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

Good Morning Folks,

Welcome all, to our summer blog. We hope to keep this regularly updated all summer with the comings and going, high’s and low’s, and general antics of the fishing in the greater Yellowstone region. Today is the first day that guests from the Firehole will be out on our area’s rivers. Now we are currently in the middle of some major run-off, but we are lucky at the Firehole in that we have such a broad spectrum of available fishing to us. From the countless rivers in Yellowstone National Park, to the mighty Henry’s Fork in Idaho, and last but not least, the famous blue ribbon trout stream of south western Montana. So where are we fishing right now?

The Firehole River in YNP has been fishing well with both baetis and Pale Morning Dun mayflies making strong appearances on cloudy days, and we have been having our fair share of those. This legendary and beautiful trout stream is a pure pleasure to cast a dry fly on every June. From Fountain Flat to Biscuit Basin, this river is one of our strongest assets early season.

The Madison has been touch and go in the wade stretch as high water and muddy flows have made the float stretches near impossible, but the slightly cleaner water above the West Fork in the wade stretch has been fishable. In the odd colored water it is a big and nasty game of large nymphs (i.e. woolly buggers, rubber leg stones, and SJW’s) cast tight to the banks and drifted into every piece of semi quiet water an angler can find. This is classic chuck and duck Montana style, but if you can look past the less than clear water, major success can be had with a well presented big nymph.

The strong option early season for us is the numerous stretches of the Henry’s Fork. Starting with the Box Canyon and going the length of the river (other than the Ranch stretch which opens soon), the Henry’s Fork is my favorite option right now. Although salmonflies have worked through most of the lower river, various other bugs are riding its coattails. Look for stronger and stronger hatches of PMD’s, Goldenstones, Green Drakes, various caddis, and yellow sallies to keep the fish eating all day. High water here can translate into great dry fly fishing along the banks , so keep an eye out for risers in the slack water. Nymphing is a consistent producer with a plethora of different imitations. I prefer Shop Vacs, BH Princes, small rubberlegs, BH Pheasant Tails, BBB PT Emergers, and Copper Johns, but mix and match a variety of nymph imitations if something is not working.

Well, it is very exciting to start another season of Firehole Ranch fishing. I, and the rest of the guides (Alice, George, Allan, Trey, Scotty, and Josh), are looking forward to fishing with as many of you as possible this year.

Tight lines and big smiles for all of us.

Rowan

Tomorrow is opening day for the fishing season in both Yellowstone National Park and Idaho. Unfortunately high water will probably severely limit fishing opportunities throughout the greater Yellowstone ecosystem. The best bet for some fishing will be the Henry’s Fork. Although it is very high, and the lower river has reduced visibility, large nymphs close to the banks ought to bring some angler success. I would stick with SJW’s, black woolly buggers, and rubberleg stonefly nymphs. Keep an eye out for a few salmonflies in the lower river as well.

Let’s continue with some flies that we could be tying this holiday weekend.

Number 10- Green Drake cripple #12. Similar to the gray drake, green drakes are critically important when they are present, but the window of fishing opportunity can be short lived. However, green drakes are more widely distributed throughout the Greater Yellowstone region, with good and dependable hatches every season. My favorite rivers for finding these large bugs are: the Lower henry’s Fork in mid June, Yellowstone in the Park in mid-July, Lamar River in early to mid-July, the Gallatin River in the Park in July, and ranch section of the H-Fork in late june. When these large mayflies are on the water, every trout in the river can be found sipping in these morsels. Although I tie this pattern for every mayfly in the Yellowstone area, and it is the first one I reach for, I decided that the Green Drake version was the single most important one to imitate with regards to our Top 10 list.

Start with a short tail(shuck) of brown/amber zelon. Follow this up with a body of olive rabbit dubbing, reverse wrapped with evenly spaced ribbing of yellow sewing thread or floss. A wing of gray to dark gray poly yarn or EP fiber, extending 45 degrees forward over the eye of the hook, gives this the imitation its distinctive “cripple” look. The wing is supported by 3 turns of dyed olive grizzly hackle in back of the wing and 2 turns in front. I then trim the hackle flat, even with the point of the hook, and you are ready to fish.

Green Drakes are my favorite insect emergence to find in the greater Yellowstone region. It can bring up some of the largest fish, and you cannot beat the size.

Good luck and tying.

Rowan

Well, we are a month out from having the first guests at the Firehole Ranch, and we are furiously getting the Ranch ready for opening week. Those of us on the fishing side of things are, well.., uh,… we are fishing, tying flies, cleaning boats, and well,…uh…, fishing some more. On the tying end of things, we should all have full boxes of nymphs now,  and should be ready to tackle the dry flies. So hear we go the top 10 dry flies I would have if I was fishing the greater Yellowstone region this summer. In typical fishing guide fashion, I am going to break the rules for the top 10 flies right off the bat, and give you the top 10 + 1. The reason for this is, the specific nature of dry fly fishing. Many of our dry flies are very hatch specific, meaning that a fly is tied to imitate a particular insect at a particular stage of its life cycle. If you encounter these hatches, dry fly enthusiasts typically have boxes and boxes of flies to match all the possible situations one might encounter. Throw in the fact that there is more fishable water in the greater Yellowstone area than one fisherman could fish in a lifetime, and you have a lot of possibilities to tie flies for. This is our best effort to wrap all of that up in 10 patterns you should not be without, but in compiling this list I had to go with 10 + 1. So here we go.

Number 10 + 1 (or number 11): Gray Drake Spinner #12-If you encounter Gray Drakes you better have this pattern. Funny thing is that there is a very narrow window for this bug, and they are only important on a few rivers in the Yellowstone region. But, and this a big but, if you see gray drakes, you can count on the fact that you better have some of these spinners in your box. Fish eat gray drake spinners without hesitation, period! So where are they important. Slough Creek in early July, Yellowstone river throughout July and August, Lamar and Soda Butte rivers in July and September, the lower Henrys Fork in June, and in high water years (like this year), the Madison in the Park. So if you see yourself out here at any of those times, your obligation to the vise starts at number 11.

What comprises this large mayfly spinner pattern. Start with a tail of stiff dun, or grizzly spade hackle fibers. A body of tan rabbit dubbing, ribbed with brown sewing thread. Next a wingcase of gray foam, pulled over a classic spinner style of grizzly or dun hackle trimmed flat on the bottom. Tie it all off and you are prepared for this spinner fall.

Just as a side note, one might be asking why we are tying a spinner instead of a dun. Good question. The duns actually usually emerge when the nymphs migrate to shallow margins of the river and crawl out on grass and logs, thereby not often making themselves available to the trout as duns. But later they molt into spinners and land on the rivers surface in mass. Yippee for us and the trout!

Good tying,

Rowan