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Category: Fly Fishing River Reports

Missouri River Fishing Report – 04/16/12

Posted on by Eric Adams
Missouri River Fishing Report - 04-16-12

Weather/Water/Fishing Conditions:

Saturday ended up being a much nicer day than forecast, instead of 50 and broken clouds, we had 60+ and sun all day. Fishing Saturday was pretty good, but not great. The deep nymph was the ticket in the bright sun. When the wind would lay down a but, and a cloud rolled over, fish would be up instantly on midges. But once the sun came back, down they went. We did see a fair number of Baetis that day, although the fish weren’t really keyed in on them. If the fish were up though, a midge cluster would get them, or perhaps an Adams. To really get them, you could drop one of many things off the back; zebra, green LB, etc. The short leash to rising fish is lethal. If they are rising, this will get em. 12-18″ to the first fly.

What a difference a day makes! Woke up Sunday morning to a trace of snow, 28-degree temps, light snow and light wind. Didn’t see a single beatis on Sunday, but there were plenty of fish up on midges. Again, the short leash was the way to really wreck shop. But we hunted up plenty of heads. Best dry was a 16 or 18 beatis cripple, which most fish would pick up on the first good cast. We tried the streamer for a bit as well but only moved a few fish.

Hatches:
Midges are definitely out and about, the Baetis fishing should be cranking up this week – especially on the overcast days.

Thanks to one of our great guides Jeff Johnson for this updated report.

Yellowstone River Fishing Report – 04/12/12

Posted on by Eric Adams
Yellowstone River Fishing Report - 04-12-12

Fishing/Weather/Water Conditions:

We had a couple of guides on the Yellowstone River yesterday and both had similar reports – upstream wind and bright sun.  The bright sun limited the Baetis hatch (as they prefer cloudy days).  The upstream wind made fishing a bit tougher as it tends to blow the foam out of the good holes and the fish just don’t quite stack up.  However, we did catch several fish on short leash nymph rigs (indicator 2 feet above flies) and streamers we also fairly productive.  It was also about 65 degrees with no other boats on our section so it did make for a good overall day to fish in Montana.

HEADS-UP:

The Lamar River spiked from 200 cfs to over 1,000 cfs in the past couple days.  The Yellowstone River near Emigrant is already rising and has more color.  The cooler weather should bring it down quickly, but the next day or so could be challenging fishing.

Hatches:

Baetis (BWOs) and Midges were out and about, but not prolific.  We also saw several March Brown spinners and even a few Mother’s Day Caddis.  Keep your eyes peeled for that magic 52-degree water temp and the Caddis will pop!

Flies & Fishing Strategies:
Nymphs – Black Copper John’s (14-16), BH Hare’s Ear (12-14), CDC BH Prince (12-16), Partridge & Pheasant Soft Hackle (12-16), Tungsten Zebra Midge (16-18).
Dries – Hi Viz Griffith’s Gnat (16-18), Hi Viz Parachute Baetis (16), March Brown Cripple (12-14), Parachute March Brown (14).
Streamers – J.J. Special, Black/Olive Zonker,  Olive/Black Sex Dungeon, or your favorite darker streamer pattern.

Concentrate on the slower water for both nymphing and streamer fishing.  Several of our dry fly fish have been caught inches from the banks so keep your eyes peeled for slow confident rises which will indicate a larger more confident trout.

Yellowstone River Fishing Report – 04/11/12

Posted on by Eric Adams
Yellowstone River Fishing Report - 04-11-12

Spring fly fishing in Montana doesn’t get much better than this on the Yellowstone River.  Unlike the past several years where Spring has brought us nothing but cold and snow, this season has basically been a fly fishing paradise.  Our weather has been warm and the snow levels are near normal, making for some great early season conditions.  The water levels are about 2,300 cfs and holding steady with good clarity.  A. Hurt is pictured here with a beautiful 24″ Yellowstone River Brown caught on a J.J. Special from this weekend.

Hatches:
Baetis (BWOs) and Midges are prolific on cloudy days and fish are starting to group up in the foam holes and long the rip-rap banks.  The Lower Yellowstone, below Springdale, has seen some early March Browns and as the water temps heat up to the 52-degree mark later this month start looking for the Mother’s Day Caddis to start popping in the late afternoon.  On the Upper Yellowstone above Livingston, we should start seeing the full mix of Baetis, Midges, March Browns and Caddis in the next couple weeks.  Obviously, we’ll keep you posted.

Flies & Fishing Strategies:
Nymphs – Black Copper John’s (14-16), BH Hare’s Ear (12-14), CDC BH Prince (12-16), Partridge & Pheasant Soft Hackle (12-16), Tungsten Zebra Midge (16-18).
Dries – Hi Viz Griffith’s Gnat (16-18), Hi Viz Parachute Baetis (16), March Brown Cripple (12-14), Parachute March Brown (14).
Streamers – J.J. Special, Black/Olive Zonker,  Olive/Black Sex Dungeon, or your favorite darker streamer pattern.

Concentrate on the slower water for both nymphing and streamer fishing.  Several of our dry fly fish have been caught inches from the banks so keep your eyes peeled for slow confident rises which will indicate a larger more confident trout.

The weather forecast for the week looks like overcast and drizzly – perfect for good Baetis weather, so make sure to get out there!

Yellowstone River 2/25/2012

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

Its almost springtime here in Montana which means its time to pull the boats out of storage and get ready to start floating the rivers again. Personally, i cant wait to row the Yellowstone dragging streamers while waiting for signs of rising fish. Spring has become my favorite time to fish in Montana. The lack of crowds and surplus of hungry trout makes for an exciting time on the water. The only thing you have to worry about is choosing warmer days and the right sections of river to float.

Last spring i was fortunate enough to float several times in March and April and we sure had some awesome days! Big fish were our target and streamer fishing was the answer. Anyone interested in doing some early season fishing on the Yellowstone should give us a call!

Here is a little taste from last years spring season…

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
  • Mar
  • Apr
  • May
  • June
  • July
  • Aug
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  • Oct
  • Nov
  • Dec
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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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  • Apr
  • May
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  • Nov
  • Dec
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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
  • Feb
  • Mar
  • Apr
  • May
  • June
  • July
  • Aug
  • Sept
  • Oct
  • Nov
  • Dec
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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
  • Mar
  • Apr
  • May
  • June
  • July
  • Aug
  • Sept
  • Oct
  • Nov
  • Dec
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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
  • Feb
  • Mar
  • Apr
  • May
  • June
  • July
  • Aug
  • Sept
  • Oct
  • Nov
  • Dec
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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
  • Feb
  • Mar
  • Apr
  • May
  • June
  • July
  • Aug
  • Sept
  • Oct
  • Nov
  • Dec
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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
  • Feb
  • Mar
  • Apr
  • May
  • June
  • July
  • Aug
  • Sept
  • Oct
  • Nov
  • Dec
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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
  • Feb
  • Mar
  • Apr
  • May
  • June
  • July
  • Aug
  • Sept
  • Oct
  • Nov
  • Dec
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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
  • Mar
  • Apr
  • May
  • June
  • July
  • Aug
  • Sept
  • Oct
  • 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
  • Feb
  • Mar
  • Apr
  • May
  • June
  • July
  • Aug
  • Sept
  • Oct
  • Nov
  • Dec
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