News from Blue Ribbon Flies

Fishing Report
Weekly Conditions and Tips

By Craig Mathews
1 June 2011

Last Friday was a day I will never forget. Coaches Jeff Fisher (retired Tennessee Titan head coach), his son Brandon (now coaching for the Detroit Lions), and I coached fly fishing for the "Wounded Warrior" Program through the local Healing Waters group. We spent the day with warriors showing them a favorite spring creek. At the end of that cold windy day my guy Doug said to me, "This is one of the best 3 days I have ever had, not only for the wild trout but also for this stream, and beautiful valley and the friends I made here today. It helps me forget some of what comes back to me too often." This coming from a man whose company has lost many of its soldiers over the past few years. We look forward to the next time in July we hope to be working with a new set of warriors and coaching them into a few wild trout and a memorable experience on Montana's Madison River.

Jackie just walked in from sitting on our deck. This is the first evening this year she has been able to do this. The weather has been tough all spring with lots of snow, rain, wind and cold temps. Tonight though it is still 64 degrees at 8p.m. and she wanted me to come on the deck and check out all the newborn elk calves.

We are always amazed that over 300 cow elk can hide most all their calves during the daylight hours but this time of the day they all come out to play. Tiny elk the color of a copper penny run and buck and play as the mothers graze nearby. We know our old female grizzly is close at hand. She just kicked out both her 2 year old cubs which are behaving badly at times now. She will show up here any time and wreak havoc on some of the calves. This we know, but never get fully used to it until we realize it is part of the deal, part of living in this great valley. Last year you read our reports here of some of her hunts nearby so stay tuned for more wildlife reports all summer.

With our big snowpack we all felt by now we'd be in heavy runoff, but so far it really has not happened on this side of the Park. With the cool nights the runoff has been slow and moderate and the fishing on rivers like the Madison and Firehole in the Park has been good. Even the Madison below Earthquake Lake is still fishing very well. This may hold a while longer as the forecast calls for somewhat of a slow warm-up with chances of rain.

The Firehole has fished very well. Pale morning duns and Baetis mayflies can be expected daily from noon to 4pm. Look for caddis around 3pm and later with their emergence going until dark on warm evenings. The river fishes best now around Nez Perce Creek and below Mallard Creek. Places like Fountain Flats Drive, Goose Lake Meadows, Midway and Muleshoe Bend have fished consistently every day. I like to arrive around 9am on warm mornings, those above freezing, and look for a PMD spinner fall. Imitating the PMD spinners is always a tough deal. It seems for you may have dozens of trout rising to a spinner but you will seldom walk away from fishing a spinner fall feeling like you mastered it! One never seems to take as many fish as you'd think with all those willing targets. Best patterns are our PMD Foam Spinner #16 along with the new Splitsville Spinner of the same size.

Around 11am you can expect some soft rises by big fish along the banks in selected spots along the river as big browns might begin to take nymphs drifting and preparing to emerge. A PMD Foam Nymph, #16, is best for this challenge. Next usually by noon you might see fish actively taking duns off the surface and now's the time to switch to a highly visible #16 PMD Sparkle Dun. You'll want to pay close attention as Baetis might emerge now too, especially if it is raining or snowing. I like a Soft Hackle Baetis Emerger and Baetis Sparkle Dun, both #20's. Some fish may actually prefer the smaller insects, the Baetis, so it pays to watch closely each rise and riseform. In the late afternoon hours look for White Miller, Little Black and Hydropscyhe sp caddis emergences. Have Iris, X and X2 patterns and you will be covered. Reliable egg-laying caddis times should begin as the weather stabilizes; whenever that might be is anyone's guess this year but if you read this report and our blog entries we will report on it soon I am betting. (Sleeper bet this coming week might be Salmonflies coming off in Firehole Canyon with a sunny day.)

The Madison in the Park has fished well too. There is wonderful streamer action in all likely spots from the Barns Pools upstream to Shakey Beeley's Run and the head of Riverside Drive. At Riverside look for PMDs this coming week if the weather holds. You will see Baetis here and all the way to Madison Junction now too and be prepared with flies like those we talked about for the Firehole River.

The Madison River between the lakes has been good. I don't mean to preach but limit yourself here to a fish or 2 and leave for another spot. These rainbows are just finishing their spawning time, are weak and very vulnerable now. The active spawning fish should always be avoided and left alone to spawn and bring us fishing into the future. The flow from Hebgen Dam is over 2000 cfs, high and strong and dangerous. Fly pattern here is not critical as most anything small and red will work: a Rick's Red Midge, San Juan worm, Twinkle Midge, and others will work fine.

The Madison River below Earthquake Lake continues to fish very well. Here it is mostly a nymph-streamer proposition. The past few days the West Fork has cleared a bit making the river all the way to McAtee very fishable. This might continue into the near future with our forecast cool temps. Our guides and clients have had good success on their float trips pitching big rubber legs trailing Slough Creek and Twinkle Midges against the banks. From Raynolds to the West Fork the action has been great in the early morning hours working upstream and casting streamers directly upstream dead drift like fishing a big nymph, on a short line. You will see the take as big fish grab your streamers like Sculpzillas in white, Soft Hackle Streamers in white or yellow and white woolhead sculpins. If you'd like to try this get to the river around 5:30-6a.m. and fish until 9; you will be glad to got on the water to give this early streamer stuff a try! While fishing this stretch keep an eye out for rising fish. even in the heavy flows coming now trout will rise in a few sleeked spots to Baetis and March Browns so be ready daily from noon to 4pm should you come upon rising fish.

Hebgen Lake's midge fishing has been awesome. Both the south shore and the north are fishing well in the mornings and evenings during midge times provided it is warm and calm. Warm in our country this time of year means anything above freezing. Last Saturday the fish rose to midge pupae even as it snowed in the Watkins Creek flats area. Position yourself so you can use the sun (if it shows, and it has twice this year already!) to your benefit in seeing the cruisers as they search for emerging midge pupae. While some fish may come to dry imitations the best patterns will usually be midge pupae like the PT Chironomid and our Driskill's Midge. These huge pupal patterns imitate the midge pupae so well they are usually the only patterns you will need in your box. You can trail the PT behind the Driskill which often works great or use one of the two. You must determine the direction and depth the fish is working at, each fish may be different, then present your cast usually 6-10' in front of the cruiser. Now wait and let your pattern flutter down in front of the fish, sometimes they'll rush to it and you will see the classic wink of white as their mouth opens to inhale your offering. Most often though you will see the fish's posture change as it fins over to inspect the fly,now as it approaches give a slow-short pull, about 3-5" is all, on your fly line moving it a bit and the fish will take. Do NOT strike hard or you will certainly break off. Instead simply raise the rod tip releasing your grip on the line and this will be enough to get you hooked up. I'll bet you break your first one off! Hebgen Lake has been called the best early season midge lake in the west, we think it goes even further and feel it is the finest dry fly fishing lake during Trico and Callibaetis times all summer long. You be the judge here for yourself - give the lake a try and you too will be hooked forever. During non-hatch times tryout crayfish patterns along the south side. Crayfish are expanding their range on the lake having traditionally been around the Happy Hour Bar, now they go all the way to the dam. More on this in a later report.

Henry's Lake continues to be its early season fickle self. It teases most after they catch their first 7 pound hybrid into thinking they will be hooked up many more times that day. Most find they should have quit and headed elsewhere after that initial fish. Those veterans that stay with it, fishing small midge pupa, tiny leeches and Callibaetis Nymphs are often rewarded. On this fine lake you have to put your time in, and if the winds come strong from the north head somewhere else for the day, somewhere like Cliff or Wade Lakes. These lakes have been consistent this spring. Great scenery, beautiful fish that fight as hard as any in the world and lots of them. Wade requires more heads-up angling using midges, Callibaetis, damsel and dragon patterns while on Cliff you will need a crayfish pattern in the prongs area and a seal leech fly.

I hope you will stop by for a visit, call or email us soon.

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