Salmonfly Hatch on The Madison

Since I scooped the gang of salmonfly nymphs during a guide trip last week, I have developed a strong desire and needs that I have to come back and fish Madison River just above Ennis soon. And today, I did it!!

Title says all and following pictures save my typing and mean more than thousands of words.
Nymphs are indeed pumped up enough to crawl on my anchor rope!!

 Then I found this....... I first thought "someone's fly that had been snagged and aged".....

And here it is...........

In the morning, I fished with nymphs with so-so results.

I was waiting for some warmth in the afternoon. Now I tied on a big dry adult salmonfly. At one particular spot, fish rose on my dry 3 times. Perhaps the same fish. The 3rd bite was set but as it swam to the current it was gone....... Next spot, seemingly small one pounced on the dry again, no hookup.
At the next likely spot, I finally made a solid hook-set!!! Indeed strong fish!!!!

The Salmonfly Eating Madison Brown!!

This little one tried to attack my fly but my fly was too big for him to bite or he miscalculated the rise!?

So what's my favorite dry-adult pattern?
Here's my own Two Mix Salmonfly!! Please click the link for more descriptions.

Salmonfly will soon move up toward upstream. Hope to see the same in Yellowstone River!
Then I'm at spring creeks fishing for PMD.......
I guess I'm busy!

Anticipation Coming True - On The Spring Creeks

Here's a quick introduction of my new gear for the season. I replaced a fly-keeper on the vest and also applied a new "name tag" on it. Well, spot me on the stream!

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So, something with Salmonfly is going on the area rivers.
Here on the spring creeks in Livingston, the year's most anticipated event has kicked off - The world famous Pale Morning Dun hatch.
These beautiful creatures know how to pose for the camera.

I had an opportunity to test the "hatch" at DePuy's (www.depuyspringcreek.com) and Armstrong's (www.armstrongspringcreek.com) Spring Creeks for the past two days.
Every spring creek enthusiast know so but never redundant to repeat: It's the fly-fishing heaven in the Paradise (Valley).

Trout are also anticipating the hatch for a year.

They are also getting fat, colorful, and sassy!!??

A typical cut-bow hybrid often seen in Armstrong's.

Trout will rise for duns and emergers and be taken by dry-flies but as these photos prove, majority of intakes consist NYMPHS. "Sight-Nymphing" or "Spot-Nymphing" is very technical and as challenging and enjoyable as dry-fly fishing.

Other insects flying around and taken by trout are:
Midges

Small black caddis with green butt.

And accident did happen!?
If you are observant anglers , scene should be familiar: birds are skimming the water surface when insect hatches are strong. That's especially true at spring creeks, which produce much more numbers of insects than any other water bodies. As I cast upstream of the riffle, I saw my leader made a sudden and strange kink...... As I tugged the leader back from the grass, my tippet was wrapping around one of wing-quills of this cute little fella. I quickly untangle my fly from her and she was safely released!!
This will be remembered forever.

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Just like Salmonfly and river-fishing, there are many effective patterns for PMD hatch. Here are a couple of most effective patterns from my boxes.
My own No-Hackle Gnat.

Good Ol' Pheasant Tail Nymph (Master Angler version).

Again, just like Salmonfly hatch and river-fishing, PMD hatch and trout actions will be red-hot next week! Last but not the least, I will be busy too!

Anticipation Coming True - On The Rivers

Right after the previous post, I conducted a float trip on Madison River.
This time of the year, what would we anticipate? = Salmonfly hatch!!

Actual hatch = adult insects crawling on willows & flying around = hasn't happened yet but I found the surest sign of hatch, furthermore, it would be a gorgeous one!!
At the beginning of the float, I pulled over by the bank and turn "just one rock". It took me "only one scoop"!!

They are right off the bank, what does this tell you?

My people caught couple of memorable trout from Madison!

There are many other effective fly patterns right now. A few of my favorites and staples are:
Rubber Leg (black x coffee)

Good Ol' PRINCE!! - as this imitates pretty much any nymphs/larvae under water.

For the next post, I hope to report Big Adults flying and buzzing around!!

YNP - My Own Season Opener

Yesterday June 17th made this year's opening day of mine for Yellowstone National Park fishing season. It's not because I was tied up with Master Breeder projects (which was successful by the way!!) since late May. I like to fish several selected waters in YNP in mid & late June.

I initiated myself at the easy spot as I'm the beginner for the new season(!?). First one was a fine little brookie!!................wait, it was a little brown, I wasn't quite aware of that till I saw the pic on the screen!

Then I graduated into a higher level.
PMD hatch was excellent on the Madison. It was some of the best hatch and trout actions I've ever seen.

Then I pursued my true desire and objective of the day.
Contrary to what some people claim, I didn't see any Salmonfly adults flying (well, it was a cold weather). I did try an adult dry imitation at likely spots but no look-ups at all.
But I knew this fly will work. Yes, this can be fished as a nymph but the most effective and stylish way to fish is: SWING in the legendary riffles and pools of Madison in the Park!!

A nice brown did answer my call!!

I pursued more. I then had much bigger taps and tugs!! This is BIIIIGGG!!!! - I thought.........

This massive WHITEFISH did take my large soft-hackle on SWING!!

 　

Proud angler!!
Any fish taken by swinging soft-hackles are priceless!!

I was about to quit but hales started suddenly and hit unprotected parts of my body such as ears. That really made me quit.

Scattered & isolated wet conditions (storm, shower, sprinkles, hales, you name it) have been seen any time and any locations. As I head home, I saw "double rainbow" in Bozeman Sky!

I'll be running around!
Either river or spring creek, either Salmonfly or PMD, keep checking my blog posts here.

Salmon (space) Fly & Salmonfly

Howdy folks!!
It's been a while for me to update here as I've been and I still am busy with Master Breeder projects. It's been great!! But now I'm home-based and I can see the season end. So I have decided to post something "fishy" in a while. Thank you for your patience and constant readership!!
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Though I physically can't go fishing, I'm not totally off from the subject. I'm filling custom fly-tying orders and reading great books.

I believe I have acquired some of the BEST & MUST reads regarding modern Atlantic Salmon Flies. I'm glad to have these in my collection. No serious reviews and comments for now except "Great books!!" and "I love them!!". I have to do reviews and comments sometime later (perhaps in the fall and winter). I actually have done several reviews at Amazon, as you may be interested in and look for these.

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As for fly-tying order, this is what I've recently done for one customer...........
Right........ we'll be fishing & using & losing lots of these!!!

Although I'm not physically fishing, I live by and am driving along Yellowstone River every day. AREA RIVERS ARE DROPPING STEADILY!! As I positively predicted, I don't think it would be a scarily-high-water season but simply a good-water season!!

Assortment above is the wisest choice!! Stonefly (all species included) nymph patterns will be hot commodities to kick off the season in a few weeks!!

These Rubber Legs (http://leftytyer.blogspot.com/2011/02/rubber-leg.html) will be needed and will work all through the season!!

Black/coffee is the all-rounder.

So is the black x olive.

Then never forget BLACK x ORANGE ties!!  We should have a very good Salmonfly hatch in the area!!!!

For an adult pattern, my own Two-Mix Salmonfly (http://leftytyer.blogspot.com/2013/11/two-mix-salmonfly.html) should do great jobs, even as a wet-fly!!

Then the last but not the least, Brindle Sparrow (http://leftytyer.blogspot.com/2011/02/brindle-sparrow.html) will DO EVERYTHING!!

My only concern is, by the time I'm done with Master Breeder projects, there will be too many waters to fish around here!! Then guiding will kick off!!