July 10, 2008

The Bighorn flow is 6,170 CFS and stable: Bighorn River Flow at St. Xavier   The Bighorn Lake Conservation Pool is 100% full.

The fishing pressure is much less, now that a number of Montana rivers are fishing well and the salmonfly hatch is in full swing on the Madison.  Moss is becoming a problem below 3 Mile and becomes a real problem near Bighorn.

Fishing is good to excellent and nymphing remains the main game.  Sowbugs and scuds continue to work well.  Action on worms has tapered off as the flows have come down and fewer worms are being washed into the current.

Streamer fishing is good.  Dry fly fishing is not happening, but there are some black caddis coming off (much earlier in the season than usual), so the surface action may pick up soon.

Recommended Flies:

June 24, 2008

The Bighorn flow is 8,940 CFS, down from 9,570: Bighorn River Flow at St. Xavier  It continues to be a very big river.  The Bighorn Lake Conservation Pool is 97% full.

The fishing pressure has been enormous, in spite of these high flows, with so many of the rivers in Montana being blown out.  But the river is now clear all the way to Bighorn and below.

Steve says the fishing has been slower the last few days and it is often necessary to cycle through a large number of flies.  These increased flows have made it mostly an upper river, nymphing game.  Use long leaders and a lot of weight.  The higher flows are washing a lot of large sowbugs, scuds, and worms into the current.  The biggest scuds and sowbugs are now losing their ablility to hold in the weeds and are getting washed into the current.  Insects are either not hatching at these flows or, if they are, they are not present in numbers that interest the fish.  Nothing is happening on top.   

Streamer fishing can get results, mostly on the Shiela's Sculpin.

Recommended Flies: