News from Blue Ribbon Flies

Fishing Report
Weekly Conditions and Tips

By Craig Mathews
4 August 2011
Fred and Melinda Rickson like Tricos almost as much as Bucky does.. ..

Last night at 10pm while stepping through the high sage brush on my way back to the truck I found myself thinking about this short summer and how it was slipping away. As my trusty Black Diamond headlamp lit up the long way back to $3 Bridge I couldn't help feeling a little melancholy as I moved along. This summer seems especially short having been through nearly 8 long-windy-snowy months of winter to get to it. Back at my rig I stowed my fishing gear and sat in my truck writing about the evening's fishing in my journal. I wondered if other anglers left the river too early to experience the first strong Epeorus mayfly spinner fall of the summer. No one else was parked in the lot when I'd returned to my truck and I began to feel badly for those who might have left the river before the spinners returned to the water around 9:35pm. The fishing was great during the spinner fall which lasted only 20-25 minutes but brought up every large fish in the river if one was in the right spots above or below the bridge.

Writing my evening fishing notes with the help of my Black Diamond lamp I noted this too in my fishing log book. Often, it seems, anglers leave the river about the time things really get going on the surface as big trout rise to these spinners and might ignore emerging caddis. And, while I'd like to think we have several weeks of evening dry fly fishing ahead of us on the Madison, Henry's Fork and others I know it is slipping away now and I will take advantage of each evening and cherish them all going into the long fishless evening times ahead.

The autumnal equinox winds will blow in soon, usually beginning in late August as Yellowstone country sees its first frosty nights. Then the grasses cure, the bull elk begin bugling and gathering in their harems and we will slip into our fall fishing season after such a short summer. My headlamp shines brightly and nearly blinds me with the reflection as I turn to look out the truck's window to watch the quarter moon rise over $3 Bridge and marvel how lucky we are to have places like this to fish even if our summer evening fishing is so short! I snap back to it, start my truck for the short ride home and then realize my headlamp is still on. Black Diamond headlamps are still the lightest and brightest lamps to light your way back home after an evening on the river!

This morning I sit and watch the sun come up as I type this with my new BRF mug steaming with hot coffee at hand and tonight's fishing on my mind. I have already tied some Epeorus spinners and Iris Caddis as well as a large midge pattern I'm working on using Easy Dub for the body. In late summer we see not only caddis and Epeorus spinners but also a large #18 midge along several of our rivers and streams. It's now I often find large trout keying on these large midges early, from 8 to 9pm, before spinner and caddis times. My new pattern incorporates cdc, zelon and Easy Dub and I'll keep you posted as to how it performs. So far so good I can say, but then I have only fished it twice.

Slough, Lamar, and Soda Butte are all fishing now. Green drakes, PMDs, little yellow stone flies, caddis, and terrestrials like beetles, ants and small hoppers are working well. Spruce moths are beginning to become more and more a factor on upper Soda and Slough. While in the neighborhood now is a great time to hike into Cache Creek on the Lamar or check out Pebble Creek on hot afternoons too. Early mornings can be wonderful on lower Slough when PMD spinners are on the water. Evening caddis and midge times are fun, and frustrating at the same time. Make sure you have a good midge pattern; we have plenty from our local tyers which work during times fish might seem impossible to fool. Longhorn, Tiger and standard foam beetles with peacock underbellies are working as are small Charlie Boy Hoppers and flying ant flies like our Red Butt Foam Flying Ants. Green Drake and PMD Sparkle Duns and Splitsville Spinners in rusty and olive will work great during mayfly times. For caddis have a #16 X or X2 and an Iris and you are good to go. Nymphing anglers will have banner days with our micro mayfly nymphs, lime serendipities and unweighted krystal dips. #22 Slough Creek Baetis are coming this week so have them along too. The naturals are creamy olive in color and the big cutthroats relish them so be prepared.

The Yellowstone River is fishing for those willing to walk and stalk and search out those huge cutts in and around Nez Perce Ford, Sulphur Caldron and below and above LeHardy Rapids. There are days when you may cast to several big cruisers and others you may only see 2-3 fish but your efforts can be rewarded greatly by catching and releasing one of these giants. Have golden stones like the Chubby Chernobyl, mayflies like #18 PMD cripples and #16 triple wing rusty spinners and you will score. Presentation here is far more important than fly pattern so do not rush and blow an opportunity once a big fish is spotted. Check with our specialists here at the shop as we all spend time fishing these wonderful native fish. Limit yourself to one or 2 then head to Canyon for a well earned ice cream cone! The river outside the park is fishing well now too when the Lamar is clear.

The Gallatin both in and out of the park is fishing very well and the Taylor Fork is trying to clear and fish now too. Recent hail and rain storms have kept the Taylor turbid and cold but this will change this weekend and it should fish well. Other tributaries like Specimen and Fan as well as the upper river near Bighorn have not fished well due to high and cold water. Green drakes and PMDs along with pink lady mayflies are emerging so have sparkle duns and cripples along with a rusty triple wing spinner and you will catch some very fine trout. Should you golf in Big Sky throw in your rod and check out the little river flowing through Big Sky too.

The Henry's Fork is fishing well during morning PMD spinner falls, ant times and evening spinner and caddis times. This has been a great year on the Fork and we are pleased to see the strong comeback on this awesome river. Congrats go to the Henry's Fork Foundation for all its hard work on this one. Cripples, emergers and spinners as well as impaired caddis emergers and egg layers are all important patterns as are small ants, (flying and regular), tiger beetles and more. Callibaetis and Trico mayflies flies too.

The Firehole and Madison River in the park are still fishing well during PMD spinner and evening caddis times. We predict both will fish fine right into the fall run-up season. These two may well be our sleeper bets of the week, if not the month! Check in for the right soft hackles, duns and spinners along with white miller caddis and more. Damsel action has been fun too.

Small water like the Gardner and Gibbon Rivers as well as Straight, Obsidian, Grayling and Lava Creeks and so many others now are fishing well. Stop by and we will draw you a map to the many off-the-beaten-path waters in and around Yellowstone that never see much fishing pressure during the summer.

This is stillwater time in Yellowstone country. Hebgen during morning trico and callibaetis emergences and spinner falls, Wade with its ultra-selective browns and rainbows on callibaetis, Ennis Lake and Quake Lakes are fishing now too. Henry's Lake has fished well as long as one has 1 or 2 of "the exact-right flies" - these are the words of seasoned experts of this incredible lake. Small lakes like Grebe, Wolf, Cascade, Sylvan, Ribbon and dozens of others.. ..Trout, Joffe, the list is seemingly endless. Callibaetis, dragons and damsels, scuds and sparrows and more are must-have patterns for lake anglers. BRF has several lake fishing vets who will answer your questions so stop in and grab some bear spray and explore our lakes.

I almost forgot the Madison below Earthquake Lake, the one I began this report with. One of these mornings the Morning Midge will bring up the trout and so will egg laying caddis but in the meantime be on the river late in the evening for dry fly action like we started this report with. Have #16 rusty spinners like the triple Wing, Epeorus Duns and Spinners, Iris and X2 Caddis and our famous Crippled Caddis in tan and olive, #20 Zelon Midges and fly ants and beetles. I'll see you on the river! Oh yes, for those who enjoy nymph fishing you can do very well presenting lime, krystal and original brown $3 Dips both weighted and unweighted as well as Micro mafly nymphs and small caddis pupae. Stop by and well will show you what to use and what to be tying up!

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