Beaverhead River Fishing Report

Beaverhead River Fishing Report

by sunriseflyshop

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The flows on the Beaverhead are low. The outflow from Clark Canyon Reservoir is 64cfs. Wade fishing is your only option. The river is so low we recommend giving the fish a break. If you want to get after it find the riffles and pools and you will catch a bunch of fish since they are stacked up in the holes. Our best flies of choice have been #18 Psycho Mayflies, #18 scuds, #18 Micro Mayflies, #10 San Juan Worms.

Flies: #18 Micro Mayfly; #18 Tan Scud; #10 San Juan Worm; #18 Hunchback;  #18 Zebra Midge; #18 Trico Spinner;#18 Trico Comparadun; #16 Rusty Spinner; #16 CDC PMD;#18 Split Back PMD Olive/Brown; #18 Pheasant Tail; #18 psycho Mayfly; #18 Captive Dun ; #6 Fat Albert; #6 Parachute Hopper; #6 Morrish Hopper

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Fall is here and the fishing has been excellent.

by sunriseflyshop

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Fall is here and the fishing has been excellent. Cool mornings and clear and sunny afternoons lately. We are due for some moisture in the middle of the week coming up. In the sunny weather the dry fly fishing has been tough but the dry dropper fishing has been excellent. We have been throwing an October caddis attractor for a dry fly and either a #10 San Juan worm dropper or a #10 Pat’s Stone dropper. The brown trout are getting aggressive before the spawn and are eating very well. Streamer fishing has been good in the mornings. We have done well on sparkle minnows, mini loop sculpins and J.J.’s. Flows remain about average for this time of year.

Flies:   #16 Split Wing BWO, #16 Purple Craze, #12 Chubby, #14 Rocky Mountain Mint Olive,  #16 PMX Olive,  #10Pat’s Stone Black/Brown, #16 Green Machine, #14 Pearl Lightning Bug #14 Red Copper John #16 Superflash Pheasant Tail #16 Shimmer Nymph #16 Psycho Mayfly, #6 Bellyache Minnow Olive, #8 Sparkle Minnow,  #6 Copper Zonker  #6 Mini Loop Sculpin #6 J.J. Special

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Fall fishing has arrived on the Big Hole.

by sunriseflyshop

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Fall fishing has arrived on the Big Hole. We had a nice bump in flows due to mountain snow and valley rain, which has the Big Hole in great shape. We have a great stretch of weather coming up with day time highs in the lower 70’s and dry weather. Fall hatches are also currently in full swing on the Big Hole. You will find blue winged olive’s and mahogany dun’s hatching. A few October caddis have also been around. Streamers have been working ok, but not great lately. Our best streamer fishing has been in the afternoons with sparkle minnows. Our nymph droppers of choice have been san juan worms, pat’s stones, and psycho may flies.

Flies:   #16 Split Wing BWO, #16 Purple Craze, #12 Chubby, #14 Rocky Mountain Mint Olive,  #16 PMX Olive,  #10Pat’s Stone Black/Brown, #16 Green Machine, #14 Pearl Lightning Bug #14 Red Copper John #16 Superflash Pheasant Tail #16 Shimmer Nymph #16 Psycho Mayfly, #6 Bellyache Minnow Olive, #8 Sparkle Minnow,  #6 Copper Zonker  #6 Mini Loop Sculpin #6 J.J. Special

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We are receiving some much needed wet weather in the Big Hole Valley right now.

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We are receiving some much needed wet weather in the Big Hole Valley right now. Flows are on the rise but the river is remaining clear. We are currently on a step increase in flows at the upper river gauges and the Maiden Rock gauge is over historic average flow, which we have not seen in many weeks. The entire river will see a nice bump in flows from the storm we are receiving. With the wet weather you will have good baetis hatches and maybe some Mahogany duns. Streamers will be affective today with the increase in flows and cloudy weather. I would have on a J.J. Special for my streamer of choice.

Flies:   #16 Split Wing BWO, #16 Purple Craze,   #18 Trico Comparadun #18 HIgh Vis Trico Spinner #12 Chubby, #14 Rocky Mountain Mint Olive,  #16 PMX Olive,  #10Pat’s Stone Black/Brown, #16 Green Machine, #14 Pearl Lightning Bug #14 Red Copper John #16 Superflash Pheasant Tail #16 Shimmer Nymph #12 Psycho Mayfly #14 Kyle’s Sally #6 Bellyache Minnow Olive, #8 Sparkle Minnow,  #6 Copper Zonker  #6 Mini Loop Sculpin #6 J.J. Special

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Fishing has stayed pretty consistent on the Big Hole.

by sunriseflyshop

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Fishing has stayed pretty consistent on the Big Hole. We are having a nice Trico hatch around 10:00 a.m. and you will also find PMD’s and some drakes around in the late morning. In the afternoons we have been throwing, ants, hoppers and nymphs. Some of our best nymphs lately have been #18 Silver lightning bugs, #16 Psycho Mayflies, and #10 Pat’s Stone’s. Flow remain below normal, which is great for the wade angler and tough for the float fisherman. Our Big Hole River guides are still getting down the river in rafts as we remain in below normal flows for this time of year. Cold night time temperatures have the trout feeding well for the entire day.

Flies:   #12 CDC Spruce Moth #12 Spruce Moth #12 X Caddis  #18 Trico Comparadun #18 HIgh Vis Trico Spinner #12 Chubby, #14 Rocky Mountain Mint #16 Purple Haze, #16 PMX Olive,  #10Pat’s Stone Black/Brown, #16 Green Machine, #14 Pearl Lightning Bug #14 Red Copper John #16 Superflash Pheasant Tail #16 Shimmer Nymph #12 Psycho Mayfly #14 Kyle’s Sally #6 Bellyache Minnow Olive, #8 Sparkle Minnow,  #6 Copper Zonker  #6 Mini Loop Sculpin

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Beaverhead River Fishing Report

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The Beaverhead River has been fishing very tough lately. Clark Canyon Reservoir has a dirty outflow and the river is rather mossy. It has been a tough prospect up there, hopefully it improves. You will find hatches of Tricos and PMD’s. The lower Beaverhead River has been fishing well with hoppers. Outflows of Clark Canyon is currently 301cfs. You will do best on the upper Beaverhead River if you fish the  3 foot riffles so you don’t collect moss on your nymphs.

Flies: #18 Hunchback;  #18 Zebra Midge; #18 Trico Spinner;#18 Trico Comparadun; #16 Rusty Spinner; #16 CDC PMD;#18 Split Back PMD Olive/Brown; #18 Pheasant Tail; #18 psycho Mayfly; #18 Captive Dun ; #6 Fat Albert; #6 Parachute Hopper; #6 Morrish Hopper

 

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Trico Report

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Over the last several days, the Trico fishing has been fantastic.  The hatches have been happening on the entire river, and some very nice fish have been coming up and eating these tiny mayflies.  To be perfectly honest, the whitefish have also been very active, but if you take your time, identify, and target the sipping trout, you can have a phenomenal day of trout fishing.  If technical dry fly fishing isn’t your thing, throwing a tan or olive streamer in the fast riffles has also been very effective.

Below is a nice brown that was caught on an olive streamer in the Maiden Rock Canyon.

Montana Hoot Owl and fishing closure resources link. 

Flies:   #12 CDC Spruce Moth #12 Spruce Moth #12 X Caddis  #18 Trico Comparadun #18 HIgh Vis Trico Spinner #12 Chubby, #14 Rocky Mountain Mint #16 Purple Haze, #16 PMX Olive,  #10Pat’s Stone Black/Brown, #16 Green Macjhine, #14 Pearl Lightning Bug #14 Red Copper John #16 Superflash Pheasant Tail #16 Shimmer Nymph #12 Psycho Mayfly #14 Kyle’s Sally #6 Bellyache Minnow Olive, #8 Sparkle Minnow,  #6 Copper Zonker  #6 Mini Loop Sculpin

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Hatches on the Big Hole consist of Tricos

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Hatches on the Big Hole consist of Tricos, Spruce Moths, PMD’s and hoppers. You will find the Trico hatch starting around 10:00 am. The Spruce Moth hatch has been weak lately but it should get better as day time highs get into the 80’s this week. Nymphing has been consistent in the afternoons. We have been dropping either a #10 Pat’s Stone or a #16 Flashback Pheasant tail off our hoppers. Other droppers that have been working well are #16 Psycho Mayflies, #16 Shimmer Nymphs, and #16 Red Copper John’s. If you like to drag streamers, you will have success in the shallow riffles with a #6 McCune’s Sculpin or Mini loop sculpins.

Montana Hoot Owl and fishing closure resources link. 

Photo: Dan Armstrong

Flies:   #12 CDC Spruce Moth #12 Spruce Moth #12 X Caddis  #18 Trico Comparadun #18 HIgh Vis Trico Spinner #12 Chubby, #14 Rocky Mountain Mint #16 Purple Haze, #16 PMX Olive,  #8Pat’s Stone Black/Brown #8 San Juan Worm, #14 Pearl Lightning Bug #14 Red Copper John #16 Superflash Pheasant Tail #16 Shimmer Nymph #12 Psycho Mayfly #14 Kyle’s Sally #6 Bellyache Minnow Olive, #8 Sparkle Minnow,  #6 Copper Zonker  #6 Mini Loop Sculpin

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The Big Hole is fishing very well right now on dry flies.

by sunriseflyshop

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The Big Hole is fishing very well right now on dry flies. Here is our Spruce Moth hatch update. The Spruce Moths are here and the fish are keying into them very well. You can fish a moth for most of the day with very good success. You will find the best moth fishing from Jerry Creek all the way down to Maiden Rock. Besides the moths you will find a good Trico hatch coming off around 9:30 in the morning. We are also having success on small hoppers in the afternoon hours. Come enjoy the moth hatch, it matches up to the Salmonfly hatch in June. Here is the latest information on closures. They have instituted back the Hoot Owl Closures below Maiden Rock and on the upper Big Hole. From Dickey Bridge to Maiden Rock is open to fishing 24 hours a day.

Montana Hoot Owl and fishing closure resources link. 

Pete Davis getting his buddy on a Big Hole Brown yesterday. It ate a Spruce Moth dry fly

Flies:   #12 CDC Spruce Moth #12 Spruce Moth #12 X Caddis  #18 Trico Comparadun #18 HIgh Vis Trico Spinner #12 Chubby, #14 Rocky Mountain Mint #16 Purple Haze, #16 PMX Olive,  #8Pat’s Stone Black/Brown #8 San Juan Worm, #14 Pearl Lightning Bug #14 Red Copper John #16 Superflash Pheasant Tail #16 Shimmer Nymph #12 Psycho Mayfly #14 Kyle’s Sally #6 Bellyache Minnow Olive, #8 Sparkle Minnow,  #6 Copper Zonker  #6 Mini Loop Sculpin

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Spruce Moth Hatch

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Dry fly fishing has picked up the last few days and should get dynamite this week. From 8 am till about 1:00 pm is the best dry fly fishing opportunity. You will have hatches of PMD’s Trico’s and Spruce Moths. Yes, we said Spruce Moths. You will find the Spruce Moth hatch from Jerry Creek access down to Maiden Rock. We have seen a good number of Moths hitting the water. For periods of the morning the fish have keyed into them and then at other times they have ignored the fluttering Moth’s on the surface. The trout should start to key into the Moth activity as they see them on a daily basis. Small hoppers in the afternoon have the fish looking up. We also have had good streamer fishing in the shallow riffles. Our best streamers have been olive/Tan Sculpins.

Guide Shawn Bechtol with a nice Big Hole Cutthrout

Flies:   #12 Spruce Moth #18 Trico Comparadun #18 HIgh Vis Trico Spinner #12 Chubby, #14 Rocky Mountain Mint #16 Purple Haze, #16 PMX Olive,  #8Pat’s Stone Black/Brown #8 San Juan Worm, #14 Pearl Lightning Bug #14 Red Copper John #16 Superflash Pheasant Tail #16 Shimmer Nymph #12 Psycho Mayfly #14 Kyle’s Sally #6 Bellyache Minnow Olive, #8 Sparkle Minnow,  #6 Copper Zonker  #6 Mini Loop Sculpin

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