Logo
August 13, 2010 
 News from Blue Ribbon Flies
 Fish With The Best
In This Issue
Quick Links


Join our mailing list!

Greetings!

Welcome to another Blue Ribbon Flies weekly newsletter. Thanks for tuning in. Settle in and we'll tell you what's happening around West Yellowstone and our other favorite spots, show you the fly and the material of the week, and tempt you to plan your next trip with us.

Hope you're enjoying summer, doing some fishing or at least planning some, tying up some flies, and getting this year's trip to Yellowstone country all planned out or already taped into your 2010 scrapbook. Take a break from work or play, grab a cup of coffee, and pretend you're leaning on the counter here at Blue Ribbon Flies. We wish you were here, but until you are we'll keep you in the loop. Thanks for stopping by.

 What's New
 What's Happening in Yellowstone Country

Ray Chapin The FFF Conclave is almost here! We're looking forward to seeing everyone beginning August 24th, which will be here before we blink twice. We can't wait to see all the seminars, products, and folks who will be coming to West Yellowstone for this tremendous event.

We've decided to hold Crazy Days the Friday and Saturday of the Conclave, which will be the 27th and 28th of August. Come shop the Sidewalk Sale!

The Pink Boat will be in West Yellowstone in a few days as well, from August 18th - the 24th, so there will be just a little overlap with the Conclave. Read more about Rowing for the Cure below in the newsletter.

The Madison River Foundation is gearing up for the Fly Fishing Festival, held over Labor Day weekend. Stay tuned for more information about this fun-filled weekend.

And finally, speaking of fun-filled weekends, our very own Dan Rust and Jamie Greene will be serenading the locals this Saturday at Music in the Park, LOCALS Night, here in West Yellowstone. If you're around, stop by any of these events for a great time.

Thanks to Ray Chapin, and all the great folks who sent us photos and told us their stories this week. Jen's poetry skills are too embarrassing to let her write any more Odes, but we do love all the contributions you send us. If you don't see your pics this week (Teri - thank you so much!), keep your eyes on future newsletters.

Don't forget to check our blog every so often for up to the minute fishing reports, editorials, beautiful photographs, articles, and all sorts of Blue Ribbon goodies, like when Crazy Days will be. Click the link below or keep reading the newsletter for an expanded explanation of what a blog is and how you can find it.. ..

As usual in the rest of this newsletter, you'll find fishing news from Yellowstone Country in the weekly Fishing Report. You can see what's hot off the vise in the Fly of the Week, get a sneak peak at some of the best materials on our tying bench in the Fly Tying Material of the Week, and stay up to date with the guide staff and their trips in the Guide Trip of the Week.

You'll be seeing a new email newsletter most every week throughout the spring to keep you tuned in to all things fly fishing in the greater Yellowstone area and beyond. Throughout the seasons, we'll keep sending you news of hatches and fishing holes around West Yellowstone. So without further delay, go ahead and jump right into the newsletter. And as always, don't hesitate to give us a call or shoot us an email if you have any questions, or if you just want a little fish talk.

Follow the Blue Ribbon Flies blog... 


 Fishing Report
 Weekly Conditions and Tips

Rick Schneider As the seasons change, we will continue to do our best to provide a journal entry from some of our latest tying and fishing. We invite you to call and ask us what we've been up to if you get to wondering. We always have plenty of stories to tell.

Rick Schneider sent us some great photos of fish he caught on this BRF pattern. Thanks for the kind words and gorgeous pics Rick!

August 12, 2010 Fishing Report Craig Mathews

Joe Healy of Fly Rod and Reel Magazine just checked in with me on how I thought the fall fishing in Yellowstone country was going to be. Joe is doing a special on fall fishing for his publication. I was taken a minute about the question thinking our fall season was still many fishing days away until I thought about the fact that the first male brown trout to run up from Hebgen are now arriving daily. Too, the late season migration of raptors in taking place now - berries are ripe and the smell of late summer grasses curing is apparent to most with allergies. Many huckleberry enthusiasts are waiting on what they feel might be the best berry season in years, but if you know fruit trees and bushes and veggie plants, on wet years like this all the plants' energy goes into root production on wet years. There won't be much in the way of berries this late summer. Not good for our bears and other species that depend on the fruits and berries. Bring your bear spray for back country forays. Our fall fishing should be the best we have seen in years, many years. With all our spring and summer moisture along with historic high numbers of trout in fantastic condition we can expect awesome late season angling all the way into November!

My good friend, Yvon Chouinard, owner and founder of Patagonia Inc. and I just fished 3 days together and worked and filmed with producers of the new series, The American Fly Guide. Yvon and I had a lot of 1% for the Planet stuff to catch up on too. But, we fished ourselves dead tired each day and had wonderful soft hackle along with some dry fly fishing too on the Madison and a couple of its tributaries. Check out our blog for more. We had some good hopper fishing and the browns we took on hoppers and soft hackles were coloring up for the fall season.

Remember: the Federation of Fly Fishers International Conclave begins the week after next. Check out their web site for a schedule of events and come to West Yellowstone for the largest fly fishing show on earth! Bring the kids along and get them involved in the sport. Leave their I-pods at home and they'll have a great time in the woods and on the rivers, lakes and streams here learning the fine sport of fly fishing. What a wonderful time to fish Yellowstone! Let's check it out.

The Firehole River is beginning to turn on again. Morning Midges, caddis, damsels, hoppers and ants are bringing up some fish mostly on the upper river. #20-22 Improved Zelon Midges, Skittering Midges, small Charlie Boy and Grand Hopper and blue damsels are working as are #17 tan Iris and #20 Black X Caddis. The Madison in the Park is also fishing. Morning Trico action can be fun near Bakers Hole. The first big male brown trout are coming in and you might take one swinging a large soft hackle like a September Song, Shakey Beeley, or Snipe and Purple through the Barns Pools or Shakey's favorite pool. The upper meadow water just below the junction pool can fish during an afternoon grasshopper wind too.

Slough Creek will fish for you now with #22 Slough Creek Baetis, #10-12 Enhanced Chaos Hoppers, and flying ants. There are still enough #18 PMD's and #12 Gray Drakes around to make it worth your while to bring along imitations of each. I like the first meadow and the water too below the campground if a hike is now in your plans. Soda Butte has been turbid and unfishable lately due to rain-hail-sleet, you know, the typical Yellowstone late summer weather! The same holds for the Lamar River but if you hike upstream of its confluence with the Soda you will get above the muddy water and into some great fishing. I like to cruise well upstream, near Cache Creek junction, and fish not only the Lamar but also the smaller Cache Creek itself. Slough, Lamar and Soda should see the Fall Green Drake begin emerging in the next week to 10 days so be ready. In the meantime have flies like we discussed above for Slough along with a Stalcup or Slough Creek Cricket and a Yellowstone Bee.

The Gallatin in the Park has fished very well lately. Its smaller tribs like Specimen, Fan and Bacon Rind Creeks have also fished well in the afternoon hours. All these waters are very cold and it is best to allow them to warm up so don't get to them before 11am or you will fish a lot, with not much catching. On the river there are some good evening caddis and hopper action along with Pink Lady mayflies so have #16 tan X2 or standard X Caddis, #17 tan Iris and Pink Lady Sparkle Duns and spinners in #16. Hoppers and ants are great to fish on warm, bright, windy days and have a Spruce Moth for late day fishing too. On the creeks all you need is a Royal Trude Cripple and H&L Variant and you are ready to roll. Nymphing anglers can do well with Krystal and red Serendipities and Two Bit Hookers, #14-18. The Gallatin below the Taylor Fork has been mostly unfishable of late due to hail and rain storms. The Taylor is the culprit here but when it clears you should fish both streams with Spruce Moths and caddis along with terrestrials like flying ants and hoppers as well as the Yellowstone Bee.

A reminder here on just how important a bee pattern is for late summer-early fall fishing in Yellowstone country. Those in the know always carry bee patterns for fishing now in Yellowstone, not only for the above rivers but for all rivers here. Bees, wasps and hornets are everywhere along our rivers, lakes and streams in late season and trout love them when they find their way into the water which is very frequently. Have a Yellowstone Bee along - it'll put a smile on your face every time you fish it!

The Yellowstone River in the Park has been great lately. Tylor has hiked his way into it several times and posted blogs on our site of his adventures with rising cutthroats. The river has been great around Tower and into the Black Canyon of the Yellowstone. Tributaries like Hellroaring and Tower Creeks have been fun too, and now is the time to explore these off-the-beaten-path waters with hoppers and attractor dries like PMX's and Trudes, Wulffs, H&L's and Goofus Bugs (Horner Deer Hairs). The Yellowstone River downstream of Gardiner, Mt has been hot and cold, mostly cold lately. This will change with some late summer sun and warm temps. Now is the time to lace up your hiking boots and head to "The Waterfall Section of Yellowstone", the southwest corner of the park. Here you should hike into the Bechler Meadows, or the upper Fall River and do battle with some very large trout on hoppers and flying ants. While you are there look at Boundary Creek and Mountain Ash.. ..I can't say much more.

Small streams in Yellowstone that are worth fishing now include Grayling, Straight, Lava, upper Gibbon in the Virginia Cascades, Tower, Middle, Cache, the upper Firehole above the Old Faithful-West Thumb Highway, Nez Perce and so many others. I get excited just thinking about them and their late season opportunity(s)! These are hopper and spruce moth times so be prepared and have a great experience fishing these places in late summer.

The Madison River below Hebgen Dam is beginning to fish well again after a couple weeks of off and on action. Morning spinner falls and late day Pink Lady and caddis action have been good. Spruce moths are now evident on this stretch and when they come to water in the mornings and eves you will not want to miss the action. There is a large griz on the far side near Quake Lake and mountain goats can often be seen on the rocks above so bring bear spray and a camera. The Madison downstream of Earthquake Lake is offering up some mixed fishing. There are days when hoppers and Pink Ladies are all you might need. Then there are days when tan X2 and Iris Caddis work well, even in the middle of the day. Margarita mayflies are emerging now on overcast days and their spinner falls can be heavy in the evenings and the same with Pink Ladies so be ready with #18 olive sparkle spinners and sparkle duns, #16 Pink Lady Cripples and sparkle duns and Pink Lady Spinners. Midges are up to their late season puzzles they put before anglers, especially in late evening hours. When you encounter heads coming up in the calm water and slicks along the shore or below boulders in the late hours they are rising to midges so give the fish a Skittering or Zelon Midge on a drag free float and you will hook up. Spruce Moths can be counted on now all along the river but mostly below $3.00, the West Fork, Lyon and Windy Point-Wolf Creek areas.

Hebgen is on fire during Trico and Callibaetis times. And the same can be said for Earthquake Lake. I know you need dun and spinner patterns of these mayflies but also do yourself a favor and tie up some flying ants!

Watch the blog for more up to the minute advice, and don't hesitate to call or stop by! The coffee's on and we'd love to see you!

Take a look at stream flows, weather, and past fishing reports... 


 Fly of the Week
 Hot off the Vise

Yellowstone Bee Yellowstone Bees

New terrestrials are important. Fish respond to new and different flies, and this is a classic example. This foam fly will take trout in late summer when they won't even look at a hopper any more. It seems counter-intuitive, but trout love bees - they're not called Killer Bees because they're dangerous to you.. ..

See for yourself! Order a few Yellowstone Bees today... 


 Fly Tying Material of the Week
 Unique Materials for Effective Patterns

Bee Bodies 1/8" Bee Bodies

Tie-up realistic-looking small or large Bees and/or Wasps, like the Yellowstone Killer Bee. Detailed instructions are included in each package.

See what you can do with Rainy's Bee Bodies from Blue Ribbon Flies.... 


 Blue Ribbon Flies Blog
 See What You're Missing

John Juracek Spinners If you haven't checked out our web log lately, here's a little taste of what you're missing.

What is a Blog? It's a web-based journal of sorts, a web log, our new attempt to be modern, timely, and informative. It's a more frequently updated fishing journal, an almost daily fishing report, a website we add pictures, thoughts, and reports to on a continuing basis. It's our electronic diary, with multiple contributors and plenty of room for your comments.

John Juracek posts photos and articles frequently, Craig adds fishing reports and breaking news, Tylor's great about posting fly recipes, photos, and fishing adventures, Patrick has had some great input, and Jen occasionally sneaks an article in under someone else's name.

We get interesting, challenging, and entertaining comments from you in response to the articles we post, and you can even comment on comments! It's a great interactive way to keep up with what's happening on the water and off. We look forward to adding posts, and we look forward to hearing from you.

Just this week on the blog, John posted more incredible photographs, Tylor added video of fishing the Lamar and of Craig and Yvon Chouinard fishing together, and Craig posted a report from his fishing and tied a few flies for you, complete with narrative.

We're looking into how to add a subscription button, so you can sign up to have updates sent to your email when we post something new. In the meantime, check it all out at blog.BlueRibbonFlies.com, and keep checking! It changes all the time, and it's how we keep current these days.

See what's new on the Blue Ribbon Flies Blog... 


 Guide Trip of the Week
 Nobody Does It Better

O'Dell Trip Fish O'Dell Creek with Blue Ribbon Flies

September is the perfect month here. Period. It's also the perfect month to fish O'Dell Creek.

Frog patterns, you asked? Well of course. Big browns can't help themselves. Restored waters and controlled access? Well yes. O'Dell is an exemplary tale of conservation efforts.

And September? Beautiful fish caught on dry flies, and the scent of fall in the air create a fishing scenario you just won't find anywhere else. You won't be able to help yourself - join us on O'Dell Creek in September.

Fish with the best! Book your day with Blue Ribbon guides today... 


 Gadgets and Gear
 Handy Gizmos For Fly Tying and Fly Fishing

Rio Line Dressing Rio Agent X Fly Line Dressing

Now is the time to remove the summer's moss and crud from your line, making it cast farther, remain clean throughout terrestrial season, and float higher than you've seen it float in months.

Rio's Agent X Line Dressing is specifically formulated to enhance the performance of all modern fly lines. RIO's proprietary Agent X formulation features lubricants that will keep the line slick and clean longer than competitors' dressings. Easy to apply with a soft cloth, this line dressing will clean any fly line and make it slicker for longer casts. Allow 30 minutes or so to dry before buffing off.

Spread some joy. Clean your line with Rio today.... 


 Rowing For The Cure
 Keep An Eye Out for the Pink Boat!

Pink Boat The Pink Boat is coming to West Yellowstone, and Blue Ribbon Flies is proud to be just one of the hosts. The boat is traveling across the West, being passed between fishing guides, who will take it on the water and then accept donations from fellow anglers, clients or anyone else who sees the boat.

Painted with the slogan, "Rowing for the Cure," the boat is intended to raise money for the Montana Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure. As of July 28th this specially designed boat is off to collect donations and raise awareness. A drop box for donations was built into the front seat. As of August 18th, the boat will be in and around West Yellowstone.

From the 18th - the 24th, the fly shops in town will take turns hosting The Pink Boat and running their float trips out of it, instead of their regular drift boats. It will be parked nightly at the Food Roundup to collect donations, and will be seen throughout the days on Hebgen and the Madison. If you're in the area, take a minute to salute the anglers in the boat and make a donation. If you're not in the area, keep these dates in mind and consider making a donation to your local affiliate or the Montana affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure. It's certainly a worthy cause, and while a departure from our usual conservation efforts, isn't it just a different form of conservation?

Rowing for the Cure is the brain child of several Bozeman anglers including Ian Davis, owner of Yellow Dog Fly Fishing Adventures, whose mother Judy died from breast cancer. According to Davis, the boat will head to fishing guides on the Yellowstone and Madison rivers. After these, it will move on to the Henry's Fork River, then to Jackson, Wyo., and beyond. You can follow the boat's travels on its Facebook page "Rowing for a Cure Pink Boat," or click on the link below to read more.

Find out more about Komen Montana and the Pink Boat... 


Hope you enjoy the latest issue. We'll keep 'em coming, keeping you up to date on the best fishing water, tips, and gear we can get our hands on. Let us know how you're fishing, and what you're up to. Keep those pictures and fish stories coming!

Thanks for spending time with us. We'll see you soon!

Email Marketing by