montana fly shops Archives - Page 8 of 13

What weather we’ve been having late this season! Some may wish for the weather to get nasty and fish streamers but the rest of us are enjoying the hopper fishing into October! Flows have been steady at about 1,000 C.F.S. at Kirby. We’ve seen some more insect hatches lately which does suggest fall is here regardless of the daytime high temperatures indicating otherwise. Baetis, BWOs, Caddis and Midges can all be found throughout the river.

Dry fly fishing has been pretty decent especially with terrestrials in the afternoon but don’t be afraid to trail a little Purple Haze, Elk Hair Caddis or Adams behind some of your favorite terrestrial or attractor patterns. We’ve caught fish on Delektable Secret Stones, Delektable Chubbyness, Micro Water Walkers, More-Or-Less Hoppers, and Ants.

Nymph fishing has been just what you’d expect from the Madison, productive. Delektable Lil’ Spankers, Serendipities, Prince Nymphs, Lightning Bugs, Wire Worms, RS2s, Green Machines and Zebra Midges have all been getting it done.

The streamer bite has been a little tough but showing big rewards to those who commit. Mornings are usually best and our best luck has been on darker sculpin imitations. Delektable Screamers, Sheila’s Sculpins, Bow River Buggers, Bond’s Dragons and Zonkers are some good options.

September 13th – 19th | Madison River Fishing Report

Flows came up about 100 C.F.S. from Hebgen Dam which is great. Fishing has been overall a bit inconsistent but we’re still getting some good ones. As the fish get used to the bump in water flows we expect to see more consistency but it’s also a bit of a transitional time around here as fall creeps in so anything can happen.

The dry fly fishing has been on the tougher side but those who have stuck with it have caught some fish. Small Delektable Chubbyness flies, the new Delektable Lil’ Chubby, Thunder Thighs Hoppers, Delektable Flying Ants, Elk hair Caddis and Purple Hazes have all seen some success.

Nymph fishing has been pretty good as one would expect. Pat’s Rubberlegs, Jig Hook Lightning Bugs, Delektable Lil’ Spankers, Psycho Princes, $3 Dips, Green Machines, Princes and Worms have all been good options.

As we inch closer to everyone’s favorite month to fish Streamers, people are coming into the shop with more and more big fish stories. Flies like Galloup’s Silk Kitty, Galloup’s Dungeon, Delektable Screamers, McCune’s Sculpins, Trevor’s Sculpins and Zonkers are all good. Have fun out there fishing!

August 30th – September 12th | Madison River Fishing Report

The Terrestrials have still been good! Water levels are a little down so watch your boat placement if you’re floating below McAtee. We’ve had some interesting weather, the fishing got tough for a couple days after the snow and came right back to normal after that.

The streamer fishing has improved some with fish starting to act a little more aggressive. We’ve caught fish on Zonkers, Galloup’s Silk Kitty, Sculpzillas, JR’s Conehead, McCune’s Sculpins, Trevor’s Sculpins, Bow River Buggers, and Silvey’s Sculpins so buy some of those and catch some fish!

Dry fly fishing has been relatively inconsistent like we mentioned above, that cold snap put the Terrestrial fishing down for a couple days but we’ve still managed to get some nice ones to eat on the surface. Delektable Secret Stones, More-or-less Hoppers, Thunder Thighs Hoppers, small Delektable Chubbyness and Delektable CDC Elk Hair Caddis have all seen some success.

Nymph fishing has been what you’d expect from the Madison, the way to catch ‘em. The usual suspects like Pat’s Rubberlegs, Delektable Lil Spankers, Lightning Bugs, Princes and $3 Dips are still getting it done.

Fall is finally knockin on the door and it’ll bring some great fishing opportunities with it so dig out the cold weather gear and get ready!

August 16th – 22nd | Madison River Fishing Report

Water flows have been pretty stable right at historic average levels for a couple weeks now. Smoke from wildfires across the country have filled the valley with smoke which has certainly affected sunlight. We think the grasshoppers are starting to miss the bright sun but most of us fishermen are okay with a little break from it. Some are more impacted by the air quality. Be careful if you are.

Dry fly fishing has been good overall but the Ants have been a bit more consistent than the Hoppers for the last few days. Flies like the Delektable UV Cinnamon Chubbyness, Delektable Flying Ants, Bloom’s Stealth Ants, Yeager’s 409s, Grillo’s Hippie Stompers, Dornan’s Water Walkers, and several other Attractor Dry flies should get you some fish.

Nymphing is your best bet to get a few fish in the morning until about noon time. Delektable Lil’ Spankers, Formerly Known as Princes, Green Machines, smaller Pat’s Rubberlegs, Jig Lightning Bugs and Perdigons are good choices weather they’re trailed behind a streamer, dropped under a hopper or fished in tandem with each other under the Bobber.

Streamers have been fishing okay early and late in the day. Dead drifting smaller patterns with a nymph trailer is probably the best way to get ‘em. Zonkers, Bow River Buggers, Mini Loops, Trevor’s Sculpins, Mini Dungeons and Delektable Screamers should be about all you need out there to get a couple. Have fun fishing!

July 20th | Big Hole Fishing Report

July 12th – 18th | Madison River Fishing Report

Well, well, well… what a difference a week can make. The fishing has been a bit less consistent as the stonefly hatches have tapered off. There have been plenty of good fish caught they are just making you work for them a bit more.

Dry fly fishing has been a bit tougher during the day but the early and late hatches have still been good with the PMDs and Caddis. Hoppers and Ants have been just starting to pick up a fish here and there and we only expect that to get better as time goes on. Delektable Halos, Bloom’s Parachute Caddis, Purple Hazes, Thunder Thighs and Delektable Flying Ants are all good dry flies.

The nymphs have been doing all the heavy lifting out there this week. We’ve mostly been running 2 small nymphs under the bobber to get the most action. Delektable Ranch PMDs, Delektable Lil Spankers, Lightning Bugs, Psycho Princes, Princes, $3 Dips, Shop Vacs and Bloom’s Weight Fly have all been doing well out there.

Streamer fishing has been improving with some nice fish being caught on sculpin imitations, mostly in the mornings. Delektable Screamers, Trevor’s Sculpins, McCune’s Sculpins and Zonkers have been the winners of the week.

For anyone who hasn’t heard Montana has issued a mandatory mask mandate for all public spaces and businesses so when you come to the fly shop please be prepared to follow the rules with us. Wearing masks or facial cloth covers is also required when doing outdoor activities if less than 6 Foot distancing occurs and also while riding with others in automobiles. Thanks in advance for helping.

July 11th | Beaverhead River Fishing Report

June 16th – 28th | Madison River Fishing Report

We are catching up with our reports and getting into the flow of fishing, hatches, people in the shop, and more.

Things are really heating up around the valley, especially the bug hatches. Little Caddis, big Caddis aka Bomber Caddis, PMDs, aaand of course Salmon Flies! We are seeing Salmon flies through a large stretch of river, pretty much from just above Ennis up to Palisades or so. The Caddis are throughout the entire river in a variety of sizes and colors and the PMDs are mostly below Varney. The forecasted weather is likely to slow the hatches down a bit but when the sun comes out expect it to be game on. In the meantime, the nymphing and streamer fishing should be great.

Under the surface we’ve seen success on many variations and sizes of prince nymphs as well as the Delektable CDC Baby, Delektable Lime Juice, Delektable Lil’ Spanker, Delektable Hammerhead including Jig Hooks, Delektable Sure Strike, Delektable Mega Prince, Shop Vac, Copper John, $3 Dip, Lemon Drop, GB Superflash Yellow, PMD Nymphs, and of course Pat’s Rubberlegs Black, Olive/Brown, Black/Brown, & Brown. The double small nymph game has been working in addition to a big nymph trailed by a small nymph. Depending on the flows, you may need to add weight.

As for the dry flies.. Delektable Secret Stoneflies, Delektable Mega Chubbyness, Dornan’s Water Walkers, and Morrish’s Fluttering Stone are all good choices for the big bugs. As for the Caddis you’ll wanna fish Delektable CDC Elk Hairs, Delektable Halos, Bloom’s Para Caddis, or the Delektable Twisted Baby. Purple Hazes, Adams Flies and Comparaduns are the way to go for PMDs.

Streamer fishing has been variable with the weather and water flow but we’ve had some success on Delektable Screamers, Bond’s Dragon, Zonkers and Mini Loop Sculpins have picked up a few fish. Best to try trailing an emerger behind it.