What's New
 What's Happening in Yellowstone Country

In the interest of full disclosure, we want you to see for yourself what the water looks like in Yellowstone country this week. Geoff Unger snapped this pic of the Gallatin on his way to work Tuesday, and at the end of the newsletter you'll see Nick's pic of the Madison in the Park, taken yesterday. We believe pictures are more helpful and probably more interesting than most of the descriptions you'll read or statistics you'll see, so if you're wondering what run-off is like, take a look. In fact, for a video taken TODAY at 7-Mile Bridge, click here.

We expect to see more water before we see less, but as you contemplate water levels, clarity, and the prospects of fishing in the next few weeks, here's a good look at what we're seeing. There is fishing to be had right now if you want it, and we're looking forward to a great season developing. There are always glass-half-empty and glass-half-full perspectives, and somewhere in the middle you may interpret for yourself what's going on here.

The Yellowstone Park Foundation invites you (yes, YOU) to spend the 4th of July weekend at the private Elk Meadow Ranch with Doug Smith and Craig, fishing, learning, dining, and relaxing. For a complete schedule and more information about this incredible opportunity to explore a lesser-seen side of Yellowstone and benefit the Yellowstone Park Foundation, click here. We hope to see you there.

The newest edition of the Madison River Foundation's Newsletter just came out today. It looks like there is still time to make your reservations for the 9th annual "Guardians of the River" Gala Banquet June 24 on the banks of the Madison at the beautiful Old Kirby Place. This year's fundraiser event features new attractions:

• New and larger banquet tent on the banks of the river at the historic Hutchins Bridge near the West Fork
• No host bar for the evening by the Gravel Bar
• Complimentary wine selections specially chosen by the chefs to enhance the all-new dinner menu
• Dinner presented by Scott & Amy Kelley of Bandito's Bistro
• Live jazz by the Steve Hulse Trio, and
• Presentation of the 2011 Friend of the Madison Award

This promises to be their finest banquet ever. If you have not yet made your reservations, call the Foundation at (406) 682-3148 today. This is the Foundation's only fundraiser of the year and we want to make it very special. Tickets are $125 per person, of which $80 is a tax deductible contribution to the mission and work of the Foundation. Call us or the Foundation today!

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 spring and summer 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.

Read more from Blue Ribbon... 

 Fishing Report
 Weekly Conditions and Tips

By Craig Mathews
9 June 2011

Not since Yellowstone country's record snow year of 1996-97 have we seen such heavy runoff. All our rivers and streams are currently in full spring runoff and it is pretty incredible to see them running full-force. We are having our Runoff Celebration now which should last until the 4th of July.

This is nature's way of blowing out the siltation which has accumulated over the years on rivers like the Firehole, Madison and Gallatin. The high flows help create and improve habitat for our wild trout and aquatic insects. Remember too that big high water in spring means larger stream insects, bigger wild trout and overall good fishing for this and several years to follow. We celebrate this healthy natural event which happens all too infrequently it seems. And, while it does make for challenges in terms of places to fish during this high water time, in the long run we will be thankful of such a huge runoff spring season. All winter and into the early spring we knew it was coming, but all of us felt it would be over and done by this time in June on rivers like the Firehole. This spring has been anything but "normal" so it really should come as no surprise how late the runoff has been in starting, but it is finally here and with it comes our big celebration!

Remember to check out our web site's home page under current fishing report, water and weather conditions (bottom right) for up-to the-minute information regarding this area's forecasts and what is fishing well, and what's not, and much-more more. Stay tuned in to our site, it will help you catch more fish! As you can see, we're still catching despite the run-off. .. .

Let's get to the Fishing Report:

The Madison River below Earthquake Lake downstream to the West Fork is fishing very well. The flow is high and the water off-colored and the big fish are on the footpaths so you don't need, nor should you, wade. Nymphing is still your best bet; rubber legs, Lightening Bugs, Micro-Madison Mayflies, eggs and worms are best patterns. For streamer fishing addicts have streamers like Sculpzillas, Zudlers and White Woolhead Streamers and you will catch some very large trout. The river below the dam has been very good, but crowded as it is some of the only clear water around. Here try the same flies above as well as red Rick's Blood Midge and Zebras in red and black.

The Firehole in the park had fished well until this high water arrived. Things will settle down this week and we can expect PMDs and Baetis mayflies as well as Black and White Miller caddis to emerge and bring the trout to the surface.

Hebgen Lake is great during midge times, morning and evenings, and so are Cliff and Wade. Best fly patterns seem to change daily so give us a call or stop in. Henry's fishes well in the late day, more so than evenings, using Callibaetis nymphs and PT Flashbacks as well as tiny seal leeches.

The Henry's Lake Outlet has been good with large colorful streamers like Soft Hackle Marabou in white along with soft egg patterns and Krystal Dips with beads, too have a red SJ Worm.

Call for stream and fly information, stop by for coffee and good conversation, and watch some of our fly tyers crafting our fine flies!

Stay up to date with our Fishing Report and other news... 

 Fly of the Week
 Hot off the Vise!!

2011 Fly of the Month Club

Ok, so it's June. Even though it may feel like January here, we know it's mid-year already. In fact, we're closing in on the summer solstice and Father's Day.

This doesn't mean it's too late to join the Fly of the Month Club. We started it two years ago (and a half), and if we do say so ourselves, our patterns for Club members just keep getting better and better. We'll start out your membership with the 2011 Tying Instructions, and then fill in with a new cutting-edge BRF fly, recipe and materials list for every month.

There are still patterns from past years that only FOMC members have access to, and the patterns yet to come for 2011 will keep any tyer busy and in fish. A great gift for yourself, for Father's Day, or for anyone who ties and wants to learn new techniques and tie with new materials, the Fly of the Month Club is a winning idea.

Sign yourself and your favorite tyer up for this unique opportunity. Call or email us today.

For many fine flies... 

 Fly Tying Material of the Week
 Unique Materials for Effective Patterns

Your Summer Materials Are Here!

Bucky, even as you read this, is in the dying shed working on dying up some Hungarian Partridge skins. Today we are looking for the perfect shade of dun-dyed Hun ala Syl Nemes. Syl used dyed dun Hun for several of his famous soft hackle patterns and so do we, for many of our personal flies.

We will also be working on dyed PMD-Caddis golden yellow along with dyed Hun skins for tying Nick's famous fall run Shakey Beeley fly. So many tyers have asked for these colors and since we have enough skins to dye we thought we would do it before it gets so busy we do not have time later this summer. Quantities will be very limited so tyers be warned now to act soon.

A couple other tying ideas and materials would include our new dyed elk rump for tying extended body flies like Hexs, hopper, salmon flies, etc as well as our dyed antelope which we use for spinning trout and bass flies. Nothing spins like antelope hair and the colors we have are those we so often use!

Nature's Finest dubbing blends in light olive and BWO as well as Nature Spirit's Fine Natural dubbing blends are all being used now by several of our tyers. Tyers like Aaron and Tylor wanted us to yell a bit about them in this report since they find these blends some of the easiest to use and perfect colors to tie so many Yellowstone Flies with.

We received a limited number of Hebert Miner (Whiting) capes this week. All are bronze, in the hard to fine Light Gray-Dun natural color for tying Baetis and other BWO flies.

Finally, and please all fly tyers take note, our bins are packed with elk and deer hair in all makes, models, and colors for the first time since last fall. We bring this up to everyone tying Sparkle Duns, X and X2 Caddis, Stimulators, stones and all other favorite flies requiring the BEST hair available to fly tyers. So often we are out-of-stock on these hairs. NOW, while we have all in stock, is THE time to buy them. While we currently have a good supply of most types of hair, as many of you know, we will run low of the prime hair by season's end. Please, to avoid disappointment in your fly tying, get your supply of hair now!

For elk rump and many other hard to find materials click here! 

 Artist of the Week
 Fly Tyers Are Artists Too, You Know

We figured if we can feature a fly and a material of the week, why not, with all our local talent, highlight a little artwork now and then? We fly fishermen are visual people, thrilled by colors and patterns some may overlook, so we thought you may appreciate the work of local artists and local fly tyers, specifically some of the guys who tie for us at Blue Ribbon.

When it comes to artistry, we don't know where to start or stop talking with John Juracek. Of course you see his artistic skills in the photographs he takes and we love. Just take a peek at our catalog, website, blog, walls, and books and DVDs to see his beautiful work. In fact, if you're ever in our local Post Office, there's a good chance you'll see a small print tucked under the notices and advertisements on the bulletin board - not a Most Wanted print, but John's own guerrilla art show of subtly, publicly displayed photography.

Beyond his photography, John is a master fly tyer. If you haven't read his recent blog entry about types of insects trout feed on, it's worth reading, but it's also a great thumbnail of all the flies he ties for us. It's hard to imagine a day of successful fishing, much less a season, without any of the patterns John ties for Blue Ribbon Flies.

John's beautifully, uniformly, skillfully tied patterns include Baetis Foam Emergers, Baetis Foam Nymphs, Drake Mac Emergers and cripples, Epeorus Cripples, Epeorus Sparkle Duns, Gray Drake Sparkle Duns, Amber Iris caddis, our new White Miller Cripples, Partridge & Yellow Soft Hackles, Partridge & Greens, PMD Foam Emergers, White Miller Soft Hackles, Northeast Sparkle Duns, Black and White ICU Baetis, PMD Improved Sparkle Duns, ICU Epeorus, Epeorus Improved Sparkle Duns, PMD Foam Nymphs, Amber X-Caddis, and White Miller X-Caddis.

In Fly Patterns of Yellowstone II, John notes that fly design is always on ongoing process because the fishing in the Yellowstone area demands innovation and care in tying. Always humble, he also points out that numerous guides, fly tyers, and fishermen have profoundly influenced his fishing and fly tying over the years.

As you can see in the photo here, he's an original. In every sense of the word. Thanks for your knowledge, your humor, and your flies John. We couldn't go fishing without you.

 

 Guide Trip of the Week
 Nobody Does It Better

Last Chance to Fish O'Dell Creek

We have held off until now to open our section of O'dell Creek to angling. This Friday is our "opening day" on the Longhorn Ranch's famous O'dell water, the very water Nick Lyons immortalized in his great book, Spring Creek.

No one has fished the creek since last September so the fish might be a bit naïve. We do have openings on the creek through the end of June when our dates really book up. What a great time to fish O'dell with all the other rivers and streams in spate!

Baetis mayflies should emerge and provide some good dry fly fishing on overcast days. And, remember this is our final year to have fishing open to our guests and clients. After this year the family will close the creek to fishing so if you have ever thought about fishing this incredible stream this is your last chance. Give us a call.

We'll see you soon!

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

 Blog, Blog, Blog!
 A Great Resource for News, Reports, and Information

As our season continues to kick in we will be doing more and more blogging and there is no better way to keep up with what's going on in Yellowstone country than the Blue Ribbon Blog. From articles about fly lines, rods, reels, wildlife and even some fishing reports we will keep you updated. Be sure to check in daily. Also you can now find us on Facebook and Twitter.

Check out John Juracek's latest entry on what trout eat... 

 Father's Day with Blue Ribbon Flies
 

This week Bucky was able to get John Gierach to autograph another dozen copies of his new book, No Shortage of Good Days. We know we wrote the same thing in last week's edition of our newsletter, but we sold out of his great new book so Bucky thought he'd give it another try and John agreed.

This book, or a day on O'dell Creek, or so many other ideas found in this report would all be great Father's Day ideas don't you think? Remember your dad!

Craig's dad turned 88 a few weeks back and he and Jackie went to visit at his place in Michigan. He just got a new car, a bright red one with white interior, which he drives his friends around in daily. He is not so much into fly fishing as he now is into chocolate candy and a good book. Remember your dad!

Other great gift ideas for Fathers' Day, a birthday, or just because, might be the Renzetti Apprentice Vise. This beautifully machined tying tool will only set you back $99.00 and should last most tyers a lifetime. Or, how about Simm's new "Invest" - a 2.5-layer micro coated waterproof jacket that fits in your vest, with fully taped seams, a full, water-resistant center-front zipper, adjustable waist and cuff, articulated elbow, adjustable hood, Thermolamination, and zippered chest pocket - all for $99.99?!

If you want to get your dad the ultimate fly fishing gift think about Patagonia's Rio Galleous Wader. I helped design this awesome wader, my part being the kneepads since I fish so much on my knees. I've had mine since last December and the knee pads along with the new suspender system allowing for quick relief for us old guys has made my fishing that much more enjoyable.

Don't forget our selection of books, DVDs, belts, socks, fly boxes, and water bottles. We have t-shirts, ties, $3 Bridge prints, and John Juracek photographs, in addition to a full line of waders, boots, wading staffs, fly rods and reels. Give us a call or email us if you have any questions or need some ideas to remember your dad.

Blue Ribbon Flies wants to make Father's Day special...