The Big Hole is Getting Bigger

[eye_row data_width=”container”][eye_column data_width=”0-12-0″][eye_text]

Well, it looks like runoff is officially here.  At 9:00 on Memorial Day, the Big Hole in Melrose was at 7800 cfs. But even though the lower river is unfishable, the upper reaches of the river are still looking good.  We fished from Mudd Creek to East Bank yesterday and had a very respectable day.  The visibility at Mudd Creek was more than two feet and the flow was very manageable.  We caught several fish over 20 inches slow stripping a Coffee Bugger with a red San Juan worm trailer.

It is important to note that we do not recommend floating on the Big Hole River below the Wise River.  The river in Melrose is approaching flood stage, and floating the Big Hole at these flows can be very dangerous.  If you choose to fish the Big Hole, please float with caution.

Below are two of the nice Browns the Bob and his son Grahm caught yesterday on their float from Mudd Creek to East Bank

[/eye_text][/eye_column][/eye_row]

Big Hole River Montana Fishing Report

[eye_row data_width=”container”][eye_column data_width=”0-12-0″][eye_text]

The upper Big Hole River continues to drop and the fishing yesterday was stellar.  It should be another great day on the upper Big Hole. Clarity is around 2 feet up there and once you get above the Wise River and Deep Creek the volume of water decreases and your prospecting on the banks becomes very manageable at these high flows.  We have caddis hatching in the Melrose section but flows are rather high for any dry fly fishing. Streamers and San Juan worms has been producing the best fishing on the upper Big Hole River.  Flows at the Mudd Creek gauge continue to drop and the fishing will remain good up there until the next bump in flows.  Our Big Hole River guides continue to produce huge brown trout this spring.

Our Client Larry with a wonderful Big Hole Brown caught yesterday

Flies: #12 Elk Hair Caddis #12 CDC Caddis #10 Purple Haze #10 Rocky Mountain Mint #8 Mr. Beam; #10 Bullet Head Skwala; #8 Rogue River Skwala  #8 San Juan Worm; #10 Pat’s Stone Olive/Brown: #8 RL Stone; #6 J.J. Special #4 Coffey Bugger; #4 Bad Boy #4 Yellow Zonker

[/eye_text][/eye_column][/eye_row]

The Big Hole is on the drop river wide.

[eye_row data_width=”container”][eye_column data_width=”0-12-0″][eye_text]

The Big Hole is on the drop river wide.  It is amazing how this river comes into fishing shape quickly.  We have 2 feet of visibility on the upper river and about 18 inches of visibility here in Melrose.  I think it will flat out fish today.  We will be heading to the upper Big Hole to get above the large volume of water.  Streamers and worms will be the ticket today for the big boys.  We will let you know how it goes. Caddis are as far up as Glen right now.

Flies: #12 Elk Hair Caddis #12 CDC Caddis #10 Purple Haze #10 Rocky Mountain Mint #8 Mr. Beam; #10 Bullet Head Skwala; #8 Rogue River Skwala  #8 San Juan Worm; #10 Pat’s Stone Olive/Brown: #8 RL Stone; #6 J.J. Special #4 Coffey Bugger; #4 Bad Boy #4 Yellow Zonker

[/eye_text][/eye_column][/eye_row]

Big Hole River Montana Fishing Report

[eye_row data_width=”container”][eye_column data_width=”0-12-0″][eye_text]

Up up and away goes the hydrologic graph.  The entire Big Hole River is not going to fish well today.  You are much better off sitting in front of your vise and tying flies than fishing today.  All of the gauges on the river are increasing in flow.  Once the upper river stabilizes the fishing will be good again.  Clarity is not as much of an issue above the Wise River as increasing flows.  Once we get a break from the runoff and rain we will let you know.  Our Big Hole River fishing report changes daily this time of year since we are in runoff.  The Big Hole is a unique river since it does not muddy up as bad as other freestone rivers during runoff.  We will be fishing again once the flows stabilize.  Check back with us as we will let you know once it is time to get the boat back on the Big Hole.

A nice upper Big Hole brown

Flies: #12 Elk Hair Caddis #12 CDC Caddis #10 Purple Haze #10 Rocky Mountain Mint #8 Mr. Beam; #10 Bullet Head Skwala; #8 Rogue River Skwala  #8 San Juan Worm; #10 Pat’s Stone Olive/Brown: #8 RL Stone; #6 J.J. Special #4 Coffey Bugger; #4 Bad Boy #4 Yellow Zonker

[/eye_text][/eye_column][/eye_row]

Caddis are on the Big Hole

[eye_row data_width=”container”][eye_column data_width=”0-12-0″][eye_text]

The caddis have popped on the lower Big Hole.  We have seen them as far up as Notch bottom.  We also have March Brown mayflies hatching and blue winged olives.  With the clouds out today it should be an excellent day and the fish will be looking up.  It is also a good day to be throwing streamers with the cloud cover.  All around it is going to be a great day out there.  Get some before the blow out comes and believe me it’s coming.

Doubled up Clients

Flies: #12 Elk Hair Caddis #12 CDC Caddis #10 Purple Haze #10 Rocky Mountain Mint #8 Mr. Beam; #10 Bullet Head Skwala; #8 Rogue River Skwala  #8 San Juan Worm; #10 Pat’s Stone Olive/Brown: #8 RL Stone; #6 J.J. Special #4 Coffey Bugger; #4 Bad Boy #4 Yellow Zonker

[/eye_text][/eye_column][/eye_row]

S T R E A M E R S !

[eye_row data_width=”container”][eye_column data_width=”0-12-0″][eye_text]

The streamer fishing continues to impress all of us.  Even with the bright sunny skies that we have been having, the trout are still eating streamers.  We are still getting fish on San Juan Worms, Chubby Chernobyls, and Pats Rubber Legs, but almost all of the big fish that have been landed in the last couple days have been on streamers.  Warmer weather is forecasted for the next couple days, but then it looks like we are going to return to cooler temperatures with scattered precipitation. 

Below is a nice Brown that was landed yesterday between Fishtrap and East Bank.

[/eye_text][/eye_column][/eye_row]

Streamer Season

[eye_row data_width=”container”][eye_column data_width=”0-12-0″][eye_text]

The colder weather over the past several days has brought the flows on the Big Hole River down to around 2500cfs and increased the visibility to more than two feet.  This lowering of flows and improvement of the clarity has made for some great spring fishing.  Even though we still haven’t really seen much sign of the Skwallas, the streamer fishing has been really good.  As usual for the Big Hole, yellow has been the hot streamer color, and slow stripping has been the most successful technique.  Below are three  nice fish that one of our clients caught this past weekend.

[/eye_text][/eye_column][/eye_row]

On The Drop Again

[eye_row data_width=”container”][eye_column data_width=”0-12-0″][eye_text]

After an intense rain storm on Tuesday, the Big Hole River is back on the drop.  The flow has dropped back down to 2600cfs, and the visibility is increased to around 2 feet.  The great streamer fishing that we had been seeing on the upper river should come back as quickly as the river is dropping.  Yellow streamers thrown tight to the bank has produced quite a few fish over 20 inches in the last week.  Most of the anglers have been floating from East Bank to Jerry Creek, but fish are being caught from as high as Fishtrap and as low as Notch.  Cooler weather this weekend should keep the river on the drop and keep the fishing good.

[/eye_text][/eye_column][/eye_row]

Streamer Bite

[eye_row data_width=”container”][eye_column data_width=”0-12-0″][eye_text]

We have started the spring-time roller coaster on the Big Hole.  Fishing has picked up for us and we are starting to see some nice fish caught again.  We had a good report below Melrose yesterday and I think it will fish well today.  Clarity is around 2 feet today.  We had two boats up river yesterday and they both did well on streamers.  If you are a streamer junky, now is the time to get out there.  We have been doing well with a moderate to slow strip from the banks.

Flies: #8 Mr. Beam; #10 Bullet Head Skwala; #8 Rogue River Skwala  #8 San Juan Worm; #10 Pat’s Stone Olive/Brown: #8 RL Stone; #18 Zebra Midge; #6 J.J. Special #4 Coffey Bugger; #4 Bad Boy #4 Yellow Zonker

[/eye_text][/eye_column][/eye_row]

Sub Surface Action

[eye_row data_width=”container”][eye_column data_width=”0-12-0″][eye_text]

Fishing had been good but the reports from today have not been so good.  We had a bump in flows last night and yesterday.  The Big Hole is dropping again but the push of water last night reduced visibility in the river.  We are looking at around 18 inches of visibility.  I would stick to subsurface tactics right now.  Dead drifting streamers and Pat’s Stones will be your best option right now. As conditions improve we will let you know.

Guide Boats lined up at the shop ready to take clients fishing. Have you booked your Spring Special yet?

Flies: #8 Mr. Beam; #10 Bullet Head Skwala; #8 Rogue River Skwala  #8 San Juan Worm; #10 Pat’s Stone Olive/Brown: #8 RL Stone; #18 Zebra Midge; #6 J.J. Special #4 Coffey Bugger; #4 Bad Boy #4 Yellow Zonker

[/eye_text][/eye_column][/eye_row]