the afternoons you will find fish up on dries. Caddis and hoppers are the primary dry fly choices.

We have been told that the Beaverhead will be running higher flows this fall than what we have experienced the past few years. This means no closure in the late part of the fall and the fishing will remain excellent.

The Big Hole also will have much more water this fall than it has for many years. You will find nymph, streamer and dry fly fishing to be good through October this season.

The Madison should begin to produce better sized fish again as the water cools and brown trout begin to move into spawning mode.

The Jefferson will be another river that fishes well this fall when it has been too low late in the year the past few years. We like streamer fishing on the Jeff. especially when you have dark overcast days.

Don't neglect Clark Canyon Reservoir. It continues to kick out some very large fish for the nymph and streamer fisherman willing to spend a little time.

The fishing pressure on Montana's streams has been very light this year and as we get past labor day you will find that traffic on all SW Montana rivers is just not going to be heavy.

Have a great time.

Cooler August Weather Ends

noreply@blogger.com (LK Outfitting) — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 16:54:00 +0000

The wet cool weather that has prevailed most of August this season is about to end. We should experience dry, warm tempertures for the next week. This should mean more consistent dry fly fishing on those rivers that have not produced the normal hopper or attractor dry fly fishing to which we are accustomed.

Currently:

The Big Hole has flows that are much better than those we have seen for many years in mid August. Fishing is very good on the lower river with hopper imitations. The middle part of the river around Melrose is good with attractor dry flies and on the upper river you are beginning to see tricos and some spruce moth activity. If things are slow on the surface drop small bead head nymphs off the back of your attractor patterns and hoppers.

The Beaverhead is flowing about 500 cfs at Barrett's Diversion and continues to be very good with small nymphs. For those anglers who are patient and willing to work hard with the dries you can take fish on Caddis and hopper patterns on the surface.

The Madison is a bit lower now and offers anglers a mixed bag of dry fly and nymph fishing. If you work the banks affectively with hoppers you can move some fish. Try deep nymphing or even dead drift a sculpin pattern for larger fish.

The Ruby is very good with hopper patterns. Be sure to respect the private property rights of the ranchers if you access the river at county bridges. Otherwise use the public fishing access sites near the Ruby Reservoir.

Clark Canyon Reservoir from late morning through the afternoon if the wind does not come up, has fished exceptionally well. Stripping streamers or fishing midges off an idicator are the best techniques.

Enjoy your time on the water and be safe and courteous.

A Cool Montana August

noreply@blogger.com (LK Outfitting) — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 17:07:00 +0000

August in SW Montana has been the total opposite of many past Augusts! Stream flows are above normal and daytime temperatures much cooler than average. This combination has created excellent fishing.

All area rivers are in terrific shape. Dry fly fishing is more with attractor flies than hoppers but fish are looking up.

The Big Hole River is fishing well with patterns like the Royal Trude, Royal PMX and Black Magic. Fish sizes 10 and 12.

The Beaverhead will provide the dry fly fisher with some action on hoppers and caddis. For consistent results use nymphs deep like the psycho prince, trigger nymph and lightening bugs.

The Madison fishes well with small nymphs like the lightening bug, prince and pheasant tail. Try going smaller with sizes 14 and 16.

Clark Canyon Reservoir is on fire with small leech patterns and midge larva fished off indicators.

Enjoy the cool summer conditions and good luck.

Hoppers in SW Montana

noreply@blogger.com (LK Outfitting) — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 15:31:00 +0000

Typically the grasshopper fishing in SW Montana is one of the highlights of our season. Things are just beginning to really warm up as far as the hopper fishing goes.

The big floating rivers: The Beaverhead, Big Hole, Madison and Jefferson are only so so for hopper fishing at the moment. You will find periods during the day when each river will offer some good top water fishing with hoppers but you may have to be more aware of what is happening hour to hour on each stream.

The Beaverhead still has good hatches of pmd's and yellow sallys as well as some hopper fishing on the lower end. You should also consider nymph fishing deep with yellow sally nymphs and pmd patterns.

The Big Hole While temperatures are warm during the day is best fished early in the mornings. Things really slow down in the afternoon. Black Magic dries as well as hoppers on the lower river will produce fish. Think about trailing a small bead head nymph off the back of the dry. On the upper river you may find smaller dry fly fishing as well as limited hopper fishing.

The Madison is erratic top water fishing. More consistent fishing is found deep with bead head nymphs and some dead drifted streamer patterns.

The Jefferson is still floatable in some sections and you can throw hoppers off the banks. Again think about trailing bead heads off the dry fly.

As always, Clark Canyon Reservoir in August is producing large fish. Use small midge patterns off an indicator or strip small leech patterns with a sinking line.

Good luck

August fishing in SW Montana

noreply@blogger.com (LK Outfitting) — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 13:48:00 +0000

Cooler weather than normal has kept SW Montana streams in great condition:

The Big Hole is normally very low and quite warm by early August but this season continues to fish very well. On the lower floats from Melrose down stream you can find fish on the surface using attractor dry flies and hoppers. In the faster canyon sections above Melrose you may need to do some nymphing with small bead heads. We like the lightening bugs, copper johns and pheasant tail nymphs. Use bead heads with no extra weight and indicators.

The Beaverhead continues to be outstanding using small pmd nymphs such as the trigger nymph, split back in olive or brown and small lightening bugs. Fish lots of weight deep as the river is very high still. Expect to break off a few fish due to heavy currents.

The Madison is the usual Madison this time of season. Fish a mixed bag of top water flies and bead head nymphs deep. Hoppers have not yet really started strongly on the Madison.

Clark Canyon reservoir is cranking up. Fish streamers and midge nymphs. This is a chance to hook a very large brown or rainbow.

The Jefferson is still fishing well but floating becomes more difficult. Walk wade fishing with hoppers on top or fishing nymphs and streamers deep should produce good action.

The Ruby is clean and running good flows. Again you want to be ready to fish nymphs in the mornings and hoppers should produce action in the afternoons.

Good Luck

Late July in SW Montana

noreply@blogger.com (LK Outfitting) — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 13:55:00 +0000

Summer weather and heavy irrigation demands are changing the fishing picture in SW Montana.

Streams are lower and water temperatures higher on many area rivers. You might consider earlier morning starts and finishing your day earlier in the afternoon.

The Big Hole is dropping daily and water temperatures are high enough that by about 2:00pm you will find the dry fly action slowing down. You can still pull fish off the bottom with nymphs.

The Jefferson is still floatable and again fishes well early morning till mid afternoon. Hoppers off the banks will bring fish to the surface.

The Madison is about normal for mid summer. Fish smaller dry flies such as the elk hair caddis in sizes 12 and 14. Nymphingn is always a good choice on the Madison when water temps are up and the skys are cloudless.

The Beaverhead one of the few rivers in SW Montana that is running high. Irrigators need water for their hay fields so the Beav is about 750 cfs. However this is not affecting fishing. Use small nymphs and you will do very well.

Good luck

Summer Weather in SW Montana

noreply@blogger.com (LK Outfitting) — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 20:03:00 +0000

Finally summer appears to have arrived in SW Montana! Day time temperatures are in the mid 80's and chance of showers has decreased dramatically. The cool, wet weather has been a blessing as our SW Montana rivers are in great shape.

The Big Hole is as good a mid summer condition as we have seen in many years. Fish are already looking for attractor dries and even hoppers on the surface. Fish PMX patterns, Black Magics and hoppers in sizes 8 and 10. If the fish are not feeding well on the surface drop a small bead head off the back of your dry. We like copper johns, pt nymphs and lightening bugs.

The Beaverhead is typical mid summer level. CFS is about 600 to 650 each day. There are good pmd hatches on the upper river. Below Pipe Organ you may need to fish nymphs deep for a few more days.

The Madison is in wonderful shape now. Flows are around 1200 cfs and river is clear and fishing well. Attractor dries on top, some caddis and of course fish nymphs deep when the top water action is slow.

The Jefferson is holding up well. You want to fish a mixed bag of nymphs, streamers and dries depending upon the weather you encounter. If you get afternoon cloud buildup then you will find much better top water and streamer fishing.

Clark Canyon Reservoir is coming into mid season shape. Fishing is excellent and still the best chance for any angler to land a fish between 5 and 10 pounds.

The Ruby both above and below the reservoir is in fine shape. Be sure if you are going to fish the Ruby that you are entering on a public access point. You will find hopper fishing mid day and caddis in the evenings.

Mid Summer Fishing in SW Montana

noreply@blogger.com (LK Outfitting) — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 23:19:00 +0000

SW Montana is still enjoying one of the best water years in many seasons. Stream Flows are perfect and the fishing reflects that.

The Madison is running about 1250 cfs and fishing well with a variety of things. You can always fish nymphs deep. We are doing well on rubber legs with a small bead head off the back. The dry fly angler should try golden stones, caddis and attractor patterns.

The Big Hole is absolutely perfect. Mornings are best with copper johns, pat's stones and prince nymphs. In the afternoon you will find yellow sally's, caddis and pale morning duns all hatching. Flows are holding up well with cfs at approximately 1400.

The Beaverhead is fine despite negative publicity regarding silt levels in the river. There is no question that the numbers of fish from High Bridge down stream may be a bit lower than past summers but the Beav is still a terrific fishery and anglers can expect good results on very small pmd nymphs and at times pmd duns on the surface.

The Jefferson is in prime shape. Once again you need to be prepared to fish subsurface with nymphs, streamers or occasionally small dries on the surface. Flows for mid July are the best we have seen in years.

The Ruby from the dam to about Alder is clear and will produce evening caddis action. During the days fish attractor dries with droppers. We like the Lightening bugs and copper johns for droppers. From Alder downstream the river has a bit of color and you will need to fish streamers and nymphs.

Clark Canyon Reservoir is rounding into summer shape. Midge pattersn off of indicators and streamers worked with action produce the best results.

Good luck.

Salmon Flies on the Madison

noreply@blogger.com (LK Outfitting) — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 14:54:00 +0000

It is that time of the year! The Big Hatch on the Madison has started.

Salmon Flies are on the Madison between Ruby Creek and 8 Mile Ford. Use the large Rogue stone salmon fly patterns or if things are slow on the Salmon Flies, try fishing a smaller golden stone in sizes 6 & 8. You may also find fish feeding on caddis at times.

When you think the dry fly fishing has slowed on the Madison it is still a good idea to fish big nymphs deep.

On the Big Hole River you will find a mixed bag of nymph, streamer and dry fly fishing. We like the larger copper johns and prince nymphs in sizes 8 & 10 when fishing deep. On top fish stimulators, caddis and yellow sally pattern. If you enjoy streamer fishing then pull wooley buggers off the bank.

The Beaverhead is still low and fishing well. As normal this time of year you will find fish beginningn to look for pmd's on the surface. Match it with sparkle duns and parachute patterns in sizes 16 and 18. When fishing wet, use small nymphs such as the ray charles, micro mays and lightening bugs.

The Jefferson is dropping and clearing enough to offer some nymph and streamer fishing. You will not normally expect to catch large numbers of fish on the Jeff but you may hit a few big fish.

The Ruby is down and very fishable. You may find some top water action on caddis but nymph and streamer fishing will be more consistent.

Good luck

Summer in SW Montana, Finally!

noreply@blogger.com (LK Outfitting) — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 02:01:00 +0000

After three weeks of cooler/wet weather SW Montana has finally experienced a couple of days of summer like weather. The Rivers are dropping and fishing is good.

The Big Hole is still high but clear. You will find a mixed bag of flies working, depending upon the section of river you choose to fish. Up high above Wise river you can find fish on Golden Stone Flies, Caddis and PMD's. On the lower sections of river you may need to fish nymphs deep or work streamers off the banks if you enjoy that kind of fishing.

The Beaverhead from Clark Canyon Dam to Grasshopper Creek is low and clear. Some pmd activity in the Slick and from High Bridge to Grasshopper we are fishing pmd nymphs and scud patterns with weight and an indicator.

The Madison is high but clearing and dredging with big nymphs will produce fish. We are probably a week or so away from the Salmon Fly Hatch on the Madison.

The Ruby from Ruby dam downstream to Alder is clear enough to fish. From Alder down it has color but should begin to clear again.

Clark Canyon reservoir is perking up again. If you want to catch large fish you should give the reservoir a go. Big Browns and Rainbows are available to those who have patience and learn to fish the indicator nymph and streamer techniques that produce double digit fish on the reservoir.

Good Luck and enjoy the sun.

Salmon Fly Time!!!

noreply@blogger.com (LK Outfitting) — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 17:08:00 +0000

Salmon Flies are out on the Big Hole!

Between Melrose and Wise River you will find salmon flies on the bushes. The fish have been eating on top the last couple of days but the river flows are fluctuating with the June rains we have been experiencing. You may have some inconsistent results due to the water levels going up and down. Fish nymphs deep and streamers off the bank if the fish are not taking the big stone fly dries. Don't forget to watch for caddis and golden stone action as well.

The Beaverhead is in good shape. Small nymphs like the ray charles, infrequens hunch back and the micro may flies will work well. Get them down deep. Below Grasshopper creek the river is still to dirty to fish.

The Madison is clean enough to fish but high enough to fish with difficulty. You will catch fish on big nymphs deep but you need to pick your spots. We like the smaller side channels. Salmon Flies will probably appear on the Madison in another ten days if the weather warms.

The Jefferson is beginning to fish with big flies. Use large streamers. A boat is probably a must; when fishing the Jeff. The river is still pretty high and has some color.

The Ruby is clear and down enough to be fishable. Nymphs and streamers are the primary weapons of choice. You may find some pmd or caddis at times.

Enjoy your fishing!

SW Montana Rivers are Hitting Their Stride!

noreply@blogger.com (LK Outfitting) — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 22:30:00 +0000

We are moving into the sweet part of the season in SW Montana. Our major rivers are dropping and clearing and we are beginning to see some dry fly fishing.

The Big Hole has dropped dramatically and is as clear as you could wish. Salmon flies should appear on the river any moment. Nymph fishing with a mixed bag of small nymphs such as copper johns, prince and pheasant tails in sizes 10 dropped behind a stone fly nymph pattern is a very effective combo. You can also fish big streamers deep. Yellow Yummies, Yuk Bugs and strip leeches are excellent.

The Beaverhead is at a low to medium flow. Fishing with small nymphs is very good. We like the micro mays, ray charles, split backs and small brassies all in sizes 16-20. PMD hatches should come on relatively soon.

The Madison is clear and running at an excellent level. Stone fly nymphs with small nymph droppers are again a good choice. Expect the Salmon Fly hatch on this river in the next ten days.

The Ruby has cleared enough to be fishable and the flow is acceptable. Remember you have good access at four or five public sites from the Ruby Dam to Silver Springs. Small nymphs and streamers are the order of the day.

You should expect really fine fishing conditions the next couple of weeks. Good Luck

Early June in SW Montana

noreply@blogger.com (LK Outfitting) — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 17:38:00 +0000

Snow melt is beginning to slow in the mountains of SW Montana. All the big rivers are dropping and beginning to clear.

The Big Hole under 6,000 cfs and clear enough to be fishable. We are dragging nymphs deep or fishing streamers off the banks if your arm will handle the constant casting all day. We expect to see adult stone flies next week. In the meantime fish the big stone fly nymph patterns with lots of lead.

The Beaverhead is down and beginning to fish more consistently. Use small nymphs such as serendipity, split backs and micro mays.

The Madison has dropped dramatically but is still off color because of the silt put into the river at the West Fork. If we don't have a great deal of rain in the next week or ten days the Mad should begin to clear enough to be fishable with nymphs.

The Ruby continues to be off color and may not really clear until close to the end of the month. If you get close to the Ruby Dam you can find some clean fishable water and you want to use the normal lineup of nymphs and streamers.

Clark Canyon Reservoir has slowed down since the rainbow spawning finished up. The Fish are more dispersed and you will have to begin to look for them in their summer holding areas.

Keep the faith. We will have good fishing again very shortly!

Late May Fishing

noreply@blogger.com (LK Outfitting) — Thu, 28 May 2009 17:30:00 +0000

Snow melt is still in full swing in the SW corner of Montana but there are enough good fishing choices to keep anglers happy!

In the Twin Bridges/Dillon area, the best float fishing is on the Beaverhead River south of Dillon. From Clark Canyon Dam to Grasshopper Creek the river is in very good shape. You must fish nymphs deep with indicators. We like pink scuds, san juan worms and micro may flies in sizes 14-18. If you get some cloud cover think about fishing streamers off the banks.

The Big Hole, Madison and Jefferson are all very high and off color. We don't expect much fishing on these rivers for another ten days at least.

Clark Canyon reservoir is still producing large fish. Use indicators with small jigs or midge patterns or if you want more active fishing, strip streamers.

The Ruby River just below the Ruby reservoir is clean and fishable. Once again nymphs are the key to success.

Good Luck

Spring Run Off

noreply@blogger.com (LK Outfitting) — Thu, 21 May 2009 18:57:00 +0000

SW Montana is in the middle of the high water season. Most freestone streams are very high and off color. However don't despair, you still have good fishing choices:

The Upper Beaverhead is fishable from Clark Canyon Dam to Grasshopper Creek. The river has some color but if you fish nymphs deep you can catch fish.

Below Dillon the Beaverhead is also clear and fishable as the ranchers are drawing down water for irrigation and the river gets cleaner as you get closer to Twin Bridges.

The Ruby River directly below the Ruby Reservoir Dam is also clear and fishable. You will have several miles of good water available to you and there is public access at the dam, the Vigilante Access and the School House fishing access. Caddis flies may appear in the afternoon otherwise fish nymphs and streamers.

Clark Canyon Reservoir is still a good early season fishing option. Also if you enjoy stillwater fisheries think about traveling into the Centennial Valley to fish Elk Lake.

Remember that spring creeks are not impacted by snow melt. If you have access to any ranches with spring creeks, these will be in fishable shape.

Good Luck