May 7, 2010
The flies you need to have in your box on May 15, 2010.
Beaverhead River
Soft Hackle Sow Bug: This pink body, white hackled sow bug is a must for early season fishing on the Beaverhead River. At size 16, it is a heavy wired fish fooler that imitates scuds, caddis, and packs a protein punch that trout can not resist early in the year. Pink is a great color on the Beav during the months of April – May.
Scuds: Olive, pink, orange, and gray are the colors of choice. Don’t be afraid to throw some bigger sizes (14, 16) throughout the day as fish look to stockpile energy and fat that has been depleted during the winter months. Scuds and sow bugs are a staple on most tailwaters throughout the country. The Beaverhead water system is heavily saturated with these trout favorites.
Pheasant Tails: An all around use bug that imitates a variety of hatches. Sizes 16-20 are the most effective pattern sizes as fish target drifting BWO and PMD nymphs. When fish “get off” the sow bugs and grubs, PT’s are the next best bet for consistent hookups. It’s your choice as far as whether a beaded or non beaded fly is tied on the end of the line. Some swear by tungsten weighted beads, and others say just use more lead to get the nymphs down quicker. Another tip: olive pt’s are a great alternative from the standard pt.
Serendipity’s: Another all around use bug that imitates caddis, mayflies, beatis, and beaten up midges. Sizes ranging from 16-20 in olive, red, black, tan, and green are the best options. This may be a forgotten or less fished fly in recent past, but the fish eat it just as well today as they did 10 years ago.
Go to colors: If nothing seems to be going on and you’re searching for a pattern, go with nymphs in sizes 16-20 in PINK and OLIVE.
Big Hole River
Pat’s Rubberleg Stone: A definite go to fly that needs to stocked in plenty in any Big Hole fly box. Brown and black are the standard colors, and sizes 4-10 in each color will entice fish depending on the time of year. The closer we get to June, the bigger and blacker the bug should become. As of this week, a size 4 brown and size 6 black stone have been working the best. The superfloss legs give this bug great realism and have been known to entice trout by great numbers.
Prince Nymph: Another all around bug that has been working on the Big Hole for years. Prince Nymphs work well on all freestone streams, as they are often packed with stoneflies, drakes, march browns, caddis, and a host of other freestone river insects. Sizes 10-18 are the sizes of choice, and with the March Browns approaching, a size 12-14 will work perfectly. As with the pt’s, a bead or non bead is your choice, but on the fast flowing Big Hole, a tungsten bead is recommended.
Yellow Streamers: Yellow yummies, zonkers, or any yellow tinted streamer is the ticket early season. The water is a little off colored all year as the Big Hole is known for it’s famous “tea” color, and the yellow color is highly visible and brown trout will attack it vigorously. Stripped, dead drifted, or swung through riffles and pools will take fish. A Big Hole River Staple.
Yuk Bugs: The standard yuk bug and the pepperoni yuks are one of the most versatile flies on the river. As with a streamer, they can be pumped, dead drifted, swung, or jammed into pockets where fish has only seconds to determine whether or not they are going to eat this highly enjoyable looking meal. Olive, black, and orange colors are the ticket year round in sizes 4-10.
Go to Colors: Yellow and Red. Bright colors that attract fish and can be seen in off colored water. Other bugs to consider in these colors are copper johns, lightning bugs, and soft hackles.
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Opening day on the Beaverhead produced lot’s of fish on the pink sow bug, olive scud, pt’s, and green BWO nymphs.
Yuk bugs and Pat’s Rubberleg Stones were the ticket on the Big Hole.
Dry fly selections coming soon.