Runoff has started on the Big Hole.

by sunriseflyshop

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Runoff has started on the Big Hole. Don’t mark this river off your list but it is going to be tough fishing the next few days due to the increase in water volume. Clarity in the river around Melrose is about 18 inches. We had good reports from yesterday with streamers and nymphs but the river clarity has gotten worse since yesterday. Once the river stops the hard rise we should get some good fishing days in. The Mother’s Day Caddis hatch has started on the lower Big Hole. The Caddis hatch should be starting in the canyon in the next few days. We have reports of blizzarding caddis hatches below Melrose on the Big Hole.

Recommended Flies: #10 Purple Haze; #12 X Caddis; #10 Mr. Beam; #10 Skwala Stone; #10 Pat’s Stone Olive/Brown; #8 San Juan Worm; #12 Pheasant Tail; #12 Caddis Pupa; #6 J.J. Special; #4 Smokin’ Mirrors; #4Mr. Creepo

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Dropping water conditions has the entire river fishing well again.

by sunriseflyshop

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Dropping water conditions has the entire river fishing well again. The streamer fishing has been fantastic lately. You will also have some caddis still around and some drakes. The fish have been willing to chase the streamers pretty well lately. More overcast and wet conditions are in the forecast. It’s the perfect time to get the big fish to move to your fly.

SUNRISE FLY SHOP IS HIRING: Shuttle drivers, starting June 1st. Please call to enquire about the position. 406-835-3474 

Recommended Flies : #6 San Juan Worm; #12 Pheasant Tail #12 Prince Nymph; #10 Pat’s Stone Brown/Green; #12 CDC Caddis #14 Caddis Pupa; #14 X Caddis; #10 Mr. Beam Skwala #10 Bullet Head Skwala #8; #4 Smoking’ Mirrors; J.J. Special #10 Sparkle Minnow; #4 Sunrise Sculpzilla  #6 Yellow Zonker 

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After a week of really warm weather

by sunriseflyshop

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After a week of really warm weather, we were hit with a very powerful winter storm on Monday and Tuesday that brought several inches of snow to the upper river and below-freezing temp to the entire valley.  The drop in temperature helped to stop the increase in flow that we had been seeing because of the melting snowpack caused by the record-breaking temps.  During the last few days we have seen decent fishing, but now that the river has crested, the clarity is back to around 2 feet, and overcast skies in the forecast, we should really start to see the fishing take off.  Expect Streamers, San Juan Worms, and Stone Fly Nymphs to be your best flies. Caddis are hatching from Dewey all the way down to the Notch. The fish are not eating the adults since we have too much flow along the banks.  As the water temp increases over the next several days, we will probably see the start of the Mother’s Day Caddis Hatch on the upper river. 

Recommended Flies : #6 San Juan Worm; #12 Pheasant Tail #12 Prince Nymph; #10 Pat’s Stone Brown/Green; #10 Mr. Beam Skwala #10 Bullet Head Skwala #8 J.J. Special #10 Sparkle Minnow; #4 Sunrise Sculpzilla  #6 Yellow Zonker

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Where to go and what to fish is always the question in the morning at the shop.

by sunriseflyshop

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Where to go and what to fish is always the question in the morning at the shop. Well, the good news is that the entire Big Hole River is fishing well. Clarity is over 2 feet and the river has the perfect tea color right now. Stable flows and some hatches out there are making for active fish during the day. We have Blue Winged Olives hatching in the afternoon and March Brown mayflies. Streamers have been working well in the melrose area stripped off the banks. On the upper Big Hole we have mainly been fishing San Juan Worms and dead drifted zonkers. Look for the Mother’s Day Caddis to start popping this week on the lower Big Hole if water temperatures warm back up into the lower 50’s.

Sunrise Fly Shop guides getting clients the famed Big Hole trout this week

Recommended Flies : #12 Pheasant Tail #12 Prince Nymph; #10 Pat’s Stone Brown/Green;  #6 San Juan Worm; #10 Mr. Beam Skwala #10 Bullet Head Skwala #8 J.J. Special #10 Sparkle Minnow; #4 Sunrise Sculpzilla  #6 Yellow Zonker

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