What's New
 What's Happening in Yellowstone Country

Trick or Treat! Happy end of October everyone. Our pumpkins are carved, our elk stalked, bird skins drying, first real snow melting, and soup's on! The most beautiful fall on record is still going down as one of the prettiest, most productive, longest autumn seasons in many years. Often we go from summer to winter with only a week in between to put away the flip-flops and get out the down, but here we are looking at Halloween Weekend, and it's not winter yet!

If that's not cause for a little candy and pumpkin celebration, we don't know what is. That, and we STILL have ten days to fish in Yellowstone National Park. That makes everything better. You still have two weekends and the week in between to get here and take one last long look at the Firehole, to spend some time on the Madison, or even to fish the length of the Lewis Channel for the hike of a lifetime.

We are frantically working on our new website! It is looking fantastic, and we are positive you will find it easier to navigate, interesting to look at, and full of helpful information and links. The pictures will be easier to see, the shopping cart easier to fill and edit, and most exciting from our end, the whole site will be easier for us to keep up to date. We'll be able to add new items, change articles and reports, and stay up to date with inventory and mail order availability. Kudos to Cam for all his time and effort on this overhaul, thanks to web guru Brennan Sang for his guidance and hard work, and thanks to Craig and Jackie! You're going to love the new website. We'll unveil it as soon as it's ready, and you will be the first to see it.

We're also hard at work on the 2011 catalog. Our goal is to include even more articles, pictures, and what makes Blue Ribbon Flies unique. We'll keep you posted on our progress, and send your copy right after New Year's Day.

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 peek 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 fall and winter to keep you tuned in to all things fly fishing and fly tying 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

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.

October 28, 2010
Blue Ribbon Flies Weekly Report

Jackie Mathews

The weather in Yellowstone Country is cold and crisp and there is fresh snow on the mountain tops. This is the last 10 days to fish in the Park and if you can get here it is worth the trip.

The Madison in the Park has good numbers of fish in it up from Hebgen Lake. They are in the river system from the lake to the base of the falls on the Firehole and the Gibbon. Not only will they hit a big soft hackle swung through the pools and streamer patterns, but also baetis in sizes 20 and 22. Watch for the hatch in the afternoons and then sit and watch for feeding fish.

The Firehole is in its glory right now with baetis and on sunny afternoons caddis too. ICU Baetis have been one of the best producers along with Nick's brown Soft Hackles.

The Madison below Quake has had a strange color to it this past week. Probably from all the rain last Sunday. It should clear shortly and baetis should hatch. Remember the stop in the Yellowstone DVD that Craig always tunes into? That was baetis fishing in the fall, can't get any better than that.

Henry's Lake has been on fire for the Cutts and Brookies along the shore.

The Gallatin in and out of the park will have baetis fishing in the afternoons, closer to Big Sky will probably be the most productive.

Craig is off chasing elk with the Filanc's. We hope they get one soon. Have a wonderful week, Jackie

Keep up to date with fishing on the Blue Ribbon Blog... 

 Fly of the Week
 Hot off the Vise

ICU Baetis

Visible and Effective

When Bucky's eyes started to go, before his beloved Flex Spex came along, he started playing around with Baetis patterns, trying to tie something he could see in all sorts of conditions.

What he figured out has become indispensable to our Baetis fishing. We don't go out without his ICU Baetis in white and in black, because light and weather conditions change so quickly. With different color posts, we have a pattern that works every time.

See for yourself... Try a few today ICU Baetis today... 

 Fly Tying Material of the Week
 Unique Materials for Effective Patterns

Scientific Angler Boxes

Ok, ok, we know fly boxes aren't technically a material, but you have to have a place to put all those ICU Baetis you're tying.

You also need a box for streamers, and a box for your favorite nymphs.

We are big fans of the Scientific Angler waterproof boxes. We like the clear lids, so we can see what's in each box without opening it, and we like that it only takes one hand to open the latch. We love that each size is a different color for easy organizing, that each box has two sides of slotted foam - doubling the capacity, and that the nymph box also has a compartment for split shot and indicators.

Check out one or several. Organize, clean out, and create a new home for all your favorite flies.

See how easily you can fill a Scientific Anglers box.. 

 Blue Ribbon Flies Blog
 See What You're Missing

Besides providing all the gorgeous photographs for this week's newsletter, John has also been busy with the blog this week. Thanks John, and thanks to Craig for posting on the blog as well.

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, Craig wrote an interesting article about fall in the Madison Valley, and John wrote about Baetis fishing on the Madison. Always helpful and entertaining, John also posted some beautiful photographs you just won't see anywhere else.

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.

If you have suggestions for us, don't hesitate to log on and blog on. Comment to your heart's delight. We love the feedback.

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

 Guide Trip of the Week
 Nobody Does It Better

Yes, it's late in the season. Yes, many of our guides have moved on to their winter jobs, warmer climes, or late fall fishing and hunting. There are only ten days left in the Yellowstone National Park fishing season.

And yet.

You still have time for a fall fishing trip with Blue Ribbon Flies. The sun is out, the spawners are moving, the fishing is challenging but terrific, and there's a great chance you'll have your best day ever on the water with a Blue Ribbon Flies guide.

Pack your layers, under and outer, and your camera, and get here now. Call us, book a guide, and let's get out there already. Enjoy everything Yellowstone country has to offer this fall, before winter sets in. The clock is ticking, the fish are feeding, and we'll see you soon!

Fish with the best... Book your fall fishing trip today... 

 Sale of the Week
 Last One This Year...

Patagonia Fishing 50% Off!

This will be the last "Sale of the Week" for this year. We hope you've enjoyed each and every one, and taken advantage of at least a couple of discounts.

Any Patagonia wader or wading boot or Marlwalker we have in stock will be 50% off for this week only. Now is the time to stock up on Patagonia wading gear, for your home waters, salt water, or your next trip to Montana. Don't wait, don't think too long, don't hesitate. The sizes and styles we have in stock will go quickly, and then you'll just be mad at yourself for missing the boat.

Jen's already snapped up the Marlwalkers in her size, and the rest are sure to go quickly. The waders won't last, and the Patagonia Riverwalker wading boots will practically fly out of here. Call today to claim your gear at 1/2 off. You won't get a deal like this anywhere else, and it will end before you know it.

The phone lines are open.

Call us today for your Patagonia waders, wading boots, and Marlwalkers...