PMD

Pale Morning Dun; Ephemerella infrequence and E. inermis.

Although I fish every month of the year and am available to guide all through the year, I just feel my intensive days really kick off as the annual PMD hatches start on Livingston's spring creeks. This is the event that every spring-creek enthusiast has been waiting & longing for the year.

I can't emphasize how fortunate I am that I've been involved in this one of most iconic scenes of fly-fishing in the world, as an angler and as a guide.

As always it's NOT disappointing!!
PMD hatches started to occur just as creek regulars started to visit. And trout react accordingly!!

For the past several years, my scouting & observation visits start with these veterans, who have been very kind and helpful for me to be where I am now.

 Then my clients started to visit!! - DePuy's Spring Creek

 Lots of cutthroat are also making their annual visit = spawning phase = to the creek!!

And, of course, I've been on Armstrong's Spring Creek too!!

Evening actions intensified each day!!

Morning spinner actions at one of good stretches of DePuy's!

Trout's lunch.........

 Our lunch!! - Pioneer Meats brats from a local grocery make perhaps the best hotdogs in Montana!

Son joined the trip later yet he immediately caught up!

On this morning at Armstrong's particular spot, we had perhaps the first best hatch of the season!!

Their annual trip was wrapped at DePuy's one of most productive spots and the evening PMD spinner falls!!

It's always nice to see my clients come back!! And thank you for fishing with me again at some of my most favorite streams in planet!!

Salmonfly (+/-)

It's perhaps the most exciting time of year, regarding the insect hatch!
Salmonfly hatches on our Mighty Yellowstone & Madison, then PMD hatch on Livingston's spring creeks (definitely the next several posts!!)!!

Considering the characters of rivers, salmonfly hatches on Madison is more predictable than on the one on Yellowstone and some reports are indeed coming in. However, considering the potential weekend boat traffic and Yellowstone River has just begun, we decided to float Yellowstone for the first time after runoff.

It was a nice day with the great start!

This was one nice rainbow by Renee!!

 Then a nice brown followed!!

We spotted one stranger.......

I'm afraid the title and this insect picture can be misleading............ We had great fishing with salmonfly (or other stonefly species) nymph patterns. We didn't see adults crawling up or flying. With high-winds on Saturday afternoon, we didn't see any fish rises nor had any dry-fly actions. But we are sure it'll change soon! To be continued.

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Then on Sunday, we hiked to one certain section of Yellowstone River within Yellowstone National Park. Again, expecting, at least checking in, some potential salmonfly hatch.............
These guys were crawling right along the bank!!

Yes, it's a Golden Stone nymph.

In spite of tremendous insects flying (below), fishing was once again nymphing centered.

Not much complaints with catching some native Cutthroat!

Plenty of Whities and this brown, just missing a rainbow to complete a Yellowstone Grand Slam!

Followings are my famous bug-shots.

Gray Drake

Mix of ???

Yes, these buggers are hopping all over already!!

Although I keep my eyes and ears wide-open for salmonfly progresses, I will be also busy with PMD hatch on Livingston's spring creeks!! So exciting.................definitely more pictures and stories will come............ See you along the stream (either one!)!

End to Begin

It was as seasonal and intense work as guiding; I just finished up the beef cattle breeding season.
Rest assured, there will be ample supplies of "quality beef" in the near future.


Also, fly-tying list has been completed, which ended up with 67 dozens in a very short and limited time period.
Rest assured, there will be enough numbers and numerous kinds of flies for my clients.

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While I was busy with my other profession, Yellowstone National Park fishing season opened on Memorial Day weekend. I sent my lovely companion Renee to the season opener (and the following weekend) with supplies of flies and some guide knowledge. I was sure she can handle fly-fishing and enjoy the day and location. Following are only handful out of many trout she caught from Firehole River. According to her, Firehole has been offering tremendous insect hatches; a couple of different caddis, PMD, baetis.

As you see, she did catch some impressive Firehole trout!
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Then I was ready for my own opening day. As it has been the case for the past several seasons, for my own opening, I tend to choose somewhere minor and less known (though never meant to be secret per se). This year was no exception. We hiked up somewhere under cloudy sky with cold air.

Well, she did some wonderful jobs for me ;-)!

In the afternoon, we fished Madison River within Park. It was also really fun!

It's fair to say we are having another great early season fishing in Yellowstone Park. Just as numbers of tourists in general, waves of summer anglers haven't arrived yet while in June. Yet fishing can be really productive. It's indeed an overlooked season when one wants to pry the waters of Yellowstone Park.

Caddis - White Miller dominating - and mayfly - lots of PMD - are plenty. When lots of insects are flying along rivers but trout don't seem rising much, OBSERVE and think why!!
It's a bit too early to expect salmonfly hatches and explosive rises on big flies! But we know it'll come.

I am hearing good nymphing reports on Madison River - no surprise rather just as we expect: salmonfly nymphs are getting active to hatch!

Northeast side of Yellowstone Park = Yellowstone River drainage and Yellowstone River itself are losing brown color and subsiding day by day. I keep you posted when it will be a go.

Last but not the least, the most anticipated PMD hatch on Livingston spring creeks are just coming. I'm very fortunate to have generated some repeating clients and new clients every season.
Regardless of fishing skills and experience, either new or repeating clients, and not to mention I myself, we all learn and gain from this one of the most spectacular fly-fishing opportunities in Montana, if not entire world. If this would be the first time to challenge either one of creeks yet want to have the best of it, I still have several opening days.

To be continued...........