Spring Fishing Continues

As of this typing, it looks like warm days ahead of us. However, I seem to have more memories of cool/cold days through April (except in Sin City😁😎).

It may have been a bit too early to target warm-water species around here. We hit local ponds to see if we get to Smallmouth, Carp, etc........ As we get out of the truck, midges were flying all over....... then something kept rising all over - something so small.......... Anyways we started to casting midge dry-flies at them. Something kept pouncing our flies but somehow we couldn't set them right. After a little adjustment, I finally got the opener!! The first ever bluegill on the fly in Montana😜🙌

Because of "size" and fond memory, I have to enlarge it!

We needed perhaps a 0-wt 4-foot rod😂

This was the largest caught on a Woolly Worm😂

We swung by Lower Madison next. Mother's Day Caddis hatch is good!!

Though trout seem to be interested in anything available........

Cloudy condition kept the hatch so-so, in other words optimum enough to entice trout. When the sun got totally hidden by clouds, caddis practically disappeared hence trout response got down. We can't predict how long the hatch may prolong, so get out while you can!!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Back in business, I had a guide trip at DePuy's Spring Creek. The day turned out to be even colder. However we had constant actions through constant insect hatches. Creek fishes just as I expect for this time of year.

 😏

 This was very uniquely colored rainbow. I was not squeezing, rather the camera captured the moment it was slipping out.

There are some good size trout coming in & out of creek now.

The last bite!!

Besides midges, we also fished fro Mother's Day Caddis at the creek.

May seems to be getting popularity among anglers as I think they start to realize the creek produces just as well as in April, but MINUS less anglers PLUS warmer weathers. Get out while you can!!

End of March Report - Armstrong Spring Creek

It's been a while that I make multi posts on the same day. Reasons being: A. it would be too long to be one post and B. it's worth separating and discussing each.

After I fished DePuy's 4 afternoons in a row, as seen in the previous post, I visited Armstrong Spring Creek in O'hair Ranch (www.armstrongspringcreek.com) on Saturday afternoon. This time, a guide friend of mine from Bozeman, Jared joined.

It was windy as getting started. I started with streamers with no success. Meanwhile Jared was fishing for rises.

Eventually I came up to a spot where trout were rising all over! Now I was gladly switching into dry-flies!! I caught this small yet feisty one on Pheasant Tail Mayfly Cripple-BWO as I believed BWO was prevalent.

I should have stomach-pumped that one but it slipped off.......

Next one was much nicer one and again on BWO pattern.

However! its stomach sample showed otherwise. Midges were dominant!!

I invited Jared closely as there were too many risers for me to handle! He had good times too.

We fished for rising trout with our best and full of enjoyment for over an hour.

After hatches and rises were done, we moved along the creek.
Once in a while, spring creek streamer tactics can be fun!

Egg Muddler!

After this, we were literally blasted by a short but intense storm. We retrieved to a hut, believing "if you don't like Montana weather, wait 5 minutes". We sat and took a break for 15 minutes or so. Storm was gone and we were back in fishing. Now I got back to my own highly skilled spring creek nymphing system. Stomach sample from the first trout with my nymphing still showed more midges (larvae, pupae, adults) than baetis (duns and nymphs combined).

Toward the end of the day, I hit a true jackpot!!

And the next one!!

The hit fly was my own "Flexi Midge Larva".

This was even stronger!!

And the next one!!

The day ended with the typical of Armstrong's rainbow = good style, strong, and vivid colors & spots!!

So although it was one afternoon, it was very much fun and a learning time. Armstrong's and DePuy's are based on the same spring source from O'Hair Ranch but hatch characters were different at each place. And this is the main reason that I made two separate posts. I hope you'd learn something too!!

Today, it was another overcast day = eventually snow, but I filled a fly order. Tomorrow I gotta run town errands. Total I fished 15 days this month. One day short to claim "I have fished more than half of month!!" but it's OK. April is going to be busier and more fun!!

End of March Report - DePuy Spring Creek

As of this typing, it's snowing very hard........doesn't surprise or worry us any more here in Paradise Valley.........

Spring is here because these guys are present! Make sure your flies do imitate vivid orange/red eyes!! (just kidding, don't take it seriously).

Around last weekend, I tied 319 flies!! - all for Spring Creek baetis. Now I start to fill my PMD boxes. That will be updated later.
Then I visited DePuy's Spring Creek (www.depuyspringcreek.com) 4 days in a row.
Anyway one out of over 300 baetis flies seemed to work.

This is "No-Hackle Gnat". It's super light and sits very low on the surface. It's also easy to sink and tilt but that's when selective feeders key on.......

 Here's how the selective feeder would look like!!

I'm still with my 4wt-8ft. These guys are getting strong. Very enjoyable with light rods but it's about time to switch into my 5wt.

Learning.........see some midges were present.

Another one out of over 300 flies did a job!

This is CDC Sparkle Dun, BWO olive, size 20.

Again, regardless of lengths, these guys are getting stronger and heavier for my 4wt!

That's why dry-dun patterns were all I needed!

Thursday 20th, as you should be able to see in this picture, it was a cloudy overcast day with mix of snow and rain. And I had the season's best BWO hatch!! Neighborhood angler passed behind me while I was bringing in this nice buck brown and took a picture for me.

Shortly after, I caught a spawning phase rainbow, of course, on BWO dun dry!!

Just making sure what I was doing....

Neighborhood anglers had some fun during the hatch.

Here are other patterns that I'm using and that have been taken well during BWO hatch!
Improved Pheasant Puff (PP2).

And my good old Pheasant Tail Mayfly Cripple - BWO. This one works at both flat and riffle waters.

All these flies can be seen in my fly sales catalog (http://leftytyer.blogspot.com).

And I have a very relevant post following right behind!

Another Week of Flyz Only (Gladly) & More Gadgets

A brutal cold front was over. Then wind took over the control of human activities in Paradise Valley. Although the thermometers show much more friendly numbers, "how cold" is not much changed....... Hence, another week of no fishing..... And I'm not going to lie to you that I'm gladly to stay inside and work on flies. I have some commercial ties but also I'm much more and deeply into Atlantic Salmon flies.

I finally started using "blind-eye hook" and "silkworm gut". For most supplies, check with John with Feathers MC (www.feathersmc.com) and he will get you loaded.

Harrison Bartleet 4/0 by Gaelic Supreme!!

For the first ever tie with the blind-eye hook, I chose the Durham Ranger. I'd say "not bad" for the starter!!

This last weekend, I worked on a couple of my own designs as season's greeting. To keep them secret until they receive, I just post "parts" for now (will post whole things in the next post!).

What's this?

How about this one? What's the theme here?

Recently I'm purchasing miscellaneous stuffs on E-bay. I found and purchased Spanish silk leaders. With these, I'm going to make "gut" for blind-eye hooks!!

A sexy pair of silk glove to work with fine Japanese silk.

This is a bargain material that came with the leader above. Yet this is very old and unique!

Funny looking hooks, huh!? Originally I decided to get these for practices/experiment ties but surely I tie something serious to match this hook.

Hopefully I can go fishing this week!
Everyone stay warm and enjoy the Holiday season!