Tag: Montana fly fishing guides

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!

June 24th-June 30th| Madison River Fishing Report

Dear Friends and Family of the surrounding Madison Valley and the rest of the world, I give you…. The Madison River fishing report.

These days are the days where the people will seem relentless, the trout seem elusive and the weather only gets hotter. The good part about this particular time is that the big bug season is upon us! The Big size 10-12 Chocolate Caddis is a big caddis that comes around a few weeks before the salmon flies hatch. The Madison River trout love the big bomber Caddis. Period. Any larger brown elk hair caddis will do for that bug. The yellow sallies are out and about. The salmon flies are hatching and flying around Ennis and upriver a little. So, if you like to fish the big bug, now is your time. No telling how long they will be around this time, buuuuut…. they are here. If you need a pattern or two for those big guys or any flies, swing on in and one of us will help you out. As for you fly tying fanatics, don’t forget that we have half of the Beartooth filled up with all your tying needs. Every once and a while we might not have the material you need, but 100% of the time we might have it.

As far as the flies go, here is a slightly detailed list of some flies that have been working for us:

Dries:

  • Dornan’s Water Walker size 6-8
  • Delektable Secret STone Salmon Fly size 6-8
  • Gypsie King in peacock size 6
  • Delektable Elk Hair Caddis size 12
  • Bloom’s Caddis Amber size 14
  • Delektable Royal Chubbyness #14-#16
  • Cicadicator Orange Size 4

Nymphs:

  • Pat’s rubber legs black size 6-8
  • Prince nymph size 14
  • Lemon Drop size 16
  • Delektable Prince Brandon size 14 and 16
  • Evil Weivel size 16
  • Two Bit Hooker olive size 16
  • Delektable Pheasant Tail lil’ Spanker size 16

Streamers

  • Delektable Screamers
  • Mini Sex Dungeon Yellow
  • Delektable Olive and Black Double Screamer    

Those are Just a few of the flies that have been good for us here on the Maddy. If you have any questions you can always stop in or call us here at the Beartooth (406-682-7525). All of us here at the shop have been fishing during different hours of the day and doing well. Some days are obviously better than other days but that’s fishing, right? Anyways, happy fishing and get a hog!!!     

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.

April 29th – May 5th | Madison River Fishing Report

Your Madison River fishing report today is brought to you by the Beartooth Flyshop boys and the letter W. If you have been out lately you have been playing in some fun weather involving the dub, clouds, cold, rain and snow. The rainbows are in full swing with the spawn, so be careful out there not to be walking on reds. That also makes for really good fishing in the spring! Right now you will find the fish you catch will be all kinds of colored up. The upper river is fishing well, the middle stretches of the river are fishing well and the lower is also fishing very well. Wherever you go, be sure to realize while you are out there, that you are alive and in it and it’s not really the fish we are all after, it is the life and opportunities the river and fish give us.              So, the bugs…                                                

 

The Stoneflies that are working: (Squalla Stones and Regular Salmon Stones)

                        Delektable Stonefly Candy UV Black and the UV Black/Rust Sz 6

                        Delektable Mega Prince Olive Flashback and Standard Sz 6-10

                        Pats Rubber Legs Black or Brown/Black Variegated Sz 8 and 10

                        Pats Rubber Legs Olive/Black Variegated Sz 10 and 12

            The Mayflies that are out: (March Brown and BWO)

                        Delektable Lil’ Spanker Pheasant tail Sz 14 and 18

                        Delektable Lil’ Spanker Silver Sz 12 and 14

                        Pheasant tail Sz 14

                        Olive Pheasant tail Sz 14

                        Prince Nymphs Sz 12-16

            The Caddis Hatch: (Mothers Day Caddis coming up)

                        Delektable Prince Brandon Sz 16

                        Delektable CDC Prince (CH) Sz 14-16

                        Prince Nymphs Sz 14-18

                        Pheasant Tails Sz 14-18

            The Worm hatch:

                        Red Wire Worm

                        Red/Orange Wire Worm

                        Delektable Worm Red Sz 12

            The Streamer bite:

                        Trevor’s Sculpin Black

                        Trevor’s Scuplin Olive

                        Delektable Single Screamer Black/Olive

                        The One Sculpin Black

                        Sheila Sculpin

So as far as the future goes, we can expect the Mother’s Day Caddis about to pop starting on the lower working their way up. So get your dry game ready, because when its on it is really on. If you have any bug questions or questions about the Upper Madison, stop in at the Beartooth Flyshop and see us! We are OPEN 8am-6pm now and will be open later as the season starts to pick up. Feel free to give the shop a call anytime for anything!

Well, that’s it for now, get out there!

Happy Fishing!!!

-Dang