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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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What's New
What's Happening in Yellowstone Country
The fishing is good and the summer is busy. Between hiking into under-explored waters, paying homage to the Madison and now the Yellowstone, and oh yeah, working, we are managing to see some gorgeous fish, some great friends, and some magnificent places. Join us!
What's new? We are planning a book signing event for August 12, 2012 here in the shop. We will have a reading by several authors of Astream, and host guests and authors here at Blue Ribbon Flies in West Yellowstone, Montana. If you don't have your copy yet, give us a call or order online, and if you're in the area August 12th, we hope to see you here. Bob DeMott, Kate Fox, Craig Nova, and Craig Mathews will all be in attendance. Again, join us.
We are selling tickets here in the shop for the Madison River Foundation's drift boat raffle. The drawing will be held during the Ennis Fly Fishing Festival August 31-Sept 2, 2012. Give us a call at the shop if you'd like to buy a raffle ticket or ten.
We have a very special opportunity for bamboo officianados. We have three vintage Winston bamboo rods, never fished, in beautiful condition for sale right now. Somehow we got our happy little hands on a 9' 7wt, a 9' 6wt, and an 8'6" 5/6wt, and they are available to you for $1500 each or $3995 for all 3.
Another word to those in the area: the Nature Conservancy's Flat Ranch, just over the hill in Idaho across from Henry's Lake, is sponsoring an art show and fundraiser this weekend. Stop by and visit with the artists, the Flat Ranch folks, and all sorts of good people who are there to support conservation. Word on the street is there will be refreshments, updates on all sorts of conservation projects, and even Blue Ribbon Flies representation.
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...
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Fishing Report
Weekly Conditions and Tips
19 Juiy 2012
Blue Ribbon Flies Weekly Fishing Report
Craig Mathews
It's 6 am and the sun has not yet risen over the Madison Mountain Range to the east and yet I have already seen hundreds, no thousands, of rising trout. Beautiful west slope cutthroat trout rose to my offerings of mixed shrimp and whatever else is in their morning mix of chow. I enjoyed watching the tiny fingerlings with their olive sides and backs so delicately mottled and marked as they swam casually along in their raceways and runs taking in food. I could not help thinking about the new homes they'll soon be brought to. Tiny lakes and streams all in the Yellowstone area. Places I've mostly been to, and some I will soon see for the first time. Their current hatchery residence is a tiny log building here on the ranch in the Madison Valley. It is our privilege to daily feed and help care for these wonderful fish.
Today westslopes occupy only 2% of their original range in the upper Missouri basin. To ensure the survival of Montana's state fish in the upper Missouri River drainage this tiny hatchery program was started and we are proud to be a part of it. I'll keep you posted on where these fish end up and more about our program in future newsletters.
Jackie and I are packed and ready to hike into Finger Lakes from Wolf Creek after breakfast this morning. It will be a long hike, over 14 miles and much of it on a trail which promises to be cluttered with downfall and derby. The trail runs mostly through the Lee Metcalf Wilderness Area in the Madison Range. We will gain over 3000 feet of elevation along the way to the lakes as we pass by places like Expedition Pass and high meadows along the way. We will each carry 2 canisters of bear spray, a Tenkara fly rod and packs full of food and first aid gear as well as raincoats and more. The area is rich in Madison Valley history. I know of 3 graves along the way which we may stop by and pay respects. Too, there are a couple of meadows along the main creek where ashes of friends have been spread after their passing. Both were hunters who loved this wild country. The valley is one of the few spots where I have seen wolverine, huge bull elk, big horn sheep, mountain goats and more. We will fish our Tenkara rods. I noted this week that Orvis has finally decided to sell Tenkara rods. I have fished Tenkara following my friend Yvon Chouinard's lead, for several years now. I wonder why it has taken so long for retailers like Orvis to catch on to the fact that Tenkara is a great way to fish, and one that get kids into our sport. Yvon, Mauro Matzo from Italy and I are working on a book about simple fly fishing and the Tenkara method which will be out next year. Stay tuned here for more in future newsletters.
The northeast part of Yellowstone Park is finally fishing well and if I were you I'd get there in the next week or two! Soda Butte's Heptagenia mayfly emergence is coming off as well as little yellow stoneflies and drakes. Slough has fished very well during gray drakes and PMDs in the morning and Longhorn Beetles and hoppers are bringing up lots of fine cuts in the afternoon hours. The Lamar has fished fine when clear. Recent afternoon thunderstorms have brought on muddy flows at times but the weather reports forecast warm-clear conditions into the foreseeable future so the fishing will be awesome on the Lamar over the next week for sure. Make sure you have Heptagenia and PMD Sparkle Duns along with gray and green drake sparkle duns and foam Chubby Yellow stones. Evening midging can be great on Slough with Zelon Midges.
The Gardner River has been good with hoppers and attractor dries like Royal Trudes and Wulff Cripples and evening caddis are on now too around the 45th parallel bridge area.
The Yellowstone River has been red hot in the Black Canyon stretch. John and Bucky hiked into Hellroaring Creek this week and had some success with its cutthroat trout however they were caught in a terrible thunderstorm and had to leave the creek early. Trout Lake has been great if you enjoy sight fishing for big trout cruising the shoreline. For this you must have Callibaetis nymphs both beaded and unweighted as well as damsels nymphs and dries for both like sparkle duns and spinners as well as a foam damsel.
The Gallatin River and its tribs like Taylor Fork, Fan and Specimen are in great dry fly shape now. The big river has seen fine PMD and caddis hatches as well as little yellow stoneflies from Big Sky upstream into the park. Below Big Sky you will find Heptagenia and Epeorus mayflies as well as caddis so be prepared with sparkle duns and Iris and X2 Caddis.
The Madison River downstream of Hebgen Dam has been good with PMDs and Green Drakes but the drakes are about shot for the season now. The section near Quake Lake is fishing well during the early morning and late evening hours. Downstream of Quake Lake is THE PLACE TO BE in the evenings for the next few weeks as caddis and Epeorus mayflies bring up huge numbers of trout nightly from 7-10PM. During the day try exploring tributaries like the West Fork. If you do stay on the main river the early morning egg laying caddis and midge fishing can be wonderful and midges can be a factor in late evening too. I always have X2 Caddis in tan and olive #16-18 along with olive and tan Iris #17 as well as a #15 Amber Iris. For mayfly times have #16 Epeorus Emergers and cripples and sparkle duns and ALWAYS a #16 pink Epeorus Spinner. Hoppers and spruce moths are beginning to show below Lyon and will work upstream to Raynolds this coming week. I will see you on the river each and every evening for the next 5-6 weeks!
Hebgen Lake is nearing the end of its week long funk it goes through every year until summer Callibaetis kick in the 20th to 22nd of July. Make sure you have a Driskill's Midge as well as C. Baetis nymphs and sparkle duns along with a foam spinner for success.
Hidden and Elk Lake should be fished now too as they are our sleeper bets of the week!
Stop in for a Tenkara demo and stay tuned here for all the latest in fly fishing news and what's new and great in the fly fishing world! This weekend Jackie and I will be co-hosting a Yellowstone Park Foundation event at Elk Meadows Ranch and we look forward to meeting new friends of Yellowstone there! More to follow.
Read past fishing reports and archived newsletters...
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Fly Tying Material of the Week
Tinsel, Mylar, and Flashabou
All Things Shiny
We missed the 4th of July, which would have been a perfect time to feature all our tinsels, all our flashy and pearly scudback, shellback and flashback materials that sparkle and shine.
But now is almost as good a time for stars and spangles and shiny red headed stepchildren too. From mylar tinsel to flashback tinsel, opal, holographic, and flashabou, we have your shiny, fish-catching, eye-catching materials right here at Blue Ribbon Flies.
UV Chewee Skin, Krystal flash, and Montana Fly Company's Fine Oval Tinsel - all specialized and quite glamorous if you ask us. Shiny and bright, almost like Christmas. Oops - wrong holiday. You get the idea.
Tie a few flashbacks or other flashy, colorful, and effective patterns today.
For these and other fine materials check here!
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Patagonia Duffels
New for Summer, Fall and Winter
We've got some new duffel bags we think you'll be interested in. Fresh from Patagonia, and we do mean FRESH, we've got the 45L and the 120L in stock and ready for you to fill with all your gear.
Want to know about the 45L? Keep reading.
If only your tool chest were as tough as this duffel. Made from waterproof fabric with water-resistant construction and zippers, our smallest Black Hole Duffel protects your gear from rain, rough handling and miles of traveling abuse. Its U-shaped lid allows quick access to the main compartment, while two zippered internal mesh pockets keep small items organized. The padded bottom panel adds structure and helps cushion the load when your duffel gets the baggage-handler treatment. Carrying options include webbing handles with a snap closure and haul loops at either end that facilitate linking multiple bags. Four daisy chains let you lash additional gear to the outside. A zippered exterior pocket holds the stuff you need to access quickly. Made from 14.7-oz 1,200-denier polyester (50% solution-dyed) with a TPU-film laminate and a DWR (durable water repellent) finish.
And how about the 120L?
Notorious for swallowing copious amounts of gear, our Black Hole Duffel creates order out of chaos. Made of waterproof fabric and equipped with water-resistant zippers and seams, this burly carryall will protect your gear from rain and rough handling. Its U-shaped lid allows quick access to the main compartment, while two internal mesh pockets keep small items organized. The padded bottom panel adds structure and helps cushion the load when your duffel gets pitched from on high. Carrying options include removable, padded and adjustable shoulder straps, webbing handles with a snap closure, and haul loops at either end (that facilitate linking multiple bags). Four daisy chains let you lash additional gear to the outside. A zippered exterior pocket holds the stuff you need to access quickly. Made from 14.7-oz 1,200-denier polyester (50% solution-dyed) with a TPU-film laminate and a DWR (durable water repellent) finish.
Check out all our Patagonia gear...
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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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