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Greetings!
Welcome to another Blue Ribbon Flies weekly newsletter. Thanks for tuning in. Settle in and we'll tell you what's happening around West Yellowstone and our other favorite spots, show you the fly and the material of the week, and tempt you to plan your next trip with us.
We've got a lot to show you and tell you about this week, so settle down in a comfy chair and dig in. Take a break from work or play, grab a cup of coffee, and pretend you're leaning on the counter here at Blue Ribbon Flies.
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. We wish you were here, but until you are we'll keep you in the loop. Thanks for stopping by.
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Fishing Report
Weekly Conditions and Tips
By Craig Mathews
This morning I decided to do my every-other-day workout in the morning rather than wait until I got home after work. As I was slugging it out on the Nordic Track a huge bull moose walked in front of our workout room window. I eyed his sleek black coat making a mental note to pick up a fresh piece of moose body hair from the shop to tail some flies I'd be tying up soon. It is that time of the year, to begin tying flies for the upcoming season! I have my list of flies I need to tie for the shop as well as a list of flies I must tie for my own fly boxes; flies like PMD, Baetis, March Brown-Green and Gray Drake and Drake Mackeral Sparkle duns, Iris and X2 Caddis, Zelon and Skittering Midges to name a few. The list seems a bit daunting but with an early start I am sure I'll fill the empty slots in my fly boxes as well as some of the empty bins at the shop. Let's get to tying!
Stay tuned here for weekly fly tying videos we will bring you throughout the winter, the fly tying season.
The fishing has been red hot of late. Afternoon temps continue to reach into the 30's and 40's and when calm conditions prevail we have had some very good midge fishing. Patrick took 2 floats on the Madison this week and reported rising fish in many spots along the way and those of us walking the banks have had great midge and nymph action. Looking ahead at the 7 day forecast the weather pattern is predicted to continue so we will fish.
The Gallatin River has fished very well from the Park line downstream to the mouth of Gallatin Canyon. Midging has been strong around Deer Creek and the Golden Gate Bridge. Nymphing has been outstanding below Snowflake Springs and 320 Ranch as well as the Big Sky Junction.
The Madison River near Raynolds Bridge has been outstanding when midges emerge around 10 a.m. as well as mating midge clump times at 11a.m. and 3p.m. A Griffth's Gnat will NOT work well when fish key on emerging midges, but will when trout are taking midge clumps. It pays to put your nose to the water and observe what the trout are selectively taking rather than spray casts for several minutes in hopes of fooling a fish. It will be readily apparent to those taking time to figure this out. Fish working emerging pupae will merely wrinkle the surface with their riseform. Fish taking clumps may be observed moving to take the dime sized clumps comprised of dozens of mating midges. Since the rise may only last a short time it pays to spend time determining what stage the fish are keying on. There have been some very good days in the Beartrap Canyon stretch of the river also, with midges and fishing tiny midge pupal patterns. I like Zelon Midges, Hi Viz Midge Clumps, Ricks Special Red as well as Red $3 Dips and Slough Creek Midge Larva for flies during midge times.
The Yellowstone and Henry's Fork can fish well now too, when the wind stays down and midges come on the water. Check with us for best spots. NOW LET's ALL GET TO TYING SOME FLIES FOR 2012!!!!
Stay up to date with our Fishing Report and other news...
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2012 Catalog Entries.
By Brian and Jason Warner
We could not fit all the entries that we received into our 2012 catalog, so we thought that for the weeks ahead we would put these fine entries into our news letter. Thanks to all of you who sent these entries they are very much appreciated.
Brian and Jason Warner
When we arrived in Montana, the third week of July, the summer was in full force. But, the effects of a huge snowpack and a winter that lingered had the rumor of salmonflies on the Madison River.
The Salmonfly, that Holy Grail of western flyfishing was all I could think about as I stopped into the shop and picked up some giant bugs. I joked that I had tied 3$ dips and small stuff all winter and now I was unprepared for salmonflies. Both Craig and Bucky were quick to point out that the small stuff always works on the Madison and not to ignore the Epeorus or PMDs while focusing on the salmonflies.
One hour later, down from 3 Dollar Bridge, I am standing on the bank and I see a huge salmonfly clumsily fluttering across the river. I rig up and begin to cast my dry, and cast, and cast, and cast. My initial enthusiasm starts to wane, I find myself looking around more and casting less.
Jason, my younger brother, motions to me from a few pools down. He is hooked up, again, and he motions me to come down to him. I do, and I net a beautiful Madison River Rainbow trout for him. In the corner of its mouth is a small size 18 fly with a silver tungsten bead and the whole fly is pink.
I asked him," You're not fishing Salmonflies?"
" I only saw two of them, and no fish are rising so I'm using this," he said as he shows me the pink thing. " The Salmonflies are huge, but I only saw a couple."
That's when I realized that both of us had looked at the salmonflies, but only one of us really saw what was happening on the river.
This story playing out on the banks of the mighty Madison River on a hot July day now shifts back five months to a winter afternoon when Jay calls Blue Ribbon Flies. He had just made our plans to be on the Madison in July and wanted to know what would be hatching during our trip. He hangs up the phone and and has a moment of inspiration. He has always had success fishing the RS2 so he decides to tie some in pink to imitate the Epeorus that he has just chatted about. He plays with different materials and comes up with a version he likes. They go into the flybox where they will stay until he starts to fish them and subsequently teaches me a lesson in observation on this hot July day.
We begin to refer to the pattern as an RS-Peorus, and we will refer to them often on that trip, as we would tie them almost every night for the 10 days we fish the Madison.
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Guide Trip of the Week
Nobody Does It Better
2012 Spring Trips
Bob Albers and Bob Kirk Joined Dan Rust last year and had a fantastic time on the Spring Road Trip.
In 2001 Blue Ribbon Flies introduced the April Mayfly Tour. This groundbreaking series of guided, Montana-style road trips quickly became our most exciting trip. Over the last eight years, hundreds of fishermen have experienced the thrill of hitting the road with one of Blue Ribbon's guides. Each year we have added more and more dates to our line up, and for 2011 we are excited to have the broadest selection of road trips yet. The April Mayfly Tours began as a mild case of spring fever, and has grown into an epidemic that lasts throughout the fishing season.
There is no better way for visiting anglers to experience all that the area has to offer than on a Blue Ribbon Road Trip. Each day brings a new river, different strategies, a variety of water, and a unique landscape. The fishing options in Yellowstone Country and Southwest Montana are staggering, and conditions change from year to year or day to day. Let our guides sort through the dozens of fishing options to find the best of the best for your road trip. Travel with us in search of prolific hatches, fearless trout, and epic waters.
These first class trips are all inclusive. Four days of guided fishing, all meals, lodging, and transportation are included. All you need to do is arrive at the Bozeman airport with your gear, and we will take it from there.
Fish with the Best! Book your trip with Blue Ribbon Flies...
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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.
Thanks for spending time with us. We'll see you soon!
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