Best Stonefly Fly Patterns Stoneflies host the most famous and most sought-after hatches in the Yellowstone Region. The region’s rivers are known for various stonefly hatches, such as the salmonfly, golden stone, skwala, and nocturnal or mutant stone. A fly angler can run into a stonefly hatch from spring to late summer and find trout […]
Many think of nymphing as oversized bobbers, split-shot, and heavy nymphs. Or for those that euro nymph think of long rods, perdigons, and sighter material. In this article, I overview a different way to nymph that is less common but just as effective as other techniques. Many call it short-leash nymphing, and I have enjoyed
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As a young angler who enjoys matching the hatch to fool trout, I have traveled to fish the West’s most famous insect hatches. This includes the pale morning dun hatch on the Missouri River, the salmonfly hatch on the South Fork of the Snake, caddis on the Madison River, callibaetis on Hebgen Lake, and everything
Here in Bozeman, this week’s low temperatures are well below zero, and the highs are in the single digits. A successful morning is when my truck turns over, and the crack in the windshield has yet to move across my line of vision. Not to mention, the few feet of snow on the ground make
Top Caddis Fly Patterns Caddis are one of the most prevalent food items for trout in the Greater Yellowstone Region, though sometimes overlooked by anglers. Many famous fly tyers in the region have designed various caddis fly patterns specific to the Yellowstone Region. The Mother’s Day caddis hatch kicks off in late April and May,
If you’re anything like me, you love having a complete and organized fly box going into the fishing season. Dreaming of warm days when bugs are hatching and trout are rising, I have been working on a “match the hatch” box this winter. I am filling it with flies to imitate the many hatches
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We have all been there at some point: fishing a blue-ribbon trout stream, struggling to catch a fish even though trout are rising all around us. You have tried everything you can think of, but nothing seems to be working. Then, you notice the angler upstream of you netting fish after fish. You can’t help
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Top Scud/Worm/Misc Fly Patterns While considered junk flies, trout feed heavily on worms, scuds, and eggs in the Yellowstone Region. These food items are most prevalent in the spring and fall when hatches are sparse, fish are spawning, or the water is high and muddy. Check out my top flies for when I can’t seem
If you are fishing dry flies, you want to be able to see the fly. Seeing a trout rise to our fly is what we all dream about. If you can’t see your fly, you miss out on the pinnacle of this pursuit. Many dry flies are tied with white, pink, or orange indicators
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We are in the midst of fly tying season here in the Yellowstone Region and I am filling my dry fly boxes. I have been tying many small dry flies for the upcoming season, which prompted this article on my best small dry fly hooks. Many anglers I speak to tend to shy away
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