Overview 2011

In my experiences on the Bighorn, I would call 2011 one of the greatest dry fly years in recent times.  We did have unusually high water in June and the beginning of July and that seemed to bring about prolific hatches starting around July 4th.
We had hatches of yellow sallies (little yellow stone flies), pale morning duns, black caddis, grasshoppers, and tricos. There was a long spell when the pmd’s were hatching from 10 am to 7 pm every day.  When the tricos came, it was the most profuse hatch I have witnessed in 10 years.
From the second week in July into October, all we really fished were dry flies, all day long.  In the Spring, we also had good baetis and midge hatches.
 
I am hoping for another year like that.

This Spring we will be holding our 3rd annual guide/flyfishing school. The school will be conducted by Michael Mastrangelo and Chad Becker. It has been very successful for the attendees.  Some of the people want to become guides while others just want to take a quantum leap in their own fishing ability.
In this disturbing economy, many people are looking for a career change.  Many are sick of their boring jobs and want to flee the rat race.  If I can do it, anybody can.
 
 
Many of the attendees do not want to be a guide.  They want to become better anglers and broaden their enjoyment and knowledge of flyfishing.  This intensive week is just the ticket.
Travel to any trout stream in the world and be accomplished enough to catch even the toughest trout.

GUIDE SCHOOL DATES
March 25-March 31
April 1-6
 
SPECIAL ALL NEW  WOMENS SESSION 
April 12-15
 
Complete details on our web pages atwww.flyfishingthebighorn.com andwww.bighornriverguides.com 
 

Present Condition for the Bighorn Watershed

The reservoir is 85% full.  
Current flow is 3100 cfs.
The snow pack is a little bit under normal, 95%.
 
 
Present Fishing Conditions

Water temperature is around 42 degrees.  We are still catching fish on dry flies, mostly midges and some baetis on cloudier days.
 
Nymphing and streamers are also working in the deeper slower water.  Fishing should continue like that for the next couple of months.  
 
 
 
We are still providing guide service all winter.
 
Please call us to check availability for this season.  Some prime times are already totally booked.  Call early to get your favorite guides.

We will be opening mid March, weather permitting.
 
Happy New Year to you all.
 
Ellyn and Michael
 
Ft Smith Fly Shop and Cabins
Bighorn River Guides
 
406-666-2550

Tricos!  Hoppers! (wind dependent)  Streamers!

Finally the in flow is less than the outflow.  Which means that probably by the end of the week, we will likely see drops in the river flows.

The hopper fishing has started and has been pretty good.  We still have PMD’s hatching as well as black caddis.  Have seen some tan caddis as well.

Nymphing has been excellent with San Juan worms, sow bugs and PMD’s.

We are looking forward to the lowering of the water although the fishing during the high water has been fantastic.  Now there will be more wading and easier access to the fish.

We have openings in August, but don’t wait too long.  Everyone that has been waiting for the flows to decrease are now making their plans to fish the Bighorn.

Give us a call to check availability.

Our best wishes,

Ellyn and Michael

406-666-2550

www.bighornriverguides.com

www.flyfishingthebighorn.com

River flows have dropped to 13,000 cfs.  All indications would say it should continue to drop – but we don’t know for sure.
 
Fishing has remained very good.  We are starting to see PMD’s, yellow sallies and black caddis.  As these hatches increase the fish will look for them more and more.  Last years’ PMD hatch provided many incredible evenings of fishing.
We are keeping our eyes peeled for hoppers.  They are starting to look for them.  As the water levels get closer to 10,000 cfs, more wade fishing becomes more of an option.
 
The Bighorn is fishing good and not much else in the state of Montana is fishing as well.

Good news, we finally had a little bit of Spring weather.
 
Not full blown Spring but enough so the water temperature in the river has increased by 2 or 3 degrees.
 
That combined with some increased flows that has been enough to then get the fish eating better.
 
Now when I pump fish stomachs, there is a lot more food in them.  As the water temperatures increase, the fish activity will continue to get better and better.  
 
There are still some bugs coming off but most of the activity has been with nymphs.  Scuds and sowbugs,  size 14-18  and midges size 18-20 abound.
 
May fishing is usually excellent with long, warm days.
 
We hope you will come and see us.  We still have some availability in May and opening throughout the remainder of the season.
 
Michael is doing a lot better and will be guiding more this year.  So if you have been waiting to fish with Michael, call now.
 
Our best wishes,

Ellyn and Michael
www.fighornriverguides.com 

406-666-2550

Well our guide school finished up Friday night and most of the class left Saturday morning for a little fishing before they left Fort Smith. Everybody was very happy and increased their skills and knowledge tremendously. Hopefully you will be able to come to our next session in March of 2012.

Spring is still delayed in coming. We have had a few Spring like days, but not that many.

This past Friday was the first day I fished that I could take my jacket off.

Water is still pretty cold...38-39 degrees depending on the weather. The flow is up to 3000 cfs, maybe the Bureau of Reclamation is going to do the right thing this year. They are raising the flow to make some room for run off for the first time in several years.

The fishing

This past week it was mostly nymphing. All I used was a size 18 Ray Charles in gray or tan and a black midge pupae as the trailing fly. If we presented it correctly (mended well) the trout ate.

This is why I continually harp on good mending. In the immortal words of Bob Turner " no mend, no fish."

The other patterns that will work are natural sow bug size 16-18, pink and orange scuds, size 16-18, baetis nymph size 18-20, and streamers will work especially on overcast days. Use black, blue, brown and yellow, ginger, and white and gray.

There are some midges hatching during the afternoon and on cloudy days they can come off all day. You've got to hunt to find spots where you will find a pod of fish. If it gets very windy, it usually blows them off the water. Baetis do appear at times, but I still think the water is too cold. They should hatch more consistently when the water does warm up a few more degrees.

We hope you will come and see us and fish the fabulous Bighorn this season.

Email or call us to check availability.

Our best wishes,

Ellyn and Michael

www.flyfishingthebighorn.com

406-666-2550

Weather has warmed up a bit.  Seems like Spring has arrived.

The flow has been around 2390 cfs and the river is in great shape from the Afterbay down to Mallards.  The water temperature is still very cold at 39-40 degrees.  Each day there has been approximately a 4 hour window from 11-3 where the fish are eating lots of midges.  There are a handful of baetis as well.  Streamer fishing and nymphing are very good.

Our snow pack is a little above normal and hopefully we will have a great water year.

The fishing conditions are typical for this time of year.
With nymphing and pulling streamers being the best way to catch fish. There are some midges happening at the warmest part of the day usually anywhere from 12:30 to 3:00. Most of the fish are in the deeper slower water but there are some fish that will move up into the shallower riffles for an hour or two each day. But once again I reiterate that the fish do not move far for the nymph. You have to hit them right on the nose. Set the hook on anything.  The takes are extremely subtle.

The brown trout spawn went well which is always a good sign for the river.

The flow is up to 2750 cfs.  Fishing continues to be good.  There are some hatches on going on.  Midges and on cloudy days some baetis.
Nymphing is good all day long and streamers are working for those inclined to throw streamers.

There has been some remarkable dry fly activity with the fish taking notice of midges and baetis.

July 30, 2010

The water levels have come down to 3000 cfs, where hopefully they will remain the rest of the season (however I doubt it).

Grasshoppers are finally here.  Yesterday was the first day the fish really ate them well.  It was pretty windy in the afternoon and they got blown into the water and the fish gorged.  There is also a black caddis hatch as well as some PMD's, yellow sallies and pseudo cloens.

December 8, 2009

Season Overview

Considering all the flow fluctuations, I thought the fishing was pretty good throughout the year. We had decent midge and baetis dry fly fishing in April-May into June. Nymphing was also good. In July we got the big flows peaking at 13K cfs. The nymphing really got good. It was pretty much boat fishing but the trout ate everything. The water stayed high until the end of July then started to drop.