Author: sunriseflyshop

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House Bill 309 is an attempt to modify Stream Access Law in Montana  by modifying the term ‘ditch.’  Montana has one of the best Stream Access Laws in the Country, it is about to be stripped if we do not act now.

FOAM (Fishing Outfitters Association of Montana) has these strong opposition points to House Bill 309:

1) A live, flowing braid or channel can be defined as a ditch if there is any kind of control structure at the head of the live channel, including ‘natural features incorporated into the water conveyance system’;

     2) Recreational access is available only with landowner’s permission on water bodies created at least in part by waters diverted from a natural water body where the diverted water is the principal source of water in the water body – think about low flows in August and September and the many Montana rivers and streams with side channels and braids that have diversion structures on them where return flow could be considered the ‘principle source of water’ in the river or stream.

#2 above could potentially turn side-channels of rivers, streams, and possibly whole rivers into ditches where recreational use is allowed only with landowner permission.

This Bill if passed will be a huge detriment for recreational fishing on Southwest Montana’s Rivers and Streams.  The hearing for house Bill 309 is Tuesday, March 8 in room 303 (Old Supreme Court Chambers in Helena) starting at 3:00p.m. Be there to speak your voice!    

Stay up to date on Facebook. @ Montana Coalition for Stream Access.

 

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Trout pack on the pounds during the Big Hole River Salmonfly hatch.  It is not uncommon to catch a trout and see Salmonflies crawling out of their gills.  There are three stages of the Salmonfly: egg, nymph, and adult.  These creatures of nature will live for 2 – 4 years as a nymph before they become an adult.   Several factors need to occur before these flies emerge as adults.  The Salmonfly needs a constant water temperature in the 55-degree range for a steady period before they hatch.   When conditions are just right these nymphs swim towards the bank to hatch.   Salmonflies like to crawl onto willows and down trees on the banks to then shed their shucks and become an adult.  You will find these flies most susceptible to trout as wind blows them off willows onto the water, or the females are flying over the water dropping their eggs into the water.  These flies struggling on the surface while the females drop eggs and trout are waiting to slurp them up.

The Sunrise Fly Shop has many hand-tied Salmonflies that are proven patterns that work on the Big Hole River, and Madison River.  For more information on this incredible hatch, fly patters and booking your next fly fishing vacation contact the Sunrise Fly Shop.

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Every angler waits, and waits, and waits for hatches to occur.  The most famed hatch in Southwest Montana that is worth the wait is the Big Hole River Salmonfly hatch.  It is every anglers dream to throw#4 dry flies to the bank and watch 5 pound browns rise with a vengeance to eat your fly.  This is truly an exciting time to be on the Big Hole River.  Typically as the river is coming down from runoff you have your best dry fly fishing.  Anglers have to be on their game as your boat is rolling down the river and you are trying to get your dry flies as close to the banks and willows as possible to get an eat from a trout.

The Big Hole River Salmonfly hatch typically occurs from June 15^th-July1st.  What makes this hatch unique to the Big Hole River is the length of the river it takes place on and the abundance of flies hatching.  You can find this hatch first on the lower river near Glen, then it works it’s way up the river to East bank.  This is about 80 miles of floatable river that this hatch is occurring on.  A lot of people refer to “Chasing the hatch” when they talk about Salmonflies.   You will find guides in the early mornings and late evenings looking for shucks on the willows and bridges to see if Salmonflies hatched during the night.

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Sunrise Fly Shop is happy to announce the new website for Sheerwater Guide Service.  Owner and operator Karl Jones is an exceptional guide and wooden drift boat builder.  Sheerwater Guide Service operates in Western Montana on the Clark Fork River, Bitterroot River, and Blackfoot River.  Karl also guides for the Sunrise Fly Shop on the Big Hole River and Beaverhead River.  If any of you are looking for an early Spring dry fly fishing fix, contact us for some March Skwala fishing on the Bitterrroot River.  The Bitterroot River starts to fish earlier than our rivers in Southwest Montana due to the valley floor being lower in elevation.  If you are looking to fish in Western Montana, Sheerwater Guide Servicewill take care of all your Western Montana angling needs and your wooden boat building needs at Bitterroot Boat Works.

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It is late January and the Montana snowpack is looking good.  Right now the Big Hole River snowpack and Beaverhead River snowpack is sitting at 116% of normal for this date in time.  We have had three years in a row of excellent water conditions throughout the summer.  It is looking like we are going to have another great water year on Southwest Montana Rivers.  Right now the Clark Canyon Reservoir is sitting at 91% full. Winter flows on the Beaverhead River have remained above average which helps keep the fishery healthy.  Last year we saw a great age class of 17-19 inch rainbows in the Beaverhead that were about 3 to 4 pounds.  Look for this age class of trout to be in the 18-20 inch range and up to 5 pounds.  It is going to be a banner year on the Beaverhead and high flows will make for a great late summer hopper season in the Big Hole River.

I am off to the Western Canadian Fly Fishing Exposition in Calgary, Alberta. We will have a booth at the show.  If you are attending the show stop by to check us out.  The Event is January 28^th-30^th.

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Everyone knows the feeling, the itch to experience the first dry fly fishing of the year on Southwest Montana freestone rivers.  The first spring hatch, a.k.a. some of the best dry fly fishing of the year is the Big Hole River Skwala hatch.

The Skwala stonefly makes it’s appearance as spring and the end of winter collide.  On the Big Hole River this is around mid-April.  As the ice breaks free from the freestone rivers and water warms between 45-48 degrees for a consistent period of time, skwalas start to migrate to the banks of the Big Hole River to hatch.  The Skwala is a size #8-#10 stonefly with an olive colored body.  Like most stoneflies, Skwalas crawl onto rocky and brushy banks to hatch.  Unlike most stoneflies though Skwalas rarely fly in the air.  These stoneflies tend to crawl across the water when they lay their eggs.  Skwalas are hard to see in the water as they skitter with there wings closed on the surface.  Trout in the 16 – 22 inch range are taken on the dry fly during this hatch.

Since this is the first hatch of the year with a sizable meal, trout tend to key into Skwalas pretty quickly.  These stoneflies are not in the same abundance on the Big Hole as Golden Stones or Salmonflies on the Big Hole, but there are enough of them to make for some great dry fly fishing.  This is a great time to experience trout feeding with fury, as they eat their first stoneflies of the season.

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The new R.L. Winston BIIIX is a rod that every angler must have in their arsenal.  The BIIIX has replaced the number 1 best selling rod from Winston the BIIX.    After fishing the BIIIX I must say it has the feel of the BIIX but has a little more power in the mid section.  I have been able to fish this rod on the Big Hole River in the 9ft. 5weight and found it to have excellent accuracy for long casting situations with large chernobyl’s and also the ability to throw small dries in technical short distance situations.  We have just received our first order of the BIIIX.  These rods have the classic Winston Boron design, with a little more power, which makes it a well rounded fast action rod.  You can check them out on the R.L. Winston website.

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During the fall of 2010, Montana’s Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks made major improvements to three different fishing access sights on the Big Hole River. Pumphouse, Salmon Fly, and Glen fishing access sights were the recipients of long-overdue improvements and makeovers.

 

At the Powerhouse Fishing Access (more commonly referred to as Silver Bridge) crews installed a new single-wide concrete boat ramp, and expanded and improved the parking area.  This ramp improvement coincides with the removal of the Pumphouse diversion just downstream from the Silverbridge fishing access.

 

Down river at Salmon Fly Fishing Access Site in the town of Melrose, crews installed a concrete boat ramp and improved the parking area for one of the busiest fishing access on the Big Hole River.  Simple improvements such as these have made the Salmon Fly Fishing Access not only a more functional fishing access, but a more aesthetically pleasing one as well.

 

Another twelve miles down river from Melrose, at the Glen Fishing Access Site on the Burma Road, crews also installed a new concrete boat ramp and made improvements to the parking and camping areas. 

 

All of the recent improvements to the fishing access on the Big Hole River will help to make accessing the river a safer endeavor, disperse boat and user traffic, and protect fish and wildlife habitat.

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The Big Hole diversion dam replacement project is complete.  On November 7, 2010 the city and county of Butte-Silver Bow finished the replacement of the 80-year-old diversion dam in the Dewey Canyon of the Big Hole River.  This diversion dam is used for pumping water from the Big Hole River to the city of Butte, Montana for a portion of the cities drinking water.    After nearly a century of existence, the diversion dam is no longer an impediment to fish and boater passage.

The old diversion dam and intake structure was outdated, and structurally failing, which has a threat to the River, and the ability for Butte to get one of their sources of drinking water. Over the years the dam has been the cause for flipping many boats as floaters tried to navigate over the concrete structure.  The new diversion has a rock weir dam, which has a boat and fish passage channel.  The spillway is designed for boater safety.

The completion of the diversion dam on the Big Hole River is a great example of a community working together to improve a structure that benefits all uses.  Silver Bow County now has a better functioning diversion that ensures a source of their drinking water.  Recreationalists now have a safe, unrestricted passage in the river that promotes the health and migration of fish.

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Winter has set into southwest Montana with our first significant snowfall last week. After the snow and cold has pushed us off the river we are finally able to take a deep breath after a fabulous season of fly-fishing.  A short recap of the 2010 season was water, water and more water. Above average flows and steady hatches made for great fishing this season.  The dog days of summer never came this year.  We are in a cycle of great water flows in Southwest Montana.  This was our third year in a row of above average flows in the Big Hole River.  Clark Canyon reservoir above the Beaverhead River will again have above average winter flows, which we saw this summer made a huge difference in the health of the fishery.

We would like to take the time and thank all of the people that made the 2010 season a successful one.  We enjoyed giving advice, hearing big fish stories, and guiding clients with smiling faces.  Look for consistent blog posts this winter on fly-fishing advice, fly-fishing tactics, and stories about the rivers we fish; the Big Hole River, Beaverhead River, Madison River, and Jefferson River.

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