The rites of spring are fully underway. Late March and April could be the most overlooked season of fishing of the year. While the weather can be a dice shake between wintery mix and delightful spring the fishing has been red hot. Rainbow trout have been moving into spawning tributaries, setting up redds, and are actively using them. Spring baetis and midge hatches are becoming increasingly reliable. Looking forward, we are anxiously anticipating the Mother’s Day caddis hatch during the first few days of May. In Montana April means fishing.
Yellowstone River
Low flows and spring-like weather have made for some good early season fishing on the Yellowstone. Whether swinging and stripping streamers and wet flies or dead drifting nymph rigs through pools below the riffles, you have options for some good fishing. Stoneflies, baetis, March brown nymphs, Midge larvae, and caddis larvae are all active and present.
Paradise Valley Spring Creeks
The Spring Creeks have been producing good baetis hatches over the last week – good enough to bring fish to the surface to feed. Fish are on the nymphs and emergers and appear to be eating them over midges.
Drifting a 2 nymph rig with a weighted anchor fly like the 16-18 and a #20 baetis nymph or midge dropper fished in feeding and holding lanes throughout the stable pools has been producing great fishing throughout the day. Some extra weight on the leader or incorporated in your anchor fly will help achieve a slow drift through targeted water. We’ve found fish not only in the seams but in the riffles and runs as well. They are clearly lining up to feed.
If you find some rising fish, pairing a Baetis dry or surface emerger with a small, unweighted nymph dropper could also put some fish in the net.
Flies For the Season
Nymphs
On the spring creeks: Cheeseman Emerger #20 olive, Darth Baetis, Juju Baetis, Sawyer Pheasant tail – slim, Zebra midge (red, olive, black) 20, Axtell’s Assassin Midge #20, Minimalist midge #20-22(red, black, olive), Trashcan midge #20-22, Tailwater sowbug, Hot Bead Ray Charles, Hunch back scud , Bighorn scud, Euro-style soft hackled nymphs #16-20, Perdigon nymphs, Cheeseman Emerger, Pink var. Blow Torch.
On the Yellowstone or Gardiner Rivers: Stone fly patterns like rubber legs, Craven’s Two-bit stone, Jig head zirdle bug, Perdigon and soft hackled Eur- style flies12-18, Tung Ol hare’s year soft hackle, Psycho prince, Flashback pheasant tail 12-18, Zebra midge (black, olive, red) #16-20
Streamers
Wooly bugger (black, olive, white), Sparkle minnow (olive, black), Lil Kim 6-12, Zonker, Home Invader, Slump Buster, leach patterns, Sculpzilla, Baby Gonga, Rubber legged cone head Krystal bugger (Black, ol, yellow), Intruder style Spey flies, large soft hackle flies, McCune’s Olive Sculpin.
Dries
On the spring creeks olive comparadun 18-20, Last Chance Cripple (BWO) 20, Sprout BWO, BWO spinner 18-20, Smoke Jumper Baetis, Film Critic Baetis Harroup’s hanging midge, Harroup’s Transitional midge, Brooks sprout midge emerger, cluster midge, Harroups CDC adult midge
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