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August 25, 2011 
 News from Blue Ribbon Flies
 Fish With The Best
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Greetings!

Welcome back to Blue Ribbon Flies. This week's issue of the email newsletter promises to bring news of Yellowstone country fishing, tying, and a few events we're pretty excited about. We're glad you're here.

We've got a lot to show you and tell you about this week, so grab a coffee or a cool, refreshing beverage, settle down in a comfy chair, and dig in. Heck, if you don't have time to read it right now, save it in your special folder for a quiet moment.

We hope to see you soon, right here in West Yellowstone, but until then we wish you happy and healthy fishing and fly tying. All our best to each of you. Thanks for tuning in!

 What's New
 What's Happening in Yellowstone Country

Tenkara Summit So maybe you're just killing time until Crazy Days starts Friday. If you take time to read through our newsletter this afternoon, you will be that much closer to the start of our annual sale. We're probably just a tad less excited than you are about stacking up all our goodies on the sidewalk, especially with a decent chance of rain in the forecast, but a little recycling is good for everyone, and we're all enjoying the spirit of "out with the old, in with the new".

Beyond the thrill of Crazy Days and the excitement of putting things on sale, we're counting down the minutes until the Tenkara USA summit begins. There are 119 people registered, and this doesn't even take into account the Tenkara party, speakers, a handful of people we know will be there, plus a few drop-ins. Can we expect about 150 people? We have people from 4 countries coming especially for the event, including Japan, Canada, Italy and Norway, and from 23 different states; and most booked a flight especially to be here.

Then, let's see - it's a busy couple of weeks - we have the FFF Conclave next week, the Ennis Fly Fishing Festival, the Craighead Institute BBQ and fishing benefit, and probably 2 or 3 other events we wrote on the calendar so we wouldn't forget about them, like the Public Lands Day in Montana and Yellowstone National Park September 24th, and Bucky's birthday in early October. Not that we'd ever forget that.

We hope to see you here in the next weeks, for one or more of these events, for your annual family reunion, or the yearly trek with the boys (or girls) to West Yellowstone and the park. September and October promise to be busy, beautiful, and full of all the things we love best about living and fishing here: beautiful places, gorgeous trout, and great friends. See you soon!

As usual in the rest of this issue, 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 Flies... 


 Fishing Report
 Weekly Conditions and Tips

Klug Craig Yellowstone By Craig Mathews
22 August 2011


You wouldn't guess our summer was winding down. With a full slate of events on our schedule this weekend and into next week some of us will be hard-pressed to put much fishing time in on our rivers, lakes and streams. It all begins this Friday with West Yellowstone's Crazy Days, then moves to the Tenkara Summit here in town Saturday, the Federation of Fly Fishers International Conclave next week here in West Yellowstone, followed up by the Ennis Fly Fishing Festival next Friday and Saturday, September 2nd and 3rd.

Late summer fishing conditions are upon us with grasshoppers, ants, bees, beetles and crickets coming on strong. What began as a weak grasshopper summer is now shaping up to be a fairly strong one on the Madison, Yellowstone, Henry's Fork and on rivers and streams in the northeast corner of Yellowstone Park. Lakes like Earthquake, Wade and Cliff along with Cascade and Grebe are fishing well during hopper times too. Check out some of our YouTube footage shot by Cam on Quake Lake. You can see the Heppels and Llewelyns taking fine trout on hoppers fishing lakes in our area. Hiking into a backcountry lake like Avalanche, Coffin and Sheep and fishing hoppers, beetles and ants can be awesome now as high pressure weather systems prevail and terrestrial insects remain active and fish cruise the shallows in search of them as afternoon winds blow the naturals onto the water.

This is the time for the "running stonefly" to bring up large trout on rivers like the Madison, Henry's Fork and Yellowstone. Claassenia sabulosa is its scientific name. Those in the know like local anglers and guides refer to it as the "sprinting stone", a large stone the males of which sport very short wings. These shy insects can often be found under rocks and logs along the river's edge. They hate bright light and will quickly run off when exposed to any sunlight. The naturals are very quick and will literally jump and hop as they attempt to escape from the bright light or one's grasp. The naturals are mostly on the water in late evening. A full inch long or slightly longer these insects run on the surface of the water driving fish nuts! Last evening on the Madison just downstream of Papoose Creek I fished a BLT fly from 8:30 to 9pm and rose several big fish hooking 4 and landing them all. The best was an 18" male brown, the others rainbows 15-16". The key to fishing the big foam imitations is to wake and skitter them on the surface, retrieving the fly quickly back towards you by raising the rod tip. Your best bet is to find a quiet piece of water adjacent to a heavy-riffle section. Cast your BLT into the heavy water and skitter-wake it into the quiet water. Often you will hear the take, now you should quickly set, not a heavy-handed largemouth bass jerk but a quick-firm set. If the take comes at the end of the drift when your leader and tippet are taut you can be assured you will break some fish off even on 3x tippet!

With shorter daylight conditions and the end of evening caddis we look to terrestrials, midges, and mayflies to bring fine rises of trout on the Slough, Lamar and Soda Butte. Patrick returned from our Slough Creek pack trip with glowing reports on the fishing in the upper meadows this past week. The hikes to these meadows as well as hiking into the upper Lamar have been great with lots of big cutthroat trout reported. Our SLS Sparkle Dun has been the go-to fly during mayfly emergences on meadow stretches of not only the Lamar and Slough but also Soda Butte too. This mayfly pattern was designed to imitate a couple important late season mayflies that emerge on these waters; Hetagenia, Epeorus and possibly a Rhitogenia sp. mayfly all can be expected on these streams and our SLS will work its magic these waters you can count on it! Let's get to our full report.

The Madison River in the Park has fished very well all summer. Lately we have seen some run-up fish coming to flies like hoppers, Trico mayflies, Prince Nymphs and small olive woolhead streamers during the day. In the evening you can expect to see trout rising to caddis. The areas around the Talus Slide, downstream of the Barns Pool, and just downstream of 7 Mile Bridge have fished well during morning Trico and mid-day hopper times. We are seeing more and more run-up browns in and around the Barn Pools each day and some, albeit just a few, are coming to streamers. Look for this stretch to fish stonger with each cool night and when the first cold rains come the fish will begin moving up from Hebgen Lake in number.

The river downstream of Hebgen Dam and to Earthquake Lake is still running warm due to the flows coming off the surface of Hebgen Lake as they continue to work on the dam. The best spot to try in this stretch is at the entrance to the lake where mornings and eves have been fair during caddis and mayfly spinner falls. Spruce moths are beginning to fade this late in the season and should finish up sometime after this week.

The river downstream of Earthquake Lake has fished well for those fishing at the very top of their game! Morning midges are coming off now and will continue for the next month from $3 downstream, 8-10am. Then you may have some good beetle and ant fishing until the afternoon grasshopper wind comes up around 2pm. Flying ant swarms can be seen and fished from Lyon and Hutchins Bridge to South Madison and again from Ruby Creek to Ennis. A cinnamon or black & red foam flying ant is best. I like to have a #16 Tiger Beetle and a Yellowstone Bee along also for those warm afternoons when the winds fail to come up and bring the fish to hoppers. Zelon Midges both standard and skittering along with amber Iris for the evenings, BLTs, and Pink Lady Spinners and duns will round out your dry fly selection. Tiny nymphs like our Micro-Madison Midge and Mayfly as well as Ruby's, Mercers and #18 olive $3 Dips will have you catching some big trout here. Streamer fishing will pick up but as of this writing it is very spotty.

The Gallatin River continues to fish well. We still make the short drive to Big Sky and fish around there but the water around Taylor Fork is picking up as it the Specimen Creek area. Epeorus Mayflies and beetles and bees are your best bet for success. Our new Madison Guide Cripple may be the sleeper fly of the week this week, especially for the Gallatin and its tribs as well as a Royal Trude Cripple #14-18, both of which have produced well lately as they imitate a fly ant and spruce moth well we think.

The Henry's Fork is still seeing some good ant and beetle fishing with hoppers thrown into the mix on the lower river. Margarita spinner falls are occurring during the evenings along with some caddis. There will be some big rainbow targets, but few hook-ups! Lots of blaming fly pattern, but let's face it, most of us can't get a good float or we get buck fever and hit the rising fish on the head or more! Give it a try and your pin-point accurate cast with a drag-free float will get you a fish or two. Get close by wading carefully and slowly into position keeping wading waves down, do not false cast, don't yell to your partner 100 yards downstream, stay focused and calm. And give us a photo when you score a big one!

The Yellowstone River has fished well downstream of the park and all the way to Livingston and beyond. Hoppers, huge beetles and ants, bees and big PMXs are all working well as are large cripples like Adams and Royals.

Small streams in the park to try include Lava, Tower, Blacktail Deer, upper Gibbon, Obsidian, Glen, Indian and Panther, Grayling and Straight Creeks. Sleeper bets of the week would include the Bechler River as well as the Snake River and Heart Lake.

The Gardner River continues to fish during hopper and cricket times. The river near and at the junction with the Yellowstone has been great and the upper river can be a nice break during the heat of the afternoon. The Firehole has fished well on the upper stretches. Caddis and morning midges are bringing up some nice trout. Hoppers and beetles in the afternoons are working around Mallard Creek and upstream to Biscuit Basin. The Gibbon River is fishing below the falls with small hoppers and crickets and beetles. The meadows above the falls have been tough but if the winds do come up you might have some hopper fishing, there are better spots now to try.

Lakes are all fishing well. Hebgen continues to offer up some very fine Callibaetis action. Wade and Cliff might see some C. Baetis too but Spruce Moths will bring up some fish on these beautiful lakes as well as Earthquake, Hidden and Elk Lakes.

When fishing Callibaetis on Hebgen it pays to fish 5x, sometimes even 6x. Around 9am you can expect to see fish rise to what at first glance appears to be duns - but you see no duns on the water. The fish are working nymphs preparing to emerge. Around 10am you may see duns and the fish will come up for them, by noon they'll be working spinners. You must have nymphs, impaired duns, and spinner imitations for success. Too, you must change flies immediately when you note a change from nymphs to duns and duns to spinners. You have to present your fly to each fish by leading them by the exact length they are spacing their gulps, their taking naturals by. And, you must remove all slack from your cast and tippet by pulling it slowly out and having your fly look you straight in the eye or your tippet will start to unravel and drag, slowly as it does, and you'll be met with refusal after refusal! This lake fishing during Callibaetis times is major league stuff - you must be focused and fish your best to be successful. Once you do so and catch and release a few "gulpers" you will be hooked as all of us are here at BRF!

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


 Fly of the Week
 Hot off the Vise!!

Madison Guide Cripple Madison Guide Cripple

This sleeper fly, as Craig mentioned in his report, is a great combination of everything the guides demand in a fly for the Madison River and beyond. Zelon, peacock, a visible poly wing and tinted grizzly hackle make this is a great fly for searching the waters of not only the Madison, but all other Yellowstone waters as well.

Some BRF guides and staff feel it may imitate flying ants, PMDs or Pink Ladies while others think it works for caddis or spruce moths. The deal is it scores lots of fine trout when nothing else seems to bring the fish up, especially on these warm, bright days of late August and September.

For this and other great patterns... 


 Fly Tying Material of the Week
 Unique Materials for Effective Patterns

Mike Pollard Brown Want To Catch Fish Like This?

Mike Pollard had to have his arm twisted to send in this photo of the pretty brown he caught in the park, but we shouldn't have to twist your arm to take a look at our foam bodies, synthetics, and crazy bug legs. We have a gob of synthetic materials that will make terrestrial season a blast.

From Angel Fibers to Zelon, with Bee Bodies, Chenille, D-Rib, EP Fibers, and Flashabou in between, we have a whole alphabet of great synthetics for your late summer tying needs. Ants, hoppers, crickets, bees, and beetles have never been so fun and easy to tie.

Not sure what you need? Give us a call. Make tying a priority over the next couple weeks, and you'll have a year's worth of bugs to fish. And with fish like this out there waiting for you, there's not a moment to waste.

For superior fly tying materials... 


 Favorite Things
 Raindrops on Roses and Whiskers on Kittens?

KLUG Craig fishing These are a few of our favorite things.. .. Ok, not whiskers on kittens. We're a bunch of flyfishermen for crying out loud. We do like tails on mayflies, which are almost as delicate, but this is all beside the point. Two weeks ago, Craig asked all of us what our favorite products of 2011 have been. He sent an email to the shop and asked everyone to describe a couple products we couldn't live without.

Larry and Cecil are too busy to check in with their answers right now; they'd probably say something irreverent and not that helpful, like BRF toilet paper which we don't even have. Yet. Just kidding. Anyway, we all had a couple ideas immediately, straight from the heart, and Craig didn't even have ask us twice. We actually like our favorite things enough to tell you about them without extrinsic motivation!

So this week we're bringing you favorites from Bucky, man about town, and from Alex, our newest summer shop guy this year, who happens to be from Bucky's old hometown Buffalo and who just left this week to go back to school.

First, from Bucky (Age before beauty?) (No, no - seniority of course!):
"The Simms Rip-Rap Shoe is one of my 2011 can't live without items. It is incredibly comfortable, lightweight, quick-drying, and the Vibram sole is tough, sticky, and will accept studs if you need a little more grip. They can be worn barefoot or with a neoprene sock." Bucky says he likes them so much he's going to wet-wade all winter.


Bucky also loves the Burkheimer DAL rods this year. He loves them so much he now has two. Or is it three? He calls them "the smoothest casting rods on the market, with an even flex throughout." He likes the way they protect tippet, and cast well in close but have plenty of power for longer casts when needed. And because he's a Libra, he pointed out that aesthetically, the Burkheimer rods surpass any other brand.

If you dropped by the shop this summer, you probably know Alex spends plenty of time fishing, but you may not have known he puts in a few good hours behind the vise as well. Which vise you may ask? Alex loves his HMH Standard vise, and after 8 years of tying, he has found nothing better. What else can't he live without in 2011? Believe it or not, Alex loves elk hair! Here's what he had to say before he hit the road: "Elk hair is perfect for tying larger sparkle dun wings and it seems to float a bit better than the deer."

There you have it. Stay tuned for favorites from Jen, Tylor, and Aaron (yes, age before beauty)!

Do some shopping for YOUR favorite things at Blue Ribbon... 


 Guide Trip of the Week
 Nobody Does It Better

DeMott Odell Creek Last Chance to Fish O'Dell Creek!

As you may or may not know or remember, speaking of calendars, age, and beauty, this is the last summer we will have access to the famous Longhorn Ranch section of Odell Creek.

Bob DeMott and his buddy Rodger fished it recently with our beloved Greg Gress, and sent Craig a brief but telling note, along with a couple of pictures. You can feel his excitement for yourself:

"Craig--Rodger and I had a great time with Greg yesterday. I got fish on #20 tan baetis, a #18 brown ant, a small hopper, and a green foam beetle, so I loved the variety and the change ups; Rodger scored with hopper patterns that Greg gave him. We saw some marvelous fish and know for a fact that Rodger had two more 20 or over on. We spent some time afterwards with Greg and Judy at their house, and that too was enjoyable. Rodger has known Judy for several years so we had a reunion of sorts. Besides the fishing, I love getting to know the people who live and work here as well."

What a treat and a gift it has been to fish Odell these two years. We have just a few days left with spaces for two rods per guide, and we hope you can take advantage of fishing this water before it is permanently closed for conservation and preservation purposes. Give us a call or email us if you're thinking about fishing one of the prettiest, most serene (if you don't count the giant fish making your heart pound) spring creeks in Montana.

Fish with the Best! Book your trip with Blue Ribbon Flies... 


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

Once again, John is keeping our blog going with his dedication and his artistry. Thank you John for your talent and your contributions. And thank you for a fascinating article this week on pro vs. amateur fishermen. Proof positive we don't have to have pictures to tune in. See?

As our summer edges toward fall we hope to be doing more blogging and fly-tying. 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 do our best to keep you updated. Be sure to check in daily. Also you can now find us on Facebook and Twitter.

Check out our blog... 


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!