Pre-Season Gear Review

It's been a while that I make a blog post in the middle of week, especially after I updated two posts regarding my Bighorn Trip. However, this time, I just happen to have enough materials to make one post quickly yet thoroughly.

My gear review is based on my needs as a guide and a commercial fly-tyer. That means I care and observe small gadgets - is it practical? Reasonable? Looks like long-lasting? - that sort of professional views, if not idiosyncrasy.

I dropped by Montana Troutfitters in Bozeman. I was looking for a fly-box for the reason below. WOW! This fits my bill and purpose!

 I wanted to offer a fly box for my fly-customer, filled with my original flies that I tied for the order.

 Then this Leader Keeper (or Dropper Rig Retainer, whatever it can be called) is VERY GOOD! The moment I saw it (and its price), I had to grab it! There are a few like this on the market, that I could think of, but they tend to be expensive. I actually tried to make one for my vest pocket but I immediately replaced it. Yes, this one fits on my vest pocket just fine!!

This is not a review but a new and perhaps "accidental" acquisition.
I went to an annual FOAM Membership meeting as an outfitter last weekend (after I came back from the Bighorn). Meeting was friendly yet discussion was very professional. As a part of entertainment, we had a raffle at the end. I won two!! Both happened to be fly-lines. You know, rods and reels can last for a looooong-looong time, treated right, but lines do show ages eventually. These two are top-notch lines in the industry. Now I start to think of the best uses of these lines, including purchasing new rods and reels. Long story short, I select my gears perhaps "backward" from most anglers...... I share with you later.......

On Monday, I got back to my usual spot(s) at DePuy's Spring Creek. I will do the same. That means my regular fishing report will follow on the weekend.

Bighorn Spring Trip - Day 2

Thursday March 12th, weather was somewhat more friendly than Day 1. Winds became discouraging occasionally during the morning. Over all it wasn't too bad.

Fishing was again mix of everything: methods, flies, and bites. I caught 3 whitefish!! (no pics).
Jared hauling in a nice trout at one of channels just below "Bay of Pigs".

It seemed lunch was again out turning point. What's today's special?

"Guide Dog #2 = Chilly Dog"!! Of course, chilly contained extra burgers. This is the real guide lunch. Nobody goes hungry on the river with me.

We felt better. It must be time to feed trout. Shortly after, we spotted a group of rising trout after trout!! They were feeding on midges!!

We both took several trout each, along with many more near-misses!!

As some claims, hatch fishing at Bighorn can resemble the condition at spring creeks. Flies I developed for Livingston's spring creeks just work - which I know with big confidence.
Midge APE

Foam Emerger Type 1

Pupaerger.

HOWEVER!! following pictures of my stomach pump results will rock your vision. Even disturbing. Definitely unbelievable as we felt. Watch carefully what we found.

Beetles!! Baetis!!
Although we took many trout with midge flies and we knew we were doing right things, where these bugs came from? Actually while I was tying on midge flies, before our first catch, something hit my face. Looking back, it was one of those beetles above. As pictures show, those beetles and baetis should not have been from the day before. It had to be sometime just before we got there. Who knows? It was quite a learning & observing experience. We ended up fishing for rising trout for two hours!

It was a warmer day so we started streamer fishing, guessing water temp must have been up, a bit earlier than Day 1. We got a few bites but not as red-hot as Day 1. We took my boat out almost 7pm. That means we drove back to Livingston/Bozeman very late.

It was a great trip with my guide friend. As much as we just wanted to enjoy fishing, my objective = learning & observing the Bighorn = was achieved very efficiently as I was with Jared, who is a very good guide.

Bighorn is definitely a year-around fishery. Dry-fly, nymph, streamer, and Hot lunch!! if you want to experience all at Bighorn, come & join my trips!

Bighorn Spring Trip - Day 1

Spring is practically here in most part of Montana. As much as it's the time for fishermen/women to get out fishing, it's the time for outfitters/guides to get ready for the upcoming season.
Bighorn River is definitely the most well-known and popular tailwater river, along with Missouri River, in Montana, if not the entire World. Having been taking trips under fly-shops and outfitters, as a guide, I hadn't had opportunities to run trips to the Bighorn. Now as an outfitter, I'd like to offer guide trips to Bighorn River. So I hit the road with my guide friend Jared to make sure that I know every inch of the river and to see what to expect this year.

We left early on Wednesday, March 11th. Checking the weather forecast and river conditions (both online) before and after our trip, I'd like to say we picked up the nicest condition available. Also, it was about the threshold period before, you know, crowds of anglers start to visit. We managed that part well too.

Fishing was the mix of variety in terms of methods and flies. Over all we consider we did very well. Without being conceited and "guides' ego", when we passed other anglers, we were the ones in actions. Let's look back Day 1.

The usual - Gray Sowbug.

We took turns fishing & rowing.

My own Giant Sowbug worked for me very well!!

Cruising along "Bay of Pigs" = actually Angus cows.

Even though this was a friendly outing, I insisted my "guide lunch" = cooked on the bank of river!!

It happened to be "Basque Chorizo", with my choice, and we consumed all!!

Perhaps lunch was our lucky turning point............
Long story short, I have my own lucky and most promising spot that no other anglers wouldn't see that way. I asked Jared to get me there and he controlled the boat just right for me........BOOM!!

Perhaps my new hat may also be a lucky item too!!

We had good actions pretty much every time we stopped and fished,

Just around 5:30, we guessed water temperature would have reached higher. With some cloud cover, we started to pitch the famous/infamous YELLOW JJ!! Followings are a few out of a dozen we got and we hooked and lost a dozen more.

We stayed at Cottonwood Camp (http://www.cottonwoodcampbighorn.com). We rented a cozy cabin. Indeed Cottonwood amenity is very reasonable and very hospitable.

We just enjoyed our way with Jared being a Master Griller. I bet there are many of you out there who will like this style rather than spending in a room and run to a restaurant.

Our hunger was fulfilled. Due to long hours of driving and fishing, we just went to bed.........
Day 2 Report will follow.

Spring Baetis Report!!

It's just a right weather for me: touch of spring yet there's still a grip of winter.
This season, I must be one of a few "real" anglers who observed and fished for Spring Baetis (blue-wing-olive) at Livingston's spring creeks. My past notes tell me that usually hatches of midges and baetis and accompanied trout rises occur in late March (though people who don't really fish creeks would speculate much earlier!). This is indeed very early, which I don't mind! Furthermore, this is not a temporal-&-varying-day-by-day thing. I can set the clock and expect already! Amazing!

Let's look back the first week of March! Stage is, as always, at DePuy's Spring Creek!
I observed a subsurface rise. I calculated the distance and the sinking rate of my subsurface fly = Master Angler PT. BINGO!!

A stomach sample from a little rainbow (no picture) show exactly what I saw in the air and on the water = midge and baetis.

Can't be happier than this!

By a pure accident, mirror effect was achieved!

Another nice rainbow!

Then brown!

When I visited Hopper Juan during Fly Fishing Show in Denver, he offered me a couple of his own baetis patterns. They all look great and I was obliged to test. The first pattern I tied on brought me the first Yellowstone Cutthroat for the year!

Next pattern got me into a colorful rainbow! Another pattern got me hooked into a nice brown, which I failed to net.......

This is what I call "Yellowstone Chromer".....

This was very satisfying brown!!

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Here are several effective patterns.
My own Pheasant Tail Mayfly Cripple might be a "classic", considering the numbers of original patterns I invented after this one........ Still one of my best and most reliable mayfly patterns!!

NEW!! Transitional Soft-Hackle - BWO!! Tying instruction video will be posted soon!

Master Angler PT can't go wrong at any time & day.

Midge APE

And then Pupaerger.

All of these can be ordered from my fly catalog. Or track back my YouTube channel and find videos.
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Of course, nymphing is very productive before and after the hatch. I don't go through individual fly patterns but I mention food sources that need considered: egg, scud, sowbug, midge larva, & baetis nymph are very abundant and effective, followed by stonefly nymph, cranefly larva, snails, etc.

Cutthroat in this size & color is always pretty to my eyes! Again seeing one like this in the creek seems earlier than normal year.........

Browns are very hard-fighting this season!

Regardless of sizes, they fight like tuned-up rainbows!! Wonder how strong they gonna be in summer?

Hope to keep updating a good report!