Dave McKee Fly Fishing Blog

Late Fall Fishing?

2011-11-10T08:56:00.000-08:00

Is Fishing Season Over?

Of course not! Though we've passed through the busy season and even the off season and have now entered in the abyss of late fall/early winter - there is still fishing to be done. With the options we have around here, there are always a few fish to be caught. Weather can be the issue now, it's hard to predict what one will get from day to day, and cold mornings are generally unproductive. Yet as the day warms we're still seeing some great action on the Yellowstone, Madison , Gallatin as well as on the spring creeks down in Livingston. Streamer fishing on the Yellowstone was at its peak just a week and a half ago and my guess is that those tough enough to brave the elements could still have a shot at a few big browns. And if it's calm, and that's a big "if" there are still fish to be caught on dries.

Though most folks are well into hunting mode and have stored the fishing gear in the corner of the room temporarily, don't dismiss the option of fishing entirely - this is the most uncrowded time of the year without question and if conditions are right, a few hours of late fall fishing might be just what the doctor ordered!

August Fishing

2011-08-24T20:18:00.000-07:00

Though August is nearly over, conditions feel more like late July. Water conditions are absolutely perfect everywhere - cool nights have kept temps in check and higher than average flows have provided trout with ideal living conditions. Other than occasional carp trips, I've spent most of my time on the Yellowstone lately where pressure seems unusually light for the height of summer. Have seen few if any boats of most days though I'm sure they're out there. Most days have consisted of nymphing to start while the river warms and dry fly fishing starting somewhere around 11am. Hoppers and other attractors have been the ticket and the action seems to be getting more solid by the day.

Have also experienced some fantastic Spruce Moth fishing on some of the area's smaller mountain creeks - those who have not fished in and around Spruce Moth activity should try it - the Gallatin , Hyalite Creek, the Big Hole - all provide good options. There is a ton of great summer fishing to be had - with water conditions as they are, it would seem that we're in for a terrific September and beyond.

Lots of Water

2011-07-03T19:18:00.000-07:00

Water, water, water. Tons of out out here these days and while it's been an incovenience to anglers the benefits are going to be good conditions for the bulk of the summer. Without a doubt options are limited at the moment though its a day to day kind of deal. I have spent much of the past month on the Missouri which, in spite of massive flows, has been nothing short of phenomenal . THose who have not experienced that river during May or June should put it on the list. Due to high water flows of the past few years, fish populations up there are booming and most fish are averaging 17 inches which, in my opinion, is pretty impressive. Its been a nymphing deal up there with crayfish, caddis pupa, SJ worms and Buggers - the dry fly fishing will come when the river drops in the next few weeks.

As of now, the Madison is shaping up. Fished it today and while it is off color and flowing high the fishing is good. We're hoping for salmonflies at any point though everything has run late this year so it may still be a week or so away. Aside from this it's been lakes and spring creeks. With a lake dy tomorrow, I'm off to tie some callibaetis spinners and damselfly nymphs.

The big question is wehen the Yellowstone is going to clear - it's crankin now - I'm guessing, optimistically, that it will be around July 20 - more than likely it will be Aug 1. We'll see. Keep in touch.

Lots o Water

2011-05-20T19:58:00.000-07:00

Though we still haven't seen a ton in the way of super warm temps, spring has slowly come on the scene - grass is greening up, leaves are starting to poke out and snow storms have been replaced by rain showers (at least below 7000 ft). Runoff is certainly underway and while the Yellowstone, Gallatin, Jefferson, Big Hole and numerous smaller tribs are blown out, there are still some great options holding out.

The Madison, both upper and lower, has been fishing fine and while the water has been open the rise, the climb has been slow and the fish have pretty much stayed on the bite. Some good caddis fishing has occured on the lower during the evenings - been pretty much nymphing program during the day. The upper has been a most cooperative with nymphs as well - had some exotics out of there a week ago - a grayling, a brook trout and a fine sucker. Last grayling I saw in there was 12 years ago - cool to see one again.

The Missouri, now 15,000cfs is huge but fishing has been great if you can your bugs down the fish. Long rigs with wire worms and fire bead scuds are a huge part of the deal, putting them in the soft spots where the fish are congregated is the other. Will be spending a lot of time up there in the next few weeks giving the waterds around here a chance to settle down.

Its going to be a long runoff this year - might not get on that Yellowstone until mid July - once we do get on there my guess is that we'll see some of the best fishing we've seen in a while. The fish are loving all this water. With a few good years of it now, we're really looking good for the future.

Terrific April Fishing

2011-04-22T18:48:00.000-07:00

Though I'd like to title this entry "spring fishing" or something along those lines, it still feels a bit like winter around these parts. Just this week we've had two significant snowfalls in Bozeman - can't imagine what the mountains received. Haven't checked the stats, all I know is that there is a ton of the white stuff up there. And while we've been dealing with cold temps and lots of snow and a lack of comfort the benefit is good water. We're going to have lots of it this summer which is going to make for ideal conditions from mid July throughout the rest of summer and fall.

In spite of the more March-like conditions, fishing has been terrific. We've had some great baetis and midge fishing on the Yellowstone, Madison and the Spring Creeks and, just this past week, experienced the wonders of skwala fishing on the Big Hole. It was cold, maybe 25, and windy but those fish were on that early season stonefly - kind of like hopper fishing in April. Nymphing, as it most often is, has been solid most everywhere and as water temps warm slowly but surely, the streamer fishing has picked up. So it's hard to figure what we'll do or where we'll be headed from one day to the next - we're lookng at wind, at water temps, air temps, flow trends, clouds, sun and all the rest. With all the options around here, there's always something fishing well - we just have to find it!

Spring Fishing in Full Swing

2011-03-28T19:03:00.001-07:00

Though conditions have leaned a bit more towards winter than spring lately, with 2 good snows and temps only getting into the 40s in the past week, the fish have made it clear that they have entered into spring feeding mode regardless of the conditions. Without a doubt, the rainbow spawn, which has just started around here, is a driving force of some of this hot action. Pre spawn rainbows are chowing down before their annual rite of spring while the post spawners are doing the same in effort to refuel. Browns and smaller rainbows are taking advantage of the entire routine, simply gorging on the eggs that find their way off the redds and into the current. Aside from the spawn, midge hatches are enormously prolific right now and blue winged olives are just starting to make a presence. There is more to eat out there now there than has for a while, the days are getting longer, the water starting to warm and the fish are simply starting to take advantage of all of it.

My anglers from last week had to put up with some tricky conditions, mainly wind, but were rewarded with solid fishing on the Yellowstone, a superb day on Depuys Spring Creek and several excellent days on the Madison. Conditions look excellent for the next few days and into the weekend. We'll cross our fingers and hope for calm conditions which could provide us with some great dry fly opportunities.

Winter Fishing

2011-01-28T09:22:00.000-08:00

With the mild weather we've had as of late, the fishing has picked up markedly on the East and West Gallatin, Madison and Yellowstone (when the Livingston winds are at bay). Fishing on the Livingston Spring Creeks has been good but will only get better as rainbows start to move into the creeks from the Yellowstone later in February. Though most action has been subsurface with SJ Worms, Golden Stones, Prince and Hare's Ear Nymphs as well as midge larva and pink patterns such as the Shrimp Cocktail, there have been moments of surface activity with midges. Midge hatches will get stronger and more prolific throughout February and into March providing us with one of the best dry fly opportunities of the season. With the midge fishing game, calm days are the key. Tired of skiing? Give us a call and we'll get you on some spectacular mid winter fishing action.

October Fishing

2010-10-12T21:16:00.000-07:00

Though it's mid October, it still feels much like summer - haven't dusted off the neoprenes yet nor the fingerless gloves. Have had an unbelievable spell of bluebird days and warmth - not typical of October but we'll take it... I guess. While the weather had been comfortable, the bright days have found us working hard for our fish - they've been there but we've had to pull out some tricks to make it happen. One day it's been streamers, the next nymphs, the next hoppers. We've fished midges, baetis, psuedos and caddis as well. All in all, we've found good fishing from the Missouri to the Madison and Yellowstone but it's been random and unpredictable as have been the fish we've seen. Just last week we landed a large westslope Cutthroat from an unlikely spot as well as a walleye that ended up in the skillet. Who knows what tomorrow will bring. Needless to say, given the weather pattern we've had, I have to think that some of our best fall fishing is still to come.

Fall Fishing

2010-09-15T20:45:00.001-07:00

Though we're still getting glimpses of summer, the leaves are starting to change and the blue winged olives are starting to outproduce the hoppers on many if not most days. Hard to believe but fall is in the air which seems impossible after what amounted to a short summer. Needless to say, fishing is good these days though entirely weather dependent. Hot sunny days have been followed but cool rainy ones and with the inconsistent weather comes unpredictable trout. One day it's a pink Morrish Hopper that's getting the job done, the next it's a parachute Adams, the next it's a tan Sculpin stripped slowly off the banks. So they're keeping us on our toes out there which, honestly, is the way it probably should be.

Options are widespread right now and water conditions are primo - in fact many of the area rivers have come up in the past few weeks with the frequent rain. Spent two days on the Missouri last week. Action has picked up there and depsite the nuisance of floating weeds, the fishing was terrific with both nymphs and dries. The Yellowstone has been better on cloudy, rainy days ( which tend to produce the best hatches) but I've still run into some good hopper fishing when the sun is out. Have also had some good fishing on the Gallatin and Madison lately as well as in a few other random places not fit to publish online.

This is shaping up to be a great fall on the water - crowds have been thin and with the rivers in the shape they're in, those who managed to find their way out here are likely going to be in for some great fishing.

Hopper Fishing is Prime

2010-08-25T20:57:00.000-07:00

Though it took awhile to get here and it's hard to say how long it wil last, summer conditions are absolutely primo as we speak. River levels and temps are ideal and with the settled, stable sunny days we've been getting the fish are looking up consistently. Morning fishing has been unpredictable (sometimes great right out of the ramp, other times slow) but the afternoon action has been consistently good - typical August fishing on the Yellowstone. Today they were on the hoppers by 10:30. Yesterday they wouldn't touch a hopper until 2 but would move across the river for a spruce moth all morning long. Might be nothing tomorrow, could be the day of the season. It's this type of fishing that gets us excited to be out there each morning - one never knows exacty what to expect - where will the fish be, what fly will they want? I've devised at least a dozen new hopper patterns this summer and whike none of them have worked i'm pretty sure that tonights epiphony will spell trouble for those fish tomorrow. I'll keep you posted.

Summer is here

2010-07-08T21:19:00.000-07:00

Just today it finally felt like summer has arrived and might actually be here to stay. It was about 85 degrees out there on the Yellowstone today and with just the right amount of wind, it couldn't have been more comfortable. As is always the case this time of year, the fish seem to feel the same way. water levels are starting to stabilize after runoff and water temps are prime for not only the trout but for the aquatic insects that are enormously active and prolific at the moment. Just today we encountered 4 different varieties of stoneflies, three separate caddis, and 4 mayflies. PMDs, Green Drakes, Golden Stones, Yellow Sallies, Salmonflies, Black Caddis, Brown Sedges....you name it. Unfortunately, the fish weren't looking up today but it seemed that anything dark olive pushed their button. So, the Yeloowstone is back and fishing well, as is the Madison, Gallatin and Missouri. The Jefferson and Lower Gallatin are also going to come into play soon though it's possible they're already in good shape. THough a week or so away, carp fishing is close and as soon as the water clears on the Missouri we'll be up there after them. Randomly, we landed a 30 pounder in an undisclosed location last week....in many years of freshwater fishign it was far and away the largest freshwater fish I have ever managed to land. Can't believe that hopper season is just around the corner!!! Feel free to call or email for an up to date report anytime.

No Shortage of Water This Year!

2010-06-11T18:31:00.000-07:00

Long gone are the early season concerns of whether or not we'd have enough water to last us the season. It's been seemingly non-stop rain and high country snow since mid-April and at this point we have more water than we know what to do with. It's a good problem to have and the fish love it. And while it finds us scrambling to find fishable conditions, there are always a number of good options in spite of what most folks think. Though high and off-color, the Lower Madison is fishable and just today we had fantastic action with olive buggers, SJ Worms and some crayfish patterns. The Missouri, though enormous with flows @ 16,000 cfs, is clear and as long as flows remain somewhat consistent, the nymphing is excellent. With the caddis brewing in and Craig, the fishing is just going to get better though, after a few days with the Wire Worm earlier this week, I'm not sure if it really could improve. We have seen more big browns up there this year than I can remember. Of course, the spring creeks remain an option as well and PMDs have started - this is one of the best dry fly opportunities on the creeks of the season.
Though it's impossible to predict, I suspect it will be somewhere in early to mid July before we're on the Yellowstone again. For more currrent info feel free to contact us at any time. Tight lines!

May Fishing

2010-05-12T18:30:00.000-07:00

Though it shouldn't come as a surprise, it's been a wild spring in Montana this year. We've had it all from snow and rain to wind and sun and often all within the course of the day. Still, despite the elements the fishing this spring has been outstanding. March Brown hatches were steady and as prolific as I can remember. We encountered them on the Gallatin, Upper and Lower Madison, Yellowstone and the Missouri.

Of course the presence of March Browns has been recently overshadowed by the arrival of the infamous Mother's Day caddis hatch which, this year, was appropriately named. For the past week, we've had perfect conditions for fishing the hatch - temps have been slightly cooler than average and instead of the explosive emergence that often takes place, the hatch has been a bit more sparse but has drawn out over a longer period of time. As a result, because there haven't been the overwhelming carpets of bugs on the water, our caddis imitations have stood out and become an easy target for the fish. Trudes and the X-Caddis have been the tickets and for the past several days we've been able to fish dries from ramp to ramp. With warmer weather predicted to arrive by the weekend my guess is that we'll have a few more days of great dry fly fishing and by the end of the weekend or early in the week the Yellowstone will be blown out by runoff.

Of course the Madison is also fishing well and this river along with the Missouri will probably be our most reliable options for the next month or so. Of course the spring creeks will continue to offer an excellent option, particularly when the PMD hatch arrives later this month or in early June, as will some of the tributaries that will be open to fishing soon. Good luck and keep in touch.

Great April Fishing

2010-04-14T21:09:00.000-07:00

Montana's spring weather is something to behold - snow, rain, wind, clouds, sun... sometimes all in one day. We've been all over the place with the weather lately but in spite of it all the fishing has remained suprisingly consistent and resiliant to the seemingly constant changes. We've spent most of our time on the Madison as of late as winds have been far more gentle there than down in Livingston.

Fishing on the Madison has been excellent with the most consistent action with nymphs rigs fished in the deeper holes. The river is quite low and clear and while there plenty of fish in the shallow stuff they've been tricky get close to.

The best dry fly fishing we've run into as of late has been on the Yellowstone - lots of baetis and midges which will be the likely principle hatches in the next week or two.

We've had a bunch of snow in the past two weeks, over a foot in the mountains yesterday, and while I can't be sure how much it has truly affected the snowpack I have to think that our hopes of good river flows for the summer are improving by the minute. If the moisture keeps up it would appear that we'll be in pretty good shape.

Spring Fishing

2010-04-01T18:54:00.000-07:00

Though it felt a bit more like winter today with constant snow and temps hovering around thirty all day, there is no question that the fish have entered into the spring routine. From the upper Madison to the Yellowstone, Gallatin and Spring Creeks in Paradise Valley, we have experienced some phenomenal fishing both with nymphs and dries. Midge hatches have been as good as I can remember and in the past few day the baetis have started to make their presence. Though the weather has been all over the map in the past week or so, the fishing has stayed consistent.

Reports from the Missouri over the weekend were also outstanding. Without a doubt, if you can handle the some adversity with the weather, April is one of Montana's finest months to fish.

New Season is Upon Us

2010-01-27T19:02:00.001-08:00

It's hard to believe that the holidays are over and it's already time to start thinking about fishing again. But then again, I guess there's never truly a time to stop thinking about fishing. The year started with a bang at Nelson's Spring Creek. Given a picture perfect winter day, Lee Smith (holding the rainbow) and her mother Lela took a day off from skiing and were treated to some spectacular fish. They weren't easy to come by that day due to bright sun and little midge activity but those we caught, on scuds, sowbugs and midge larva, were real specimens.

In the days since, I've hit the Madison and found some good midge fishing. The Gallatin has also produced well with the old golden stone/prince nymph combo but then again, it seems that river fishes more consistently in the winter than at any other time of year. If wind stays down, we should experience a bunch of surface activity with midges in the month ahead.

As we approach the season, we all wonder what lies in store in terms of snowpack and water levels, weather, hatches and all the rest. Though snowpack percentages were slightly below average last time I checked, it's snowed a few times since which keeps me optimistic. Seems the pattern in the last few years is for good snow early, not much in January and early February and then the heavy stuff starts coming. We'll see how it shakes out this year but as of now, I think it's looking good.

Well, it's back to tying Epeorus Emergers and Longhorn Beetles, I will be fishing over the next few days and will report back soon.

Prime Fall Fishing

2009-09-30T20:11:00.000-07:00

After a pleasant but unusually summerlike September, fall weather has arrived. 75 degrees yesterday up on the Missouri, 38 degrees and snowing today on the Yellowstone. Fishing has been good and will likely get great as the cooler, overcast days settle in. Baetis and midges are prolific on the Yellowstone right now - today the baetis emerged right at 2pm and gave us some good dry fly fishing for the remainder of the afternoon. Prior to that, Black zebra midges, soft hackle PTs, lightning bugs and shop vacs were all good fished just 3 feet under an indicator. The lower Madison is low right now but fishing has been good - small flies and light leaders have been the ticket. Should be some good baetis fishing out there with the overcast skies. Have spent a lot of time on the Missouri lately - though the floating weeds have been a nuisance, the action has been good - though surface activity has been spotty. Crayfish patterns, black zebra midges, flashback hare's ears and the purple lightning bug all seemed to do the trick. Might try throwing some streamers in the weeks ahead as well - it's getting to be that time.

August 18, 2009

2009-08-19T20:52:00.000-07:00

Cool weather and somewhat consistent rainfall have created some of the most ideal river conditions we've seen in recent history. As a result, we're often finding ourselves in places we typically avoid during the month of August. Ther lower Madison, the Jefferson, the Boulder are are still fishing well and as long as the weather pattern remains the same they'll likely stay that way right into September. The hopper fishing on the Yellowstone has been second to none - though better on the warmer days, we've had many ramp to ramp outings using just a single fly on 3X. Color choice seems to be the challenge of the day - pink, purple, red, yellow and good old tan have all done the trick. The Chaos hopper from Blue Ribbon Flies has been my top bug though the Chubby Chernobyl and the Chernobyl Hopper have certainly earned their keep. Have also heard good reports from the Upper Madison, Gallatin, Big Hole and Stillwater - the only problem right now is deciding where to go!

2009-07-29T21:40:00.000-07:00

Wednesday July 29

Just 68 degrees today - hard to beleive this is July after the hot summers we experienced a few years back. Needless to say, cool weather and excellent river flows have created ideal fishing conditions. With weather changing from day to day, we've been all over the map with techinques. Yesterday was hoppers for nice rainbows on the Madison, today was buggers and some big browns on the Yellowstone. Prior to cooler weather and rain, the hopper/attractor fishing was starting to pick up on the Yellowstone and as soon as it dries out and heats back up I suspect it will be back - August is going to be an excellent month. Caddis and a variety of mayflies have also created some surface activity. Best bugs have been the Chubby Chernobyl, PMX, Goddard Caddis, PMD Para Wulff, Improved Rubberlegs, Soft Hackle Hare's Ear and a variety of Epeorus emergers. Have also heard some good dry fly reports from the Lower Madison. Chased the carp last week and found them hungry - best fly was the little known skunk bugger - a new invention that met the approval of a few 10 pounders .

2009-07-09T20:48:00.000-07:00

It's shaping up to be another great summer on the river. As we speak, just about everything is getting into prime condition and fishing has been excellent virtually everywhere. The Yellowstone has been fishable for several days and while the clarity is off, fishing has been good throughout Paradise Valley. Salmonflies are present on the stretches above Emigrant and a variety of other stoneflies, caddis and mayflies have been hatching in big numbers as well. Yesterday was a classic post runoff day on the Yellowstone - Black Crystal Buggers were the ticket in the morning while Chubby Chernobyls and the good old PMX were the hot ticket in the afternoon. As the river drops, conditions around Livingston and downstream will get much better. The upper Madison has continued to produce great attractor dry/dropper fishing. Stimulators, PMXs, Trudes and the Chubby Chernobyl have all been good - best droppers have been soft hackle Copper Johns and large soft hackle Hare's Ears. The Lower Madison is also in good shape and as of the last week or so, the larger browns have gone on the feed. McCunes Sculpin and Clouser Crayfish trailed by lightning bugs and small soft hackles have been the ticket. Just today, we fished Burns Lake north of Big Timber - the afternoon produced some terrific hopper fishing - let's hope that's a sign of things to come througohut the rest of the summer. If the hopper fishing doesn't come to fruition, we'll always have the carp - we hit the Missouri earlier in the week for the first time and while the water was high the carp we're still there and hadn't lost their appetite - the Bow River Bugger was the bug of choice.

2009-06-29T20:41:00.000-07:00

Though river conditions have been back and forth over the past few weeks, it seems as if everything is starting to settle down and come in to prime shape. Fished the Upper Madison today - though wind hampered our efforts one fish did fall victim to an adult salmonfly.. the rest were caught on caddis pupa and a #6 Mega Prince. The salmonflies are just getting started and should be in full swing in the next few days. The Lower Madison has also been good with crayfish, caddis and PMDs being the main attractions... those looking for dry fly fishing might consider the Lower in the last few hours of the day as the caddis have been thick.
The Missouri continues to be red hot - this spring was one of the best I've seen up there in some time which could be the result of the big flush the river received last year.
The Yellowstone is currently flowing around 13000 cfs ...once it gets to 12,000 we should be in good shape to hit some of the floats in the Paradise Valley. Hope to be back on there by July 4.

2009-06-13T11:12:00.000-07:00

Back in town after a week on the Missouri below the Holter Dam. Fishing has been nothing short of spectacular up there and througout the week flows dropped substantially - the river is pristine condition and pressure was light. Though most of our success came from nymphing with a variety of caddis pupa imitations such as the Iris Caddis, Soft Hackle Hare's Ear and Tan Sparkle Emerger, we did find occasional fish feeding on the surface. One of the highlights of the trip was a 24" brown caught on a #18 caddis pupa on 5X. Seems like there are probably a bunch of those fish in that river though that's the biggest one I've managed to run across yet.

Flows have dropped on the rivers around Bozeman as well - the Madison is looking good and one has to wonder how long it will be before we're back on the Yellowstone and Gallatin. Another great option is Depuy's Spring Creek - spent a day out there last week and experienced solid numbers of fish and a steady PMD hatch which proved to be an excellent combination.

Though we were expecting a runoff like that of '08 it appears as if things are going to clear up a bit faster this year - we'll just have to wait and see in the weeks ahead.

Just this morning my 2.5 year old son Jack caught 3 suckers in a local pond - nightcrawlers were the hot ticket.

2009-05-26T19:05:00.000-07:00

Though runoff is now in full swing, we're still managing to find enough fishable water to keep us busy. Flows on the lower Madison have been up and down but as of Sunday, they have remained stable and the river is quite fishable with a manageable flow and good clarity. Though action was spotty today, yesterday went well with Soft Hackle Hare's Ears, SJ Worms and a variety of sculpin and crayfish patterns producing the most consistent results. Spent some time on Nelson's Spring creek a few days back - an midday PMD hatch was the driving force there and in spite of the bright sun, we managed to fool a number of nice fish on PMD Sparkle Duns or a Quigley's Cripple with an RS2 as a dropper. As we speak, the creek is full of fish. Later this week we'll be off the Missouri for a few days - as long as flows remain consistent, fishing should be good.

Spring is here

2009-05-19T19:56:00.000-07:00

After a long dose of snow, rain and all the lasting effects of winter, spring has finally arrived and with the warm weather of the past few days the rivers are on the rise. The Yellowstone is now officially blown out and will likely stay unfishable until early to mid July. As we speak, the Madison is still in good shape and fishing well though that may be short lived unless cooler weather arrives to slow the snow melt. If in fact the Madison turns muddy as well, we'll be looking to spring creeks, the Missouri and some lakes and ponds in the weeks ahead - all great options in theiur own right.
The Mother's Day caddis hatch was phenomenal this year providing some of the best surface activity I've found with the hatch in the past few seasons. Fished a local but private spring creek today that feeds the East Gallatin. Wondering if some fish had moved into the creek to escape the runoff conditions in the larger river, we figured a black bugger thrown right into the confluence of the two might be a good idea. A few minutes later, 25.5" brown lay in the bottom of the net - the biggest I've managed to find in Montana thus far. Now we're looking for the 26 incher!

Caddis!

2009-05-07T19:22:00.000-07:00

As of this past weekend, the caddis have started on the Yellowstone - it's no longer a rumor. And while weather conditions continue to be spotty, the benefit of the cooler weather has been a fishable river. Conditions are optimal right now and the typical day has been nymphing in the mornings with Girdle Bugs and Sparkle Pupa and dry fly fishing in the afternoons with March Browns and/or caddis. Without any question, the #14 Royal Trude has been our best bet with a CDC Caddis Emerger or Iris Caddis in tow. As of now, it seems that most caddis activity is occuring below and around Livingston. Reports have been good from the Madison and we should see some caddis over there soon as well.

2009-04-25T21:35:00.000-07:00

It's been a classic spring thus far....snow and wind one minute, vibrant sunshine the next. Took off the river on Weds and the truck thermometer read 77 degrees - the same ramp on the Madison just 24 hours later and the thermometer read 27. The fishing in the past few days has mirrored these rapidly changing conditions. Slow mornings have been followed by amazing afternoons and vice versa. As the Yellowstone blew out in the last warm spell, we have been fishing the Madison above Ennis and generally speaking the fishing has been terrific. Though scattered baetis are around, the best fishing has been with nymphs such as the Olive/Brown McKee's Rubberlegs #8, Sawyer PT #18, SJ Worm #12 and Black Zebra Midge #18. Without question, overcast skies have been the ticket. With the Yellowstone dropping and clearing fast, we're hoping to get back on it tomorrow.

2009-04-20T19:27:00.000-07:00

After a brief dose of runoff, the Yellowstone was again fishable today - just a week ago it was dumping snow, today temps neared 70 by the end of the day. Still good baetis and midge activity and I did see a few caddis in the air. Though I can't hazard a guess of when the caddis will really start it's good to see a few around - a sure sign of spring. If the river holds out, we'll try it again tomorrow, if not, we'll simply head to the Madison... which isn't a bad alternative.

2009-04-13T20:19:00.001-07:00

Though the weather continues to go back and forth in true spring fashion, fishing has been good. As luck would have it, the nastier days have been the best with snow, drizzle and overcast skies producing good afternoon baetis hatches and the start of some good dry fly fishing. The perfect, comfortable bluebird days, though extremely pleasant, have been the toughest. My thoughts on this are simply that with prolific midge and baetis hatches on the overcast days which are more common at this time of year, the fish are well fed and have little reason to feed in the absence of hatch - often the case under clear skies. Who knows for sure - endless speculation with this sport. Needless to say, the blue winged olives are now underway - a sure sign that spring is here.

Just read in the Bozeman Daily Chronicle that there are plans to remove the Ninth Street Bridge on the Yellowstone that was damaged in last year's runoff. They hope to do so before this year's snowmelt takes the structure down on it's own. Selfishly, I'm crossing my fingers and hoping that we'll still be able to use this access point this season.

Grab your fingerless gloves, hat, raincoat and Parachute Adams - now is the time for some of the best fishing of the year.

2009-04-04T20:30:00.000-07:00

Well, it was a snow packed week here in Bozeman yet in spite of the weather we did manage to get out on the water 5 days. Fished the Lower Madison 2 days, the Upper Madison, Yellowstone and Depuys Spring Creek. Though fishing was good each day, the fish seemed to prefer the overcast conditions when midge hatches were strongest. Have not seen any blue winged olives yet though I suspect that the next warm spell, predicted for this coming week, should get some hatch activity started. Even in the absence of baetis we have experienced some great dry fly fishing, particularly on the Yellowstone - a #16 H&L Variant seemed to do the trick. Otherwise, nymphing with worms, shrimp cocktails, zebra midges and the Micro Madison Midge from Blue Ribbon Flies produced excellent results.

Interestingly enough, I have not seen much spawning activity from the rainbows yet regardless of location. There are some fish on redds at Depuys but not nearly as many as in years past. It seems that everyting is running just a bit late this year. In your travels, if you see fish on redds let them be - though I'm not aware of any scientific proof that catching fish will harm anything, common sense leads me to believe that it's just not a good idea.

Recent storms have put snowpack levels at or above 100% throughout our region - this bodes well for summer river levels and the fishing season that lies ahead.

Fishing Report March 24, 2009

2009-03-25T07:54:00.000-07:00

After experiencing relatively dry conditions in January and February, we have experienced widespread snowfall throughout the month of March. And while this has made fishing conditions unpredictable, the recent addition to the mountain snowpack bodes well for this upcoming season. The last reports I read for the Yellowstone region had snowpack levels hovering right around 100% and it appears as if the mountains surrounding the Madison, Gallatin and most of other major rivers are showing similar numbers.
Despite the snow, fishing conditions have been good lately and for those willing to brave a bit of wind and cool temperatures the results have been well worth it. Though we have experienced some action in the mornings, it seems the fish have been turning around noon when water temperatures begin to heat up and midges start to get active.
The Lower Madison has been excellent with best results coming on San Juan Worms, Shrimp Cocktails, Red Brassies, Egg Patterns and small Clouser Crayfish. On calm, overcast afternoons there has been some good dry fly action - midge patterns such as the Grifftih's Gnat, Micro Wulff Cripple and H&L Variant #20 have been good choices.
The Yellowstone provided some clients and I with an exceptional day last Friday. Once again, it was an afternoon thing but when it got going, fish responded well to Red Soft hackle Copper Johns, Soft HAckle Pheasant Tails and the McKee's Rubberlegs stonefly pattern. Surface activity was limited which we credited to the bright sunshine. As soon as it warms up again I would expect to start seeing some baetis.
The spring creeks in Livingston (Depuy's, Armstrong's and Nelson's) have also been getting good as rainbows move in from the Yellowstone to get ready for spawning. Though I don't condone fishing to spawning fish and working the redds, I do enjoy fishing to the numberous fish that have shown up in other areas of the creek. Midges, eggs, scuds are consistent bets and when it comes to the dry flies, a variety of midge and baetis patterns will do the trick.
Have also heard some excellent reports from the Gallatin as well - Golden Stones and Prince nymphs have been the ticket in the canyon.
With the boat freshly painted, a winter's worth of flies tied and a touch of spring fever, I'm ready to to get back on the water on a more consistent basis. Tthings have been good but they're only going to get better in the coming weeks.

Is Winter Back

2009-02-23T15:54:00.000-08:00

Though there are many benefits to a good Montana summer such as smoke, extreme heat and fishing restrictions on local waters, I always look forward to winter. At least I used to. For years, after the long days of summer and a busy hunting season come fall, it seemed that winter was a time to slow things down, to hibernate and fill the crock pot with something right. Indeed, winter was a time of bitter cold and flying snow which, when coupled with short days and long nights meant time well spent by the fire with more than enough time for a book or few flies at the vise. It was the "off season". But then it dried up. Suddenly, and I can’t quite remember the year, it seemed that weather patterns changed. It wasn’t the way it used to be anymore. According the Weather Channel, to science and the Farmer’s Almanac there was always some good reason - El Nino, El Nina or global warming to name a few. Either way, it stopped snowing, and even raining much for that matter, creating the infamous drought that we’ve all grown familiar with. To put it mildly, the Bozeman winters have been terrible in recent years. Seems it’s been warmer than average most of the time, colder than average some of the time and rarely if ever did it snow in between. As a result, our winter based culture has found it self in a state of limbo doing it’s best to make the most of the conditions at hand. Frustration and ultimately a downright pessimistic view of our moisture levels and the future of life on the planet grew infectious amongst even the most open minded of sorts. And rightly so. Much of the health of our region relies on a solid mountain snowpack. Not only will such winter moisture provide the winter conditions we desire but come spring, when it melts, it feeds the rivers and reservoirs, seeps into the soil and is soaked up by the trees. When this is the case the result is simple - better conditions for the fish, more water to irrigate, fewer forest fires and higher spirits. Though the weather of the past month may serve as no indication of things to come, it’s been refreshing to get a least of glimpse of what winter can be. I’ve had to shovel far more often than in recent years and have consequently eaten more sausage and eggs because that’s what you do after a good shovel. I’ve kept a pot of coffee going during all waking hours and have spent at least a few minutes scratching my chin while looking at the wood pile and wondering if I have enough. It’s felt good to be outside, to see the snow fly and watch the wind blow snow instead of dust. To ski on fresh powder or crank on the auger. And it’s felt good to be inside. It seems right to be inside when winter is winter. Tying flies makes sense under such conditions as does watching a game or simply sitting by the fire looking at last year’s summer photos. And how nice is it to call the snow phone at Bridger, not to see if they got snow overnight, but simply to find out how much. In the unusual weather of the past few years, I’ve felt almost guilty practicing stereotypical winter rituals and consequently have found myself in an odd state of equilibrium. It just hasn’t felt right to sit around the house and make corn chowder, but caught between conditions that weren’t quite winter and not yet spring, I’m not sure what else I might do. Thirty-five degrees with tons of wind and no snow leaves one stranded once hunting season is done. Usually, I just made the soup anyway since I have a good recipe. I’m more relaxed now than I was just a year ago. Not because I feel that our moisture issues have been solved or that the drought is over but more simply because it feels, as it hasn’t for quite some time, like it’s really winter again. Even walking around town, it seems that the energy has changed as people walk bundled up and the light blinks atop the Baxter. Unlike other areas of the country where a hearty winter’s blast brings discomfort and panic, we thrive upon such conditions here in Bozeman. Aside from the obvious benefits of decent winter snow, it’s a big part of our identity as well and it’s good to have it back.