Tag: Flyfishing

August 19th – 25th | Madison River Fishing Report

The thing about hoppers… is that … they are still here.

And they are going to be here for more than a minute, so you best get used to them and best come in and buy your favorite ones before they are gone! They go real fast here at the Beartooth. The guides and clients eating more hopper flies than the fish do, so stay on top of it and get armored up! The bins have been restocked over and over again and still there are not enough to supply the valley somehow. The bite has been predicted to last a week or two more. The weather looks good for the rest of the week for throwing hoppers. Pitch and twitch! Thanks to all the rain this summer early on, and all the green grass, we have seen one of the most prolific hatches of grasshoppers of all time. Swarms of hoppers have taken over the valley. There are hoppers everywhere. Ants and beetles are in the mix too, but the hopper game is strongest. If you are having a little trouble hooking up on the hopper, try a different size, a little bit different silhouette or try changing colors. Keep changing it up until you find the one that they like for you. People come in the shop everyday telling us that “this is the only one they will eat”. It’s funny, every time I hear “the only hopper they will eat” …it is a different hopper each time I hear it. What works for one person is not always the same fly for another person. So, keep mixing it up. We are progressing ourselves in this sport when we stay in the water and keep switching it up until something starts working. If one bug is not catching, then try another. Another thing about the hopper fishing is that the hopper bite may die down with clouds present.

                       

Some flies that have worked for us and the guides here this week are as follows:

Morrish Hopper Pink or Yellow size 10 and 12

More-Or-Less Hopper Pink size 10 and 12

Yeti Hopper Red size 12

Yeager’s 409 Red size 12

Delektable Ant Cinnamon or Red size 12 and 14

Delektable Prince Brandon any size but especially 16

Lightning Bug Silver size 16

Softhackle pheasant tail size 16 or Delektable Lil’ Spanker Pheasant Tail

Green Machine size 14 and 16

3 Dollar Dip Red size 16

Bat wing BWO size 16

Delektable Purple Lil’ Spanker size 16

 

 

 

 

August 12th – 18th | Madison River Fishing Report

 

These past few months this summer have been some of the best ones we’ve had in a long time!!! I hope you have been getting out and enjoying the great fishing wherever you are at. Here on the Madison we have had an epic hopper bite above all other bites thus far. It seems like every boat that comes back in is raving about how the hopper bite is getting crazier and crazier. The bite seems to be when the sun is out and shining warm. Little ones, medium ones, big ones and gigantic ones are crawling around as if the battle against the trout is upon them. They are in droves. The armies of hoppers are so big and so vast, even the king and queen cannot stop them! They are EVERYWHERE! Please call for help, please call someone who can cast. Please, we need anglers that can cast in the boat! MORE hook-ups for hoppers sakes! We need to join with the trout and become one force, one giant, unstoppable force against the little 6-legged creatures. The struggle is real, so please hop on the conclusions wave train and assume they will eat it….and throw it!!! And while you are at it, you may as well crack open a single hop brew to throw back while you are throwing that single hopper. Also, take a moment and realize where you are at, amid the hopper battlefield…surrounded by some of the newest mountains in the world, the Greater Yellowstone area, the Madison Range and the mighty Madison River. The Gateway to trout fishing heaven is here, as you step into the golden waters of Montana, we greet you, we encourage you to grab a weapon. May it be a 5, 6 or 7 weight sword of graphite or fiberglass, throw the bug with strength and honor, and you WILL be rewarded with spots and slime of fin and tail.

                          

You have fought well and strong young angler, but ah, the battle still rages on into the night…. for, the nocturnal warriors of stone are here, and some of them are much larger than normal (salmonfly sized). They carry armor of rock about them as they are part of the stonefly regime. But fear not, they may be fast, but they are stupid and swim right into the jaws of the brown and rainbow. So, as you think of resting after casting your weapon all day, say to yourself, “Self, thy rod is wet with action, though it be of the dry caliber, it is wet and fresh of slaying. I shall keep thee wet and cast thee further and softer into the night, for, the nocturnal stones are here, and I shall not rest.”

                                                                                                              Strength and honor I give thee. Strength and honor you need. But most of all while you are out in the dark battlefield of the night, we call the river…. keep thy rod bent with glee and realize you are winning, yes…. winning!

Hoppers that are working are as follows:

ALL

Happy Fishing!!!  -Dang  

 

 

August 5th – 11th | Madison River Fishing Report

August 5th-11th, 2019

Can you guess the fly of the week? Good job! Hoppers! They are flooding the valley. It is getting ridiculous. The fly bins of hoppers in the fly shops are getting low everywhere but the Beartooth! If you are wondering what the best hopper pattern is… look no further, we have the answer; it is the one on the end of your line! We have Yetis, White Clouds, Tony the Tigers, Fat Alberts, Fat Franks, Hippie Stompers, Mongos, Slammers, Yeagers, Triple Deckers, Super Dave’s, even a Joe or two and a slough of parachute hoppers to beat all. The colors vary as to what is really being eaten though; yellow, green, pink, brown, purple, red, tan, black, cream….you know, all of them. I would just ‘hop’ around from pattern to pattern if I were you. But, turns out I’m not you, so do what you will. As far as the timing goes for when they are eating them the best, the hopper bite seems to be most of the early to mid-day and really good on into the afternoon. That’s seems kind of broad as far as time goes, but every guide that is coming back in the shop is saying it has been lights out on the dry from put-in to take-out. And like I have said already this year, if you are the dry or die guy, then this is your time to shine. Some folks who are just learning are experiencing plenty of visual action, drive by trout, missed takes, and and plenty of bites. Make sure you take the time and watch what is going on to see the take. The action is fun! Enjoy!          
 

So that is enough about the hopper and his 6 little springy legs. We have other little multi-legged creatures of the grass that are out and about…the flying ant, the bee, the beetles and spiders. The flying ant is a little bit bigger than your average ant and well, has wings. We have plenty of choices when it comes to ants also! One of the house favorites is Dan’s Delektable Flying Ant in the cinnamon and red. We have black ants, purple ants, red ants, rootbeer ants, brown ants, red and black ants, pink ants, plastic ants, epoxy ants, balsa wood ants, and even real ants in the shop We have the bugs and now the back orders are starting to come in and help out the ever so dwindling bin population situation. We recently had a nice guy in the shop just a few days ago grabbing all the bees he could get his hands on, he gave me this little smirk and said, “that’s all I need, thank you”. So, whatever your drug to get the tug is, be sure to check us out up here on Hwy 287 south of the post office about 10 minutes. We have got the flies and the means to fix your fly dis-function. And you just can’t find the right bug you are looking for, then why not give it your try at the vice? We have all the natural materials and synthetics to get the job done! We are your one stop shop! Anyways, I hope you are having a great summer out there on the river or wherever you may be spending it. Happy Fishing!!!

July 29th-August 4th, 2019| Madison River Fishing Report

Hoppers, Hoppers, and more Hoppers!!! It is hopper season on the Upper Madison River… RIGHT NOW!!! I have not seen this many hoppers in the valley since …. never. Big Dan might say over eight years since…If you want to catch fish on a hopper, now is the time for just that. They are only going to be getting more and more keyed in to them day by day. Double dries are working great right now including Hoppers with different Delektable Chubbyness behind or in front. Also, the Spruce Moths are just getting going and are a good second fly. This is also the time we like to call ‘Hopper Dropper’ time. If you are not getting them on the dry, then they will most likely be eating the dropper you hang under it. PMDs, Caddis and little stones (yellow sally) are all good choices for a dropper. We have been doing well on the Crystal Dip size #16 for the Caddis. People are doing well on the Standard Prince nymph as a Caddis dropper also. I could go through all the possible Droppers you could use, but ill only list a few of the heavy hitters we have seen here in the past week.

  • Delektable Prince Brandon size 16
  • Lemon Drop size 14
  • Crystal Dip size 14 and 16
  • Delektable Lil’ Spankers in Silver and Gold #16
  • Three Dollar Dip Brown size 16
  • Lightning Bug Pearl size 16
  • Golden Stone Tungsten Bead size 16
  • Caddis Pupa Crystal size 16 CH
  • Drifting Hydropsyche Olive size 16
  • Psycho Princes in different colors size 16

Some of the Hoppers we’ve seen go out the door and down the hatch are as follows

      

  • More-or-less Pink size 12 and 14
  • Fat Albert Yellow, Brown and Red size 10
  • Fat Frank Pink, Tan and Peach size 12
  • White Cloud Tan size 12
  • Dave’s Hopper any size
  • Joe’s Hopper size 12
  • Panty Dropper Hopper Pink size 12

The flying ant is also out there and will be working more as the summer progresses on.

  • Delektable Ant Cinnamon or Red size 14 and 16
  • Delektable Ant Black size 14 and 16
  • Bloom’s Stealth Ant Purple size 16
  • Royal Wulff Split-Wing size 14
  • Yeager’s 409 Red size 14

July 22nd – July 28th | Madison River Fishing Report

This past week we have been experiencing what a fixed damn can do for your river …just like last year, it is becoming quite the epic dry fly season! The water is still up and cold and the bugs are just going crazy. PMDs , Caddis, Sallies, tale end of the Goldens and Salmons, and even the start of the Hopper. Beetles and ants are starting to work as well. So, if you are into the dry fly action more than the subsurface, this is your time to shine my friends. I hope you are all getting a chance to get out and enjoy the beautiful weather. It has been stellar conditions everyday with a very consistent afternoon thunderstorm (3-5pm). After the rain it is on again with the evening hatch. The Mayflies and Spinners are thick like a blanket. The Caddis….wow! Streamer action is pretty good as well if you get bored of all the bugs and maybe during the storm and cloud cover. We have seen some pretty good fish give it up to the streamer. We have also seen the streamer get the attention and the little nymph on the back get all the action. Do what you will with it.

We have had several groups in this week including the Wild Adventure group. We have really enjoyed these guys and the spirit they bring to the water. With the help of our guides they have roped in some pretty descent trout this week! Speaking of the trout, these fish in the Madison are absolute torpedoes right now! I have seen some good years, but this year??….whoa, its on fire! Also, be careful not to underestimate the water speed here, she is moving at a steady rate still (1,620 cfs behind the shop). We have seen a few boats flip and sink over the past couple of weeks, so please be careful, the water can still be fast and hard to read in places.

Now when we talk about flies it can be very long, involved and exaggerating. So, I wont get to in depth with all the verbiage, but instead I will just tell you some of the hottest patterns we and the guides have been using to get those fish in the net.

The PMD has us all zoomed in on the Mayfly patterns out there. Some of the very best ones are of course going to be some kind of variation of the Adams or the Purple Haze.

The Caddis is a heavy hitter also. He (or she) is going to be Tan, Olive and/or Black. The Caddis has a size varying from 18 to 12 right now. I have also seen some 10’s out there still with a light olive body shade. But the most common one right now is going to be the tan #16.                                   

The Yellow Sally is here and there and almost done, but still throw that smaller Yellow Stimulator at the water with high hopes.

Goldens and Salmon Flies up higher on the upper river are most definitely still working. I would stay in your Dornan’s Water Walker silhouette  and/or the Delektable Secret Stone patterns if I were you. Great patterns for those big guys.

The Hopper is coming but still a little on the slow side of things. Do not worry because just in about a week or so that little bugger is going to come out in force with all the troops of all colors and sizes! Trust me, it IS going to be crazy! So, get your hopper game tight!

As far as the Streamer bite goes…all you streamer gooroos out there already know what you are doing. But for you who would like to be throwing streamers but haven’t quite thrown in the towel on the nymphs yet, start with your local Beartooth Flyfishing Flyshop and give us a call or swing on in and we will set you right up!

Thanks for checking in with us, I hope you all can get out there and get yourselves a piece of the mighty Madison and its great fish and beautiful scenery!!! Happy Fishing!!!

July 15th – July 21st | Madison River Fishing Report

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This week has been a very busy one with the Summer Vacationers starting to flow through and the bigger bugs crawlin’ to the banks. Guide season is now full tilt on the Madison and there have been some nice fish being seen, caught and posed with. The Wild Adventure group has been here as well and they showed up with some guys that had never even held a flyrod….and they caught really nice fish! The river is just on right now! Our shop employees have been going out after work and doing well, gaining that shop intel you might need, so come in and pick their brains. The water is about 1,600 cfs at the West Fork and 2,640 cfs at the Cameron water gauge, and it is clearing up a little. It Is Prime Time! Helloooo! Be careful though, the water is still moving at a decent pace and we have those nice round slippery rocks to deal with. The bugs are looking good right now with big bomber Caddis on the rise as we approach the end of June. That is a bigger size Caddis than usual and they come off every year right before salmon fly season (which is a myth). There are stones moving around getting ready for the big exodus in July. The PMD nymphs are also starting to pick up a fish here and there. We have had a little cooler weather (I had ice on my guides this morning) lately but it makes for feistier, more aggressive trout, which we all like. It has been good to see a lot of you as you move through your spring into summer, swinging in and saying hello here and there. Please keep coming in and saying hello!!! Hopefully we can even send you in the right direction to lock in that fish that’s been haunting you in your dreams. …We all have that one…

Fly report:

Dries:

  • Big Chocolate Caddis (bombers) size 10 and 12’s
  • Adams size 12
  • Purple Haze size 12 through 16
  • Delektable Royal Chubbyness size 10 and 12
  • Brown Elk hair Cadddis size 16 and even 18
  • Stone Fly dries here and there in size 8 and 10

Nymphs

  • Delektable Mega Prince Standard and Flashback size 4-8
  • Delektable Stonefly Candy black and orange size 8 (balanced)
  • Delektable Prince Brandon size 14
  • Delektable Pheasant Tail Lil’ Spanker size 10 (bomber)
  • Case Caddis patterns
  • Any ol’ Nymph will do really because they are all just the same sad bug                               begging you and telling you to use dry flies

The Straum Bomb

  • Delektable Double Screamer Spawner
  • Delektable Double Screamer White
  • Delektable Stainless Steel Jointed Screamer Olive with Rainbow dub
  • Delektable Double Screamer Olive/Black with Silver dub
  • Sculpzilla White size 6
  • Silky Kitty White
  • Sex Dungeon Yellow
  • Delektable Single Screamer Yellow
  • Double Boogieman Black
  • Double Boogieman Grey/Tan
  • Big streamers
  • Bigger Streamers
  • Homespun streamers

 

As you can see, the streamer bite has been on with this colder weather the last day or two, but the dry game is about to bump it up a notch here quick! One rule of thumb here on the Madison is that these fish will eat the dry even when there is no hatch going on or any rises to naturals. Throw them anyway and tease them up. The fish have been taking the Delektable Royal Chubbyness #14 and #16 for the Bomber Caddis….and that’s a very good sign! More dries please! Well, I hope to NOT see you out on the river do hope to hear that you were out there in another part of the river, haha. Anyways, please come in and say hey! Happy Fishing!!! -DanG

 

 

July 8th – July 14th | Madison River Fishing Report

Now turn to Psaaaaaaaalms 4:20 in your Bibles please,

July 8th -14th, 2019

The Madison River is on fire! The big bug is getting eaten and people are getting nice healthy fish. Not only are the bigger bugs out but all the food groups are out and flying above the river! There are the Salmon Fly, the Golden Stone, the Yellow Sally, the Caddis, the PMD, the PED, the Epeorus, and soon the Hoppers and the Nocturnals. There is historically a people hatch at the same time as the bug hatch on the Madison so please remember to be polite and use good river etiquette. I hope you are all enjoying the river as much as we are and getting a healthy dose of the outdoors! The flows are very steady now with lower 1,400 cfs at the Kirby gage and just under 2,000 cfs at the Cameron site. That is what we would consider EPIC flows! Here are some flies that have been working for us here at Beartooth Flyfishing!

 

Dries:

  • Salmon Flies

Dornan’s Water Walker size 6 and 8 in the red

Delektable Secret Stone Salmon Fly UV Orange size 6 and 8

The Stimulator size 6 and 8

Sofa Pillows size 6 and 8

Delektable Secret Stone Royal size 6 and 8

Delektable Twisted Sister and Twisted X in Orange in #8

Delektable Mega Chubbyness and other Chubbies in salmon fly colors size 6, 8 and 10

 

  • Golden Stones

Dornan’s Water Walker size 10 and 12

Delektable Secret Stone UV Golden Stone size 10 and 12

The Stimulator size 10 and 12

Delektable Mega Chubbyness and other Chubbies in the Golden Stone colors size 8, 10 and 12

Dornan’s Peanut Walker Golden size 10 and 12

 

  • PMD size 16

Purple Haze sz 16

Adams sz 16.5

Light Cahill sz 16

Quigley’s PMD Cripple

PED

 

  • Caddis

Delektable CDC Caddis in corresponding sizes

Elk Hair Caddis size 16

X Caddis  or Delektable Sparkle Bug sz 16

Lil’ Hottie size 14 and 16

Delektable Halo Tan, Peacock or Royal #14 or #16

Amber Half down size 14 and 16

Bloom’s Caddis Amber size 14 and 16

                                                   

 

  • Yellow Sally

Delektable Chubbyness Olive Brown size 14 and 16

Delektable Chubbyness Royal size 14 and 16

Half Down amber size 12 and 14

Nymphs:

  • Pat’s Rubber legs Black size 6-8
  • The Trout Retriever sz 8
  • Prince nymph size 14
  • Lemon Drop size 16
  • Delektable Prince Brandon size 14 and 16
  • Delektable Pheasant Tail lil’ Spanker size 16
  • Golden Stone Tungsten sz 8
  • Psycho Prince Yellow and Purple sz 16
  • BH Soft Hackle Hares Ear 14-16
  • Rainbow Serendipity sz 16
  • $3 Dip sz 16
  • Silver Lightning Bug sz 14-18

Streamers:

  • Delektable Double Screamer
    • White
    • Olive and Black
    • Badger
    • Spawner
  • Sheila
  • Zonker Natural and Olive
  • Trevor Olive

 

 

The next section of the report will be fun trout photos, so hang on, its a lot!

May 6th – 12th | Madison River Fishing Report

The Project Healing Waters group was in for the week and their trip was a great healing adventure! There were three different days of fishing and the group was with different people guiding them each day and at different places on the Madison. Thank you to those who helped them access the wade areas. Big Dan started the week with Brandon and Bob Frey guiding the boys. Gunnar, David Kern, and Marty helped during the rest of the week. Thank you to the guides for your help. All the boys caught fish and each had different and remarkable adventures! There were rainbows mostly, a few browns, and even a cutthroat and whitefish. They were great guys and a pleasure to be with. Our neighbor Michael donated his time as chef with his friend Mark. Thank you Michael. It was great eating and great added stories about the food and all kinds of adventures.

The water is at an all time color (a touch of murk) and VERY steady flow right around 2,100 cfs since the beginning of the month, so if you are thinking of going….you should. The west fork has just started to kick in a bit of dirty water. This is once again your chance to throw the big bugs and get funky, because the trout are just on a feeding frenzy in the spring. The weather has been cooperating and the snowpack is slowly coming down giving us a little bit of an idea as to how the outlook on the big bugs this summer is going to be. The March Browns and Caddis have started to work their way out of the depths down towards town and dry fly fishing has followed.

The bugs that have been in the queue all week are as follows:  Gray Paradrake Sz 10; Purple Haze Cripple Sz 10; Parachute Adams Sz 12; Delektable CDC Elk Hair Caddis Tan Sz 16; Goddard Caddis Sz 16; Delektable Mega Prince Olive Flash Back Sz 8; Delektable Mega Prince Standard Sz 8; Pat’s Rubber Legs in all the colors Sz 8-10 (Squalla still); Delektable Lil’ Spanker Pheasant Tail Sz 14 and 18 (BWO); Delektable Lil’ Spanker Silver Sz 14 and 18 (BWO); Delektable Prince Brandon Sz 14 and 16; Delektable Red Worm Sz 12; and Delektable Screamer Black/Olive.

The streamer bite has been on for some people who are addicted to it but for the most part they have been lethargic with the weather being a little chilly but it has been warming up and should stay in the 70’s for most of the upcoming week so hopefully we’ll be able to start speeding up the retrieves and seeing fish be more aggressive.

July 3rd – 9th|Madison River Fishing Report

Things have been heating up on the Upper Madison over the past week, (mid-day temps well into the 90’s) which sped the big bug hatch right up and pretty much out the door. You may still be able to find a couple salmon flies way up top but hopefully you got to enjoy the hatch in its entirety. In other news, gin-clear water has been steadily flowing out of Hebgen at 1,220 c.f.s. and 1,610 c.f.s. at Kirby Ranch. The heat has kind of put a damper on the mid-day dry fly bite but the mornings and evenings have still been great and nymphing is producing throughout the day. 

 

The Surface fishing has been a morning PMD and an evening caddis program. My favorite caddis has been and probably always will be the Delektable Peacock Halo tied on a #16 hook, or a Dark Olive Bloom’s Parachute Caddis also in size #16. For the PMDs I recommend a Snowshoe Cripple in either a size #16 or #18, Delektable Teaser in the same sizes or Carlson’s Purple Craze. And of course the ol’ rusty spinner should pick them up in the morning and evening as well.  If you have to pick one hatch to fish I’d make sure you’re out there before dark fishing the caddis and spinners.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The streamer fishing has been picking up on the upper river over the past week and we’re hoping it continues to do so. They’re mostly on the smaller stuff like Coffey’s Sparkle Minnow, the Belly Ache Minnow or Delektable Single Screamer in Badger. Work the structure and don’t be afraid to swing them in the middle of the river.  

 

If you’re out there in the  middle of a sunny day it’s most likely you’ll be fishing a couple of small beadheads. The ones that have been working for us are the Purple or Gold Lightning Bug, the One Man Party, Purple Psycho Prince, The Delektable Mr. Rubberlegs Goldenstone, the Delektable Lil’ Spanker in Olive, PT, or Gold and last but not least, the trusty Prince Nymph.   

 

 

 

 

 

That should be all the info and ammo you need to enjoy the beautiful Montana summer. We’ll be in the shop so be sure to stop in and say hi.