Tag: big trout

October 11th – 17th | Madison River Fishing Report

We were greeted with a blast of winter at the beginning of the week. Lots of accumulating snow and high winds brought drifting snow and lots of shoveling to all of us here in the Madison Valley. We were grateful for a plow rescue from a friend. Thank you! The boat ramps at Varney and above were out of commission for a couple days but cleared up within a couple days. Now things are back to normal October conditions and we’ve had some pretty darn nice weather since Wednesday.

The front that moved through sure got the Big Browns of the Madison moving around and chasing quite well. Some very good streamer and nymph fishing was had the second half of the week. If you could find some spots shielded by the “W” there were trout sipping BWO’s in the soft pockets around rocks and near the banks.

Fall is here to stay and it won’t be long until we’ve all wondered where this season went so quickly. So get out on the water if you find a day to your liking and enjoy the last few weeks, before the snow is flying in earnest.

Flows still remain low so if you’re looking to squeeze in a last float or two before storing the boat for the season, your best bet will be up higher in the Lyon’s to Mac section. The water up top is just fine for floating without beating up your hard boat.

Dries: Delektable Sparkle Bug Olive, Dark Olive, Gray #18. Delektable BWO Teaser #18-#20. Delektable BWO Squeezer #18-#20. Brook’s BWO Sprout Emerger #18-#20. BWO Sparkle Duns #18-#20. Parachute Adams #18-#20. Carlson’s Purple Haze #18-#20.

Nymphs: Delektable Mega Prince Standard and Flashback #10. Delektable Guide Stones Black #10. Pat’s Rubberlegs Black #10-#12. Formerly Known as Prince #16-#18. Delektable Prince Brandon #16-#18. Delektable Lil’ Spanker Silver, Pheasant Tail, Blue #18-#20. Lightning Bugs #16-#20. Pheasant Tail Nymph #16-#20. Geppert’s Master BWO Emerger, Geppert’s Mega BWO Emerger.

Streamers: Delelektable Single and Double Screamer Olive, Black, White, Olive/Black. Zonkers Natural, Copper, Olive. Galloup’s Dungeon and Mini Dungeon Black, Olive, Olive/Black Barred, Cream. Galloup’s Boogie Man Black, Olive. Mini Loop Sculpin Olive and Natural. McCune’s Sculpin Olive. Coffey’s Sparkle Minnow #6. 

October 3rd – 9th | Madison River Fishing Report

Welcome back Autumn. The weather has turned and Fall conditions look like they are here to stay now. We are in the midst of our first weather system of the season here in the Madison Valley. Cool temperatures, and a good dose of much needed rain has been falling over the last couple of days. Snow capping the tops of the Madison and Gravelly Ranges again and we might even see a bit in the valley in the next couple of days. And heck yeah we are excited about it.

The weather has the Big Browns moving and chasing Streamers. It’s days like these when the BWO hatches come off thick and heavy especially on the Upper portion of the river. If the wind is down and you have some clouds, add some light rain, or snow and you can have some incredible dry fly fishing in the boulder fields of the Madison. There are plenty of very nice fish being landed throughout the length of the river right now. With that being said as you get below Varney a couple miles the river is very skinny in a number of areas. And you should use caution and know the path well if you’re floating. Since it’s never fun scraping your entire float. The Varney boat ramp itself is incredibly low and you will need to be wadered up to put in or take out there. The Upper Section from Storey Ditch upstream to Lyon’s Bridge is by far the best suited for float trips at the current flows. 

The Streamer bite is good and will continue that way throughout the month especially when we have clouds. Small patterns to large are all possibilities. Keep in mind with Streamers to be adaptable and change things up. Slow retrieves, Fast retrieves, Dead Drifting, Swinging, Trailing the Streamer with a Nymph. These are all possibilities out there and each day can be different. Be willing to change up your patterns and presentations and you will find success.

BWO’s have been active for a couple of weeks. But with the cool stormy weather beginning this will make the hatches much heavier and the fishing much more consistent. BWO’s tend to fish best in those softer pockets along the banks and along rocks, and the Trout of the Madison will move into these slots. When it’s good you can find multiple good fish sipping these small Mayflies in each pool.

Nymphing as always remains a great option. As smaller Stonefly Nymphs, Attractor Nymphs, Baetis Nymphs, and various Prince variants all continue to fish very well.
Soft Hackles are a great way to experience the Madison this time of year. Especially as the Blue Winged Olive hatches heat up. Find yourself a nice riffle that’s mid depth to somewhat shallow with some moderate to slower currents and swing a bigger Fall Soft Hackle or BWO Soft Hackle through there and hold on. You’ll love the results. It’s a very addictive way of fishing and you’ll be surprised how some of the larger Migratory fish will just hammer a well presented Softie.

 

 

 

 

 

The YNP section of the Madison should start to heat up much more during this batch of stormy weather. This should bring more of the big Runner’s out of Hebgen. And with clouds they should be willing to chase a swung Streamer or Soft Hackle throughout the day, rather than just at dawn or before sunset. I had a chance to fish the Park last Wednesday. The resident trout were plenty willing to eat a Dry, chase a Streamer or munch a Nymph. But the Big Migratory Trout were definitely laying very low except in the lowest light conditions. We have a few weeks left of the Park Season and then it will close at sunset on the first Sunday of November.

 

 

 

 

 

As the weather cools remember to take some extra time to prepare for your adventures. Pack extra layers and extra clothes just in case you take a dunking. Hypothermia becomes a real threat on the cooler Autumn and Winter Days. Hand Warmers can make or break an enjoyable Fall Day on the River. The crowds are down. The weather is crisp and it’s Fall in Montana. What more could you ask for. Stop by for some bugs, and some hot coffee before your journey. We are here to help and love to do just that.

 

 

 

 

 

Dries: Delektable BWO Teaser #18-#20. Delektable BWO Squeezer #18-#20. Delektable Sparkle Bug Olive and Dark Olive #18. Snowshoe BWO #18-#20. Delektable Ranch BWO #18. Parachute Adams #18-#20. Carlson’s Purple Craze #18-#20. Purple Haze #18-#20. Brook’s Sprout Emerger BWO #20-#22. BWO Sparkle Dun #18-#20.

Nymphs: Delektable Mega Prince Standard and Flashback #8-#10. Pat’s Rubberlegs Black, Olive/Black, Brown, Brown/Black #8-#12. Delektable Guide Stones Black, Olive/Black, Brown/Black #8-#10.Delektable Lil’ Spanker Pheasant Tail, Red, Blue, Silver #16-#20. Pheasant Tail Nymphs #16-#20. Lightning Bugs Silver, Gold #16-#18. Delektable Prince Brandon #16-#18. Prince Nymph #16-#18. Formerly Known as Prince #16-#18. Shop Vac’s #16-#18. $3 Dollar Dips Brown, Red, Crystal #16-#18. Little Green Machine Pheasant Tail, Olive #18-#20. Splitback Baetis #18-#20. Delektable Tungsten Jig Spanker Holo Black, Holo Olive #18. Delektable Root Beer Float #18 Baetis Gray. Geppert’s Skinny Dip Black, Brown #14-#18. Geppert’s Master BWO Emerger #18. Geppert’s Mega Emerger #18. RS2’s Gray and Olive #18-#20.

Streamers: Delektable Single and Double Screamer Black, Olive, White, Olive/Black, Brown/Yellow, Badger. Delektable SS Jointed Screamer Black, Olive, White, Olive/Black, Brown/Yellow. Sparkle Minnow’s #6. Zonkers Copper, Natural, Olive #6-#8. Mini Loop Sculpin Natural and Olive. Sculpzilla Olive, Natural, Black #4-#6. Galloup’s Dungeon Standard, Mini, Olive, Black, White, Cream/White, Olive/Black. Galloup’s Boogie Man Black, Olive, White. Galloup’s Silk Kitty Olive, White. Bow River Buggers White, Olive, Black, Black Olive #6-#8.

 

 

 

 

 

Soft Hackles: Full Dressed Red, Partridge and Orange, Partridge and Olive, Soft Hackle Pheasant Tail, Soft Hackle Hare’s Ear. Partridge and Purple. Soft Hackle BWO.

September 26th – October 2nd | Madison River Fishing Report

We were greeted with cool to downright chilly morning temperatures this week here in the Madison Valley. High winds in the early part of the week turned to some absolutely beautiful calm days in the latter half. The future forecast looks good until next weekend when some cool and cloudier days will return.

Very good to excellent Streamer activity continues in the early to mid mornings and again in the late afternoons and evenings. There are a good number of large Brown Trout running up into the system out of Ennis Lake. Some pigs are being landed from Varney down to the lake but that is the skinniest water. Just keep in mind if you’re floating at these lower flows keep your eyes downstream as it gets pretty skinny in some areas. Especially for those of you in the hard boats. Olive, Black, Black/Olive, Yellow, White, Brown/Yellow Streamer colors are all effective. Adding a small attractor nymph trailing the Streamer has also been very effective.

The Dry Fly bite has slowed over the last week. If you are a Dry or Die Angler you still have opportunities out there.There are BWO’s hatching daily. With some cloud cover the hatches have been heavy especially on the Upper Wade section. Next weekend there is some scuzzy weather moving in that should be an excellent window for some strong BWO activity. Hoppers never really materialized this year and the action on those has slowed even more now with the colder nighttime temperatures. You can still find a good fish or two to come up and inspect a well placed ant, beetle, or smaller Chubby though. October Caddis and the Fall Sedge Caddis are out on the water as well.

With the cooler Autumn temps the Nymph bite has returned to a much more consistent level. Smaller to Mid Size Stonefly Nymphs trailed with any of the Prince Variants, Bright Attractor Nymphs, or Perdigons is a good go to rig right now. We’ve been seeing some big fish come to the net nymphing as well over the last several days.

The crowds have thinned out for sure and there is plenty of water and the Rainbows and Browns of the Madison are getting on the feed ahead of the long winter ahead. With clear air quality again the views in the valley this time of year are simply stunning. Especially at Sunrise or near Sunset. The Alpenglow on the sides of the Gravelly and Madison Ranges are so beautiful this time of year. The snow will be flying before we know it so get out there and enjoy the last bit of nice weather remaining.

Dries: Delektable Flying Ant Red, Cinnamon #14-#16. Delektable Twisted Sister Orange/Brown #12 – #14. Delektable Twisted X Orange/Brown #12-#14. Delektable CDC Elk Hair Caddis Tan, Purple #14-#16. BWO Sparkle Dun #18-#20. Delektable Ranch BWO #18. Delektable BWO Teaser #18-#20. Parachute Adams #18. Carlson’s Purple Craze #16-#18. Purple Haze #16-#20.

Nymphs: Delektable Mega Prince Standard and Flashback #8-#10. Pat’s Rubberlegs Black, Olive/Black, Brown/Black, Brown #8-#12. Delektable Lil’ Spanker Silver, Gold, Red, Blue, Purple, Pheasant Tail #14-#18. Delektable Jighead Tungsten Spanker Holo Red, Holo Silver, Holo Black #14-#18. Formerly Known as Prince #16-#18. Delektable Prince Brandon #14-#18. $3Dollar Dips Brown, Red, Crystal #16-#18. Splitback BWO #18-#20. Pheasant Tail Nymphs #16-#20. Copper Johns Red #14-#18. Shop Vac’s #16-#18. Little Green Machine Green, Black, Pheasant Tail #16-#20.

Streamers: Delektable Single and Double Screamers Black, Olive, White, Olive/Black, Brown/Yellow, Badger. Delektable SS Jointed Screamer Black, Olive, White, Olive/Black, Brown/Yellow, Chartreuse/White, Olive/Yellow. Zonkers Natural, Copper, Pearl #6-#8. Mini Loop Sculpin Natural and Olive #6. Sculpzilla Olive, Natural, Black #8. Galloup’s Dungeons Regular or Mini Black, Olive, Cream. Galloup’s Silk Kitty Olive, White.

October 1st | Missouri River

Dan and Nancy had a wonderful opportunity to head up to Craig for a couple days and visit with some friends and sneak in a couple of floats on The Mighty Mo. The photos speak for themselves. The fishing was great and they had a great time. The Delektable Lil’ Spanker in Blue #18 behind a Delektable Screamer Single Black and Olive  strikes again!!!!

September 19th-25th | Madison River Fishing Report

 

 

 

 

 

Hello again from the Delektable Crew here at Beartooth Flyfishing. We’ve had a busy and great week here in the Madison Valley. After the cold warmer weather and sunny skies returned and we’ve had beautiful days with very little haze from the wildfires of the West. The fishing overall is great especially sub surface with a great Streamer bite most mornings. The Fall BWO’s are beginning to make their presence known. Especially on cloudy and cool days. There are some Fall Sedge Caddis, October Caddis, and still Hoppers and Ants to keep us on our toes as well.

 

 

 

 

 

Streamer fishing has been good to excellent most days from Dawn until about mid morning. And throughout the day with some cloud cover. We’ve seen numerous fish in the 20+ inch class come to the net throughout the week. The Browns are getting more aggressive the deeper we get into Fall. Numerous patterns are working effectively as well as presentations. And you don’t necessarily have to throw the huge patterns to get the big boys to eat. We’ve had numerous clients get into some of the bruisers on some of the smaller patterns just as much as the big articulated ones. And if you’d like add a small Nymph to the back and double up on your chances.

We still have Hoppers, Ants, Beetles, Caddis, and BWO’s out now as well. So by no means is it time to put away the Dry Fly sticks just yet. Periods of surface activity occur each day and it’s a matter of rotating through bugs and watching what the river tells you. If you commit to the Dry you can have success. You may have to sift through some of the little guys until the bigger fish you want comes up and sucks down that dry.

As always Nymphing will be your most consistent way of hooking up for more numbers. With the Baetis activity on the rise be sure to have a good selection of small Baetis and Pheasant Tail Patterns on board in the size #18-#20 range. Many attractor nymphs are having success. Patterns such as Lightning
Bugs, Delektable Lil’ Spankers, and most of the Prince Nymph Variants are all good places to start. Trailing one of these behind a Pat’s Rubberlegs or a Delektable Mega Prince are a good two fly rig to fish now.

Dries: Morrish Hopper, Panty Dropper Hopper, Thunder Thigh’s Hopper in Tan, Pink, Peach #10-#14. Delektable Flying Ant in Cinnamon and Red #14-#16. Bloom’s Stealth Ant Purple #16. Delektable Twisted X Orange/Brown #12-#14. Delektable Twisted Sister  Orange/Brown #12-#14. Delektable CDC Elk Hair Caddis in Tan, and Purple #14-#16. Snowshoe Baetis #18-#20. Sparkle Dun BWO #18-#20. Delektable Chubbyness in Rootbeer and Cinnamon #14. Delektable Lil’ Chubby in Royal, UV Cinnamon, UV Black, and UV Gray #16 – #18. Delektable Lil’ Secret in Royal and UV Pink #16-#18.

 

 

 

 

 

Nymphs: Delektable Mega Prince Standard and Flashback #8-#10. Pat’s Rubberlegs in Black, Brown/Black, Olive/Black #8-#12. Delektable Guide Stone’s #8-#10. Delektable Lil’ Spankers #16-#18 in Silver, Red, Purple, and Pheasant Tail #16-#20. Pheasant Tail Nymph #16-#20. Delektable Big Spanker Warrior #14-#18. Formerly Known as Prince #14-#18. Prince Nymph #14-#18. Delektable Prince Brandon #14-#18. Little Green Machine in Olive, Black, Pheasant Tail #16-#18. Splitback Baetis #18-#20. Delektable Rootbeer Float in Baetis Gray #18-#20. $3 Dollar Dips in Red, Brown #16-#18. Crystal Dips #16-#18. Shop Vac’s #16-#18.

Streamers: Delektable Single and Double Screamer in Olive, Olive/Black, Brown/Yellow, Badger. Zonkers in Copper, Olive, and Pearl #6-#8. Galloup’s Dungeon Standard and Mini in Olive, Black, White, Cream. Galloup’s Silk Kitty Olive or White. Mini Loop Sculpin Natural or Olive. McCune’s Sculpin Natural or Olive. Sculpzilla in White, Olive, Natural, and Black #4-# 8. Coffey’s Sparkle Minnow #6.

 

July 18th – July 24th | Madison River Fishing Report

It’s been an eventful week up in the Madison Valley. Hoot Owl restrictions went into place on July 21st for the entire Madison River. From the mouth to the Yellowstone National Park Boundary. So for those of you who may be unfamiliar with these rules since this has never happened on the Upper section. This means no fishing between 2PM and Midnight. Also Yellowstone National Park has decided to implement Hoot Owl restrictions on all rivers and streams within the National Park beginning at 2PM on July 24th. The one difference with the YNP restrictions is that there is no fishing from 2PM until sunrise rather than Midnight. Water quality is actually good. Flows are currently at 1500 cfs at the Kirby guage. Which is about 200 cfs above the median historical flow at this time of year. Water temps are topping out between 65 and 68 degrees everyday. With early morning to mid morning temps staying in the mid to high 50’s. But with so many rivers under restriction FWP doesn’t want to have a flood of guides and anglers flocking to the Madison if it were one of the few rivers left without restriction. See the below link to Montana FWP for a full list of closures and restrictions throughout the state. 

https://fwp.mt.gov/news/current-closures-restrictions

As for the fishing, it remains pretty good. Dries, nymphs, and streamers are fishing well throughout periods of the day. Attractor dries, Caddis, PMD’s, Sallies, Ants, Beetles, and Hoppers are all possibilities. The dry dropper rig is prime right now with a Chubby or Hopper up top with a smaller nymph trailing. Streamer fishing has been good early for the first few hours of the day. Dead drifting, on the swing, or on the strip. PMD spinner falls in the morning. With periods of surface activity to Caddis, PMD’s, and Terrestrials throughout mid day to the closure time at 2 pm. 

It’s important to remember to be patient, and courteous as we are all dealing with these restrictions together. Keep in mind the precious resource we have and to keep in mind we are all doing our part to protect it. The boat launches will be a little more crowded with the limited hours of fishing. Enjoy the company and companionship of our fellow anglers and like all things it will be back to normal soon. Be safe and and enjoy our beautiful outdoor opportunities. We have updated our store hours during the restrictions to 6AM to 5PM seven days a week. 

Dries: Delektable Chubbyness #14-#16 Rootbeer, Royal, UV Purple, Goldrush. Delektable Lil’ Chubby #14-#16 Royal, Goldrush, Tan. Delektable Twisted X #16 Yellow/Red. Delektable Elk Hair CDC Caddis #14-#16 Tan. Delektable Halo #16 Tan, Royal. Delektable Lil’ Secret #12 Royal, Delektable Lil’ Secret #14-#16 UV Caddis Green, UV Goldrush. Micro Water Walkers #14-#16 Pink, Peanut. Morrish Hopper #12-#14 Tan, Pink. Thunder Thighs Hopper #10 Pink, Yellow. More or Less Hopper #10 Peach, Pink, Goldenrod. Delektable Flying Ant #14-#16 Purple, Black, Red, Red/Black, Cinnamon. 

 

 

 

 

 

Nymphs: Prince and Prince Variants #12-#16. Lemon Drops #14-#16. Psycho Prince #14-#16 Yellow, Purple. Delektable Lil’ Spanker #14-#16 Silver, Gold, Blue, Red. Delektable Hammerhead #14-#16 Hare’s Ear, Pheasant Tail. Lightning Bugs #14-#16 Silver, Gold. Pat’s Rubberlegs #8-#10 Olive/Black, Brown/Black. Delektable Root Beer Float #16 PMD. Delektable Tungsten Jighead Spanker #16 Miller Time. Guide’s Choice Hare’s Ear #14-#16. Split Back PMD #14-#16. 

Streamers: Delektable Screamers Single and Double in Olive/Black, White. Mini Dungeons. McCune’s Sculpin Tan, Olive. Zonkers Copper, Silver. Sparkle Minnows single and articulated. Sculpzilla’s Black, Olive. 

 

June 27th – July 3rd | Madison River Fishing Report

 

 

 

 

 

We are entering the final phases of this years Salmonfly Hatch. With the big bugs now spread out between Windy Point up to Quake. The dry fly action continued on strong all week. With the Madison trout munching on Salmonflies, Goldens, Sallies, Caddis and PMD’s. Mornings and  evenings have been strongest and most consistent. But plenty of fish are looking up throughout the afternoons as well. Two fly rigs consisting of a Salmonfly trailed by a caddis dry or emerger has been paying dividends. And for you evening anglers be sure to have some Rusty Spinners in the box at dusk. That’s usually the code cracker if they won’t take those caddis and you’re getting perfect drifts. 

Nymphing remains strong throughout the river. Stonefly nymphs, Caddis pupae, PMD nymphs, and Sallies all are in the drift right now. With so much insect activity right now it’s important to have a good rotation of flies you are confident in whether fishing on top or sub surface. Keep changing up the combos until you find what works for you out there. 

Streamer action remains good especially if you’re an early riser and out there in the lower light conditions. Plenty of fish are taking dead drifted or twitched streamers throughout the day as well. Trailing a nymph behind is also always a good bet. 

 

 

 

 

 

With the high temps and drought conditions, please remember to play your fish as quick as possible and keep them wet for a quick photo and a proper release. With these conditions it’s so important to handle this fragile resource with the proper care. 

 

 

 

 

 

Dries: Delektable Secret Stone in UV Orange, UV Salmonfly, UV Goldenstone, and Royal. Delektable Mega 2 Tone Chubbyness in UV Salmonfly, and Goldrush. Delektable Lil’ Chubby in Royal, Black, Goldrush. Delektable CDC Elk Hair Caddis in Tan, Pale Olive. Delektable Twisted Baby in Brown. Carlson’s Purple Craze.

Nymphs: Pat’s Rubberlegs in Black, Brown, Olive. Delektable Guide Stone’s. Delektable Mega Prince and Hurless Stones. Delektable Hammerhead Hare’s Ear and Pheasant Tail. Lemon Drops, Split Back PMD. Psycho Prince Yellow and Purple. Delektable Lil’ Spanker in Silver, Red, Gold, Pheasant Tail. Delektable Lil’ Spanker Jig Head in Miller Time. Shop Vac’s, $3 dips. Perdigons. 

Streamers: Delektable Screamers Single and Double in Olive/Black, Badger, Brown/Yellow. Dungeons Full Size and Mini. Zonkers in Copper and Silver. Sculpzilla in Olive and Black. 

The Delektable Crew would like to wish you all a very safe and Happy 4th of July holiday. We enjoyed a very special Wedding on the River this week with the Palisades and the Madison in the background and one of our guides was the Reverend. What better way to enjoy days and evenings by having a relaxing day on the Madison. We thank you all for your support and patronage. 

 

June 20th – 26th | Madison River Fishing Report

 

 

 

 

 

Prime time is now on the Upper Madison. Salmonflies, Goldens, Sallies, PMD’s, the Big Bomber Sedge Caddis along with the smaller cousin Hydropsyche Caddis are all out on the water. It’s most definitely Dry Fly time on the Madison right now. Salmon Flies are spread from Windy Point down to Varney. And over the last four days the fish have been cooperating nicely.

The Dry Fly bite has become much more consistent over the last several days. Some calmer winds and a bit of cloud cover in the afternoons has helped the trout feel much more comfortable coming up to slurp down our offerings. The evening fishing with Caddis and PMD spinner falls is strong throughout the Upper right now. Double Dry Rigs, or Dry Dropper Rigs are producing great. As with any river you will find lulls in the action on top no matter how strong the bite may be at a given time. So if you feel the need to drift some Nymphs have at it. Along with all the Stone patterns, all the variations of Prince Nymphs are fishing very strong this week.

The Streamer game is working as well. For the more aggressive action think early and late. Mid day has been stronger dead drifting a Streamer under an indicator or dropping a small Nymph trailing behind.

 

 

 

 

Dries: Delektable Secret Stone in Royal, UV Salmon Fly, UV Orange, UV Goldenstone. Delektable Mega 2Tone Chubbyness in UV Salmon Fly, UV Goldrush. Morrish Fluttering Salmonfly. Delektable Lil’ Yellowstone, Delektable Elk Hair CDC Caddis #14-#16. Delektable Halo Tan #16. Delektable Twisted Baby Brown #10-#12. Delektable Lil’ Chubby in Royal, UV Cinammon, UV Goldrush, UV Tan. Carlson’s Purple Craze #14-#16.
Nymphs: Pat’s Rubberlegs, Delektable Mega Prince, Delektable Hurless Stone, Delektable Lil’ Spanker Jig Head Miller Time, Pheasant Tail #14-#18. Formerly Known as Prince, Red Thread Prince, Delektable Prince Brandon #12-#16. Lemon Drops #14-#16. Panty Dropper PMD curved hook #16. Split Back PMD #14-#16. Perdigons #14-#18. Delektable Lil’ Spankers Pheasant Tail, Red, Silver #14-#16. Delektable Hammerhead Standard and Jighead Pheasant Tail, Hare’s Ear, Red #14-#18. Guides Choice Hare’s Ear #14-#16.
Streamers: Delektable Screamers Single and Double in Olive/Black, Brown/Yellow, Badger. Dungeons and Mini Dungeons in Black and Olive. Zonkers Silver and Copper. McCune’s Sculpin Olive and Tan.

Remember to be safe and courteous on the river during this busy time. We are all here to have fun, unwind, and get away from the stress of our daily lives. Please call us or stop by anytime for any advice or fly tackle you may be in need of. If you haven’t discovered Beartooth Flyfishing yet, come and meet the Delektable Crew as you won’t be disappointed.

September 16th – 22nd | Madison River

Some days are good… some days are not as good. When you have a bad day on the river, is it really that bad? Does it ever make you want to quit fishing? Maybe, but probably not. For there to be good days, you must have the “bad” days to make the good days seem “good”. Some people come into the shop and remind me that even the bad days need to be put in the “great days” category, because really, you are still on the river. Now is it really that bad?

I have seen good days and not so good  days on the river, as have you and many of our friends. Balance in this world is necessary and that also pertains to the thing we so dearly enjoy… fly fishing. This week had diversity with some more productive days and some less. Everyone worked more to figure out the correct fly for the bite. That is really what it is all about.

This year, in particular, has been FULL of great days!!! I have not seen this many great fish in my time spent on Montana rivers as I have this season here on the Madison. From the early cold days of spring with the Streamers and Big Stone Flies, to the Salmon Flies and Golden Stones, the PMD’s, the Caddis, and the hoppers so thick you can’t breath without possibly swallowing one…this year has been epic!

As we roll on into the fall months, we are still seeing great fish! The streamer bite has been on for the past couple of days and it’s been fun! The colder weather and the darker days have been bringing the bigger boys out to play, so you will see the sharks and little hawgs of the crick are hungry and that someone will need to tend to them. Also, your streamer game should not be limited to just the fall season. Brown trout and rainbow fish both will eat all the Baitfish and Sculpins they can handle, all year long. It’s just all this dry fly fishing that keeps us occupied during these summer months, we don’t even think of throwing a Streamer. The Dry eat is an eat that is unlikely topped by any other eat in fly fishing. It is soul food. The Dry Fly entertainment with missed hits, drive by’s, heavy hits, missed sets as we get excited seeing the bite, etc. As far as throwing streamers goes, put them in the water and they will eat it most days out of the year, not just the fall and spring. And….the tug can be such entertainment. If you need any tips on stripping streamers or picking the “right one” out, come on in to the shop and we will help you select a few of our favorites and maybe give you a tip or two on how we do it.

The nymph game is picking up to another level with this weather, the fish are eating the larger size Stoneflies that are starting to move more with this weather. They have also been keying in on the shiny patterns. The Lightning Bugs and shiny Nymphs such as the Silvie’s lightning bug, the Silver Lightning Bug and the Delektable Lil’ Spanker Silver are all good little shiny bugs that have been working well with the cloudy weather. Most of those would be in a size 14 or 16.  That Crystal Dip in a size 16 on that curved hook are working well. The Pat’s Rubber legs is a tried and true pattern that will get fish in the net for you, but if you wanted to wonder off the beaten path of big nymphs, we have a variety to choose from here. The Delektable Mega Prince Standard in a size 6 or 8 has been a go-to of mine for years and years and years in the fall months. That pattern has fooled so many fish over the years. The Delektable Hurless Stone in the Gray size 6 and 8 is a great pattern for the fall times with the water being lower and a little colder. I would also check out the Delektable Stonefly Candy patterns that work in a number of colors. The Twenty Incher is also a great Stonefly pattern that works well in the size 6 or 8. Mostly, try and get a drag free drift with any big black/brown/olive Stonefly and you will have pretty good luck here on the ole’ Madison with the stones.

The BWO’s are showing themselves with this weather and we’ve sold a bunch of patterns recently due to that very fact. People are coming in and grabbing Midge patterns and Emergers for the BWO in light olive and olive. The Purple Haze Cripple emerger is an excellent choice, it is one of my absolute all time favorite emergent patterns with that little bit of olive for a thorax and purple body. It can go for the PMD, the PED, the Callibaetis, the BWO, the Mahogany Dunn, Spinners, Psuedo Mayflies, it can cover a lot of little guys on the river.

One is faced with all these choices to fish with… to choose from… to be accurate and successful with. Choices for an angler. Choices for the fish. Choices. We face them every single day. We can be thankfull that these choices (problems?) are minimal and very first world. Haha. I wish you the best of luck in your choices! I wish you the biggest and prettiest of trout. I wish you a very happy fall. Its fall, we have no choice but to welcome it.

Happy Fishing!!! -DanG 

 

September 9th – 15th | Madison River Fishing Report

Here we are again at the end of another great week on the Madison River! The hoppers kinda took a backseat this week with the rain and colder weather we have been having. The streamer bite has been picking up with the colder weather, but it looks like we may have hoppers back today or tomorrow with this short little heat wave. The thing about hoppers is that they are still everywhere. The fish may or may not be keying into them like before, but they are STILL here. The streamer game is always fun and trout are starting to specifically seek those out a little more. The fall spawn for brown trout is just around the corner, so keep in mind that you will soon start seeing redds everywhere, please be careful and mindful of the redds. Check out the following link to know more about what to look for and avoid!! (https://coloradotu.org/blog/2016/06/trout-redds) It’s important as an angler to know what a trout redd is and spot one and know how to be cautious. This should go without saying, because it is the future of your next hawg! That being said, the trout fishing will be just swell in these parts as we move on into the fall months.

 

The nymphs you will be throwing will be getting smaller and smaller, except for the stone fly nymphs, they will still be about the same size (6-10). The fish tend to start keying in on the big stone fly again as fall comes. We like the Delektable Mega Prince Standard size 8 here at the shop, it just crushes. Some of the small nymphs we’ve been using here at the shop are the silver lightening bug in a bigger size (12), the electric caddis size 16, the Delektable Lil’ Spanker in the silver and pheasant tail size 16 and 18. We have also had folks do well right now on the Delektable Lil’ Spanker in Purple. The nymphicator size 16 and 18. Prince nymph on a jig head size 16. Batman size 16 and 18 should also be making an appearance if you haven’t thrown him yet. Another good fall small nymph pattern is the Delektable Sure Strike in the Purple size 14-18. If you don’t strip streamers much, don’t forget you can also put one under the bobber with a small nymph behind it. That will usually score well for you. Some small streamers to use for that technique would be the Bow River Bugger size 6 and 8, the Trevor’s Sculpin size 4 in the Olive. The Tan Trevor’s and the Black one work well, but the Olive one is usually the hot one. Once again, I would like to wish you a very happy rest of your summer and a splendid start to your fall!

Happy Fishing!!! -Dang