Well she’s at it again.  Sandy considers herself a fair-weather fisher person.  In other words, she patiently waits in a yoga studio on her days off from teaching, until I arrive home with “big fish” reports.  She then allows me to organize the boat equipment and float her down a fishy stretch as long as the sun is out most of the time and the wind is at a minimum. There is a formula that I have developed over the years “reading into” water levels and weather predictions to satisfy Sandy’s requirements.  Sandy has built this strategy over the years after a few uncomfortable trips spent in gale force winds, downpours, and blizzards.  The dogs appreciate this too, since they lounge in the back of the boat soaking up the rays, sniffing and licking each fish brought to net. I don’t blame her, it’s a brilliant plan and I’m not sure why I insist in fishing through the “Suffer Fest” some days.  I guess I appreciate a warm truck, dry clothes and/or a nip of whiskey much more after fighting through bad weather potentials.  Anyway, Sandy considers herself a bona fide streamer fisherwoman, only targeting large specimens that can’t help themselves from charging out from an overhanging bush or bank establishing territorial boundaries.  Though streamer fishing isn’t considered a delicate and precise approach it is very exciting way to fish.  Even when the fish aren’t actually taking the presentation, they still rush the streamer exposing them just long enough for the angler to receive an explosion of excitement satisfying everybody in the boat lucky enough to catch a glimpse of what might have been.  This is also a great way to target brown trout, since they have school yard bully disposition.

The weather has been mild for the tail end of winter.  Spring like conditions has allowed us to camp and float already.  Bug hatches are already seasoning the water’s surface all over southwest Montana, creating a “buzz” in fair-weather fisherman that are usually spending their time on the slopes charging the last bit of powder skiing available.  In between Sandy’s streamer sessions, I’ve been able to stop the boat and stalk rising trout. This has been one of the better midge hatches that I can remember in the past few years.  Conditions have allowed each pool to present a different challenge.  Some pools have fully exposed trout snouts indicating that they are probably eating midge mating clusters which is my favorite because it actually requires a skating presentation.  Other pools seem vacant at first, until you stare for a bit.  At first you might think you’re just seeing things or you might think it’s just a riffle but when slowed down you notice a bulge accompanied by a dorsal or a tail fin. This indicates that the fish are probably eating emerging midges caught in the surface film.  With limited patience, I like to split the difference, approaching each pod with a dry dropper combination.  Sandy, on the other hand, prefers not to complicate things and crashes her streamer down and rips it directly through the middle of the pod.  I don’t blame her, she usually gets one and it’s usually the dominant fish of the bunch.

All that said its time to head into the attic or gear room and bust out the fly rod.  Summer is just around the corner now and it’s never too early to start building muscle memory in those wrists and forearms.  Practice is the only way to improve distance and accuracy. Trust me the guides will thoroughly appreciate this as well as you will.  Instead of spending our time on the side of the river untying beautiful macramé, we will be netting and hoisting a lot more.  There is only just over a month until the Firehole Ranch season begins so, if you haven’t already, its time to start practicing, making reservations, and booking flights.

Fish On!, Josh Duchateau

With temperatures hovering above freezing, Brady and I planned to take to the water.  Since he was in my neck of the woods in Deer Lodge, a two hour drive from his home in Livingston, I insisted that he chose where we fish.  Without any real dry fly options within close range, a nymphing decision was weighed several times the night before over a couple of beers.  Talking about fishing is one of my favorite things to do besides actually doing it.  There were a few promising options where we could hoist large dripping trout measured in pounds not inches, but Brady chose to fish a colder canyon stretch with smaller on average fish in the Big Hole river.  I was kind of surprised with his decision, but I know I shouldn’t have been.  After all, Brady is the only person that has convinced me that it was a good idea to fish twenty five degree temperatures with thirty mile an hour sustained winds more than once.  We chipped ice away from our guides and rods while watching each other dissect each fishy looking pool.  Conditions were good not great.  The fishing was good not great.  It was still really fun and we didn’t see another fisherman all day.  It was well worth our effort and I would do it all over again.

I know that I don’t have to remind you but it’s only half way through winter….technically.  Even though another year is already whizzing by we still have another two months of sub zero temperatures and blowing snow which make some days stall almost to a complete stop.  On that note, as for Montana winters, this has been a mild one.  It is actually raining, melting snow rapidly in the lower elevations as I’m posting this blog.  The state’s overall snowpack is well below normal and the temperatures have kept most of our surrounding rivers virtually ice free. That said, I haven’t heard anybody even whisper a complaint after last years pummeling.  Considering the overall water content and the carryover in all of our western reservoirs, I have a very optimistic outlook for the upcoming Firehole Ranch fishing season.  With a few good to great water years in a row the fish should be very “healthy”, otherwise known as fat and spunky.  The insect activity should finally be consistent with our historic hatch charts.  I look forward to the Firehole and Henry’s Fork fisahing predictably well the first week we are open, unlike last season.  The rest of the rivers should follow suit as we post it in our Firehole Ranch week-by-week fishing forecast.  I can’t wait!

Best Wishes,

Josh Duchateau

Head Guide

REPOSTED from the LIVESTRONG blog post

Join the Firehole Ranch in West Yellowstone, MT on August 25 – 28, 2012 at Catch & Release for Cancer benefiting LIVESTRONG. Escape to Montana’s historic Firehole Ranch for a rare opportunity to fish the fabled, wild trout waters of the Rocky Mountain West. Guests will fish legendary rivers including the Madison, the Yellowstone, the Henry’s Fork of the Snake, the Gallatin, the Ruby, the Firehole and the Lamar, to name just a few. Enjoy absolutely unforgettable fishing in some of the most spectacular scenery in the world.

Catch and Release for Cancer will be limited to only 20 anglers and all participants must commit to fundraising a minimum of $5,000 to participate. Those who reach the $7,500 level in their fundraising will also receive an engraved Orvis Helios rod and $10,000 level fundraisers will be invited to the annual Ride for the Roses event in Austin, TX in late October 2012. This is a one of a kind experience and spots will go fast!

The weekend’s activities and fundraising will benefit LIVESTRONG, whose work provides support to cancer survivors globally. LIVESTRONG is a global leader in identifying the needs and concerns of those affected by cancer and taking action.

To learn more or register for this event visit – http://laf.livestrong.org/goto/releasecancer.

Over the hump?

I found myself looking out the window at the snow capped peaks above Livingston this morning watching the treetops swaying in the breeze. Inevitably my thoughts turned quickly to the day’s weather, that daily ritual of checking local forecasts and even maybe a quick look just to see what some fellow fisherman is waking up to on the other side of a mountain pass or two. Maybe I’ll just check out temps on the coast:

Forks, WA. High 45, not bad. Friends chasing steelhead out there soon.
Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. 81, tropical.
Nelson, South island NZ. 75 and sunny, some lucky angler is stalking back country browns in shorts with big dries and applying liberal amounts of sunscreen.

Sunscreen? I don’t think I need to worry about that today. Small chance of sunburn through fleece long johns and 5 layers of Gore-tex. Windburn, now that is a distinct possibility. Neck gaiters and wool caps are tucked in my backpack and vest pockets. Somewhere in the bottom of a dusty boat bag there is a long abandoned tube of the stuff. Fear not friend, for the days are already getting longer by minutes a day. Soon you will be reclaimed from your wintry slumber and find yourself once again in a prime vest pocket easily at hand. After all we are over the hump. The Yellowstone National Park fishing season opens in a short four months and a few days, with plenty of fantastic spring angling leading up to that. Not to mention today, windburn and all. Hopefully a few generous winter trout will come to hand and I will rest easy tonight, thoughts of the upcoming season in my head. Dreaming of sunny summer days spent with friends and getting the chance to lace up the hiking boots and share a bit of the beauty and thrill that abound in our big backyard and it’s amazing waters.

I can hardly wait,
Brady Hughes
Firehole Ranch Guide

Good Fall Firehole Fanatics,
We are now officially into winter and the reality fall is over has sunk in. All good things must end I guess. I reflect while I sit here sipping a cup of piping hot coffee as it gently snows outside. It was another good one as I recall. Just enough warm weather to be able to squeeze in a couple of camping trips and just enough snowy and cold weather to bring the elk down out of the high country into my freezer. It was a fall of many firsts. It was Lamar’s (my lab/springer mix) first hunting season, my dad’s first bull elk, and my first time getting my truck really stuck in the mountains. Failure is always an option when it comes to first times. All events went well even though they didn’t happen as I might have imagined them.
Since it was my first fall in Deer Lodge, I spent a lot of my time on Google Earth and studying many other maps. This is one of my favorite things about fall. A chance to ride new roads, climb new hills, and fish new streams. New inspiration is on top of every mountain and around every bend of the river. This is a chance to have another first time. After all you never know where your next first time will take you.
Fall is a great time to be a fishing guide, especially if we’re not guiding. Even if we are guiding, at least the water is much less crowded. It gives us a chance to explore and expand our resume. It gives us a chance to hopper fish that one bank, streamer fish that back eddy where “Walter” lives, or knock the dust off the spey rod and swing brightly colored flies through that particular run that haunted our thoughts all summer long. Chasing our sporting dogs through golden fields chuck full with coveys of birds is always an option. As a guide, fall is also a great time to visit our neglected families and reconnect with reality. These are just a few reasons why fall is my favorite season of the year.
If it wasn’t for summer and winter, we wouldn’t have fall. The leaves are all but gone now. The days are very short, hardly nine hours long. Old man winter is on our doorstep. This is a great time of year to refill fly boxes, replace old fly line, or plug holes in our waders. Still it isn’t an excuse not to go outside. Even though winter fishing isn’t nearly as romantic as it is the rest of the year, I’m still passionate enough to get out at least once a week. I can’t believe it’s the middle of December already. My holiday shopping sprees are basically over…I hope everybody gets what they want. I know I already got what I want, a winter full of memories made this past fall.

Happy Holidays,
Josh Duchateau

Happy Labor Day weekend to everybody. I cannot believe it is already September. I am completely flabbergasted that the summer is winding down and we have only 2 weeks left at the Firehole Ranch. I sincerely hope that most of you made it out to Montana and the Firehole Ranch this summer. It has been one of the most beautiful summers in recent memory. Just this past 2 weeks have been gloriously warm, blue bird skies, and I hesitate to mention in case it is a curse for the next 2 weeks, but very little wind relatively speaking. So what have we been up to for the past little while (since it has been way to long since I last relayed what the fishing has been all about here in Yellowstone country). Well, we have been on the Yellowstone River a lot, the Box Canyon and Warm River stretches of the Henry’s Fork, local lakes, and of course the Madison River. The spruce moths this year showed up in great numbers and provided some fantastic dry fly fishing. It still amazes me that before 5 years ago, we never even mentioned spruce moths in our area. Now they are a staple of August fishing and similar to this year, can provide some of the best dry fly fishing of the season. So what is happening now. Well the Yellowstone River over by Gardiner is still providing some of our best dry fly fishing. Foam and rubber flies are the rulers of the roost, with chilly dawns, morrish hoppers, and other late night wiggly creations fooling most of our best trout from over here. As we dip into September make sure to have a good supply of Parachute Adams, and Royal Wullf Criplles in #12 and #14, because our September drakes are showing in the rivers of the Lamar valley as well as the Yellowstone. As for the Madison it is flying ant time, and just about any day where the weather is like it is forecasted to be for the next week, could land you in the middle of some serious trout gorging. Red and black ants, black ants, cinnamon ants, and honey colored ants are all possible ant du jours. Be armed and ready. In between ant sightings hoppers, beetles and resurgent caddis and Baetis will provide the bulk of the best fishing the Madison offer for the next couple of weeks. Expect to see us on the Fork the next couple of weeks as well, especially in the Box as the baetis begin to wiggle up the twisted currents of this nymph fishing extravaganza. This is my favorite time of the year to fish the Box as the crowds are super thin, and the fish are super fat. If you haven’t made it the greater Yellowstone fishing paradise yet, i would strongly encourage you to drop everything and get here quick.

Hope to see you casting flies on the river.

Rowan

Good Morning Folks,

Officially this is the latest date that I can remember that the Madison has finally come into what can be reasonably considered fishable shape. Clear water is pushing down from Quake Lake, and the West Fork has also mostly cleared. A few other tributary streams further downstream, like Indian creek, are still carrying a little color, but for the most part clear water rules the channel, and it is well past time to be fishing the Madison. Not to say that we haven’t been doing the ol’ Montana chuck and duck for the past month or so, but now dry flies and small nymphs will be adorning our fly rods for the rest of the summer. Salmonflies are working their way up from Varney, and some of the trout are showing their frustration with their lack of vision and attacking these large bugs with gusto. It will be bug soup here for the next couple of weeks as Goldenstones, Yellow Sallies, PMD’s, Epeorus, Green Drakes, Hydropsyche Caddis, all will be riding the salmonflies coattails. The Madison is higher than normal still, so good cast in close to the bank are going to bring more willing risers to the dry fly. The Madison says it is game time!!!

Meanwhile, the Henry’s Fork is in the middle of bug soup, up and down its entire length. The Box Canyon has great flows and the nymphs in this water are on the prowl. Small nymphs such as Shop Vac, Serendipities and Pheasant Tails are the way to go in this boulder strewn obstacle course. Big rainbows lie inn wait for the angler willing to go nymphing hardcore. Game on here as well. The lower fork around Ashton has been producing great dry fly fishing with Green and Gray Drakes, caddis, and PMD’s. In between hatches go with the standard nymphing fare here and you will stayed tied to fish all day. Game is on and in overtime in this water.

Sad to say, but it is not game time in the Park,…yet. But it is coming and it could be very soon. Look for some fishing opportunities to open up this week, and just continue to get better as the month progresses. More on the Park fishing pops later this week.

For now, it is time for this fisherman to return to the 50 mile riffle and throw some of the big bugs. Game on.

Tight lines and Jumping Trout

Rowan

Looks like we have finally turned the corner with regards to this years run-off. Most of the area’s rivers peaked last week and careful observation shows that the rivers are on a downward trend in volume. The Madison is still off color, but its clarity has improved daily this weekend and I hope we see enough clarity by the time the Salmonflies arrive. A few shucks have been observed down by Ennis, but as of yet no bugs, and that is good as I think we might still be up to a week away for prime conditions. We are fishing the Madison however, and the nymphing has been solid. We have started to transition from the big ugly stuff (San Juan Worms, Rubber Legs, and Woolly Buggers) to patterns that will imitate caddis and craneflies. Can you say Serendipities?

I have found myself mostly on the Henry’s Fork lately, as the great conditions there have been producing outstanding fishing. Goldenstones, Green Drakes, Grey Drakes, Brown Drakes, PMD’s, Yellow Sallies, and caddis galore have the fish fattening up. The whole river is fishing good from the Box to Fun Farm. The heat the past few days has slowed the action somewhat in the late afternoons, but only somewhat! Royal Wulff Cripple #12, #8 Chubby Chernobyl and BBB PT Emerger in a #16 may well be the only patterns required for some fish filled action.

The Firehole and Madison in the Park continue to fish well, with the best action in the mornings. Look for good spinner falls around 9am. Variable PMD emergences can be found somewhat later, but it can be short and sweet. Some caddis and yellow sallies are also producing.

For an interesting read, check out John Juracek’s blog entry over at Blue Ribbon Flies for June 29th. An incredible fisherman and student of the sport, John has an interesting perspective on some fishing related news in Yellowstone National Park.

Belated Happy 4th of July. Once again Bruno and Kris put on quite a spread for our annual 4th of July BBQ, despite a passion rain shower.

Further good news is that both the Henry’s Fork and the Firehole are in great shape and are fishing very well. Daily PMD spinner falls and emergences are occurring from biscuit basin to fountain flats. Be on the lookout for a variety of caddis species as well. I also keep a few yellow sallies on hand especially if I am concentrating on the upper Firehole. The Henry’s Fork is fishing good in the Box with nymphs as usual, but both salmonflies and goldenstones are gracing the boulder strewn runs of this fabled stretch. The lower fork is shingin bright with good catches from Warm River to the Fall river. be on the lookout for green drakes, goldenstones, PMD’s and a bunch of caddis. A goldenstone trailed by a beadhead nymph such as a shop vac, lightning bug, or BBB PT emerged in #14-#16 can keep you smiling from ear to ear right now.

Despite higher than normal water flows and lots of muddy water, the Yellowstone area is unique in its variety and scope of available fishing, and its many blue ribbon trout streams can be fished under almost any conditions. So while other areas are completely blown out, rivers such as the henry’s Fork and the Firehole provide a clear option for anglers looking for a little dry fly heaven.

Tight lines and Jumping Trout

Rowan

I thought it well past time to get back to our list of the top 10, err.., top 11 dry flies an angler needs for Yellowstone country in the summer. So lets get back into it.

Number 9–Sunken Stone #6: This fly goes by several different names, Sunken Stone, Razorback, HedgeHog, but I stick with the creator’s (Nick Nickalus) name of Sunken Stone. Like the names, the actual fly can look a little different from each person’s vise. I trend toward the version that I first started fishing over 20 years ago. I have fished many different patterns for the Salmonfly hatch, and while I have caught fish on most of them at one time or another, it comes down to the simple fact that the Sunken Stone works, when other do not. It is also easy to see, durable, and most importantly accurately represents what a salmonfly looks like, and behaves like on the water. Now that is an efficient and creative fly that does the job its is supposed to do-catch fish.

To tie this fly you need only a few materials. Start with a short tail of black poly yarn, ep fiber, or as the original, dark moose. This is tied to imitate the black egg sac of the females, so keep it short. Next dub a small amount of orange rabbit dubbing. This should only cover a fifth or sixth of the hook shank to start. Now tie in a clump of deer hair, tips extending beyond the end of the tail just slightly. Wrap your thread through the butt ends of the deer hair to cinch the wing down more securely. Repeat this step 4 to 6 more times going forward to the eye of the hook. The last clump of deer hair should be tied off and trimmed like an elk hair caddis, and you are done. With all this deer hair, this fly floats like a champ, but it does ride flush in the surface film like the naturals do.

I enjoy seeing all the creative salmonfly patterns out there, with there unique names, rubber legs, goggly eyes, and articulated joints, but in the end there has only been one pattern that catches fish throughout this region year in and year out for as long as I can remember so I tend to reach for it first.

Good tying, and soon we will be fishing theses bad boys on the Madison.

Rowan