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Last Updated: 5/23/2008 The Yellowstone | Spring Creeks | Madison | Private/Local Lakes
Yellowstone RiverCFS @ Lamar River | CFS @ Corwin Springs | CFS @ Carter's
The Yellowstone has dropped a lot in the last few days... down to 11,000 from 22,300 CFS. That cold weather (and rain) really helped in terms of holding off the sand bags. The Yellowstone usually will peak twice, so thankfully we are through round one without any serious property damage. The river did overflow on 9th street, (just after the I-90 underpass) between the channels. It was designed to do that, in order to equal out the two channels. Unless your a seriously skilled kayaker, I would skip floating the stone for a while. There's just too many big logs coming down that could sneak up on your boat in a hurry. If you have to fish the stone, go for on foot. Fish in shallow water near the edge and look for good holding water where the current would funnel food towards a big brown. Also keep big back eddies in mind - especially if you're into dunking garden hackles...
Check out our day by day account on the 2008 Caddis Hatch
Paradise Valley Spring Creeks
This is an interesting time of year for the creeks, since the baetis hatches are thinning down and the PMD's have not yet begun. Mayfly nymphs like the sawyer style pheasant tail become guide staples this time of year, since the fly will look like any small mayfly nymphs: baetis, PMD's, sulfers... You'll also see a mix of sparkle scuds and midge larva in the guides' boxes. Red, cream, white, green, tan, and black midge larva all will do the trick. No reel trick to the sparkle scuds, there are quite a few out there now. Just try to get the smaller light grey/tan ones. If you can't find them, we have them here at the shop. Spring creek leeches are on the menu, as are smaller sculpin patterns and buggers. Although the best fishing will be during the PMD hatch, (try to get a rod for late June/early July 2009 and see what happens), right now is still great fishing. The fact that the creeks have clear water and consistent fishing make them an excellent choice right now. Stop by the shop and we'll hook you up with one of George's hand drawn maps and highlight a few honey holes for you...
The MadisonCFS Below Ennis Lake near McAllister
The caddis have been popping better in the evening, so from 4:30 on is your best shot at some good dry fly fishing. Any kind of Hi-vis Elk Hair caddis make for a great lead fly/indicator. For dry droppers try a Hemingway or Henryville, Butch Caddis, or even a little olive stimi. The bigger fish are still going to be looking crayfish and sculpin.
The flows have gotten pretty high lately on the Lower Maddy, and it would be nice to see things level out for a few days. A lot of the guides we work with actually prefer a heavier flow on the Lower, but a little consistency never hurts. I guess we'll just have to play with the cards we're being dealt and hope for the best. If you want more constancy and a better chance at an epic day of fishing, it would be better to drive to the Missouri, the Bighorn, or try one of the Private Lakes we fish...
As for the Upper Madison, the only good fishing is the wade fishing up by 3 dollar bridge. The fishing up there has been pretty good, but below that the feeder creeks are bringing too much mud to float.
Local and Private Lakes
Lake fishing is not for everyone, but for those of us who enjoy it, now is one of the BEST times to go out and catch a big fish. Save some money by eating at home this month and put your extra cash towards a rod fee on one of the private lakes we book. These lakes are a true testament to Simms' new bumper sticker, "What's the weather forecast? Who Cares." Even with gusts up to 48 mph wind we crushed 'em up at Burns. Doug and his wife were fishing one of the exclusive lakes we have access to on a bright-blue bird day and was into big fish all day long. A lot of folks wouldn't be caught dead paying a rod fee, but if you are looking to maximize your fishing results and minimize wasted efforts, you should consider checking out some of these properties. You won't be disappointed!
Butch Craig holds up a nice Brookie from Burn's Lake Burn's Lake is located outside of Big Timber, heading towards Harlowtown. It is truly a phenomenal fishery. Mr. Burn's has down a great job at keeping the lake population healthy, with different age classes of Brookies, rainbows, and cutthroat. There are even a natural browns in the lake that push 5 - 8 pounds! (They don't get caught all that often, but every year someone fools the big ones). The rod fee is $100 per person, with limited rods available each day.
Doug McKnight holding up a Sitz Ranch bullet rainbow (photo: Derek DeYoung) Sitz Ranch is located near Harrison, a little less than an hour from downtown Bozeman. Here you'll find some real hogs, including rainbows, browns, and a few brookies. You also have 4 lakes to choose from, including a 125 acre lake. The best lake is actually one of the smaller lakes - a 15 acre lake with a deep trench full of hungry fish. The rod fee here is $75.00 per person, limited to one group of people each day.
There are plenty of public lakes in the area to choose from as well. We won't list them here on the web, since many of these places you probably already fish yourself, and the last thing you want is us telling other people about your favorite spots! If you come to us with the name of somewhere you'd like to fish, we won't steer you wrong however. We've been fishing a lot of lakes around the state and can tell you what has (and hasn't) been working for us. Stop by the shop or give us a call... |
Related Links: Archived Fishing Reports
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