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Category: Fly Fishing River Reports

Yellowstone River Update – 06/19/10

Posted on by Eric Adams
Montana Fly Fishing Yellowstone River

Those of you planning an early July trip might just be in luck this year.  The Yellowstone River is dropping fast and starting to show signs of clearing up.  The bottom appears to have dropped out of the Lamar River which is currently running at 2,750 cfs and is one of the major sources of mud for the Yellowstone.  The river in Livingston is running at 11,500 cfs, and the water is just starting to change from a dirty brown to a green hugh with about 4-6 inches of visibility.   If this trend continues it has the makings for some good clear water salmon fly action!  Keep your fingers crossed and we’ll keep you updated.

Armstrong’s Spring Creek Fishing Report – 06/13/10

Posted on by Eric Adams
Montana Fly Fishing Tripschoose All Inclusive Inset

Summary:
Armstrong spring creek fished very well yesterday as midges and PMDs were hatching.  It’s pretty rare to have the entire creek to yourself, but that’s exactly what we had – bonus! Fortunately the weather and fish were both in a cooperative mood.

Hatches:
There was a solid midge hatch in the morning and then PMDs around 10 am, which have just started to trickle off.  Look for those PMDs to really start going by this coming weekend.

Best Technique:
Nymphing with small emergers and nymphs was most productive, but they did see a few trout sipping Pale Morning Duns in the flats.  Their nymph rig was about 2.5 to 3 feet long with a small Palsa Pinch-on for a strike indicator.

Weather & Water Conditions:
Weather was one of the prettiest days of the year so far – 60 degrees, sunny and light winds from the West.  As always with the spring creeks the water was in pristine condition.

Best Bugs:
The Zebra midge in a size 18-20 was most productive, unweighted Pheasant Tails and PMD Splitcase Nymphs in size 14-16, and PMD CDC emergers size 12-14.

River’s are Blown, But Lakes are Great – 06/11/10

Posted on by Eric Adams
River's are Blown, But Lakes are Great - 06/11/10

The Yellowstone and surrounding rivers are at peak run-off, but there is still great fishing to be had on some private lakes!
Today we were out with Matson Rodgers’ Anglers West Fly Shop.  A group of 50 great Aussie’s were celebrating one of the groups 50th birthday.  Celebrating in style we might add – two days in Las Vegas, private jet to Montana and staying at Mountain Sky Guest Ranch complete with horseback riding, catered outdoor dinners, music, fly fishing, white water rafting and supposedly more to come in the next couple days.  Anyway a great group of folks who braved the unseasonably cool weather – yeah that’s fresh snow in the mountains over Zach’s shoulder!

Summary:
We were one of 12 boats scattered to one of the many private lakes in Paradise Valley for the morning.  Eric Adams and fellow guide Zach Pleshar hit the lower lake at Story Ranch and in 2 hours caught about a dozen trout and missed numerous others.  We caught several rainbows from 12 inches to 19 inches and even 2 Brook trout between 16 & 18 inches.

Best Technique:
Nymphing was the best course of action for the day with two relatively novice anglers, but there were trout rising on small Callibaetis adults and would likely have been effective.  Our nymph rig was 2 to 4 feet in depth.

Weather & Water Conditions:
Cold, snowy and rainy – yes it’s June in Montana! Air temps were in the lower 50’s and water was about the same.  We are seriously ready for some flip-flop weather!

Best Bugs:
As there were a few Callibaetis on the water we immediately tied on Trina’s Bubble Back emerger in size 12-14.  I don’t know about Zach, but that’s the only fly I tied on all morning, with good results.

If you’re interested in learning more about some of the private lakes in the Paradise Valley please contact us.

2010 Grasshopper Infestation

Posted on by Eric Adams
2010 Grasshopper Infestation

We thought we’d re-post this article again as it’s gotten a lot of attention from all those anglers looking forward to their late July and August fishing trips.  So here it is again…

Original Post from May:
Great news for those planning your Montana fly fishing trip for late July and August.  The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has just reported that this summer is in for a severe grasshopper infestation.  Charles Brown of the USDA stated that based on recent federal surveys many western states, including Montana, may see the most severe hopper outbreaks in the last 30 years.  See image.

The Yellowstone River runs through some of the prime ranch lands in Montana near Paradise Valley and toward the eastern plains.  The ranch land bordering the river is mostly hay fields where hoppers can grow prolifically in both size and numbers.  A perfect August hopper fishing day would include temperatures in the ’80s, a 10 to 15 mph downstream breeze and a sunny day.  The heat gets those hoppers moving and the breeze knocks them into the water, where trout eagerly wait for their afternoon meal.  Some of the best hopper fishing on the Yellowstone River occurs east of Livingston where the bigger Rainbow and Brown trout reside.

So while ranchers and farmers prepare for the massive infestation, fly fishers should rejoice and make sure to tie up some Chaos Hoppers and Chubby Chernobyl’s.  There’s only one catch you have to be in Montana this summer to fully appreciate it!

ENTIRE RANGE

BOULDER RIVER

We describe our Boulder River fly fishing trips as half fishing half raft trip – in other words exciting fly fishing.

While your guide expertly rows the raft through class I, II & III rapids you’ll be hitting the pocket water in this fast paced fly fishing adventure. The Boulder River is a Blue Ribbon trout stream with quality rainbow and brown trout. This may be one of the best dry fly small streams in all of Montana. It has unusual purity giving it a unique clarity and beauty. Fly fishing the Boulder River depends on water levels and is typically floatable between late July and early August.

BEST TIME TO FISH THE BOULDER RIVER

  • Jan
  • Feb
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  • May
  • June
  • July
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GALLATIN RIVER

The Gallatin River, near Bozeman Montana is small in size, which to many means little fish, but not so on this hidden gem.

This is a classic small Montana stream with shallow riffles leading to long runs and deep pools with undercut banks. Typically this is a hunting ground for large brown and rainbow trout using streamers and large crawfish patterns. We typically float the Gallatin River in a raft or drift boat due to the many braids and channels – it’s a long day of fishing, but it can be very rewarding for those anglers looking for that 20+ inch trout.

BEST TIME TO FISH THE GALLATIN RIVER

  • Jan
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MADISON RIVER

Want a famed Madison River fishing trip?

The Madison River originates in Yellowstone National Park and flows nearly 150 miles before joining the headwaters of the Missouri river. The Madison river fishing is divided into the upper stretch and lower stretch each of which seems to be completely different waters. Both the Upper Madison and Lower Madison are some of Montana’s premier wild trout rivers and it has been classified as a “Blue Ribbon” trout stream. Every foot of the river is capable of producing rainbow and brown trout eager to rise to a dry fly, grab a drifting nymph or a swinging streamer.

BEST TIME TO FISH THE MADISON RIVER

  • Jan
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  • May
  • June
  • July
  • Aug
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MISSOURI RIVER

Missouri River Fly Fishing

Join Us for a Missouri River Fishing Trip

A Missouri River fishing trip is a truly unbelievable home for trout below Holter Lake through the town of Craig and downstream to Cascade, Montana. It boasted the highest trout population in the state of Montana in 2012 with over 8,000 fish per mile and 20′′ fish are common. Obviously, chances of having a good day while Missouri River fishing are high. Not only are the fish numerous, but like most tailwaters the Missouri river is abundant in aquatic bug life, making for exceptional sight and dry fly fishing. We offer this trip only during the best fishing time of the year which is from April until early July and then again in late September into November.

BEST TIME TO FISH THE MISSOURI RIVER

  • Jan
  • Feb
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  • May
  • June
  • July
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SMITH RIVER

Smith River fly fishing trips can be summed up in almost one word – secluded.

Our Smith River fly fishing trips take place on the upper section of the Smith River, between its origin and above the Smith River Fly Fishing Access Site, flows through gently rolling prairie, flanked by the tall peaks of the Big Belt Mountains and Little Belt Mountains. It is beautiful country, with sweeping wide­ open vistas and incredible views. Other than the small town of White Sulphur Springs, the area is also very remote. Agricultural fields surround the river in this section, with extensive brush along its bank. A number of pools are also found on this stretch. Generally, the Smith River flows at a slow to moderate pace in this section, depending on water levels.

BEST TIME TO FISH THE SMITH RIVER

  • Jan
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  • Apr
  • May
  • June
  • July
  • Aug
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SPRING CREEKS

The Paradise Valley Spring Creeks of Armstrong, DePuy and Nelson should be on every angler’s wish list.

These world famous creeks are a sight fishing wonderland – with consistent hatches of midges, baetis, Pale Morning Duns, and Sulphur’s anglers can test their skills against wary trout. Dry fly fishing, sight-nymphing and reach casts on 6X are useful tools to have in your angling arsenal, but don’t worry if you need a little more practice our guides will teach you these techniques and make you a better angler after just one day! Please make sure to plan ahead as these private locations have limited availability and in prime season reservations can book up to a year in advance.

BEST TIME TO FISH THE SPRING CREEKS

  • Jan
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  • Apr
  • May
  • June
  • July
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STILLWATER RIVER

Don’t let the name fool you, our Stillwater River fishing trips take place on a wild and fast flowing river.

The beautiful Stillwater River begins in the Absaroka ­Beartooth Wilderness and flows north toward the town of Columbus, Montana where fishing access sites are good. Typically fishing this stream starts by mid July and August via rafts, but good wade fishing can also be had in the early spring with very good mayfly hatches starting around early March. This is definitely a dry fly fishing river and fishing this pocket water stream with a big hopper or stonefly pattern can be awesome.

BEST TIME TO FISH THE STILLWATER RIVER

  • Jan
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  • May
  • June
  • July
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TROPHY LAKES

If you’re looking for trophy lake fly fishing trips then you need to check out a couple of the private trophy waters in the Livingston area.

They offer outstanding stillwater fly fishing for rainbows, browns and cutthroat trout. Fly fishing on these trophy lakes is more intense than most anglers realize. Stalking large trout and sight casting to gulpers can give even the most experienced angler the casting jitters. These trophy lakes have prolific hatches of damselflies, Callibaetis mayflies, midges and terrestrials. These lakes are also the ideal starting point for both beginner anglers and those younger anglers looking to bend the rod for the first time.

BEST TIME TO FISH THE TROPHY LAKES

  • Jan
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  • June
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YELLOWSTONE RIVER

This is a classic western river and should be on every angler’s life list

Our Yellowstone River fishing trips include guiding on over 120 miles of blue ribbon trout water starting at Yellowstone National Park. The Yellowstone River is our home water and one of the great fly fishing trout streams of the world. It is the longest undammed river in the lower 48 states, and there is excellent trout water from its tributaries high inside Yellowstone Park, downstream through Gardiner, the Paradise Valley, Livingston, and on to well below Big Timber – a stretch of nearly 150 river miles. We float many different stretches of the prime water between Gardiner and Big Timber, depending on the Yellowstone River fly fishing conditions and water levels.

BEST TIME TO FISH THE YELLOWSTONE RIVER

  • Jan
  • Feb
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  • Apr
  • May
  • June
  • July
  • Aug
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  • Nov
  • Dec
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YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK

Fly Fishing in Yellowstone National Park

Our Nation’s first National Park offers some of the most famous fly fishing waters in the country. Slough Creek, Soda Butte Creek, Lamar River, Yellowstone River and many other small streams are all within driving distance of Livingston, Montana. Our Yellowstone Park fly fishing guides have detailed knowledge of the waters in Yellowstone National Park and have spent decades learning these waters. They are pleased to show you some secrets to catching more trout in this amazing environment.

BEST TIME TO FISH YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK

  • Jan
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