Temperatures have cooled and the Big Boys and Gals have come to play, hopefully at the end of your line! Fall is in the air and the trout are feeling it too and putting on their feed bags to bulk up; Winter is coming sooner than later!
Streamflows the last two weeks has been running fairly consistent with Kirby @ 960cfs and Cameron @ 1,100cfs. The lower consistent flows have really helped the Dry Fly bite but can make putting in and taking out at certain launches challenging but still very much achievable.
Terrestrial activity has been picking up with Beetles, Flying Ants and Hoppers hatching along the riverbanks in the heat of the day. Twitch those Hoppers, give them that shake and bake, Trout just can’t refuse that Tempting Twitch! We are also seeing Spinners, Tricos, Midges and Mayflies all of which are working at the appropriate time of day.
Streamer Junkies have had their fun in the last few weeks as well with the bigger fish starting to chase larger meals as water temps drop. Sculpin patterns stripped or dead drifted under the indicator have been deadly! Running Nymphs under an indicator or tightlined together or behind a Streamer have been catching Fish consistently as well. Various Attractor and Mayfly Nymphs have caught some sizable fish. Midge, Trico or Emerger Nymphs have also seen some success.
We have some heat in the forecast over the next two weeks, so it will be interesting to see what changes as we head towards Fall on the Madison River. Here at Beartooth Flyfishing we are open Everyday 7AM to 5:30PM; come on in for the best coffee and a retail adventure you won’t soon forget.
Dries: Thunder Thighs Hopper Yellow, Pink, or Tan #10-#14; Delektable Chubbyness UV Cinnamon, Olive Brown, Royal, or Rootbeer #12-#16; Delektable Lil’ Chubby Royal or UV Cinnamon #14-#18; Chernobyl Tan/Gold, Tan/Tan or Tan/Pink #10-#12; KB’s Hop Zone Peach, Tan or Pink #12; Morrish Hopper Tan, Pink or Green #12-#14; Panty Dropper Hopper Yellow, Pink, or Tan #10-#14; Juicy Hopper Pink #10-#12; White Cloud Hopper Tan or Peach #10-#14; Dry Humper Royal Purple, Royal, Purple, or Red #14-#16; Yeager’s 409 Red #10-#16; Bloom’s Stealth Ant Purple #14-#16; Para Ant Black & Red #14-#16; Delektable Flying Ant Red/Purple, Cinnamon, Black or Purple #14-#18; Dornan’s Water Walker Peanut or Pink #10-#12; Delektable Lil’ Secret UV Pink, Goldrush, or Royal #14-#18; Guide Winna Spinna Rust #14-#16; Carlson’s Purple Craze #10-#18; Purple Haze Split Wing Parachute #16; Trico Spinner Double Wing #18; Snowshoe Trico #20; Adam’s Midge Cluster #18-#20; CDC Last Chance Cripple Trico #22; Etha Wing Dun-Trico #20-#22.
Nymphs: Delektable Prince Brandon #14-#18; The Fly Formerly Known as Prince #16-#18; Jig Duracell Original or Copper Top #16; Geppert’s Skinny Dip Black, Brown, or Pearl #14-#18; Delektable Lil’ Spanker Blue, PT, Red, Silver or Gold #14-#20; BH Lightning Bug Silver, Pearl or Gold #14-#20; Delektable TSBH Big Spanker Warrior or TGBH Big Spanker Purple #14-#18; Geppert’s Crystal Dip Red, Crystal, or Black #16-#18; BH Shop Vac Brown #16-#18; Tungsten BH Jiggy Frenchie #14-#18; Tungsten BH Jiggy Blow Torch #16-#18; Pat’s Rubberlegs Olive/ Brown, Tan/Brown, Black, or Black/Brown #10-#12; Delektable Jig Hook Tungsten Spanker Holo Red, Holo Gold, Holo Black or PT #16-#18; Psycho Prince GB Purple or Yellow #14-#18; Wire Worm Red/Orange or Wine/Red #6-#10; Flossy Worm Red #10 or #14; Geppert’s Master Emerger #16-#18; BH Montana Bullet Black or Black/Red #18.
Streamers: Dalai Lama or Mini Dalai Lama Olive/White #6 or #10; Delektable Screamer Single Olive/White, Olive/Yellow, Olive, or Olive/Black in Gold #6; Galloup’s Micro Dungeon Olive or Black/Purple #10; Zonker Natural, Natural Copper Body, Black or Dark Olive #6-#8; Sheila Sculpin #4; Sculpzilla Olive/White #4-#8; Jr’s Conehead Streamer Olive #6; Conehead Zuddler Olive #8; Pocket Rocket Olive #4; McCune’s Sculpin Olive #4-#8; Trevor’s Sculpin Olive #4; Coffey’s CH Sparkle Minnow Sculpin or Smoke #6; Mini Loop Sculpin Olive #6; Sculpin the One Olive/Natural #4; Butt Monkey Olive #4; Zirdle Olive/Orange #8.