2009 Mother's Day Caddis Hatch

2009-05-16T12:52:00.000-07:00

Looks like just a tease - the Yellowstone is rising again with only a foot of visibility in town. With warmer temperatures just around the corner, the Yellowstone should finally be toast. The good news is that today (3rd weekend in May) is the general creek opener. Many of these high mountain creeks clear quicker than the rivers they flow into, and the fish haven't seen a fly for months. Since many of these creeks are pocket water, choose a high floating dry like an elk hair, stimulator or trude. Don't forget your bear spray and a bag for wild morel mushrooms.

2009-05-15T09:51:00.000-07:00

Looks like the river gods have granted us a few more chances before runoff. The Yellowstone dropped like a rock over the last two days, and while it has come up slightly to 4,470 CFS, the visibility is a good two feet. Plenty of caddis in the bushes still should the sun pop out, especially near Mill Creek bridge. We'll see what happens this weekend, but today definitely looks like a good day to be on the Stone in the Valley. In town, the water is more muddy, mostly due to Billman Creek, but we still have between a foot to a foot and a half of vis. After this weekend the Yellowstone should finally be in full runoff as we have quite a few days forecasted in the high 70's and even 80's. The snow pack in the Upper Yellowstone basin is a whopping 130%. We'll see how fast the snow comes down, but at this point we should have plenty of water and a very healthy fishery this summer!

2009-05-13T12:16:00.001-07:00

The Yellowstone in town today is about 6 inches of visibility with a milk chocolate tone. Streamer fishing could be an option, but there are so many floating sticks in the eddies already that it probably would not be worth your while. The Yellowstone is dropping on paper however, so if things start to clear up we'll let you know. With the forecasted warm weather this week however it looks like runoff will be in full swing sooner the later. Once the "cottonwood hatch" starts it will be down right dangerous to float. At this time we'll start fishing the spring creeks as well as local and private lakes. For you Mother's Day Caddis fans, we've also heard reports of caddis on the lower Madison already...

2009-05-12T11:35:00.000-07:00

It rain pretty good in town this morning for about a half hour. Nice overcast clouds and a little more than a foot of visibility - it was tough to tell with the low light. The river looks like a juicy day for throwing streamers that's for sure! I didn't see any caddis out, but if the clouds burn off and the caddis become more active, the trout will still be eating caddis through the murk. Last year during the Simms Bowl-a-thon the fish were going nuts on caddis dries, even through 5 inches of visibility. Looks like this week is calling for 60 degree weather with 20-30% chance rain, so the Yellowstone will likely blow this weekend. We'll keep you posted...

2009-05-11T19:05:00.000-07:00

David Jayne and David Cory with a 20 1/2" brown

The caddis hatch was in full swing today. We floated through town and saw quite a few people hooked up. At times the fish were up and eating caddis steadily. We also caught some fish on parachute March browns. David Cory caught the best fish of the day, a beautiful 20.5 inch brown. We pulled in below the fish and must have put 20 casts over his head before sticking him with a Butch Caddis. The cutthroat were happy and eating dries, we probably saw close to 50 rises, and while we missed quite a few we definitely had some hot dry fly action. Then the wind blew us away and the fish turned off hard. The bonus of the day was an 18 inch brown that David caught on a streamer 20 feet from the take out. If that doesn't prove "it ain't over till the fat lady sings" I don't know what does! The water clarity was great - at least two feet at Carter's. We hear there may be some mud coming, so give us a call in the morning to check on the current conditions. I have a feeling the Stone will fish great tomorrow...

2009-05-10T22:03:00.001-07:00

Happy Mother's Day...

Today was a great day to be on the water. Looking at the number of parked rigs with empty trailers at Pine Creek and Carter's, I'd say the feeling was universal. Last night was below freezing which will definitely help with tomorrow's clarity. The river was about a foot and a half of visibility today; I'd expect to see about the same tomorrow. Plenty of caddis are out there with a few consistent risers. Charlie Eubank was rocking the rainbows on a small elk hair caddis tight to the riprap. We'd see a riser here or there and back row like crazy until we got it in the net. He also hooked into a heck of a brown on streamers, but the fish tail walked like a tarpon and got off. The brown above made some serious arial maneuvers as well. He smashed my second streamer and went vertical like an F16 kicking in his afterburners. He swirled down stream and jumped again before we got him in the net. After we released him, we looked up and an eagle was still perched on his tree watching us, "Man - you know he's got to be upset right about now!"

2009-05-09T13:29:00.000-07:00

Andrew Babcock with a pair of nice browns

The Yellowstone is looking great today. Plenty of visibility and caddis in town that's for sure. Dito that for Pine to Carter's. I didn't see a ton of rises in the morning but as the evening approaches, I'd expect some good dry fly action. For those of you who are interested in learning more about the Mother's Day Caddis on line, I found a good article on Fly Fisherman's web site. They also had another article on egg laying caddis which is worth a glance. I know from person experience that slapping one of Rene Harrop's fertile caddis into the water is a good way to get the trout's attention, especially when fishing through the mix of thousands of bugs.

2009-05-08T20:54:00.000-07:00

Water clarity in town was 1-2 feet of visibility

The Yellowstone looks like it is hanging in there for this weekend. Water clarity has been best through town, and from what the FWP surveyors said, through town has also been the best fishing. Although many of the tribs are dirty, the Yellowstone is still very fishable from Mallard's to 89. Streamer fisherman can venture below 89, but I wouldn't expect much caddis action with the Shield's and Boulder kicking in mud. Water temperature has dropped some to around 47-50, which has delayed the caddis explosion. There are still tons of caddis on the rocks and bushes, but it seems the "wear your respirator mask" vortex is yet to come. The weather is looking good for this weekend and Monday with highs around 58, 60, and 71 degrees. With 20-30% chance of rain each day, it wouldn't hurt to be prepared for an hour or two of March browns, baetis, and streamer fishing.

2009-05-07T21:18:00.000-07:00

Mmm.... tastes like chicken!

Thursday was better fishing during the day than the evening. In the early afternoon the sun was out, the bugs were thick and there was a foot or more of visibility in most places. That big front rolled in around 5:00 and totally shut down the caddis factory. Actually, it pinned them to the rocks and while the sleet and wind nocked a few off, the fish were not all that impressed. We had a couple calm moments however and were able to work a few fish on dries. We moved another big brown on streamers. Easily a 20"+ fish, the fat brown rolled on the top fly but totally missed it. Before his long, python like body disappeared back into the river, Hank and I slapped 4 streamers around him. I thought for sure he'd eat at least one of them, but somehow the con-artist managed to give us the slip...

What about the mud? Yes, that is a definite concern. The Gardner has been pumping mud, as have a lot of the other tribs. At best I'd say we'll have a translucent brown with a foot and a half. At worst we could be looking at inches. Fingers are crossed for good fishing, but I wouldn't be surprised if the river blows out tomorrow. I also wouldn't be surprised if it came back in a few days like last year. We'll keep you posted. Give us a call tomorrow for the latest clarity report. 406.222.7130.

2009-05-06T19:00:00.000-07:00

Photos by Photography On The Fly

The caddis were out in full force today, as were the March browns. Unfortunately the water clarity down low was one shade too dark for good fishing, even streamers. We got one massive tug on one of Doug's 8 inch rainbow trout Home Invaders. Sure would have been nice to see that one behind the lens, but that's fishing. The shield's and Boulder are kicking in just enough mud to call it quits for down low. I think through town is probably the best right now since the fish counts are high and the fish are just now getting keyed into the bugs. We had several friends fishing the river in town who rocked them on caddis dries and emergers. From their phone calls the caddis hatch buzz is definitely on! One buddy hooked 17 and landed a dozen near 9th street. Even better news was that all the fish except one were 16 inches or better! We got a quick shower, but I think the visibility will hang in there around 12 - 18 inches for the weekend.

2009-05-05T14:35:00.000-07:00

George with a nice Bighorn brown

One nice thing about booking a trip during the Mother's Day Caddis Hatch is there are so many different fishing options this time of year. The Missouri, Bighorn, Spring Creeks, and private lakes fish very well this time of year, making for the perfect plan B, C, or D. With these kinds of options, you can feel comfortable knowing that regardless of the caddis hatch, we'll put you on some of the best fishing in the state! George and Bill Hart just got back from the Bighorn and absolutely crushed them on baetis sparkle duns and CDC baetis emergers in sizes 18-20. They also had good luck on small sowbugs and mayfly nymphs. Lots of boats, but also plenty of fish for everyone.

Back on the Yellowstone we are still waiting for the big bang. This morning was pretty chilly with a quick rain storm that ran through the middle of Paradise Valley. Visibility was 2-3 feet just above Emigrant, Grey Owl and Mallard's had about the same. I didn't see any caddis out there, only a few small baetis. The sun is back out now, so maybe anglers fishing through town will see some caddis activity. Good spots to see caddis include Carter's Bridge, Mallard's Rest, Mayor's Landing, and the Highway 89 bridge.

2009-05-04T19:40:00.000-07:00

Doug E. Fresh back at it again!

Quite a few more caddis out there, although the fish are not really on them as much as we'd like to see. The wind has been blowing pretty good, which have probably kept the trout at bay. With thousands of caddis fluttering along the banks it shouldn't be long before the fish key up and start eating dries. We've had some good reports through town on trudes, especially in the side channels and back eddies. The "foot soldiers" are definitely coming out of the woodworks this week. Every spot I stopped there were at least two vehicles. I think in a couple days things are going to be off the hook, but for now they are still pretty tame.

2009-05-03T21:08:00.000-07:00

Let the games begin . . .

Water temps hit 53 today at Carter's. Friends have been fishing up there and seeing a few caddis, but doing better with big March Brown patterns. There have been plenty of little blue wings on the water, but the fish are definitely keeping an eye out for the larger March Browns. Today was good visibility in town - a good 3 feet at the KPRK bridge. We did get a good amount of rain tonight however, and the Stone's CFS is creeping up on us a little bit. I don't expect any major plugs just yet. Tomorrow the river should have plenty of clarity from Emigrant to 89. It looks like we have a little more rainy weather to endure, but the caddis should be getting thick by Wednesday or Thursday.

2009-05-01T15:53:00.000-07:00

2009-04-30T23:14:00.000-07:00

I don't think there's a better way to describe our day better than "tough fishing." It was typical down low stakes, rolling the dice for big fish or getting skunked. With every cast it felt like we had a legitimate shot at a monster but the fish weren't on. Down low it seem so often that the fish are either on or off, there's no dimmer switch down there. You can tell yourself that you're "just happy being out there" but let's not kid ourselves. That's just a lie we mumble when the fishing turns off - similar to "Man, what a beautiful day it is out here." You want to see Mr. Big in the net just as badly as I do. I had a nice brown smoke my streamer about 10 feet off a riprap bank. I put the heat on quickly and had him churning in circles close to the boat when he gave me a head shake and busted me off. So much for a photo finish. Loosing a lower Yellowstone fish isn't like loosing a Bighorn fish. It hurts a lot worse. Derek saved the day for us with so at least we didn't get skunked. At the end of the day there was no doubt - the fish won that round.

This just in: Bob Bergquist, our senior guide at the Yellowstone Angler floated ahead of us on the same stretch and got his client into 8 good fish, one of which was a 24 incher! Nice work fellas. The angler was a good fisherman from Japan and was getting 'er done. Usually it's not a big deal to have boats in front of you because the fish are either in the mood to eat or they're not. It's more of an issue of being in the right place at the right time than getting those nook and cranny shots and retrieving your fly right. That being said, I guess it wouldn't hurt to be the first boat in the water.

2009-04-29T21:07:00.000-07:00

A typical spot for the Home Invader...

The bank's thermometer in Livingston kept flashing back and forth between 31 or 32 degrees. Not exactly what I was hoping for, but I figured it was worth a shot. There were a ton of baetis duns floating down the Yellowstone's soft edges with a couple risers here and there. I would have fished dries if I had brought my floating line. I lost half a bugger barn worth of flies yesterday, so I had to dip into my reserves. At the top of the list was one of Doug's rare green and white Home Invaders. It had been aging in my fly box like a bottle of fine wine, but finally the thought of loosing it was overcome by my desire to catch "big budda brown." My guides were icing up just slightly as I twitched and jigged for the two-footer. Not in the cards for today anyway...

2009-04-28T23:09:00.001-07:00

Tuesday was a cold and wet day to be on the Stone. This was fitting for Marcus, since the past three trips he's floated on have been a during a winter storm warning. The water temperature was frigid as sleet fell on us from the East for hours. It was actually pretty dismal out there for a while. People would honk from the highway and we didn't know if they were giving us the thumbs up or if they were laughing at our soaked and soggy predicament. It must have been past 11:00 AM before the fish finally woke up and became interested in our fur and feathered offerings. The action began when Doug had a nice brown clamp on to his Home Invader, probably a 20" but FAT... Even though the big brown gave us the "death roll" and spit the hook, she instantly boosted boat moral. Doug and Marcus continued to put on the full court press with their streamers as they covered every inch of juicy holding water. Some of the browns would light up and crush the streamer as soon as it hit, others ate the fly deep in the water column with the strip, stop. strip, stop. technique. We might have moved a dozen or so fish all day but the ones we caught were decent. Had the water warmed up a little more, I think the streamer fishing could have been of epic proportions. We did see a hell of a baetis hatch in the late afternoon, but not many bugs on the water. I think we only saw 2 rises all day but later I heard from D. who caught about 20 smaller fish on baetis dries near Carter's.

2009-04-27T21:53:00.000-07:00

Well it's about time you showed up!

Finally the streamer bite is on, well at least for tonight it was. The visibility is somewhere between 1-2 feet, but more importantly the water temperature warmed up. According to the USGS site the water temp was a cozy 47, which is just enough to engage the trout in a chase down. I moved 8 fish tonight but only managed to land three. A couple looked like dinks, but the majority looked like 15-17 inch fish. I was fishing straight up stream and giving my fly the "Morgan Twitch" on its way back down. (Thanks Tom). Also special thanks to Jeff Carder for the olive and orange pancora flies... As it turns out, they happen to double quite nicely as a sculpin pattern! On the way back I switched to a white Sculpzilla and big brown rolled over it with jaws wide open. Funny how they can miss something that is swinging in the current like a sitting duck.

2009-04-27T08:11:00.000-07:00

Always nice to see new trout in the river...

Seeing how it was Matthew Christian's birthday, D. and I had a good excuse to get out of the house. It was a rough morning but after getting some coffee in us we hit the road and headed south for Daily. We spotted a few fish but they were traveling really fast and were disinterested in the few tasty morsels we tossed at them. From there we headed up to Yankee Jim and fished a few runs. We through everything but the kitchen sink out there and only got one bite. The visibility was less up there - only about a foot. Looking at the clock we had to get back for Matt's birthday party, but we stopped at meditation point and got a couple fish. They were little fish, taking baetis dries. I think had the water been slightly warmer the big dogs would have been willing to play ball. That being said, it sure looks juicy out there today...

2009-04-25T16:57:00.001-07:00

Fish are now cruising the edges on local lakes

The Yellowstone dropped a quite a bit in CFS today and is starting to take on a greener tinge. The spring creeks or lakes would still be a better choice today however. The sight fishing on lower elevation local and private lakes is very good right now. On brighter days stick with natural colored buggers or leeches with scuds, chironomids or egg as your dropper. On cloudy days you can get away with darker streamers and leeches, but they will spook fish on sunny days. Fishing from the edge of the lake is tough. It sort of reminds me of tarpon fishing, because you have to lead the fish and strip it so that your fly looks like it is running away from the fish. If you strip towards the fish, they'll simply blow up and you've lost your cover. Try to stay a few yards in front of the cruisers and make tiny twitches away from them. A lot of the rainbows are playing "grab ass" with each other right now, so don't get too frustrated if they are less enthusiastic about chomping your flies.

2009-04-24T10:09:00.001-07:00

Cold, muddy, and miserable...

Don't worry, you're not missing anything out there today. While the wind wasn't nearly as brutal as yesterday, the river is simply too cold and muddy to make things worth your while. If you like to tie flies, this would be a good week to do it. Check out the trout nut's website for some great close up shots. Tie up a few realistic patterns, but during the heat of the hatch you'll also want a fly that you can pick out, like a Hi-vis Elk Hair or a Lime Trude. I think the fish like seeing something different too. For hook size on your dries, go for a #12 or 14. Slightly oversizing them will help you (and the fish) see it on the water and it will help keep your fly afloat if you're fishing a dropper. Since the fish feed on emergers more than dries, don't forget to tie some of these up as well. LaFontaine's caddis pupa is a popular dropper during the hatch, but my best fly last year was the Butch Caddis. It looks like a dry, but rides low in the surface film and fishes more like an emerger.

2009-04-23T16:28:00.000-07:00

"If you don't like the weather just wait a few minutes."

We've all heard the saying just about everywhere, but it certainly rang true today on the Yellowstone. Any caddis that hatched yesterday must have been in for a rude awakening this afternoon. Water clarity on the Stone was a few inches at best. The water temperature dropped almost 10 degrees to 46, which didn't help with the streamer bite. If the weather keeps this up, the Mother's Day Caddis Hatch might actually occur when it is historically supposed to...

2009-04-23T09:13:00.000-07:00

Photo from Photography On The Fly

Derek DeYoung and I checked out the river below DePuy's yesterday. It wasn't really happening, I think I saw two caddis flying around. Seeing how the Yellowstone was just a shade too muddy (even for streamer fishing), we decided to take a drive to one of the local lakes. Unfortunately when we got there, we were faced with 40 mph winds, muddy water, and a hovering ice chunk in the middle of the lake. We had a couple adult beverages in the truck before mustering up the courage to battle the elements. We knew we were skunked before we even stepped out of the ride but of course we had to try. As we leaned sideways into the wind holding our hats, it was official - this was going to be tough fishing...

2009-04-22T08:44:00.000-07:00

Most of the caddis are still in their cases, but in certain places we've been seeing them show up early. I was fishing below DePuy's on Tuesday night and saw about 25 caddis skittering about. I took a water temperature and to my surprise it was 54°F. We'll keep you posted on this hatch as usual, but it looks like the colder weather this weekend will be shutting them down for at least a little while.