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Last Updated: 6/20/2008 The Yellowstone | Spring Creeks | Madison | Private/Local Lakes
Yellowstone RiverCFS @ Lamar River | CFS @ Corwin Springs | CFS @ Carter's
The Yellowstone is flowing hard again, increasing from 18,000 to 21,500. There are several opinions when the Yellowstone will be fishing. I think that the 1st week of July the Yellowstone will have just enough visibility (about a foot) for streamer fisherman and guys who want to catch the salmonflies even in the mud. The fish will be tucked in tight to the willows and you might loose some flies, but if someone is going to catch a big fish it will be early, as soon as the Stone starts to clear. For guides and guided trips a more conservative guess on when to fish the Yellowstone is around the middle of July. By then the Stone should be clear and ready to go for the rest of the season. It is going to be an incredible hopper / dropper year so hit the vice while the you can and stalk up on some of your own secret weapons...
The tributaries of the Stone are starting to mud up again due to the recent hot weather. As of 6/18, the Boulder, Stillwater, and Shields are all muddy again with 6 inches or less of visibility. You could float them anyway, but it's a long drive with gas being as high as it is...
We'll be on the look out for Salmonflies early this year, but right now our guess for the hatch is the 1st week of July. We'll probably see some big nymphs here in a couple of weeks, but the river will probably be too muddy to fish effectively. As guides who have been on the river for over 10 years know, we might not have any fishing for the salmonfly hatch this year. There should still be room for us to hike into the park to find clear water and big bugs however...
Paradise Valley Spring Creeks The PMD's are finally popping on the creeks now. The first PMD’s of the season to appear are the largest – the Ephemerella Infrequens, which are imitated with duns that average size 16 but often look as large as 14’s. Rene’ Harrop’s PMD No-Hackle in a size 16 with a big gray wing silhouette and pale olive body is a perfect imitation. For more information check out George's PMD article.
A few customers of ours fished the Armstrong's on 6/20 and had a banner day. They said it was the first day that the PMD hatch was thick, and that the fish were taking in duns quite well. Earlier in the week they had better luck on ants then PMD's. It looks like the best fishing on the creeks is finally here. During this period, angler's will experience blanket PMD hatches and some of the very best dry fly fishing in the state. Although the creeks are almost always booked from June 20th until July 15, cancellations do occur and we can help get you on the "backup" list...
The MadisonCFS Below Ennis Lake near McAllister
It's official - Salmonflies are in the house. CFS is hanging around 3,370, which means we should have some good fishing. Don't expect to be alone however... Once the Salmonfly dries get going there's going to be some traffic. For now the focus is on salmonfly nymphs. Stock up on rubber legs variations like Hogan's Rock 'N Roller, a big orange and black Pat's rubberleg, Bitch Creeks, Black real Stones, Flashback Mega princes, and the like. Might as well fish a salmonfly dry for your indicator, dropping your nymph about 4 feet off the dry. This rig won't be easy to cast but you're hook up rate should be better fishing this way. Crayfish and Sculpin are still working as well, so streamer fisherman can always dead drift with a rubber leg dropper. Looks like the forecast for this week is calling for 78 and possible thunderstorms in the afternoons. Bright days on the Lower can be brutal, so watch the weather and if it looks bright go early or fish late.
The Real Black Stone is a great Salmonfly nymph pattern. If you roll some rocks and find some nymphs, you'll notice how dark they are - almost black. Search through your box of big bugs and see what you have that looks similar - as long as you put the fly in the right spot and get a good drift, you should be action.
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 catch a lunker. 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.
McKnight with another slab rainbow... Photo: Derek DeYoung 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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