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March 29, 2012 
 News from Blue Ribbon Flies
 Fish With The Best
In This Issue
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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.

 What's New
 What's Happening in Yellowstone Country

Spring truly has arrived in Yellowstone country. The grizzlies are out, robins and bluebirds along the meadows, rivers and streams and the Madison Valley looks like the Serengeti with migrating elk and pronghorn by the hundreds and thousands. Last Tuesday evening as Jackie and I were having dinner with friends 5 wolves showed up one a huge white female sporting a silver-gray collar. It was amazing to watch the wolves walk near grazing elk and whitetail deer as 14 bighorn sheep kept tabs from above. If you've not been in Yellowstone country during spring you owe it to yourself to experience it once, I guarantee you will return to do it again. And, the fishing is awesome in spring too!

Thanks to national Trout Unlimited for a fine time last weekend in San Francisco. What an honor, one Yvon and I will never forget.

Cam and I look forward to next weekend in Salt Lake City at the Stonefly Society's world famous Wasatch Fly Fishing Expo. More information on this 2 day event later on in this report. We invite all to attend. I am presenting a 2 hour fly tying clinic on fly patterns of Yellowstone as well as a conservation program and keynote address. We hope to see you there!

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 fall and winter 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



By Craig Mathews

The Gallatin River is red hot now. The rainbow fishing has been very strong below Big Sky when the river runs clear. While the midge emergences have been inconsistent when they do come off every fish in the river is on emergers like Griffiths Gnat emergers and Skittering Zelon Midges. Nymphing has been very strong with stone nymphs like the GM and rubber legs trailing a midge pupae pattern like our Tungsten Zebras or Slough Creek Midge Larva.

The Madison below Varney Bridge is a great bet now as big rainbows up from Ennis Lake stage to spawn. A stone fly nymph like our rubber leg patterns along with a GM trailer is a sure bet to fool some very fine fish. Small midge pupae like the Zebra can work well during late morning hours. You may find a few risers around the bridge and a few selected spots all the way to the town but nymphing is a sure bet on any given day. The river below Ennis Lake has been good as the water clears. This time of the year the river might be off-color after big winds on Ennis Lake muddy up the flows downstream of the dam. Midges are a sure bet and Baetis can be expected daily now too. Baetis Sparkle Duns and Split Case Nymphs will work well as well as the above mentioned midge patterns. Here you'll catch lots of fish, mostly in the 10-13" range but the larger trout will look up more and more as Baetis emergences get stronger each day.

The Henry's Fork is a good bet below Ashton., Idaho. Expect Baetis and midges and use the flies we discussed above

Same with the Yellowstone below the Pray Bridge and downstream to Big Timber but here I'd fish some big streamers on a tight line, no retrieve and you can be surprised by the big trout you'll move this time of the year.

 


 Fly of the Week.
 Adams Cripple.

The Adams Cripple has been around for sometime now and has been and still is one of the best all around patterns for this area. If you are in the shop this summer slip to the back part of the shop where the guides hang out and sneek a peek at their boxes, my guess is that you won't find a guide without this pattern in his box. This pattern has proven itself time and time again on the Madison, Yellowstone, Bighole, Gallatin as well as the area lakes. This fly is also simple to tie so if you haven't tried this fly yet you owe it to yourself to give it a try.

For This and other great patterns check here! 


 Fly Tying Material of the Week
 Turkey Wings.

If you are tying muddlers or hoppers and use mottled turkey of use the pointer quills for tailing or wrapping quill bodies do not miss out on our full wild turkey wings. These wings come from wild birds we take in Montana and South Dakota and are not only beautiful but a lifetime supply of turkey for only $4.99!

For this and other fine materials check here! 


 Where should I Fish this Summer?
 Here's some predictions and a few places to keep in mind.

Rick and Julia Llewellyn Photo Many of you really enjoyed last weeks segment on our prediction for the 2012 season so we went a little further into the summer with a few thoughts on what might be happening July 1st to July 10th.

Charlie Brooks once said that you could fish a different piece of water every day for the rest of your life and still not fish all the water that is available in the Yellowstone area. The Park, and its surrounding areas, is full of streams and rivers that offer some of the finest fly fishing opportunities available, and the first two weeks of July constitute the beginning of the "Glory Days of Summer" in Yellowstone Country. Run-off should be behind us, and a multitude of summer hatches and fishing opportunities will be available. The breathtaking scenery and fantastic fishing will remind you why you took up fly fishing in the first place. With that said, let's discuss some productive options that will narrow down your choices and get you out on the water!

Gallatin River: This great pocket water stream has a good population of rainbows, hybrids, and browns from 10 to 16 inches with a few even pushing the 18-inch mark. The long, warm days of early July feature some great hatches on the Gallatin. Look for a mixture of Pale Morning Duns, Hydropsyche Caddis, Salmonflies, and Golden Stones. Try the water from mile marker 22 to 28. This stretch is located within the Yellowstone boundaries, and is accessed via route 191 North from West Yellowstone. The essential key to success on the Gallatin is to locate the deep water. Focus your efforts on the water with good depth and you will find willing fish. If you can find deep water associated with an undercut bank you are golden.

Madison River: We are all looking forward to another fantastic year on the Madison. We would highly recommend a float trip down the world's most famous fly-fishing river. Rainbows and browns haunt every rock in this river, and there are a lot of rocks in the Madison. Early July is prime time to try catching the elusive Salmonfly hatch. In addition to these monstrous stoneflies, you will also run into fantastic fishing with PMD's, Epeorus, Flav's, and Caddis. Evening fishing is outrageous at this time. Look for trout sipping mayfly spinners or emerging caddis, flavs, and epeorus as the sun starts to fade. Nymphing is always a good bet, where crystal serendipities, nitro nymphs, and shop vacs will fool these fish. Again concentrate good drifts right on the bottom in all the drift lanes created by rocks. If you don't want to float, try the water around Raynold's Pass Bridge or $3 Bridge. Don't be intimated by the rough and tumble nature of the Madison, try to view this large river as a small river instead. Look at the river from the banks out for 30 feet. Check for all the quiet water in and around rocks. Fish the seams of currents created by those rocks. And avoid getting wrapped up in wading all over the river. Frequently anglers are standing where they should be casting.

Slough Creek: The Northeast corner of YNP contains a variety of high mountain meadow rivers that are a great place to catch a native Yellowstone Cutthroat. Slough is one of these fantastic streams, combining great fishing, a hike into Yellowstone's backcountry, and spectacular scenery. You always want to fish the deep banks and shallow riffle tailouts on Slough, even if you can't spot the fish ahead of time. Cover the water well and you will be rewarded. Keep an eye out for Gray Drake Spinners, and emerging PMD's on calm mornings, as well as terrific evening caddis. If you don't want to hike into the meadows you can still enjoy Slough by fishing "below the campground". This 2.5 mile stretch is accessed via a dirt road which leads to the Slough Creek Campground and trailhead. This water consistently fishes well, and is often overlooked by anglers anxious to hike to the upper waters. Slough is a great place to reserve a backcountry campsite provided the river's in fishable shape, which generally speaking starts to happen around the first of July. If not, there are a ton of other backcountry options to explore, like Grebe Lake, the upper Gardner, and the black canyon of the Yellowstone this time of year.

Gardner River: The Gardner is a tremendous little river that sees some fun fishing in early July. Hatches include Salmonflies, Goldenstones, PMDs, and Caddis. Anywhere on this river is productive, but we like the first few miles around Mammoth. One of the great aspects of this pocket water stream is the opportunity to catch 6 different species of fish: rainbows, browns, brookies, cutthroat, hybrids, and whitefish. Trout in the Gardner love hoppers and parachute Madam X's. Probing the pockets with small streamers is another effective way to find those larger browns. Treat yourself to a day on this beautiful stream and you will be glad you did!

That sums up what we think are the best waters to fish in the Yellowstone area during the first couple weeks of July. You're coming during the Glory Days of Summer. So, expect to see a wide variety of fishing in a multitude of different rivers. Good luck and enjoy your trip!

 


 Guide Trip of the Week.
 Fish with the Best!

O'Dell Creek

Looks like we have O'Dell Creek for the 2012 season! Starting June 15th to Sept 15th we will once again be able to offer guided fishing on O'Dell Spring Creek.

O'Dell can have some fantastic fishing and because we only allow 4 anglers per day it is never crowded. If you would like to fish O'Dell give us a call and we will answer any questions that you may have concerning this wonderful creek.

Blue Ribbon Guides, fish with the best! 


 Fly Sale!!
 Grizzly Beetle

In trying to keep up with our promise we made at the beginning of the winter, we have yet another fly sale for you.

These Grizzly beetles were tied by Nick Nickalas and have worked extremely well for him not only in the terrestrial months, but throughout the year.

We are letting these beetles go for only $1.00. These will go fast so don't miss out!

Check out our blog... 


 Wood Duck Wings
 Take a Look at these!

Last night Craig traveled to Ennis to put on a fly tying show for the fly tying club there they had a great time working on several fly patterns like our new Soft Hackle Midge Emerger. Bucky and Craig have been working with select Wood Duck wings we got in this winter from Oregon. They tie some of the most gorgeous no-hackles as well as soft hackles with some of the tiny slate gray coverts.

These wings have some great color to them the picture doesn't even come close to doing these beautiful wings justice.

More Book to look at. 


 Mule Deer Spinning
 Just In!

For tiers spinning deer hair we scored a few incredible mule deer hides with the best spinning deer hair we seen in years! We have found a goldmine for spinning hair suitable for a wide range of spinning applications. This late season hides graded for length (1 3/4 to 3 inches), minimum underfur, good texture and straightness. Be sure to look in the color drop down box and click "Natural Mule Deer" to get some of this awesome hair.

For all Hair check here. 


 Rock Grip aluminum bar Patagonia wading boots.
 Worth mentioning again.

By Craig Mathews A last note about this newsletter is to make sure you do not miss out viewing our piece on YouTube of our demo with the Rock Grip aluminum bar Patagonia wading boots. I can't live without mine. I tested a pair for a year with my good friend Yvon Chouinard and have to say they allow me to wade with confidence anywhere I want on the rivers like the slippery Madison, Gallatin, Yellowstone, Boulder, Stillwater and Henry's Fork. I have over 170 days of tough wading on mine and they represent a sound-solid investment in my fly- fishing equipment package. I guarantee you will not be disappointed, period. Until next week have some great fishing and we look forward to hearing from you all.

Craig talks about these boots in this short video. 


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!