My husband (and Madison Valley Ranch Executive Chef), our dog Lila, and I arrived at Varney Bridge at about 11:30 am and took off to the ‘honey hole’.  During the winter months, the trout tend to stack up in the slower water to save energy.  While we didn’t see any rises, after tying into a monster whitefish on a weighted nymph on my 2^nd cast, we knew we were in for a treat!

Taking turns in the small run with a dreamy pool at the end, Scott was up next.  A perfect cast, with his Orvis Helios rod, led to a marvelous mend, and BANG!  A feisty rainbow was in the end of his line.  Tempted by a brown girdle bug, this big guy jumped and fought.  I couldn’t believe it; the large rainbow not only had huge shoulders, but also a thick girth throughout.  Early spring fish can often have huge heads and skinny bodies due to a decrease in food supply.  Clearly, this trout had been feeding all winter long!

With action on the end of our lines at least every 15 minutes, I had to remind myself to take a moment and enjoy the beauty of spring fishing…snow capped mountains, flocks of birds overhead, comfortably rigging up on the side of the banks…the stuff winter dreams are made of.

I can’t say enough about how feisty and aggressive the trout are in the spring.  Not only is Montana’s landscape starting to brighten up and come alive, but the trout are right in sync. The River flows were perfect, and I even saw a few bugs fluttering around.

With tired arm muscles, I’d resolved to take a quick walk along the banks with Lila, as Scott took ‘3 more casts’ before we called it a day.  Of course, the three more casts turned into 7 more “1 more cast”.  About 100 yards away, I suddenly heard the yelps I’ve become accustom to over the years ~ Scott had a big one on!

Sprinting down the bank, I quickly grab the camera and was ready for a “framer”.  His brown wild trout was AWESOME!  The ~22 incher took a Mega prince perfectly.  As I sit here looking at the photo, I’m mesmerized by Scott’s huge, yet tired, smile, the Shinning Mountain range filled in with this years’ 100% of normal snow pack, and a brilliant Madison River brown trout.  Another amazing spring day fly fishing safely tucked away in my memory bank, as I eagerly anticipate the next ‘warm’ day.  I’m telling you folks, if you haven’t experienced Spring fly fishing for yourself, get out here!  You won’t regret it

Folks have just starting slinging big streamers with fabulous rewards.  The browns are coloring up nicely and all the fish are aggressively taking flies.  There is a cold front on the horizon that should be just the ticket to take our fall fishing to the next spectacular level!

Consistent flows, prolific insect life, a nice balance of big, chunky wild trout with yearlings, mild temperatures, and overall, great fly fishing perfectly sums up our 2011 fishing season ~ it’s one that will go down in treasured fly fishing journals for years to come.

Spring was laced with corporate groups and couples that took advantage of the Channels Lodge and had the added bonus of stellar fishing! We got fabulous responses on the inspiration of Big Sky Country views during meetings.  And after the big winter, the trout gobbled up flies, loading up on calories and treating guests to feisty fights.

With extraordinary high snowpack in June, it’s be safe to say all of SW MT was anxious about the impact this would have on the Rivers…I guess I’ve always been a bit skeptical of fishing in high waters.  But, I’m a complete convert now!  First of all, our guides did an outstanding job of finding calm waters amongst the high, swift currents in the middle of the River. Guests kept returning to the Ranch with tales and photos of huge trout, as these monsters were all holed up on the banks, taking refuge from the currents.  Finally, I guess I never took the time to realize that high waters also create the most ideal conditions for breeding bugs, and thus set us up all summer long for fabulous feeding trout!

Struck by the shear numbers and beauty of the healthy fish caught during the summer months of 2011, it’s clear that high water has lasting positive effects. The Rivers were full of food ~ nymphs, emergers, salmon flies, mayflies, yellow sallies, spruce months ~ you name it, they were out there and the trout took full advantage.

There was about a 3 week span this summer when I couldn’t have deciphered which flies were “working” because folks were catching trout on a gambit of bugs.  They seemed to anxiously attack anything put before them!  Walking around the Ranch on any given day, I’d also find myself in a swarm of caddis, mayflies, salmon flies, gnats, and yes, even mosquitoes.  What a spectacular array of insect life!

The 2010 salmon fly hatch may even go down in history.  Typically, the hatch arrives at the end of June and after a flurry of days is gone with only shucks on the side of the banks reminding us of ‘what was…”  This year, folks caught trout on salmon fly imitations from the beginning of July well into August!  The naturals were out and about that long as well. All it took was the right recipe from Mother Nature.

With this much food, it’s not surprising the real large trout were keyed in on expending energy on larger prey.  Pearl zonkers were the ticket to hooking onto the hogs!  In August, it felt like I was filling the fly box with zonkers daily!  The best evidence of this feeding frenzy was the photos of the regurgitated large minnows expelled by the big trout.  One of those ‘gross, but cool’ things!

The hoppers were out and about in August and September.  But, it wasn’t until September that they really started to move to the banks.  I suspect the entire landscape was so lush, that they didn’t need the cool, wetness of the river banks until then.  Combined with Indian summer type temperatures, folks were treated to some awesome action at the end of their lines this fall!

2012 is already shaping up to be another healthy water year with La Nina forecasted to once again grip our winter weather patterns; we are predicted to have lots of snow and cooler weather. We know what this means…a big winter with hungry wild trout in the spring, wet conditions leading to awesome habitat for bug production, and healthy river flows all season long. Our incredible team of guides is already anxious to share their knowledge and indulge in your passion next season!  Come out and join us in 2012 for your own fun-filled adventure fishing for wild trout and enjoying Big Sky Country. J

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks published a great article titled, Fish take advantage of high waters, sharing the following insight, “This type of big spring run off carries soil, nutrients, and heavy debris for miles, cutting new channels, reseeding cottonwood trees along its river banks and scouring stream bottom gravels providing high-quality spawning and rearing habitat for fish.
As the water spreads out over the floodplains, it tends to warm and pick up nutrients, providing great growing conditions for everything in the aquatic system–algae, fish, other aquatic creatures and insects!”
A lovely combination for summer and fall fishing…If you’ve been contemplating coming out to SW Montana this year, don’t delay!  We will continue to reap the benefits of this moisture all season long and would love for you to experience it for yourself.

Currently, a cdc baby caddis emerger is the ‘must have fly’ that our guides can’t get enough of.  Combining this with a brown girdle bug as the attractor, and it’s been a recipe for consistently catching wild trout!  Another go-to bug has been the bitch creek, a salmon fly nymph imitation that is stealing the show on the Madison River.  The naturals are fluttering about as well, but with the water still a little cloudy and such a plethora of insect life, nymphs and emergers have been a better bet so far.  But, that won’t last long!  The flows are drastically dropping and the visibility clearing day by day; soon enough there will be good dry fly and hopper action as the trout look up for their next meal. With this fabulous habitat, be ready for action at the end of your line in 2011!

Spring fishing is in full swing and we can’t ask for anything better ~ our wild trout are in a feeding frenzy after the long winter!  The brown girdle bug takes the cake for catching the most trout so far.  This rubber legged stone fly nymph imitation seems irresistible.

Right on time, the famous “Mother’s Day” caddis hatch has just popped off this weekend with the warmer temps.  In fact, rainy and cloudy days are upon us and perfect for blue winged olives and march browns.  Let the spring dry fly fishing begin!

Our spring special is the perfect opportunity to sneak away to Montana and enjoy this epic fishing for yourself ~ What’s stopping you?  Give me a call to join the action.