Fishing Report week of 12/13/2023
Paradise Valley has been seeing unseasonably warm temperatures over the last week due to a strong El Nino weather pattern keeping arctic northern air from entering our region. Winter conditions do persist as the shortening day length are significantly cooling the river. Anglers are finding fish throughout the Valley on the Yellowstone River and in the spring creeks. Most notably, post spawn brown trout Nymphing is the name of the game. Additionally, there are some fish being taken on streamers.
Look for fish in deep stable pools and runs. Fish nymphs deep and slow either suspended under an indicator or by utilizing tight line Euro nymphing techniques. On the Yellowstone River a stone fly nymph with a blow torch dropper has been productive. On the spring creeks midging has been very productive as have scuds and hot dot sow bugs.
Nymphs:
Blow torch (pink variant), Copper John, dark perdigon and euro nympsh, heavily weighted and on competion jig hooks. Cased caddis, rhycophilia caddis larvae, speckled stonefly double tungsten beaded #10-12, San Juan worm, wire worm Rubberlegs, zebra midge- (16-22) olive red black cream, chironocone, Sweetwater’s blood blister midge, scud, sowbug (hot dot), baetis nymphs 20-22.
Streamers:
Coffey’s Sparkle Minnow (olive, black), hot bead Slump Buster – olive, Dirty Hippy, Galloups style articulated flies on sinking lines.
Dries:
really unlikely, but you never know, one may encounter a midge hatch on a warm afternoon or if you are really lucky maybe a Baetis emergence – Griffiths Gnat, Haroups Hanging Midge, CDC compara dun, Last Chance Cripple
Extended outlook
A strong high-pressure system over the northern Rockies will continue to support unseasonably warm weather over the next week with air temperatures warming into the high 40’ and low 50’s. Water temperature on the Yellowstone River is spiking midafternoon and resulting in your best opportunity for finding feeding fish.
Sweetwater Fly Shop is open daily throughout the year supporting the year-round angler on the Yellowstone River, the Paradise Valley Spring Creeks, Yellowstone National Park, and in their fishing travels around the world.
Shop hours 09:00a-5:00p
Tuesday Vice Squad December 19, 2023
Join us Tuesday December 19, 2023 for our Tuesday night Vise Squad tying session. We’ll be looking at nymphs for the winter season on the river and the Paradise Valley Spring creeks. We’ll be tying a pink variant of the Blow Torch that’s been producing fish over the last few weeks as well as a stone fly and a midge pattern – Sweetwater’s Blood Blister midge.
Come on down to the shop from 6:00p-7:00P on Tuesday December 19, 2023 at the Sweetwater Fly Shop 2 miles south of Livingston Montana. Its free, and all ages and levels of ability are welcome. See you there.
0
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.