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January 24, 2013 
 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

The BIG news is our 2013 catalogue is online! Make sure when you view it you do so using Mozilla Foxfire our Safari. You simply cannot view the entire production in one sitting. It is packed with information, articles, fly tying and fishing videos and much more! Check it out and let us know what you think! Please sign up your friends for our free weekly email newsletters so they too can join in this winter on our weekly fly tying, material updates, current fishing reports and videos of us winter fishing and so much more!

I've got today and possibly tomorrow to fish if the weather folks are correct in their forecast. Late tomorrow the temps will drop into the teens and the winds will crank up in the valley and midge fishing will not be in our plans for a few days until things warm up.

Last evening friends came to our camp for an elk steak dinner. Turns out this couple had never had elk even though they have lived their entire lives near Ennis. After a few bits my friend announced, "well I guess I'll have to take up elk hunting!" After dinner we showed them our new favorite DVD "Where the Yellowstone Goes", the second time Jackie and I have watched this outstanding production. I can't believe how much more I picked up the second time viewing it. You have to see this incredible DVD. It is not the fishing but the history and people and story of this great river and more that make this the great DVD that it is.

Make sure you check out our full 2013 online catalogue and until next week give us a call or drop us an email and let's talk fly-fishing. We are here to help with any tying questions you may have or ideas on where to stay and when to come to fish Yellowstone! We'd love to hear from you!

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 summer and fall 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

Yesterday I left the shop early to check on a fencing issue here in the valley. I left the shop at noon and my truck's thermometer registered 28 degrees. I planned eat my sandwich as I drove down to check the fence then head home and suit up to fish, arriving on the river by 1:30. The fencing issue checked out and as I drove by the river I could not help slow down to look for risers. I saw no fish, nor midges but the water looked great after 10 days of very cold temps. The past week we've seen ice flows and anchor ice as well as ice clogged runs where midge fishing is usually good but today the river cleared of icing issues and I sped home to get my gear. I got to a favorite midge run by 2 p.m. and saw no rising trout. I rigged with a Wired Dip trailed by a Rick's Red Midge and caught fish for the next hour, all rainbows and everyone in tremendous shape. The males are colored up nicely now and females are fattening and firm-bellied with roe preparing for spawning time. This afternoon I'll get time on the river upstream, near Raynolds Bridge, and hopefully find some fish coming to the surface for emerging or clustering midges. Stay tuned here.

Read past fishing reports and archived newsletters... 


 Fly of the Week
 Wired $3 Dip

Last week we unveiled our new flies for 2013 and for the next few weeks we will be highlighting these flies along with the instructional video on how to tie them. We thought we'd start off with something simple, the Wired $3 dip.

Craig has been using this fly with some success dropped off of a dry. The wire seems to be just right to get the fly down to the perfect depth to catch the trout that are feeding on midge larve.

Check out the video, you can find it at the bottom of this page and stay tuned for more videos including a few salt water patterns for those of you heading to tropical climates this winter!

Watch Craig Tie the $3 Dip in this Video. 


 Fly Tying Material of the Week
 Hen Ringneck Pheasant Skins

Great news for fly tiers like us. We have just received a small shipment of gorgeous hen pheasant skins. We used to tie fall and PMD soft hackles using these soft mottled cream-tan feathers but for some time they have been unavailable. It is great to have some in stock again. I have tied a few of my Tenkara soft hackle patterns using back and neck feathers from them and find they are most effective. Dubbing a body of Peacock or PT Ice Dubbing and a couple turns of hen pheasant creates fine emerging caddis, PMD and March Brown Soft Hackles too!

For this and other fine materials check here! 


 Saving Home Waters
 

The fabled nature of Montana's streams cannot be taken for granted. In the late 1800s many of Montana's rivers were filled with pollution and dying fish. Certain key conservation and restoration policies between 1900 and 1940 set the stage for the waters that now draw visitors and anglers from around the world. Yet, many of those same rivers and streams are once again facing devastating environmental threats. Gordon Sullivan gives us real insight into what it means to save the rivers we love most.

 


 Guide Trip of The Week
 Fish With The Best!

We are looking forward to escaping winter on our salt-water fly-fishing expedition in March. We invite you to join us! We have a couple vacancies remaining and since most of the USA has been in a deep freeze the past week or more now is the time you should call us and reserve your spot to fish bonefish, permit, snook and tarpon in sunny 80 degree temperatures! Our bags are nearly packed and we'd like you to be a part of the fun times we share on the Mexican-Belize border. We have been making this safe trip for many years now and have found no other place like it with great fishing, awesome food, best guides and wonderful birding along the way while staying in fine accomadations a few hundreds yards off the coral reef and surrounding turquoise blue waters! Come along, you deserve some fun in the sun!

Blue Ribbon Guides - nobody does it better! 


 Wiss
 Fine Tipped Scissors

Small lightweight, and spring-loaded fine tipped scissors. Designed to keep in your hand while tying. These super sharp scissors also feature a built in bodkin needle.

 


 Looking for Lodging?
 For a Month or More.

For those of you who are coming to Yellowstone country for an extended stay we great news for you. Available for the summer of 2013 is this beautiful 4 bedroom 2 and 1/2 bath home. This house is located in the Madison addition and is in a very quiet part of town. This house backs up to Forest Service property and is perfect for up to 6 people. This house is fully furnished has Dish TV and Wi-Fi.

If you are interested in this house give us a call. The price is $3600.00 per month.

 


 Fly Sale
 Serendipity Assortment

An assortment of 1 dozen serendipities that range in size from 18's to 22's and in color; red, lime, brown and gray. These dozen flies are our choice in color and size.

We are letting these flies go for only a 10 bucks per dozen. The sale will run for only one week or until we run out, so jump online and stock up while you still can!

Here are a few more sale flies you may be interested in! 


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!


Here's Sadie on her nightly walk with Bucky. Unitl next week! Have a great weekend.
The Gang at Blue Ribbon

phone: 406.646.7642
fax: 406.646.9045