Best of Spring Hatch - PM BWO (baetis)

Just as the last time for DePuy's & Armstrong's posts, I decided to post Midge actions and BWO (baetis) actions separately. It's simply an AM-PM thing. Also, I figure that readers would get a better idea of what's going on and what I'm up to on a typical spring day at DePuy Spring Creek (www.depuyspringcreek.com).

BWO hatches and trout behavior were slightly less complicated than midge time in the morning. To put it simply, when hatch happens, trout key on only DUNS. All I need is dry-fly duns or any patterns floating. So when I had some difficulties and frustrations during morning midge hatches, afternoon BWO time was a relief and a time to regain my self-esteem!!

This is what I see now!! Size 20s.

Rainbows in spawning modes also rise on BWO duns!!

This one was 1-inch shorter than above but wide and heavy!!

Believe or not, it was only a 16-incher!!

Then, as always, browns act just like as they want to. Sometimes they would rise easily but also they would cruise and be a food critique. This was one of the most memorable catches at spring creeks. He was rising but also cruising randomly. He rose and sipped my No-Hackle Gnat!!

Need I say more about how happy I was?

Indeed, regardless of sizes, browns can be selective food-critiques with some attitude.

No Hackle Gnat has been the key for success!!

Freshly run-up from the River!! This size of rainbows are really fun for the rod!!

Nice brown on BWO dun too!!

And this is one of the nicest and memorable run-up rainbows caught during match-the-hatch!!

Hefty 18-incher on 6X!!

This was on my own FA Nymph!!

Sample from other trout: No wonder my patterns, especially FA Nymph, will work at the creek!!

So, I have just packed my 6wt that I've been using for nymphs and streamers as dry-flies & match-the-hatch have become my main fishing intentions. I mean, nymphs and streamers are still very productive and one can take LOTS OF trout with them. I'm not limiting myself either. I'm just focusing on insect hatches and corresponding trout behaviors.

Anyways, I'm enjoying some of the best spring fishing ever!!

Best of Spring Hatch - AM Midge

From April 1st, I've been visiting DePuy's Spring Creek (www.depuyspringcreek.com) "full-day" (morning till evening with lunch) and "full-time" (several days a week). I'm NOT being piggy about fishing as much as I can while Winter Pass lasts. It's simply because fishing is amazingly GOOD!! Perhaps I'm experiencing some of the best and constant spring hatches and actions related to them that I ever recall.

Day 1 was sort of a "wake-up & shape-up call", so to speak. To be honest, I didn't expect midge hatches and trout actions would go so well right of the bat!! Usually both or either one of them need time to stabilize itself. Day 1 ended with lots of close-calls (hook-ups and gone). There was one potential "something" that still haunts me...... This thing hit my Pupaerger (click here) with a whale-like splash, worked on it (as seen), and then gone...........

From Day 2, I started to catch up with them!! Below, I don't really separate days but in chronological order.

Now I see their menu!!

Getting larger inch x inch!!

Learning & making sure.

My brandnew pupa/emerger has become an immediate & massive success!! I am thinking to post the fly and how to fish with later on.

So far the best!!

Pupa........not puke........

This is a new little gear for me. Named "Spring Creek Clamp" from Dr. Slick is indeed very handy and works very well with small flies for spring creeks.

Gaining more confident with my method and flies.

Checking!

Nice brown!!

It's safe to say this would be a typical of resident brown at DePuy's.

 I'd also call this type "footballer" due to its shape!!

Oh-so-consistent fly & method!!

Not bad for the second catch of the morning!!

It's not a bad teeth but my fly!!

Not as long as the rainbow above but sure it was heavy!!

 Another "footballer"!!

I've been waking up early and keeping myself in good shapes, just like on guide trip days!!
Hope to continue another week! And I'd like to wake up early with delight!!

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!!