Tag: nymphs

April 20th – 24th | Smith River Fishing Report

Oh Boy, OH Boy, OH BOY!! Do we get to talk about a special place today The Smith River in Montana. Kevin recently got to go down as a lucky winner of The Smith River lottery permit system. The start date of his permit was on April 20th and he decided to do it as a 5 day and 4 night trip. He knew what the river could be like as he had been down it twice. Once when the flows were perfect and the water was a dirty brown color but perfect flow of 400 cfs(cubic feet per second). His second time was slightly unlucky and run off kicked into full effect and the river went from 1000 cfs to 2500 cfs. While that trip fished it barely fished. This time was different he was now going under the conditions of very low water. The cfs flow for the whole week clocked in around 160 cfs.  Now this is a fishing report, but the goal of the smith river is to enjoy the present, make it out safely and to try to enjoy the cliff walls. It is pretty hard not to enjoy the present for what it is but for those that need to catch fish here we go.

Let us get into the nitty gritty of the fishing game he was seeing on this river while he was there. Well, we all know Kevin who loves his dry flies and that is where we are going to start. He watched his mom catch the first fish on a dry and his first time even seeing flies on surface being eaten on this magical river. He started off with a Water Walker in olive and tested a few Chubbies as well in olive and black. Everything he tried on the surface was eaten at some point, but you must be patient as not every hole wanted to eat the foam. He did see a few Midges, Mayflies, and even a few Skwalas everyday but not enough to make holes turn into a perfect dry fly heaven. He is sure if you had a second Dry Fly following your main piece of foam, being a Midge pattern or Mayfly pattern of sorts, they would have been eaten by some fish.  You would have had to be patient again. Instead, he went for a Dry Dropper style to produce more fish.

After you get bored with that set up and you really want a challenge for a fish it is time to go to Streamers. Kevin used his own creations, but they resemble something along the lines of a Silk Kitty and Sex Dungeon. While he was there, he used only two colors Olive and White. Olive had a few looks but never any commitment from the fish. He was frustrated by this lack of commitment from the fish, so he went to White to trigger more promising strikes. It worked but the strikes were still far and few between.  Other people were around Kevin at the start of The Smith River journey that were fishing streamers as well. The color they informed him with was Black and Olive. He never got a fly, but Streamers are never about the fly as they are about the color or colors of the day.

Time for the last way to catch fish Nymphing. Kevin said it was incredibly easy and with any cast it could catch a fish. He mainly performed this act in the morning and night when he was cooking and waiting for the pot to boil. Many campsites come with perfect buckets filled with fish and he found this to be the most effective way to wait. He caught fish on flies such as the Zirdle in Olive, Lightning Bug in Silver, Wire Worms in Red, Pats Rubber Legs in Black and Purple, Hot Spot Jig Pheasant Tail, and Three Dollar Dip in Pearl.

               

 

 

 

 

All in all the trip is an experience and a full blown adventure it doesn’t matter if the river is low or high it is always recommended.  To anyone who loves the places Trout take them as you follow them across the globe. You would enjoy this place at the end of the day because it is not the size of the Trout or how many Trout you caught but the places the Trout take you. You get to enjoy these precious fish as they entertain you under some of the most magnificent cliffs that are ever changing, glow under perfect sunlight, and are seemingly endless during a forty mile stretch of the Smith River.  If you ever have a chance to go on the smith don’t blink just say yes and when.

 

 

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 

        

 

August 7th – 13th|Madison River Fishing Report

The Upper Madison is flowing at 1030 c.f.s. below Hebgen Lake, 1190 c.f.s. at Kirby Ranch and 1220 at Varney Bridge. The forecast calls for some much needed scattered thunder storms over the next few days with night time low temps in the 40s. We’re looking forward to kicking the dry heat for a while.

 

Our best action lately has been on dry flies. Spruce moths, ants and grasshoppers are picking fish up throughout the river. For the hoppers I’ve been doing well a with peach or pink body color. Morrish hoppers, white clouds and yeti hoppers have been a few of my favorites. Delektable twisted X has been our go to spruce moth pattern with some of the bigger elk hairs or Goddards are doing the trick as well, most of the spruce moths will be found between Pine Butte and Palisades. Small 409’s, Hippie Stompers and Delektable flying ants are working well, ants are seeing the bulk of the action most days.

Nymphing is picking up after a bit of a tough week last week. The river isn’t handing fish out like it was in June and July but if you’re willing to work for them they’ll eat. Smaller Pat’s Rubberlegs in brown or olive/brown, Princes, Lightning Bugs and Silver Delektable Lil’ Spankers are all doing the job at the right time.

 

Streamer fishing is picking up and smaller sculpin patterns have been the ticket. Fish have been moving out from the banks and all around boulders. Morrish’s Sculpin, Trina’s Belly Dancer, Silvey’s Sculpin and The Delektable Screamer have all been getting some attention in addition to Shiela. Either dead drift them into boulder pockets or strip them off the bank and you should see some results.

It’s been a great season so far and we’re looking forward to what the rest of the summer brings! Be sure to call or stop by for ant more tips you may need.

Brian, Kevin, and the Delektable Crew

July 24th-30th|Madison River Fishing Report

Thanks to everyone who came out to the shop to support the children for our Montana Hope Project fundraiser, we had a very successful turn out and donations are still rolling in already exceeding last year’s totals! It was incredible to see so many of our friends come together for such a great cause. And the food was great! Also, thanks to Elle from Elles Belles for providing some incredible desserts. Yumm!

As we transition into August the fishing is doing exactly what you’d expect with terrestrials really starting to come into play. Fish are showing a serious interest in flies like the red Delektable Flying Ant, Yeager’s 409, Grillo’s royal Hippie Stomper and the Hi-Vis Foam Beetle. There are still some PMDs kickin’ around up river as well, fishing the spinners in the evening has produced some quality fish. Spruce Moths have also been picking up fish in the shape of Delektable Twisted X tan/brown or bigger tan Elk Hairs.

 

Under the surface things are typical for the Madison, bead heads work. Some of our most productive flies have been the Delektable C.D.C. Baby, flashback Hare’s Ears, Prince’s, Delektable Silver Lil’ Spankers, Lightning Bugs and smaller Olive/Brown Pat’s Rubberlegs. The tail end of the ten day forecast looks like it’s going to be cooling off a bit with highs in the upper 70’s and lower 80’s which will be a pleasant change of pace.

The streamer fishing has been picking up overall but is still best during the cooler starts and ends of the day with dead drifting being the way to go during the afternoon. My best pattern is still the Olive/Black Delektable Screamer but Mini Loops, Trevor’s Sculpins and McCune’s are getting the job done as well.

 

 

Be sure to stop in and get your free Italian coffee and all the bugs you need before getting out on the water!

Brian, Kevin, and the Delektable Crew

July 17th-23rd|Madison River Fishing Report

 

We’re looking forward to seeing everyone this Saturday and Sunday from noon to 6 p.m. for the Montana Hope Project fundraiser here at the shop. In other news it’s been another good week of fishing here on the Upper Madison. Flows are still well above average for this time of year and the fish seem to be enjoying all the extra space. They’re spread throughout the entire river, even out in the heaviest current. 

 

The brown trout have really started to show an interest in sculpin patterns this past week. We’ve been getting them to come out for Delektable Screamers in olive/black and badger as well as Trevor’s Sculpin in olive. They seem to be into a pretty fast strip for the most part but I’ve managed to pick a couple up on the swing in the middle of the river too.  

 

The bead-head stuff has been very successful most days. They were all over the pearl Lightning Bug (size #16) today. We’re also seeing some good action on Prince Nymphs, Electric Caddis pupa and rainbow warriors for the small stuff. Nocturnal stonefly shucks have been appearing on the banks in the morning so it most likely won’t be a bad bet to run a tan/brown Pat’s Rubberleg or a Delektable Braided Stone in the same colors along with one of the small bugs. 

 

The surface action has been good, but much tougher in the middle of the day. Some ants should be able to get something’s attention during and I’ve seen few fish come after hoppers recently as well. PMDs are still around and fish have been taking them in the mornings in the form of the Purple Craze, Adams flies, and Sparkle Duns all on a size #16 hook and again in the evening as rusty spinners. There’s still some good caddis fishing to be had in the evenings as well. I’ve still been having luck on the Delektable Halo with the peacock body in a size #16. 

 

We’ll be in the shop 7a.m.-7p.m. 7 days next week so be sure to stop by and tell some fish stories or get some up to the minute advice on how to have a great experience on the water.

July 10th-16th|Madison River Fishing Report

 

 

 

 

 

The Upper Madison is flowing at 1180 c.f.s. below Hebgen and 1490 c.f.s. at Kirby Ranch and fishing well throughout. We’re looking forward to the forecasted cooler nights combined with the intermittent precipitation we’ve had to keep the water temps down at a healthy level.

 

A few of our local rivers have “hoot owl” fishing restrictions, they are as follows: The Big Hole River from Saginaw bridge to the mouth of the North fork and from Notch Bottom to the confluence with the Beaverhead,    The Lower Beaverhead River from Anderson Lane to the confluence with the Big Hole,    The Lower Madison River from Ennis Dam to the mouth,    The Lower Gallatin River from the confluence with the Madison to Sheds Bridge,   The East Gallatin River from Spring Hill Rd Bridge to the confluence with the Gallatin  and last but not least,  The entire Jefferson River. These locations will be closed to fishing from 2 p.m. until midnight as long as water temps remain high.

 

 The fish are fighting extremely hard so bring your a-game if you want to land them. Salmon flies and golden stoneflies are a thing of the past at this point but the Ants, Caddis and PMD’s are doing just fine at getting the fish’s attention.

 

Dry fly fishing is still best in the evening but we’ve also been sucking them up in the middle of the day on the #16 Bloom’s Stealth Ant. They’re still on the caddis in the evening as well as the spinners. To imitate those we’ve been using Delektable C.D.C. Elk Hair Caddis Tan #16 and the Goddard Caddis in size #16. For the mayflies it’s the Parachute Rusty Spinner or a Parachute Adams in either #14 or #16. 

 

As always nymphing is the way to go in the middle of these bright and hot days we’ve been having. Some of our guys have been picking fish up on #10 olive brown Pat’s Rubberlegs but other than that they’ve been on the small bugs. #14 Princes, #16 Hare’s Ears, #16 gold Lightning Bugs and some #14 Shop Vacs and a variety of PMD or Yellowstone or Yellow Sally Nymphs should be plenty to get the job done any time of day.    

 

Streamer fishing has been on the tough side, haven’t heard of much coming for the big stuff but we have had a few good reports on the small stuff. Swinging small sculpin patterns will probably be your best bet if you’re looking for a meat-eater. I’d recommend tan Zonkers, natural Sculpzillas or a Sheila’s Sculpin and get out there early while water temps are low. 

 

Lastly, don’t forget to come by the shop next weekend for our fundraiser for the Montana Hope Project. Great food, good people, fly tying and casting clinics all for an amazing cause. That’s Saturday the 29th and Sunday the 30th. Dan’s going to be making elk chili and Marty will have his famous Cajun Gumbo as well as some fantastic deserts from the Country Bumpkin Bakery and Elle’s Belles. All proceeds will go straight to the foundation in addition to a percentage of all retail in the shop. We hope to see you there!

Brian, Kevin, and the Delektable Crew

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.    

June 19th – 25th|Madison River Fishing Report

Welcome to SUMMER!!! 

 

Our wonderful summer has started with a MASSIVE grand opening thanks to our great friends and flawless family the SALMON FLIES, GOLDEN STONES, Caddis flies, and May flies. The weather is ideal for fishing. So it is time to ditch those waders and boots and go for the river sandals and wet wade. The river is flowing out of Hebgen Dam at a CFS of 1280 and 1820 CFS at Kirby. The river is crystal clear on the upper sections; the runoff is gone and the fish can see everything. The river is still a touch above normal but not overflowing onto the banks, making them very walkable again. THE TIME FOR FISHING IS NOW!!

 

How would I approach the river you may ask? Great question, and I bet you can guess on your first try. Yup! Dry fly season is here; come one and all! Everyone is invited to the spectacle that is dry fly fishing, with the best of all the dry fly circus spectacles here, the Salmon flies. If you want to see monster eats and toilet-bowl flushes , start with the Delektable Chubbyness Little Yellow Stone #14-16, Dan’s Secret Salmon #6, Delektable Secret Goldenstone #6, and Delektable Mega 2-Tone Chubbyness Orange #6. These have been our best produces for those fat U Boats (Brown Trout). At the same time, Caddis flies have been equally crushing some serious U Boats, as the BOMBER Caddis are hatching along the whole river. Trust me the caddis are bombing the water kamakaze style and giving fish their life. Our personal best and favorite dries for these are the Delektable CDC Elk Hair Caddis olive, holographic olive, and tan #14, Delektable Twisted X Tan/Brown, Purple #14, Bloom’s Parachute Caddis Dark Olive #14, and the Delektable Twisted Sister Tan/Brown #14.

These fish are still wreaking havoc under the surface. Since the arrival of the Salmon flies, the stonefly nymphs have been providing large numbers of quality fish. Caddis and Mayfly nymphs have been doing just as great. The small dropper is like a great cheese with your cheese 
burger; but this cheese burger is meant to be feed to fish and get that perfectly bent rod. Our favorite “cheeses” are the Delektable Stoner #6, Pat’s Rubber Legs #8, Delektable Mega Prince with and without flash #6, Delektable CDC Baby #12-16, Psycho Prince Yellow #14-16, Shop Vac #16-18, Delektable Sure Strike Peacock and Yellow/Peacock #14-16, Lightning Bug in pearl, purple, and silver #16, Delektable Lil’ Spanker in PT, silver, and gold #14-16, and Delektable Hammer Head Prince #14-16.

As for the steak bite, a.k.a., the streamer bite, that has slowed down quite a bit. The great news, however, is that our great leader NANCY has figured out a pattern that works and that is our other great leader’s pattern the Delektable Badger Screamer.

 

This is how we have been catching fish throughout the day; if you follow these rules surely you’ll have that necessary grin on your face and the rod tip bent towards a fish. Now go out, have fun, enjoy the view and river, and most of all catch fish.