Fishing Reports Archives - Page 3 of 56

June 14th-June 22nd | Beaverhead River Fishing Report

The Beav has been hot to trot!! Low and clear flows; running at about 515cfs on the 13^th, steady rise on the 18^th to the 21^st to 650cfs and dropping back to 597cfs by the 22^nd, has made the Beaverhead right now the place to be!! The people hatch is on the rise, as a lot of areas in the state are having runoff and flooding conditions, however people are practicing fantastic fishing etiquette and there is plenty for all. Nymphing and Streamers have proved the most productive. Don’t be afraid to hop out of the boat and concentrate on runs and buckets by wade fishing. Some late afternoon and evening Caddis have been seen and during the day some hot Midge action. Hopefully this coming week we will be seeing a strong PMD hatch and hauling in some big brown action on the surface!!!

Nymphs: Firebead Rays Pink #16, Soft Hackle Sow Bug Grey #16, Tungsten BH Zebra Midge #18, BH Micro May Olive #16-#18, Split Case PMD #16-#18, TH BH Jiggy Frenchie #18, Delektable Tungsten Jig Spanker Pheasant Tail #18.

Streamers: Delektable Single Screamer Yellow #6, Zonker Yellow #6, Sculpzilla Olive/Tan #8, Conehead Streamer Olive #6.

Dries: Delektable Halo Tan & Royal #14-#16, CDC Elk Hair Caddis Tan #14-#16, X-Caddis Tan #14-#16, Blooms Parachute Caddis Tan #16.

June 20 – June 21st | Big Hole River Fishing Report

Salmonflies, Goldenstones are on in the Mighty Big Hole!!! It has moved quickly through the lower River and there is more action up high. The River is running higher but clear on the 20^th and 21^st at 4,200 cfs from Divide to Melrose. Most active place to catch during the higher water was found behind the islands on the banks and deep in the willows in the soft patches of water. The Salmonflies were prolific, but the fish were eating the Goldenstone far over the Salmonfly. As we move further through the week expect water to start dropping and as the Stones start to fade away look for the Caddis in the willows and go and catch yourself a BIG Big Hole Brown!

Dries: Dornan’s Water Walker Peanut #10-#12, Delektable Mega 2 Tone Chubbyness UV Goldrush #10, Delektable Secret Stone Salmonfly #8, Delektable Secret Stone UV Goldenstone #10, Delektable Mega 2 Tone Chubbyness UV Salmonfly #8.

Streamers: BH Dude Friendly Black/Yellow #8, Zonker Yellow or Olive #6, Delektable Screamer Single/Double Yellow, Black/Olive, Olive/Yellow #6.

June 14th-June 20th | Upper Madison River Fishing Report

What a change a few days can bring, yet alone the difference between last year and this year! Last year we were just starting Salmonflies this week and this year we are experiencing the highest flows recorded in the past 75 years. We at Beartooth Flyfishing are sending love and prayers to the areas in the state; Red Lodge, Gardiner, Livingston and numerous other towns and families, that have experienced severe flooding and hardship. We have been fortunate here that flooding has been minimal. Ruby Creek Campground and Fishing Access and Ennis Town Access have been closed due to flooding but hoping to open within the next week or two when runoff subsides. We are so very thankful for our customers and clients for working with us as we are trying to work with the current conditions of the river, which is a day to day planning adventure. At the beginning of this week the dam at Hebgen was full and NorthWestern Energy increased flows steadily throughout the week. At Kirby we saw the flows at 3,000cfs with a steady increase to the 18^th to 3,900cfs and a drop down to 3,100 by the 20^th. At Cameron the flows started this week at 5,150cfs jumped to 6,090cfs by the 18^th and dropped back down to 4,500cfs by the 20^th. With these types of flows and additionally trees and debris carried with it we have advised people to not float between Lyons and Palisades where the two lower bridges, Wolf Creek and Sun West Bridge, reside. We have had reports that Wolf Creek Bridge has a log across the middle of the bridge.

We have had trips going to the Upper Wade Fish section and doing quite well, also wade fishing has been the most productive. Due to the high and fast flows the fish are being pushed into the banks and any side channel that has calm water making targeting and fishing primarily from the bank (practice caution if wading in the water, however it isn’t necessary as the fish will be right in front of you) and with the dirtier water the fish can’t see you! So try fishing more from the bank. Nymphing, Worms, Eggs and Streamers have been the productive means of fishing and from the pictures below you can see they are biting! We at Beartooth Flyfishing are excited with the bigger flows for the long haul as we have been in a dry spell the past year and this big freestone river was in a need for water to help it through and get cleaner. For the future we are even more hopeful that the larger flows and cooler water will continue and the fish gods will grant us an endless dry fly Summer! The next two weeks we will see conditions changing, almost daily, please call us at Beartooth Flyfishing, 406-682-7525, for updates and any questions you may have! Also, starting June 24th our hours will be 7AM to 7PM Everyday!

Nymphs: Delektable Guide Stone Blk #10-#14, Delektable BH Black Stoner #6-#4, Pat’s Rubberlegs Black #4-#8, Delektable Guide Stone Black #4-#8, Delektable Mega Prince Standard #10-#16, Tungsten BH Jiggy Blow Torch #16-#14, BH Hot Orange Pheasant Tail #18-#14, BH Delektable Prince Brandon #12-#10, Delektable Lil’ Spanker Pheasant Tail #10-#14, Hot Bead Worm Red #12, Wire Worm Red #8, Delektable Worm Red or Wine #8-#12.

Streamers: Delektable Screamer Double/Stainless Steel Jointed/Single Olive/Black, Olive/Yellow, Yellow #6, Delektable Christmas Tree Black or Original #6, Eric’s Jealousy Articulated Black #4, Zonker Black #6, Sparkle Minnow Black Fish Skull #4, Willy’s Fruit Roll Up Black #10.

June 6th-June13th | Upper Madison Fishing Report

We are experiencing the calm before the runoff here in the valley for the first half of this week. However later in the week the river began to roar! The weather has been in the lower and mid 70’s earlier this week and dropping to the high 50’s by Sunday. The fishing earlier this week until Sunday has been productive as the fish are hungry. The water is the perfect off color and the “W” factor has been at a minimum. The flows started this week at 1,050 cfs at Kirby and 2,100 cfs at Cameron from the 6^th to the 9^th, however with the warmer weather on the 8^th and 9^th we started to see a dramatic increase in flows from the 10^th-13^th. The flows increased over 3 days from 1,050cfs to 2,900cfs at Kirby and 2,180cfs to 5,400cfs at Cameron. So to say that the river was dramatically impacted by the jump in flows which we are seeing mainly coming from our tributaries. By the 13^th the dam is full at Hebgen and we saw a large increase due to releasing water from the dam. Due to these changing water conditions from the first part of the week we had good conditions for floating and fishing and by the end of the week very challenging floating conditions (to impassable from Lyons Bridge to Palisades due to the inability to get under Wolf Creek Bridge and Sun West Ranch Bridge) however, good fishing wading from the banks, especially from Raynolds Bridge to Lyons Bridge, as the water rises into the banks the fish are pushed into the deeper calmer water on the banks, stack up like cordwood and are ridiculously hungry!! Early in the week we saw a very productive streamer bite but as the water became dirtier the darker color Nymphs, Leeches, Worms and Egg patterns were the ticket to big fish! The pictures, as Paul Harvey would say, tell “the rest of the story!”

Nymphs: Delektable Hammerhead STBH Holo Silver #16-#18, Delektable Prince Brandon #10-#18, Delektable Lil’ Spanker Pheasant Tail #10-#16, BH Guides Choice Hares Ear #12-#18, Delektable Guide Stone Black #10-#14, Delektable BH Black Stoner #4-#8, Tungsten BH Blow Torch #14-#18, Tungsten BH Jiggy Frenchie #14-#18.

Streamers: Delektable Single Screamer/SS Double Screamer/SS Triple Screamer Yellow, White/Olive, Black/Olive, Brown/Yellow #6, Sparkle Minnow Black Fish Skull #4, Dali Llama White/Olive #6, Zonker Yellow, White, Natural #6.

Dries: Delektable Twisted Baby Brown #10-#16, Purple Haze Split Wing Parachute #12-#16, Parachute Adams Spark Purple #12-#18, Delektable CDC Elk Hair Caddis Tan, Olive, Cinnamon #14-#18, Delektable Root Beer Float Emerger Brown #16-#18.

June 13th | Upper Madison Runoff Report

Here in the Madison Valley Mother Nature has decided it can’t hold back the big part of runoff any longer. As of this morning the Kirby station is at 2,460 cfs and the Cameron station is reading 5,100 cfs. At these flows it is not safe to float between Lyon’s Bridge and Palisades fishing access sites. YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO GET BENEATH THE SUN WEST AND WOLF CREEK BRIDGES! We have also just been notified by Northwestern Energy that they will begin to increase flows out of the Dam today to bring the Kirby station up to 3,500 cfs and keep the flow consistent at that level for the next several days. So expect the Cameron station to jump another 1,000 cfs give or take as well. These higher flows will make fishing tough as we approach peak runoff. There will not be much need to get into the water. Fish will be pushed into the banks and it’s going to be a nymphing and streamer game until things begin to subside. The Upper Madison is a challenging river to row at normal flows. With the expected higher flows please be careful out there and if you don’t have a lot of big water rowing experience it’s best to leave the boat at home right now. It only takes one mistake in big water and you can find yourself in a lot of trouble. Be smart and most of all be safe out there. Call our shop at 406-682-7525 if you have any questions to help you plan your fishing experience.

Nymphs: Delektable Guide Stone Black, Black/Brown #4-#8. Delektable Mega Prince Flashback #4-#8, Pat’s Rubberlegs Black #4-#8. Delektable Worm Red, Pink, #12. Wire Worms #8-#10. Prince Nymphs #12-#16. Formerly Known as Prince #12-#16. Lightning Bugs #12-#16. Delektable Lil’ Spanker Silver, Red, Blue, #12-#16. Delektable Jig Hook Spanker Silver, Holo Black, PMD Pale Olive, #12-#18.

Streamers: Delektable Single Screamer White, Black, Olive, Yellow, Black/Olive #6. Delektable Double Screamer Black/Olive, White, Brown/Yellow #8. Delektable SS Jointed Screamer Olive/White, Black/Olive, White. Coffey’s Sparkle Minnow Smoke, Sculpin, JJ #6. Galloup’s Dungeon Black/Olive Barred. Galloup’s Silk Kitty Black,White, Tan/White. Bow River Bugger White #6. Zonkers White, Natural, Yellow #6.

May 30th-June 5th | Upper Madison Fishing Report

Rain, Rain, Stay, Stay!! What a beautiful birth of Spring life we are seeing this week! The mid 50s-60 degree temperatures and daily rainfall have brought a complete rebirth to the Valley. Fur babies are roaming around the water ways with their protective mothers; it is best to be aware and keep your distance if and when you encounter these precious animals. The river has turned from an off-color brown to a deep green this week and is just perfect! The Madison at Kirby started this week at 1,070cfs and gradually dropped to 850cfs by the end of the week; at Cameron we saw the river at 1,800cfs at the beginning of the week, by Friday a drop to 1,200cfs and finishing with another rise at 1,700cfs by Sunday as the tributaries continue to rise and fall with the weather conditions. Fishing is always good, as for catching right now it is hit or miss . However, we have reports of tentative nibbling and missed hits. Streamers and larger nymphs have been the most productive, but we have seen some top action when the weather breaks between rain showers. The wade fish only section of the river has been the most productive with the clearer water and lower flows making it an easier wading experience. As always, we end with some great pictures, the proof is in the pudding!

Nymphs: Delektable Hurless Olive Flashback #6-#10, Pat’s Rubberlegs Black/Brown #4-#6, Delektable B.H. Black Stoner #6, Delektable Black Guide Stone #6, Delektable Prince Brandon #10-#12, Lil’ Spanker Pheasant Tail #12-#14, Delektable Hammerhead GTBH Jighead Holo Green #14, Tungsten BH Jiggy Blow Torch #14-#16, BH Hot Orange Pheasant Tail #14-#16, Delektable Lil’ Spanker Silver #16-#18, Psycho Prince GB Caddis Green #14, Delektable Jig Hook Tungsten Spanker Halo Olive #16.

Dries: Purple Haze Parachute #10-#16, Parachute Adams #10-#18, Delektable Mega2Tone Chubbyness Royal #10-#12.

Streamers: Dali Llama Olive/White #6, Zonker Natural Size #6, Delektable Double SS Screamers Olive & White/Black & Olive/Black/Olive & Yellow #8, Delektable Double/Single Screamers Black/Olive/Yellow #6-#8, SculpZilla Black #8, Sex Dungeon White/Black & Olive/Black #4.

June 2nd, 2022 | Quake Lake Fishing Report

What a special day to spend fishing with great friends!! Dan was whisked away from the shop by his good friend Sean and went in to hunt for big fish and good times at Quake Lake; they found both!! Putting in at Lake Story and motoring up to the inlet of the Madison River; fishing Beaver Creek, stripping Streamers around the big dead trees and spot fishing to risers, the lake showed it’s pre runoff glory!!! All the food groups were on the menu from Streamers to Dries to Nymphs the fish were hungry! Lower flows, slightly off color, mixed overcast and sunny conditions contributed to optimal conditions to fish before the water rises and muds up, if you can catch this brief window between ice off and runoff the day will be epic! As always the pictures tell the story far better than this author can!

Nymphs: Delektable Hurless Stone FB Olive #6, Delektable Mega Prince Standard FB #6, Delektable Lil’ Spanker Silver #18-14.

Dries: Parachute Adams #18-#14, Delektable Mega2Tone Chubbyness Royal #12

Streamers: Delektable Double SS Screamers Green/Olive #6

May 23rd- May 29th Upper Madison Fishing Report

The first signs of Runoff have hit the Valley. However, it has been slow and gentle so far. Inconsistent weather conditions in the Valley have continued throughout this week. The River is showing a distinct striping from the West Fork down. Further towards Varney and into Town we are seeing a complete off-color River. This happens to be perfect for fishing bigger Stoneflies and Nymphs, flashier droppers with larger diameter Tippet. Above the West Fork we have started to see Fish stacking up in holes and the Streamer Slinging has started to be productive!! We have had reports of 20-30 fish days on the Streamer, Slingers’ your time has arrived! The River started the week at Kirby at 650 cfs and gradually rose through the week to 1,080 cfs; at Cameron we saw a similar trend with the water at 860 cfs early in the week and it ended at 1,820 cfs. We are seeing this influx of water coming from our tributaries (West Fork, Indian Creek, Wolf Creek, Cabin Creek, Beaver Creek, Standard Creek, Moose Creek & Sheep Creek) rather from Hebgen Lake. We are very grateful to have a dedicated dam operators that are doing all that they can to conserve as much water as possible at Hebgen to keep our beloved Madison with healthy flows all Summer long! The weather that we have had this April & May has really been a life saver, we are currently sitting at 130% snowpack!! This coming week we should be seeing more rain and mid 60-degree weather, however with the cooler nights we are predicting to see a continuation of this week’s water conditions and continued fishable water!! Come see us and let us help you with your bug selection and gear, and we provide Free delicious Dark Roast Coffee and chat about Epic Fishing Days!!!

Nymphs: Delektable Mega Prince STD FB #6-#8, Delektable Hurless Stone Grey or Olive FB #6-#8, Delektable Lil’ Spanker Silver/Pheasant Tail #12-#16, BH Delektable Prince Brandon #10-#16, BH Shop Vac #14-#16, BH Hot Orange Pheasant Tail #14-#18, Delektable Hammerhead GTBH Hare’s Ear #14-#16, Delektable Stoner Egg Head Spark Plug Black/Brown #6, Delektable BH Black Stoner #6, Lightning Bug Silver #16-#18, Delektable Stonefly Candy UV Brown/Gold #4-#8, Pat’s Rubberleg Brown or Black #4-#8, Tungsten BH Jiggy Blow Torch #14-#16, Delektable Hammerhead GTBH Jighead Halo Green #14, Delektable Worm Red #8, Wire Worm Orange/Red #6.

Dries: Delektable Mega2Tone Chubbyness Royal #8-#10, Purple Haze Parachute #16-#18, Geppert Crystal Dip #16-#18, Parachute Adams #16-#18, BWO Para-Sipper #18-#20, Three Dollar Crystal Dip GB #16, Delektable BWO Teaser #18, Delektable Royal Squeezer #18-#20.

Streamers: Coffey’s BH Sparkle Minnow Sculpin #6, Delektable Screamer Single or Double Olive, Yellow, Black, or Spawning #8, Zonker Natural/Copper #6-#8, Sculpzilla Olive #8, Sparkle Minnow Fish Skull Black #8, Slump Buster Black #8.

May 24th, 2022 Henry’s Fork Fishing Report

Some of the Beartooth Family got to play hooky in search of Salmon Flies on the Henry’s Fork from Warm River to Ashton ANNNNNNNDD… too early!!! We spotted a handful of Salmon Flies but just not enough in the air to get the fish to bite, we tried! The River is running at 1,320cfs a little off color but definitely lower flows on Tuesday. We experienced a cooler upstream wind for most of the day and varying overcast and sunny conditions. The Fish gave us a challenge regarding what they wanted to eat. As we were inclined to give dries the most attention; there were Midges, Blue-Winged Olives and Caddis Hatches, however the Fish wanted the Subsurface Nymphs. We did see a few rises throughout the day however our Flies were snubbed. We were still able to catch some good Fish, the photos tell the rest of the story.

Nymphs: Pat’s Rubberleg Brown #4, Delektable Stonefly UV Brown/Gold #6, Formerly Known As Prince #14 & #16, BH Delektable Prince Brandon #12 & #14, Delektable Lil’ Spanker Silver #8, Delektable Lil’ Spanker Pheasant Tail #14 & #16.

Streamers: Delektable Stainless Steel Jtd Screamer Olive/White, Black, Yellow #6, Delektable Christmas Tree Original, Olive, Black #6, Zonker Black #8, Bloom’s Zig Hook Zirdle Olive/Orange #10.

May 17th-May 22nd Upper Madison River Fishing Report

Montana Spring has many surprises, mostly the weather! This week started with temperatures in the high 60s, snow by Friday melted later in the day, and a full-blown blizzard on Sunday. The river showed some signs of runoff with the West Fork kicking in mud with the higher temperatures early in the week however the cooler temps turned that off as quickly as it turned on and the river was running clear by Sunday. We saw fluctuations in the river this week starting out with flows at Kirby at 750cfs up to 980cfs by mid-week and coming back down to 715cfs. There was a similar pattern for Cameron as well 860cfs at the beginning of the week, 1,300cfs by midweek, and dropping to 900cfs by Sunday. The changing conditions have made some days challenging for catching but alternatively have made other days amazing!

We were very excited and honored this week to host students and teachers from the Nueva School in Hillsborough, California on a guided float on the Upper Madison. The kids have been learning about fly-fishing and practicing casting at school; they put their preparation and knowledge to the test on Thursday. The “W” and temp factor added some special variables. As for their experience, the pictures tell the best story!

Nymphs: Delektable Mega Prince STD FB #6-#8, Delektable Hurless Stone Gray/Olive FB #6-#8, Delektable Lil’ Spanker Silver/Pheasant Tail #12-#16, Delektable Prince Brandon #10-#16, BH Shop Vac #14-#16, BH Hot Orange Pheasant Tail #14-#18, Delektable Hammerhead GTBH Hare’s Ear #14-#16, Delektable Stoner Egg Head Spark Plug Black/Brown #6, Delektable BH Black Stoner #6, Lightning Bug Silver #16-#18.

Dries: Delektable Mega 2Tone Chubbyness Royal #8-#10, Purple Haze Parachute #16-#18, Geppert Crystal Dip #16-#18, Parachute Adams #16-#18, BWO Para-Sipper #18-#20, Three Dollar Crystal Dip GB #16, Delektable BWO Teaser #18, Delektable Royal Squeezer #18-#20.

Streamers: Coffey’s BH Sparkle Minnow Sculpin #6, Delektable Screamer Single/Double Olive/Yellow/Black/Spawning #6, Zonker Natural/Copper #6-#8, Sculpzilla Olive #8, Sparkle Minnow Fish Skull Black #8, Slump Buster Black #8.