5 Questions with Phillip Greenlee – President of the FFF

by mtangler on January 25, 2012

The Federation of Fly Fishers is an international organization dedicated to the conservation of our resources and the education of future fly fishers around the world.  As a retired businessman with a lifelong passion for fly fishing, Phillip Greenlee has dedicated his life to the Federation of Fly Fishers, whose work has benefited countless numbers of anglers.

I recently sat down with Phillip and talked about the federation and of course the Bighorn River.

For more information visit the FFF website at fedflyfishers.org


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Bighorn River Fly Tying – Yellow Sally Adult

by mtangler on January 19, 2012

Yellow Sally Adult

The Yellow Sally hatch on the Bighorn River produces some of the best dry fly fishing of the year.  This Yellow Sally pattern originally created by Dean Reiner of Livingston, Montana is one of the best Bighorn River dry fly patterns for this emergence.  It works very well as a point fly because the deer hair wing makes it float so well.  Drop a small pmd dun or cdc yellow sally behind this fly and hold on!

Bighorn River Yellow Sally Fly Recipe

Hook:  Standard Dry Fly Hook Size 14 & 16

Thread:  Red Uni 8/0

Body:  Emerger Sparkle Yarn Ginger

Rib:  Fine Gold Wire

Wing:  Deer Hair

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Gear Review: Beaulah Platinum Series Fly Rods

by mtangler on January 16, 2012

Beulah Platinum Series fly rods

Beulah Fly Rods

Beulah Platinum Series fly rods offer anglers the ultimate in design, performance and classic good looks at an incredible price. Unlike other companies that design a series of rods from 3 weight to 10 weight that flex and perform in the same way, each rod in the Platinum series incorporates it’s own unique taper and “feel” perfectly designed to perform specific functions in each line weight.

As a member of the Beulah Pro Staff I find that two rods in particular are perfectly suited to meet the challenges of the Bighorn Rivers most demanding fishing conditions. The 8’8″ 4 weight is my go to rod for match the hatch dry fly fishing on the Bighorn River. Most of my dry fly fishing on the Bighorn is done in a down and across manner incorporating a reach cast at 20 to 35 feet or straight downstream using a tuck cast, then feeding slack line. The Beulah Platinum Series 4 weight performs these presentations beautifully and effortlessly. In addition to being light in hand, the  Beulah 8’8″ 4 weight  loads quickly, tracks beautifully, allows anglers to produce stealthy dry fly presentations using dry flies in sizes 16 -24.

The 9’6″ 6 weight seems as if it should be called the “Bighorn” model. This rod was designed perfectly to meet the challenges of nymph fishing the Bighorn River. Whether drifting indicator nymph rigs from the boat or sight nymphing big browns in a shallow riffle the 9’6″ platinum series 6 weight will get it done. The additional 6 inches of length provides anglers with the extra leverage they need to manipulate their fly line and perform effective mends, creating a flawless drag free fish catching drifts.

In addition to being and exceptional nymph fishing rod, this Beulah six weight performs double duty as an excellent streamer rod. It handles weighted flies and sink tip lines with ease. When pounding the banks in rapid succession with weighted flies and sink tip lines this 9’6″ rod allows the angler to quickly break the surface tension of the water load their rod and get their fly back into another fishy looking lie.

The Beulah Platinum series offers two rod models that are perfectly suited to every fishing situation the Bighorn can throw at you and at a price that fits everyone’s equipment budget. You can get both of these platinum series rods, for the price of one high end rod from other companies!  When you’re in the market for a new rod for your next Bighorn trip, take a look at the Beulah Platinum series fly rods, you wont’ be disappointed!

Contact us at info@montanatroutanglers.com or visit beulahflyrods.com for ordering information.

 

Beulah Platinum Series Being Tested on Armstrong's Spring Creek

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Breaking Down the Bighorn – A Unique Perspective Part 1

by mtangler on January 12, 2012

Breaking Down the Bighorn – A Unique Perspective by Bob Bergquist

When most anglers first glimpse the Bighorn an overwhelming feeling of awe sweeps over them, inspired by both the beauty and legend of this river. I get the same feeling when first emerging from the concourse and glimpsing the emerald grass of the stadium of a favored sports team, tripping over my own feet because I can’t take my eyes of the field even to find my seat. It takes a while to take it all in and get a feel for the surroundings. For the visiting angler, once the head clears a bit, the question that comes to mind is “where do I even start?”  for this is certainly big water, often bigger than the Yellowstone with which the Horn merges to the north. The obvious solution is to hire a guide or watch other anglers working the water, but every good angler needs to understand the why’s as well as the where’s and how‘s. A little perspective gained from history never hurts either.

The Bighorn is a tailwater with massive productivity based on concentrated limestone nutrient loads accumulated and then released from the reservoir above. This river supports far more wild fish per mile than most, not only compared to freestone rivers but also other famous tailwaters. The major factor that tips the balance is the ‘After Bay’, a second smaller dam constructed below Yellowtail Dam. This far sighted bit of engineering enables managers to maintain constant flows as opposed to the wild daily fluctuations found in most other tailwaters. As such we don’t have to keep an ear out for a siren that signals the massive releases of water required to generate peak demand or unexpected  power requirements. (Anglers from the TVA and Arkansas streams all have stories of being stranded on islands or making a mad dash to safety.) When I was guiding at Lees Ferry in Arizona the normal protocol was to have very low water in the morning rising to perhaps ten times the flows by noon. The food base and thus the trout were limited to weeded areas below the daily minimum flows. The high water running over clean desert rock held no food and no fish. In contrast the Bighorn  releases are metered gradually over the year to service irrigation demands, provide power generation and most importantly to maintain safe reservoir levels. As such the ecology of the river is greatly enhanced. Aquatic vegetation and associated benthic life has a chance to establish or retreat seasonally over a period of weeks, thus the trout are also able to adapt their populations and behaviors to match the average conditions rather than the minimum. In this amazing habitat, generations of wild reproduction can adapt far better than any artificial stocking rate. Here the trout always seems to be healthy and in sync with their environment.

Water temperatures on the Horn often seem confusing and counter intuitive to many. Years with lower the summer flows have lower temps and higher flows mean warmer water. This is based on from what level of the reservoir’s water column the releases are drawn, the higher the warmer the lower the colder. These variable summer temperature ranges determine what food base is available to the trout year to year, or more accurately  weather cycle to weather cycle. When I first started fishing the Bighorn in the 80’s we were in a fairly normal weather pattern. Minimum flows averaged 3000-5000cfs most years and the river was perfectly suited for massive numbers of scuds, sow bugs, aquatic worms and midges…normal tailwater fare to be sure. But the river was also home to blanket hatches of various mayflies, small stoneflies such as yellow sally’s and several caddis species. The Bighorn became synonymous with large fish in big numbers along with world class dry fly fishing, a distinction not shared by many other tailwater fisheries. In the late 90’s and early 00’s we entered a prolonged drought period which brought the average flows down into the 1300-1500cfs range. As the lake level dropped without significant recharge from spring runoff, managers were forced to maintain these low constant flows year round. The temperatures dropped out of the optimum range for mayflies and caddis. The lack of scouring flows reduced exposed gravel beds and allowed silt to accumulate. Many hatches petered out and those that remained such as the black caddis retreated into brief emergence periods in late summer or early fall.  The trout reacted to the reduction in habitat by dropping in numbers and adjusting their feeding behavior. Midges, scuds and sow bugs taken subsurface became the staple diet.. Fishing was still awesome, just not so much dry fly activity save for some small olives, clustering midges and hopper action when conditions allowed. The water situation behind Yellowtail Dam became so dire that a cross border legal and congressional water war began, with Wyoming demanding flows at the Montana end of the river be reduced to 800cfs or less. This would have been a disaster for the trout as well as for anglers, as floating would become impossible and the available habitat would have been reduced to a point that biologists feared that little to no reproduction could occur. It was estimated by some biologists that viable trout water would be restricted to the first couple miles below the dam.

Then as happens in this country, the weather turned on a dime with record snow pack and a quickly filling reservoir returning normal flows to the Big Horn. Slowly at first, but with an inevitable exponential rise the bugs have come back over the last couple years. Last summer the yellow sally hatch exploded and PMDs made their first significant appearance for nearly a decade.  Black and tan caddis are emerging earlier in the summer and the tricos are once again causing gulping trout to pod up in the upper three miles…a sure sign that surface feeding behaviors were ingrained once again.


 

    Bighorn River Guide Bob Bergquist -  For Full Guide Bio – Click Here

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Bighorn River – A Unique Perspective Part 2

by mtangler on January 11, 2012

On to ‘where to start’. As with all waters it is best to break the river down into manageable bits. When the river is busy, groups of anglers and guides mark the ‘best spots’, but river vets know that even small, out of the spotlight micro habitats hold fish. Most guides and Bighorn regulars have dozens of these places held in reserve. Observation is a critical skill in fly fishing, and one needs to take some time to scope out the immediate surroundings before plowing in. Obviously look for fish rising, but also train your eyes to notice a subtle flash or the white of a mouth opening to take a passing sow bug. Take note of current seams, ledges, edges and natural feeding lanes. All are hotspots where trout stake out lays and territories. Near by deeper security retreats are also an indicator of prime water. The best areas will be filled with trout, feeding, playing grab ass as they chase and jockey for position or simply holding inactive fish. The first rule is not to wade where the fish are. This seems obvious but I am always amazed at the number of guys I see titty deep in a run with feeding fish ducking their back cast.  As with most tailwater rainbows, if one wades just a bit too deep into a riffle the rainbows will swarm your feet eating what you kick up and thus become unavailable targets. (Browns are either too proud or too dumb to adopt this behavior…the anthropomorphist in me prefers to view them as being above such low brow feeding!)  Bighorn fishermen are careful not to wade on redds and fishing to trout that are actively spawning is considered a big no-no. Just a word to the wise, doing so will draw evil looks and even harsh words.

Once you have identified a likely place, it’s time to catch a few. Tactics are just as varied as an angler cares to employ. When a hatch is not on, little can beat a nymphing rig with a sow bug or scud teamed with a midge larva or mayfly nymph. Blind fishing runs and riffles normally produces, just be sure to match your weight and leader length to the flows ensuring you get your fly in the trout’s face. The old adage about snagging up once in a while to insure you are down applies in spades as with so much food drifting by there is little reason for a fish to move too far for your fly. The real game begins when the trout indicate to you that a hatch or feeding period is about to get going in earnest . Shallow ledges and feeding lanes suddenly fill with fish moving in from deeper holding water. The river suddenly seems to be coming alive, previously inactive trout subtly rise off the bottom and get ready for action…as should the angler.

At this point it would be pertinent to discuss benthic drift. Nature ensures genetic distribution at all costs, even for scuds, worms larva  and such. Several times a day it’s all move and for a few synchronized minutes many of the nymphs and critters release en mass and drift to a new place several feet or many yards down stream.  The trout display an uncanny awareness of when this is about to happen and become very active in anticipation. The observant angler is also made aware, and if armed with a nymphing rig will be in the money.
Sight nymphing is a fulfilling tactic employed anytime we can actually watch trout feeding subsurface. In this situation I like a bare leader and visible bright orange or pink sow bug trailed by a midge larva or nymph. Present the flies in a manner that naturally drifts them right to the fish at it’s level, striking on the white flash of an opened mouth or a slight turn of the head.

When the bugs actually begin to emerge it’s time switch to dries or emergers. Preferably both,  run in tandem over risers using a drag free drift with a down and across presentation. Avoid flock shooting, and try to pick out a target or line of targets. If you don’t get a take let your fly drift well beyond the fish before recasting to avoid putting them down, especially when fishing to a large pod working tricos. These fish often stay right on the surface gulping spinners, and when one spooks they all do. Just wait a few minutes and the first tentative rises will start back up and if left unmolested soon the rest will be up feeding with gusto again.

Some of the most challenging angling on the Bighorn is to find a brushy bank with nice sized browns rising tight to cover. The best and often only way to get at these fish is to start at the bottom of the run and stealthily wade upstream targeting individual noses with accurate casting. Depending on the season mayflies, caddis or terrestrials are the ticket.

Streamer fishing is a favorite and productive tactic as well. With the current river conditions promoting lots of reproduction, fry are thick in all sections of the river. Streamers that mimic small trout or rough fish are taken in most conditions, but really come into their own in the fall and winter as well as windy days when the weather interferes with the hatches. Clouds always help streamer fishing, but in truth clouds help all methods of fishing here.

The Bighorn is a place where everyone catches fish and lots of them, but also allows for any and all tactics that suit any angler’s tastes. As such it is the perfect destination to challenge yourself as a fly fisher. Taking on the more technical aspects of the sport may be humbling and frustrating at times, but the rewards become all the sweeter. After all our sport is one which never lacks for learning opportunities nor stops teaching us about ourselves and our place in the natural world.

Bighorn River Guide Bob Bergquist

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Bighorn River Winter Fishing

by mtangler on January 5, 2012

The weather in Montana continues to be unseasonably warm.  The fish have continued to chase streamers with reckless abandon at times.  Nymphing has been very consistent as well with sowbugs, scuds, eggs and midges.  Anything pink as a point fly has been effective as of late.

Bighorn River Guide Rob Cadle Getting it Done With The Streamers

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Yong Midge: Bighorn River Fly Tying

January 2, 2012 Bighorn Videos Read the full article →

Yong Midge The Yong Midge originated on the San Juan River and has become very popular and extremely effective on the Bighorn River over the past few years.  This is one of the best Bighorn River fly patterns in March, April and May.

Bighorn River December Fishing Report

December 19, 2011 Fishing Reports Read the full article →

With the weather in the mid 40′s it was hard not to get out on the river.  Streamer fishing from the boat right now is simply a home run.  The small browns in the 13″ -15″ range are grabbing your streamer in the main runs almost constantly and you will pick up a few bigger [...]

Bighorn River Fishing Report Winter Dry Fly Action

December 13, 2011 Fishing Reports Read the full article →

“Fall” baetis are still hatching in good numbers and fish are still coming up to eat them. Midge hatches are also bringing fish up on nicer days. Streamer action is still really good. Water temperatures have dropped a bit so don’t get in too big of a hurry moving streamers. On the nymphing front, various [...]

2011 Year in Review

November 30, 2011 Fishing Reports Read the full article →

2011 Year in Review Another great year has come and gone on the Bighorn with a few twists and turns along the way that certainly kept things interesting.   Another year of big snowpack, coupled with large quantities of snow and rain created river conditions that no one could have predicted.  This year’s fishing was dominated [...]

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