The Spring is the right time to fish the Gorgeous Jefferson River! This past week it has been game on with great looking trout and decent numbers for this river. Skwallas were still in the mix this last week, but overall nymphing has been the most productive.
The Jefferson River can be quite productive early season, before runoff and for about a month after runoff. As the summer heat and water starts to be diverted for irrigation the bite starts to wane. If your able to experience it in the Spring and Early Summer it can be a very enjoyable day, not huge numbers but larger trout and solitude from the people hatch!
Nymphs: Delektable Mega Prince Olive FB #8-#10; Pat’s Rubberlegs Olive/Brown #8-#10; Delektable Tungsten Gold B.H. Formerly Prince #14-#16; Delektable Lil’ Spanker PT #16-#18.
Streamers: Delektable Screamer Single Olive/White or Black/Olive Gold #6; Dalai Lama Olive/White #6; Sculpzilla Olive/White #8.
Dries: MFC Skwala Double Wing Olive #8-#10; Delektable Secret Stone UV Dark Olive #8-#10.
It’s hard to put into words the glory of nicer weather after the brutality of Winter. Seeing the locals in shorts and short sleeves as soon as it gets to 50 degrees, the small town of Ennis buzzing with activity as people are going out enjoying all that the outdoors has to offer, the plethora of birds returning to the valley singing sweet songs in the budding trees. It’s such a hopeful feeling that comes in the Spring and such a time to be thankful that we made it through winter and are rewarded with such beauty!
We had our first guide trip of the season this week and it was a great day to be on the water especially with the most awesome Sean Murphy! Fishing has been great this past week. We are starting to see BWOs and pools of fish just slurping them up! Nymphing, especially double Stoneflies, have been very productive. Streamer fishing continues to pick up and is producing some sizable trout!
Shop Manager Ryan Ongley Reports:
I had the opportunity to float and fish with Dan Delekta and his longtime friend Scott on Sunday April 5th. Let’s just say it was one of those days when all the stars were aligned. Warm sunny weather, no “W”, and no worries. The Rainbows, Browns, and Whitefish of the Madison were hungry and aggressive. It was one of those days when you’d be afraid to put your hand in the water. We literally had to work hard to find a nymph they wouldn’t eat. The day was filled with laughter, no worries of the outside world, and memories that will last a lifetime. Which is what our sport is all about! Catching some fish is just icing on the cake! As we always say at Beartooth Flyfishing there is nothing like Springtime in the Northern Rockies. Tight Lines Everyone!
Here at Beartooth Flyfishing we are open Tuesday-Saturday 9AM to 5PM, and Sunday & Monday 9AM to 3PM. Please check with Google or give us a call this Spring as we shall be expanding our hours as the weather gets better! Come on in and see us; we got the best free coffee in the valley, the best selection of flies, and great advice and stories to help you get excited about the New Season!
Nymphs: Delektable Formerly Hurless Nymph Gray #8-#10; Delektable Formerly Mega Prince Std #8-#10; Delektable Mega Prince FB Olive #8-#10; Delektable FB Sparkle Kaboom Stone #8-#10, Delektable Sparkle Kaboom Stone #8-#10; Delektable Formerly Prince #14-#16; Delektable TGBH Big Spanker Light Olive #14; Delektable Jig Hook Tungsten Micro Spanker in Holo Olive and Pheasant Tail #16-#18; Delektable Lil’ Spanker Pheasant Tail #14-#18.
Streamers: Mini Loop Sculpin Olive #6; Mini Dali Llama Olive/White #10; Sculpzilla Olive/White #8; Delektable Screamer Single Olive/White #6; Delektable Screamer SS Jointed Olive/White #8.
Ahhhhhhh Finally! It’s Spring in the Epic Madison Valley! We made it through another Winter. Our Snowpack looks great (still being added to!) thankfully our watershed will be safe for another season. Almost all Fishing Accesses on the Upper Madison are open and clear for use, with the exception of Ennis Town Access (the Gorge really did a number on it this year).
For our Awesome Fishing Report, Dan Delekta reports:
So much fun with my first Two Float Trips on the Madison River with the Father and Son duo, Sean & Brian Murphy! Day 1 was Lyons Bridge to Ruby Creek followed by Day 2 floating Ruby Creek to Varney Bridge. Browns, Rainbows, & Whitefish were actively biting #8-#10 Delektable Hurless Nymph Gray Flashback, Delektable Mega Prince STD Flashback #8-#10, Delektable FB Sparkle Kaboom Stone & Sparkle Kaboom Stone, Delektable Lil’ Spanker Pheasant Tail #14-#16 and Delektable TGBH Formerly Prince #16! Double Stones, Baby!!! Dead drifted small Streamer patterns were also very productive.
In Closing: Springtime in the Rockies has finally Sprung, enjoy April and May as much as we do; after another Great White North in Montana!
Here at Beartooth Flyfishing we are excited for a new season! Especially getting to see all our friends and beloved customers (that are friends too), we’ve missed all of you! Our current days and hours are 9:00 AM- 5:00 PM, Tuesday through Saturday. As the weather improves our hours and days will be expanding. Please contact the shop and check our Google Hours for updates! We are getting a lot of new products over the coming months and our sale racks are full! Come on down and get the winter funk off, enjoy the beautiful Spring in the Madison Valley (the people aren’t here yet!).
Nymphs: Delektable Sparkle Kaboom Stone #6-#8; Delektable Flashback Sparkle Kaboom Stone #6-#8; Delektable Gold BH Formerly Mega Prince STD #6-#8; Delketable Hurless Nymph Gray Flashback #6-#8;“ Delektable JH Tungsten Spanker Holo Black #16-#18; Delektable JH Tungsten Micro Spanker Holo Black & Pheasant Tail #16-#18; Geppert’s Crystal Dip Black #16-#18;
Streamers: Mini Loop Sculpin Olive #6; Mini Dali Llama Olive/White #10; Sculpzilla Olive/White #8; Delektable Screamer Single Olive/White #6.
Well, we have ended another awesome Season with some epic Fishing and even more epic tales! Here at Beartooth Flyfishing we are all so thankful for our Community, our awesome Customers and for all the Guides and Trout addicts that perpetuate and elevate our lifestyle for generations to come! We have had a great year, and it wouldn’t be possible without all these people. Thank You and can’t wait to see you next Season!
The weather the first part of November has been the last breath of Fall and the long sigh of Winter. Brown Trout have begun their annual spawn and the hatches have all but dwindled to the smallest bugs. However, Streamers and Nymph action are still hot if you find yourself in the right part of the River at the right time! Action has been best right out the gate mid-morning and during the heat of the day into late afternoon. Regular Fly changes and really working better holes have been quite productive and have produced larger Trout.
As we move forward into the Winter Season we can return to our favorite deep slow runs and fishing Nymphs, the meatier the better. The Trout need big snacks as Winter approaches. Winter fishing on warmer days can be epic, 2 hours of Fishing in one to two holes can produce 20-30 Fish (or more!) and you have the River to yourself. Here at Beartooth Flyfishing we have moved to our winter hours, we are open Tuesday-Saturday 9:00am to 5:00pm. If you need gear and are looking for Christmas Gifts come on in, we have a lot of new markdowns and will be having an awesome Black Friday special. Please see our newsletter, coming soon, or call the shop and we will fill you in on the details!
Nymphs: Delektable Tungsten Gold B.H. Formerly Prince #14-#18; Delektable JH Tungsten Micro Spanker Holo-Black, Pheasant Tail, Holo-Olive, Holo-Silver, Yellow Spot or Hare’s Ear #16-#18; Delektable Mega Prince STD or STD Flashback #8-#10; Delektable JH Tungsten Black Bling #16-#18; Delektable Gold B.H. Formerly Mega Prince STD #8; RS2 Black or Gray #18-#20; Lightning Bug Silver or Pearl #16-#18; Delektable JH Tungsten Olive Hare’s Ear Torch Light #18; Pat’s Rubberlegs Black/Brown or Black #8-#10; Geppert’s Mega Emerger #16-#18; Jig Duracell Original #16; Skinny Nelson #18; Geppert’s Master Emerger #16-#18; Stockers Two Hot Baetis #18; BH Black FB Pheasant Tail #20; Delektable Tungsten Spanker Red BH FB Red Dog #14-#16; JuJu FB Red #18-#20; Tungsten BH BWO Nymph #18-#20; BH Montana Bullet Black/Red or Black #18; Delektable Guide Stone Black/Brown or Black #8-#10; Delektable Kaboom Stone #8-#10; Wire Worm Orange & Red #4-#10; Flossy Worm Red #10-#14; Delektable Worm Red or Wine #12- #16; Delektable Orange Juice Caddis Emerger #14-#16; Hogan’s Red Headed Step Child #18; Psycho Prince GB Purple #16-#18; Zebra Midge Black #18-#20.
Streamers: Dali Llama 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, Black, Olive/Tan or White #4-#8; Jr’s Conehead Streamer Olive #6; Conehead Zuddler Olive #8; Pocket Rocket Olive or Black #4; McCune’s Sculpin Olive #4-#8; Trevor’s Sculpin Olive or Black #4; Mini Loop Sculpin Olive #6; Sculpin the One Olive/Natural #4; Butt Monkey Olive #4; Zirdle Olive/Orange #8; Willy’s Fruit Roll Up Black #8-#12; Mini Sculpin Black or Natural #6-#8; Coffey’s Sparkle Minnow Smoke, JJ, and Sculpin #6. Mini Boogeyman Olive #6.
Second Summer (Or is it Third Summer?) is finally ending and we are seeing the Madison Fall Winds bringing in Autumn Delight! Cooler nighttime temps have dramatically changed the water temperatures, we are seeing temps dipping below 50 degrees and taking longer to warm back up through the day. The Whitefish Spawn is still on, and we are starting to see the Brown Trout Staging for their big Spawn. With so many fall activities to occupy the masses, the crowds on the Upper Madison have dissipated and left a lot of open water for you to enjoy the River to yourself!
No need to rush to the river and get out early, it’s far too chilly out there. Trout have been lethargic due to the cold-water temperatures and we are seeing more consistent eats mid-day and into the late afternoon. Streamflows are at 800 cfs @ Kirby and 1,020cfs @ Cameron. These are our winter flows and will remain at these flows likely through the Winter.
The past two weeks have seen Trout starting to be found in shallower water and dragging your Nymphs or Streamers through different areas and flows has been an effective method of hooking up. Larger Stoneflies followed by a Small Nymph, fishing two smaller Nymphs in combo or a Streamer with a Small Nymph trailer have been popular rigs. There still is a dry fly eat on Delektable Lil’ Chubby patterns and BWO patterns (if you can be out on a overcast day without Mach 10 winds) in the afternoon. Dry with an Emerger has still been productive on bright days in the heat of the day.
Here at Beartooth Flyfishing we are still open every day 9AM- 5PM. Our fully stocked fly shop, with the best free coffee, will give you a retail adventure you soon won’t forget! We will be switching to our winter hours sometime in November, please check Google as we keep that updated with our current hours and days!
Nymphs: Delektable Tungsten Gold B.H. Formerly Prince #14-#18; Delektable JH Tungsten Micro Spanker Holo-Black, Pheasant Tail, Holo-Olive, Holo-Silver, Yellow Spot or Hare’s Ear #16-#18; Delektable Mega Prince STD #8-#10; Delektable JH Tungsten Black Bling #14-#18; Delektable Gold B.H. Formerly Mega Prince STD #8; RS2 Black or Gray #18-#20; Lightning Bug Silver or Pearl #16-#18; Delektable JH Tungsten Olive Hare’s Ear Torch Light #18; Pat’s Rubberlegs Black/Brown or Black #8-#10; Delektable Guide Stone Black/Brown or Black #8-#10; Geppert’s Mega Emerger #16-#18; Jig Duracell Original #16; Skinny Nelson #18; Geppert’s Master Emerger #16-#18; Stockers Two Hot Baetis #18; BH Black FB Pheasant Tail #20; Delektable Tungsten Spanker Red BH FB Red Dog #14-#16; JuJu FB Red #18-#20; Tungsten BH BWO Nymph #18-#20; BH Montana Bullet Black/Red or Black #18; Delektable Kaboom Stone #8-#10; Wire Worm Orange & Red #4-#10; Worm Flossy Red #10-#14; Delektable Worm Red or Wine #16; Delektable Orange Juice Caddis Emerger #14-#16; Hogan’s Red Headed Step Child #18; Psycho Prince GB Purple #16-#18.
Streamers: Dali Llama Olive/White #6 or #10; Delektable Single Screamer 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, Black, Olive/Tan or White #4-#8; Jr’s Conehead Streamer Olive #6; Conehead Zuddler Olive #8; Pocket Rocket Olive or Black #4; McCune’s Sculpin Olive #4-#8; Trevor’s Sculpin Olive or Black #4; Mini Loop Sculpin Olive #6; Sculpin the One Olive/Natural #4; Butt Monkey Olive #4; Zirdle Olive/Orange #8; Willy’s Fruit Roll Up Black #8-#12; Mini Sculpin Black or Natural #6-#8; Coffey’s Sparkle Minnow Sculpin, Smoke, or JJ #6. Galloup’s Mini Boogeyman Olive #6.
Dries: Sparkle Dun BWO #18-#20; BWO Butthead Sparkle Dun #20; Q’s Loopy Cripple Stacker BWO #18; Delektable BWO Teaser #18-#20; Delektable BWO Squeezer #18-#20; Parachute Adams #18-#20; Delektable Lil’ Chubby UV Cinnamon, Royal #16-#18; Delektable Chubbyness Olive Brown, Rootbeer, Cinnamon or Royal #14-#16.
