Icky Fly Works

We've been itching to drift so we headed down to Montana to fish the Bighorn March 24-26. The weather was cold but fortunately the fishing was really hot. Tons of browns to the boat plus some nice bows. Streamers produced some fish but nymphing was most productive using killer bugs, ray charles and scud patterns. Hopefully the Bow will be floatable soon!

Floated the Bow on October 26th, a day before temperatures plunged and the snow started flying. Fishing started strong with 4 rainbows pulled out of the first hole we stopped at and stayed reasonably consistent. Fish were holding in the slower water and #8 Jimmy Legs stonefly nymphs were by far the best producer.

Fished Bullshead for the first time this year. Very little wind and very active fish which was nice. Fished sink tip line from shore with a black woolly bu**er and a small boatman or evil weevil trailer. 4-5" slow strips was most productive and they were hitting them on the pause.

Legacy Island launch is now open so we checked out the water downstream of McKinnon flats for the first time this year. The fish were hitting hoppers early until about 10AM. Switched to nymphing and Z-wing caddis was the best producer .

Just back from 5 days fishing SW streams. Plenty of cutties to the net!

Livingstone - greenish tinge with 2-3 feet visibility and fishing was slower than typical.

Upper Oldman - similar visibility to the Livingston but fish were much more willing to rise to a fly.

Racehorse and Dutch Creek - both very clear and probably the most productive waters we fished over the last week.

Castle & Carbondale - both clear and fishing well.

Fish weren't too picky and were very eager to hit stimulators but western green drakes were the most productive fly of the trip.

Flow rates have dropped substantially and the river is crystal clear resulting in long float times and some picky fish! Good size trout are moving for streamers though.

Another Police to McKinnon Flats float this weekend, with the same results. Fishing was slow early on but picked up in mid-morning. The streamer bite was on with double bunnies moving fish and the black prince and hoppers producing.

Floated on Labour Day from Police to Mac. Move a decent number of fish - all rainbows - on dries, nymphs and streamers. At 2PM it really turned on with black prince nymphs and reese's pieces worm being very productive.

Floated the Bow from Mac to Carseland a few days ago. Lots of flashes and chases with a streamer but the bite wasn't really on. Reese's Pieces worms and green copper john droppers also took fish but no action on the surface.

New inventory including grab packs now in!

Joe and I spent the last few days in SW Alberta fishing the Crow, Livingstone and Oldman. Cutties were eager to rise to stonefly, PMD and green drakes and were taken under the surface with flashback hare's ear nymphs being the most productive. The hilight of the trip was this upper Oldman bull that was fooled by a clouser.

Joe spent the week in Manitoba chasing Walleye and Pike. This monster crappie took a #6 white bow river bu**er and was only a half inch shy of the provincial record!