Attractor Dry Fly Fishing

July 24, 2009 – 6:47 pm

Entry by Mike Loebl

This time of the season, dry fly fishing in the streams and creeks surrounding West Yellowstone is at its peak.  July and August are dry fly months as there is a tremendous amount of food available to the trout, both aquatic insects and terrestrials.  While we do have a lot of match the hatch fishing or trout feeding consistently on the surface to landborn insects, a lot of our best dry fly fishing is attractor fishing.  Using a dry fly to cover likely water is an extremely effective way to fish our rivers, but it requires a bit different approach and fly selection than casting at rising fish.

Attractor dry fly fishing is very effective in this area for a number of reasons.  First off, most of the rivers we fish in Yellowstone and Montana are simply not very deep.  Trout don’t have to charge out of the depths to eat a fly on the surface.  In fact, many large fish can be found in under a foot of water if not disturbed by anglers.  The second reason that dry fly fishing can be a deadly method for probing the water is that many different types of trout holding water can be fished well with dries.  Nymphs tend to hang up in shallow pools, get stuck in weeds, and snag logs and rocks that our trout use for cover.  Dries just drift by or over this structure.  This allows a dry fly fisher to fish water that others simply don’t want to bother fishing. Dries also make the least amount of disturbance when they enter the water and don’t spook fish when they land. Lastly, dry flies work great because many anglers simply won’t fish the surface unless they see fish rising, so trout get bombarded by nymphs in many places.  

By following a few simple ideas, one can increase the number of fish that will be brought to the surface.  First off is fly selection.  Picking the “right” fly, or the only one that trout will eat is seldom a consideration.  However it is a good idea to loosely match the size and color of the insects that fish are most likely to see. Fishing a fly that is visible at all times is also crucial.  If you can’t follow the drift of the fly to see subtle rises, the chance of success in hooking any trout that rise decreases greatly.  At times, going to large, white winged flies like Trudes or Wulffs is the only way to keep the flies in sight.  Don’t worry, one will hook and land more fish casting a size 10 Trude that is visible than a #16 Beetle that is not.  Seeing the fly is that important.  Parachutes and ParaWulffs,  Stimulators, Trudes, Wulffs and other hair wing dry flies are effective patterns because they offer realistic silhouettes to the fish, float well, and remain visible.  If fish aren’t rising to the fly you are fishing, by all means change it up.  Size and fly design do make a big difference.  Changing from a #14 Rusty Parachute from a #14 Parachute Adams probably isn’t going to make a big difference.  Tying on a #16 Royal Stimulator or Tan Elk Hair Caddis instead of the Adams can however make a drastic change in the success of the angler.  

Another crucial element to attractor dry fly fishing is getting a good drift.  We all know the importance of a good drag- free drift when fishing to a trout that is steadily rising.  When fishing the water, the same perfect dead drift is required.  Look at each line of drift you intend to fish, figure out where the flies, leader and fly line need to land in order to maximize the float of the fly and make the first cast count.  Fish become MUCH less willing to rise after a fly has drug or skated over them.  This is especially true on heavily fished rivers like the Madison, but applies everywhere by late in the summer.  

Don’t try to fish all the water with the same angle and presentation.  Most slow water on the river’s edges can be fished with an upstream cast.  A reach cast that places the fly line into slower water than the fly lands in is helpful in achieving a nice long float.  A rock slick fished in the same manner only results in nearly instant drag as the fast water at the bottom of the slick quickly pulls the fly line, yanking any slack in the leader and pulling the fly downstream.  A down and across cast where the fly lands downstream of the fly line is much preferred when fishing this type of structure. Casting over the bank and using rocks and logs to hold the fly line off the water can also be very helpful at times.  Be creative in how you fish each spot, you will learn a lot about drift and see better results.

Covering as much water as possible is the key to raising numbers of fish.  Most trout cannot be induced to rise by casting over them repeatedly.  They will eat the first good drift they see or not eat at all.  That is good news to the angler, as he or she can make a good drift or two over a spot or feeding lane and move on.  The beauty of  attractor fishing is that it allows an angler to cover so much water.  Keep the casts short and controlled, maximize each float and rapidly fish every likely spot.  Keep moving!  By fishing in this manner the angler is constantly putting the fly over fresh fish that are unaware of his presence and have yet to see a sloppy drift.  If a spot proves too hard to properly drift the fly after a few attempts, just move on.

Next time you are on the river, try fishing an attractor.  Fish a visible fly, get good drifts, cover a lot of water and see what happens.  You may be pleasantly surprised at the results.

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New Home Water

June 23, 2009 – 5:22 pm

Entry by Brett Matula

“Home water” is a term every fisherman is familiar with.  For most folks, these easy-to-reach backyard fisheries are lesser-known and lesser-fished than the glamourous rivers splashed across the various forms of angling literature.  A certain degree of intimacy develops from spending time on the same river through the entire coarse of its seasons.  Some fisherman spend their entire lives learning one river, and the intricacies and subtle changes these anglers notice cannot be learned in any less time-consuming way.

I am certainly NOT one of those fisherman.  I’ve had lots of different home water throughout the course of my fishing and guiding career, and that suits me just fine.  I like fishing all kinds of water and I get bored fishing the same river all the time.

I live in the Bitterroot Valley most of the year, and I consider the Bitterroot to be some of the finest home water a guy could have.  I also spent three seasons guiding on the Yellowstone and in the north half of the Park out of Gardiner, and that was certainly a great spot for some world-class backyard trout fishing.  

Here in West Yellowstone, my new home water is obviously the Madison.  I’ve fished the Madison for many years, but certainly don’t have the handle on it that comes with having it out the back door.  In past years, we’d drive over from Gardiner or Missoula and fish it for two or three days, lucking into good fishing sometimes, but just as often striking out and wondering what we’d done wrong.   

The process of learning a new river is one of the most alluring parts of fly fishing for me.  It’s not a short process by any means.  Being observant and listening to guys like Mike, Rick, James, and Mickey will certainly shorten the learning curve.  But the best way to get to know a river is to fish it A LOT.  So as the river continues to come alive this summer, you can be sure I’ll be out there as much as possible.  Hopefully I can help some of you out there shorten your own learning curve when you stop by the shop.

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Fly Fishing… At It’s Finest.

June 16, 2009 – 5:48 pm

Entry by Ty Holloway

Spring stillwater fishing is a practice of mine that receives little respect or glory. It is hard to walk into the shop and discuss how many u.b.d.’s (unidentified bobber downs), or how many minutes dragged on in between each successfully landed fish. Stillwaters do have their rewards however… Solitude, beautiful scenery, and the opportunity for some truly freakishly sized fish. 

Bobber fishing with chironomids isn’t for everyone however, staring long enough at a floating orange thing, then gazing off into the tree lined shore and then realizing you are experiencing mild vertigo. It is not technical, nor does it require any sort of casting prowess. You are just as likely to hook a fish by dangling your bugs just off the side of the boat as you are to bomb an 80 foot cast off into the abyss. All that is needed to be a successful chironomid fisherman is patience, and maybe a six pack. I will warn you, the surest way of getting a take is to look away for a split second to grab a cold one.

We are in an area that is blessed with great lakes that are perfectly suited to fly fishing, all of which are often over looked due their more famous moving water counterparts. Which is perfectly fine with me. Hebgen, Cliff, Wade, Island Park, Henry’s, Quake, and Ennis lake all offer world class stillwater fishing. All also have an abundance of chironomid hatches which occur just after ice out until the end of spring. 

That’s all that needs to be said about bobber fishing, or maybe that’s all that can be said. Either way, I encourage you to stray from the flowing water and dabble with this lake fishing thing. You won’t be disappointed, or maybe you will.

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Vibram-An Answer to Felt Soles?

April 30, 2009 – 10:38 am

Entry by Mike Loebl

When we first heard about Simms new Streamtread Vibram soles last October, all of us at MRO were a bit skeptical.  Most of us have heard similar promises from Sticky Rubber or Aquastealth soled boots and spent enough time doing the cartoon run in the Madison River to know that nothing previously tried came close to felt without sticking a bunch of metal studs in it.  While studs do make up for the deficiencies found in other wading boot soles, they are loud, can cut through a fly line in an instant, scrap the crap out of driftboats and are tough to get used to wearing if you have used felt soles for some time.

Despite our skepticism of the new soles, our Simms rep, Jon Yousko, just kept saying, “wait until you try it” and I finally took him up on it.  I laced a pair of boots up one evening two weeks ago for a quick fish between Hebgen and Quake Lakes on the Madison, figuring that if I couldn’t stand them, at least I would be close to the truck. The first few steps across the road were nice and grippy, but having used Vibram hiking boots for years, I was not shocked. The first few steps down the steep grass bank that was wet from snow melt were also very grippy. My mind flashed back to several good slides and one spectacular tumble that I have taken in the same spot while wearing felt.”Hmm,” I thought, at least this stuff works better than felt along the banks. But performance outside of the river was not what I had come to test.

The first step into the Madison was a bit ginger, but my foot stuck right where I put it. I was in some slow water along the edges of the flow that tend to be really slippery, even when wearing felt, as there is seldom enough current to prevent moss from building up on the rocks. Each step was solid however. My friend came over and his felt clad feet would slide on the same rocks. I began to get a little more confident and after fishing the first run, decided to cross the river to get to some new water. Out in the current, the Vibram soles easily gripped the clean rock. The grip was as good if not better than felt soles on the Madison’s rock and gravel out in the middle of the river. In two more days of fishing in the boots, my experiences were repeated. The slimy rocks in the Madison below Varney Bridge were easy to wade on. The Gallatin was a bit more slick, but I felt just as comfortable in Vibram than I normally do in felt.

What I have found is that Vibram has huge  advantages in felt for almost all situations out of the water. It grips wet grass, dry rock and pavement far better than felt. It is much lighter  than felt after getting wet as it doesn’t absorb water, so the walk back to the truck gets a little easier. Walking on snow is 100 percent better in Vibram than in felt, as snow does not clump up and freeze to it like it does to a felt sole. Vibram will last far longer than felt. In situations that require studded boots, Vibram is much easier to screw studs into as the soles are pre drilled for them.

In the water Vibram more than holds its own with felt soles. There are some surfaces that are slick, such as algae covered slab rock, but the these same surfaces are just as slick with felt soles. Traction is equal or slightly greater on most surfaces I have waded on so far. The only plus with a felt sole is that a broken in pair of boots tends to wrap slightly around a rock where Vibram does not. However, this doesn’t seem to impact the amount of traction one gains on the surface.

The downside of Vibram boots is that in the Simms line, they are $30.00 more than felt soled boots.  The cost is offset by the greatly increased wear over felt that one can expect from the Streamtread soles and by the decreased risk in transporting aquatic nuisance species.

We are excited to be stocking two Streamtread Vibram boots this season at Madison River Outfitters.  The G-4 Guide Boot is Simms most technical and comfortable boot and the Headwaters Boot is the lightest boot in their line. If you are curious about the boots, we will have Streamtread boots available in our demo line for anglers to see for themselves how effective they are.

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A Few More Tips for Winter Fishing

March 10, 2009 – 2:01 pm

Entry by Mike Loebl

In part one, we took a look at how to stay warm when fishing in cold weather.  In this post, we’ll look at how to find fish in the rivers during the chilly times of the year.

Winter flows tend to be low compared to other times of the year and the water is always cold.  These two things both conspire to concentrate trout.  This creates a challenge for anglers, as much of the river will be virtually empty of fish.  At the same time, it can be a boon, as once fish are found oftentimes many can be hooked.  

Most of our trout fishing in the cold weather months is with nymphs, so we’ll look at the rivers with regard to finding good water to effectively fish nymphs in. This isn’t the same water you would necessarily fish if you wanted to find fish feeding on midges, or if you were intent on catching fish on streamers.

Trout do not like to fight heavy currents in cold water so finding current breaks and slow water is the first key to finding fish.  The second key to finding fish, or at least fish that can be caught with a fly, is finding water with either enough depth or surface disturbance to allow an angler to get close enough to the fish to get a good drift.  If you can see every pebble in the bottom of the river, chances are good that you have already spooked the trout that had been lying there.  If a pocket or run has a hint of color when you look into the water, chance are good that you can fish it effectively without disturbing the fish.

With these two factors, it is possible to eliminate a tremendous amount of river. Combine slow water and some depth or surface disturbance so the trout feel safe and suddenly one only has to fish a small percentage of the river.  Ignore everything else and focus all of your fishing on this water.  The odds are now tipped in your favor.

In addition to slow water and some overhead cover, trout really like structure.  Often structure itself is what creates the slow water or cover, but that isn’t always the case.  A long deep pool may have a lot of water that could harbor trout, but expect to find the most fish where there is structure. This can take the form of  the drop off at the head of the pool, deep slots in the gut of the pool, or in front or behind rocks any where in the pool.  These places are where  one can expect the most fish to be in the pool itself. 

Drop offs are some of the most overlooked places in the river.  The drop itself creates a pocket of slower water that the fish like and turbulence from the shallow water above the drop off creates good cover.  Drop offs don’t have to be huge to hold fish.  A change in depth of less than a foot can be enough to create an attractive home for a trout.  Small drop offs in shallow water often hold fish and these fish seldom see much attention from anglers.

Rocks are natural fish holders.  While everyone knows that the slicks behind rocks are reliable spots, don’t ignore the soft water in front of rocks and along their sides. Most large rocks will have depressions on each side of them where the current flowing around the rock has dug out the river bottom.  If the current is slow enough, these spots can hold a lot of fish as they are essentially drop offs.

Gravel bars are also great fish holders, mostly for the drop offs and soft water that one finds in their wake.  Whether they are deeply submerged or breaking the surface, Trout will be found behind them.

Any combination of structure is usually more attractive to trout than a single piece of structure on its own.  Another good rule of thumb is that the larger the structure, the more likely that it will concentrate fish.  Small rock slicks my house a fish or two and big pools formed by a wide gravel bar dropping off into slow deep water may have hundreds of trout in them.

Next time you step into a river in winter, take the time to look at the water and start eliminating unlikely spots based on current speed, depth and structure.  Take a look at what is left and fish it hard.  You are sure to find some fish.

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A Few Tips for Winter Fishing Part One

January 15, 2009 – 2:36 pm

Entry By Mike Loebl

Staying Warm!

The dead of winter is a great time of year to be out on the river, but it can also be challenging, both in fooling the fish and keeping physically comfortable. Total solitude and beautiful scenery are often outweighed by iced up guides, frozen fingers and difficult access to the river, but a good day of winter fishing can be one of the most rewarding outings of the year for a fisher. There are a few things I’ve learned from days spent on the water that will permit one to get the most out of a winter’s day of fishing. It all starts with staying warm in inclement weather and here are some things that really help.

Brennan Sang stalking winter risers

The first, and most obvious is to dress for the conditions. It is really difficult to overdress for winter fishing. Even days close to freezing can become bitter when a slight wind comes up. Gloves, a hat, as many socks as can be stuffed comfortably into the boots of one’s waders and a windproof or waterproof jacket with a hood are all essential. Stick to wool or synthetic fibers like fleece or primaloft for all insulation. Down and cotton are worthless when wet. A good base layer tops and bottoms are essential. Patagonia Capeline or Simms Waderwick are some of the best baselayer I have used. Dressing in several layers helps trap air and keeps one warmer than a single insulating layer. Keeping the core warm is the second most important thing, besides a good hat. Primaloft vests like the Patagonia Micro Puff are great layering pieces that help keep the body warm.

Wader choice plays a huge role in how comfortable an angler will be on a cold day. My feet used to be constantly numb when fishing in cold water until this year. I finally purchased a pair of Simms Exstream waders and I have yet to have cold feet during a day on the river. The difference they make over any wader I have used in the past is dramatic. Bootfoot breathable waders in general will be warmer than neoprene or stockingfoot breathable waders over the course of several hours of fishing, provided one layers properly under them. A mid weight baselayer and heavy fleece pants are enough to keep my legs warm under my waders. Lastly, winter is not the time to find out you have leaks in your waders! Make extra sure that all holes are patched or don’t bother going. It is literally impossible to stay warm with 33 degree water circulating through ones waders.

In addition to dressing properly, there are a few things one can do to help maintain warmth throughout the day. Start the day off right. While I’ve certainly been guilty of dragging myself out of bed with hangover, jetting down to the river on an empty stomach and fishing for the day, it isn’t the best way to be comfortable. A good breakfast and warm liquids at the start of the day really help out. Staying hydrated is a big key to staying warm. Trudging through snow quickly can make a heavily dressed angler overheat and sweat, and replacing this water is essential through the day. Bring snacks along to the river as well. A candy bar and some water really help when I begin to get chilled. If you plan to be out for several hours and will be some distance from a vehicle, bring along a pack with spare gloves and extra insulation. This can be handy if you get wet, or the temperatures unexpectedly drop.

When fishing staying dry can be tough. It is essential however. Most fleece, wool, or neoprene gloves do a good job of keeping you warm when they are dry, but lose some effectiveness when wet. Be careful when landing and releasing fish as this is normally when gloves get wet and consequently hands get cold. Try to release fish with only your forceps. Only touch the fish if it is necessary to free a hook, and take off your gloves before handling the fish. Hand warmers are great on really cold days, but they too do not work well when they get wet. Keep them in a waterproof pocket so they are sure to work when you really need them.

The last good way to keep warm is to keep moving. Instead of fishing a likely pool for several hours, keep moving and hitting smaller pockets and pools instead. If you feel yourself getting cold, get out of the river and take a walk. It is amazing how a few minutes of post holing through snow will warm you right back up.

Take these things into mind next time you head to the river on a winter day. You’ll be more comfortable, have a better time and probably fish more effectively because of it.

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2009 Fishing Log

January 9, 2009 – 2:21 pm

Entry by Mike Loebl

I just made my first entry in my brand new 2009 fishing log. My log for 08 did the trick and I’ve decided to keep on writing down info for each day on the water.  Never before last year had I kept track of my fishing, but I wanted a better idea of the number of days I fished and I also knew that my memory for each day of fishing has been on a steady decline after several seasons out here and countless Olympia beers.  The log was simple, just a spreadsheet with the date, time of day, where I fished, what I fished for, fishing techniques used, who I was with and the notes for the day.  The notes for the day usually featured some butchered typing about the weather and the bite, maybe if I saw something out of the ordinary I’d jot a few lines about it.  Nothing was set in stone.  

The log worked for two reasons.  One was that it was simple for me to enter info for each day of fishing, thus I did it.  Every time.  Obviously a fishing log doesn’t make much sense unless you keep it up to date and I managed to do just that.  Secondly it worked because I enjoyed reading back through it and reflecting upon the days that I have spent on the water.  Entries such as this one from an exceptionally warm April day on the Gallatin spent with Wes Dow warm the heart a bit in the winter months.  ”Fished below Big sky, didn’t fish too much water as we railed on them.  Got cooked up to 71 in Bozeman, James met us after glassing.  Hell of a day.  Like it f***ing should be.”  Can’t beat that.  And thanks to my log, I won’t forget it.  I hope there are plenty of entries in 2009 with all the highs and lows from a complete season of fishing.


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December in Montana

December 15, 2008 – 10:40 am

Saturday was going to be the day.  After a hectic fall of bird hunting, steelhead trips and work on our new online store, I haven’t been out on the Madison very much.  Our fishing report is in need of refreshing and this blog doesn’t have any dripping fish pictures for quite a bit.  So I got wound up to hit the water, see what was working and get some fresh stuff up on the web site…… Until I saw the weather report.  Winter in all of its furry, all weekend long.  So I am writing to admit my sissyness and let you know I didn’t brave the wind, snow and high temps just above zero.  10 degrees is my cut off most days and even that sucks.  Sorry.  I’ll get out there as soon as weather allows!  In the meantime, stay warm and have a great holiday!

 

Best regards,

 

Mike Loebl

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Fall Update

October 12, 2008 – 3:45 pm

Entry by Mike Loebl

We haven’t posted for a little while so here is an update. Casey has headed back to Oregon to get a “real job” AKA swing flies for summer steelhead while unemployed. William ran up to the Missouri for a change of scenery and for the usual big trout sipping tiny Baetis in October. The crew has been pared down, and we’re all still getting out fishing. Even Brad dusted off his tackle and has been fishing the Park a bit.  He managed to catch the largest brown of the year by any of the shop staff.  Cold weather may dampen the enthusiasm a bit, but the 22 degree mornings are nothing compared to what is to come. I suppose that is why a pair of Simms Exstream waders just showed up with my name on them. No more frozen feet!

Fishing for lake runs is the mainstay of our fall fishing and something I get pretty excited about. This season is about halfway finished for the Madison in the Park and fishing has been pretty good.  This week brought the usual Columbus Day surge in angler numbers (along with snow, biting wind and cold) but overall it hasn’t been too tough to find water to fish.  Though I haven’t had any jaw dropping days swinging flies, I’m finding enough fish to keep myself entertained. I’ve only seen one awful lowholing so far.  Casey was hosed pretty badly on that one, but it hasn’t happened since and this helps making fishing fun. I’m not here for combat, its supposed to be relaxing!

Baetis hatches have been pretty consistent on the Firehole, though the cold yesterday seemed to slow things down. It has been the river where anglers very consistently come back from with good things to say.  Of course I’m too stupid to go fish for pods of rising trout that are greedily rising too mayflies and keep hitting the Madison. Thursday, wanting a little solitude I drove down to the Madison below Quake. Around the West Fork there weren’t any cars parked, so Domino and I decided to give it a whirl. The howling wind kept the bite pretty slow for a bit, but in the afternoon the temps climbed into the 40’s, a few clouds moved in and both Baetis and Midges started to Pop. I found two pods of surface feeding fish, but kept plugging away with the nymphs and managed to stick some decent fish. It was a good change of pace from swinging flies. Dom didn’t think much of my fishing, as he kept reminding me that bird season is also here, but he enjoyed the day on the water.

We’ll keep at the fishing in the Park until the season closes after the first weekend in November. Good luck to all, enjoy the best part of the fall.

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Swingin in the rain… oh wait I mean sun.

September 27, 2008 – 5:30 pm

Entry by Casey Dixon

September is a month that usually brings on cold days with cloud cover,though not so much this year. Although there have been a few nasty weather days, on average it has been sunny and unseasonably nice or horrible if you are a fish. We have been watching the weather forecast hoping and praying for clouds and rain to try and bring some of those lake run browns up into the Madison in the Park. Although there are some fish around, the general consensus is that the fishing is slow. 

I have had some days of fair fishing and have been picking up fish here and there, but a consistent bite has been hard to come by. The most bizarre thing for me is that my best fishing has come on days where I was lazy and got out at the crack of 10 am and caught fish around noon under a high and bright sun. The days I have fished when the sun was lower or it was clouded over I have picked up some fish too, but not as many throwing a wrench into the theory that fishing is better when it is cloudy and cooler. 

On a good note fishing should only get better from this point until closes and with some rain on its way later this week hopefully that will finally get the fishing to a little more consistent point. On a positive note, fishing terrestrials has continued to be good and the Madison’s problem with Hebgen dam has been temporarily resolved and fishing in the float section has been decent. 

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