Last July I was fortunate enough to hook up with John Dietsch of the Adventure Guides television program on ESPN and share a day of fishing with him on McCoys Spring Creek over near Dillon, MT. John and I had what can only be described as an epic hopper fishing day as we traded off catching fish out of each run. John captured the whole day on video and will be airing it on the 2010 season of the Adventure Guides television show on ESPN. Here is a little teaser for the upcoming show ….

http://www.hook.tv/player.php?key=7104d7d96dc9651e416518e6e587ca90

Let us know what you think!

p.s. If you have not had a chance to fish McCoys Spring Creek, you need to do that. It is an excellent small spring creek experience. For more information and guides for McCoys, you can contact us at The River’s Edge at 406-586-5373 or call Steve Bielenberg at McCoys in Dillon at 406-683-6508.

The River’s Edge & Simms Fishing Products Holiday Spectacular

Thursday * December 3rd * 6:00 – 9:00 PM * at The River’s Edge!

Come All Ye Faithful…fly fishers!  Get in the “Fish”mas spirit and join The River’s Edge and Simms Fishing Products for a Holiday Spectacular.  This is a perfect evening to do some Christmas shopping for that special fly fisher in your life.  Joining us for the night will be local guests, photographer Brian Grossenbacher, Livingston artist Derek DeYoung, and Simms Rep Jon Yousko.  There will be special pricing on Simms products for this evening only and the first 25 people get a free Derek DeYoung t-shirt!  Refreshments, prizes and an abundance of holiday cheer will be also provided. 

This event is free and open to the public.

Starting October 1st through December 31st, if you buy a Winston premium rod from The River’s Edge, you are entitled to buy a Winston Ascent rod and case, valued at $225, directly from Winston for just $65. The price also includes free UPS Ground Shipping from Twin Bridges, MT.

This limited time offer is designed to help with your Holiday shopping and is a great opportunity to purchase a new fly rod for the friend or child you want to get started fly fishing, and, better yet, buy a new Winston for yourself. Winston’s Ascent rods are designed by Winston in Twin Bridges as a great way for entry-level or intermediate anglers to become part of the Winston family at exceptional value.  These 4-piece rods have a smooth fast action and are designed to be very easy to cast.  This promotion is good for an Ascent in the following length/weights:

• 8′  3 wt
• 9′  4 wt
• 9′  5 wt
• 9′  6 wt
• 9′  8 wt

After you purchase your Winston premium rod, we will give you the form needed to take advantage of this offer.  Just send in your completed form with the receipt (dated no later than 12/31/09), your warranty card and a check, money order or your credit card information to Winston with the order information for your new Ascent rod. For information to help you decide which Ascent rod to get, send us an email at info@theriversedge.com or call us at 406-586-5373.

Mark Your Calendar!

Top 10 Fly Fishing Desinations of the World ~ Presentation

Thursday, November 19th at 7:00 PM

Been dreaming about your next fly fishing adventure?  Come out for a night of fishing around the world at The River’s Edge Fly Shop in Bozeman.  Jim Klug and Ian Davis – owners of Yellow Dog Fly fishing Adventures – have both fished extensively throughout the globe.  They will be at the River’s Edge on Thursday night to present a slideshow on some of the top fly fishing destinations around the world.  Ian will also be available for questions as he ties up some saltwater flies throughout the night.  Whether to entice your fly fishing palette, see some amazing photography, or just to learn more about great places to fish – you won’t want to miss out on this fun evening. 

*This event is free and open to the public. 

The River’s Edge is located at 2012 North 7^th Ave, Bozeman, Montana.  Phone 406.586.5373 for further information.

Happy to be Buff

 I remember when I started working at River’s Edge last summer and noticing the shop carried these things called “Buffs”.   I also remember scoffing at them and thinking you’d have to be a serious dork to wear one of those.  Come on, a good hat is all a person needs.  That stated, fast forward to this past May when I took my first saltwater fly fishing trip to Mexico.   When we stepped off the plane, the air was so hot and thick, my Bozeman conditioned lungs could hardly breathe.  Fortunately, I quickly adjusted to the heat and immersed myself into the culture and experience.  Day 1, we set out with our well-respected guide “Beto” to fish Chetamul Bay and spent much of the day combing the flats in search of bonefish.   Boy it was hot, but doused in sunscreen and well-covered in superlight clothing I survived and even landed my first bonefish – fun success!   Day 2, we set out again to a new area of the bay for another 8 hours of the hunt for more bonefish and even some permit.  Son-uva-biscuit it was hot!  Despite the great fireball in the sky starting to mess with my head, I was determined to be tough.  Needless to say, my sunscreen was beginning to fall short and by the end of the day I was pretty wilted, over-heated and an icy margarita back at the non-air conditioned lodge never tasted so good.  Day 3, I was a little leery to hit it again for another 8 hours considering how I had felt the prior afternoon.  Fortunately, Beto being a well seasoned guide sensed my apprehension and I remember well the moment he said to me “Sah-da, you need Booof”.  Translation: “Sarah, you need a Buff”, such as he was wearing each day.  These pieces of fabric I had once laughed at on a regular basis, were now coming back to haunt me and I knew Beto was right.  Absolute full coverage was going to be key for my thin skin.  At this point, three good things happened:  1) I had no pride, 2) I said “Yes! Where can I get one?”, and 3) the remote lodge actually did have one available for purchase! Phew!  It was an easy sale.  And so, the third day started off with me rockin’ the Buff and within hours singing its praises.  Who would’ve thought a mocker and doubter could become such a believer?  Hallelujah, praise Jesus!   I owed Beto a few beers for my salvation.

Well, you can mostly figure out the rest of the story.  The next few days of saltwater fishing were still hot, but I was managing the heat situation much better.  The Booof protected my ears which were previously frying in sunscreen and helped me stay dry and cooler.  In sum, we caught some more fish, had a great trip, and I came back to Montana officially on the Buff train. 

Of course, I now own more than one Buff and use it on occasion for more local adventures.  The Buff is very appropriate for many situations and outdoor activities and even has 12 different ways it can be worn…see chart.

 My personal favorite look for the Mexico trip was the “bank robber” look – which is not on the above list.  It’s similar to the ‘Balaclava’ look, except the covering the chin and lips as well, only exposing the eyes; a bit creepy, but effective.  Here’s an example:

The Bank Robber ....Stick 'em up!

Here in Montana, I like to keep my neck cool and sport the Neckerchief look on those hot summer days out on the river.  

The neckerchief

There are many designs, fabrics, and styles for Buffers to pick from.  You can go big or Buffer your style as needed.   I have yet to try the “polar Buff” to keep me warm and dry in my winter angling, but I’m no skeptic to their benefits.

In closing, I just have one question for you: Are you buff enough?

Sarah Shelley, The River’s Edge

On Sunday, I spent the day with some fishy women at our Women’s Intermediate class.   We spent the entire day on and around a section of the East Gallatin.  The morning was mostly spent answering questions, reading water, roll casting, and talking “bugs”.  To take the “bug” thing a step further, I dunked a seine in the river and kicked up a few rocks for a nice sample of aquatic insects.   If you’ve never done such thing, I highly recommend it as you will be amazed at the amount and diversity of nymphs that can be found in any local stream.   Seeing all these trout-food options really makes you wonder how a trout could ever be fooled by an artificial fly…………………………(long thoughtful pause)…………………………………  In sum, the morning couldn’t have been more picture-perfect with May flies sailing all about and trout rising occasionally in our periphery…then came the afternoon.    

I was both nervous and hopeful about the actual fishing portion of the afternoon as I really wanted the ladies to get some practice “landing trout” as well as the chance to see some of the quality trout this river can produce.   As is with every day of fishing, one never knows what to expect or what will happen.  It is this fact combined with possibility that keeps so many of us returning to our favorite streams.  So, with bugs and river reading knowledge in the mind, everyone rigged up their rods with a slightly different set up (bugger-tiny nymph, small nymph x2, single dry, dry-dropper, my favorite rig for this river, etc.) and we set out to put our knowledge to action on the water…only to experience what every fisherman and fisherwoman must experience from time to time:  a good ‘ol fashioned trout spanking!   Beautiful drifts to rising trout were shunned, money holes were bankrupt, and the trout even ignored the “works-almost-every time” flies of choice.  Ah yes, a humbling reminder of how unpredictable trout and rivers can be, despite one’s best attempts.   Much to our credit, it was a mosquito slappin’, HOT-as (fill in the blank) mid-summer afternoon – probably not the best time-of-day to be fishing.   But, the afternoon did include one student landing a nice brown on an olive caddis home-tie type fly (nice work Pika!).       

Trout numbers aside, it was overall a really fun day.  I am looking forward to another one of these classes (coming soon!).   I am really proud of these four women for immersing themselves in the water   and the whole fly fishing learning experience with me.   Great job ladies!  

Sarah Shelley

Good news for the Clacka Craft drift boat enthusiasts of Bozeman, The River’s Edge just became Bozeman’s only Clacka Craft pro shop. This allows us to sell new Clacka Craft drift boats and answer any questions about the boats that you may have.   Also, to kick things off, we will be having a Drift Boat Demo Day here at the store on Wednesday July 1st from 9:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M.  The national sales manager for Clacka Craft will be on hand as well as our local area reps to answer questions and provide information throughout the day.  We will also be having 3 clinics throughout the day at 10:00, 12:00, and 3:00 where we will discuss boat maintenance, boat rigging, rowing, storage and much more.  If you have a chance, stop by as there will be plenty of give-aways and great information.

Call 406-586-5373 or email at info@theriversedge.com for more information.

Here we sit in early June with the biggest question of all … When will the rivers in Montana be fishable?  While this is not a question that can be answered easily, with what has been happening around here lately, I can hopefully say sooner than later. 

We have two types of rivers in our area:  Freestones and tailwaters.  For those of you who may not know the difference, freestone rivers are not controlled by a dam like tailwaters.  In our immediate area, rivers such as the Gallatin River and the Yellowstone River are freestone rivers and the Upper and Lower Madison and Missouri are tailwaters. 

As of today, June 10th 2009, many of our tailwater rivers are beginning to fish very well.  We have had recent guide trips to both the Upper and Lower Madison rivers in which the fishing has been very good and the flows are beginning to fall.  Does this mean the rivers are clear and runoff is over?  Not exactly.  While these tailwaters have the majority of their flows controlled by dams, they also have tributaries which will add water, and sometimes dirty water, to their flows.  For instance, the Upper Madison is currently very fishable but still has a bit of color in it.  The color comes from several small tributaries that dump into the river at various points with the most prominent being the West Fork of the Madison.  The West Fork is a small stream that is not dam controlled and is affected by spring snow melt and rain and can cause almost the entire floatable stretches of the Upper Madison to get dirty.  Currently, the West Fork is still dumping in a bit of off color water, but once it mixes with the rest of the river, the visibility improves and it is fishable.

As for the Lower Madison, it is also beginning to fish very well.  We have had guided trips on it almost every day for the past week or so and the visibility is beginning to improve each day.  We are also starting to see a few Pale Morning Duns on the surface of the water making for some great nymph fishing with small PMD emergers.  For now, it looks like the powers that be are trying to fill Hebgen Dam so they have actually dropped the flows on the Lower Madison making it not only great for float fishing, but also good for wade fishing.  This is a great option for now and I don’t see much changing on it for the next couple of weeks.

Now on to the freestone rivers.  In our area, we are mostly talking about the Gallatin and the Yellowstone.  The Yellowstone looks like it may have peaked sometime last week at around 21000 cfs (cubic feet per second).  Since that time, it has continued to drop at a fairly rapid rate down to about 13000 cfs today.  While it has been cold and I think that it may come back up again if we get warm weather here soon, I think that the bulk of the big runoff may be over and although our first guesses as to when we might be fishing on it were well into July, our new gut feeling is that we may be on it closer to the beginning of July if not late June.  For now, it is still pretty high to safely float it and it will still have that big “heaving” feel to it.  Once it gets down below 9000 to 10000 cfs, it is still big, but we begin to take a look at clarity.  If the clarity is more than a foot or so, we start to get the itch to head over there.  Hopefully, this is sooner than we think.

The Gallatin has a little different story.  It is a freestone river as well, but the bulk of the dirty water in the Gallatin is typically caused by a  tributary called the Taylor’s Fork.  The Taylor’s Fork is very affected by both spring snow melt and rain.  Both can cause that river to become very dirty and in turn, make the rest of the Gallatin dirty and unfishable.  The Taylor’s Fork is, for now, the main culprit making the Gallatin dirty and seem unfishable.  I say that hesitantly becuase while the river is off color, there are a few brave soles fishing some of the back eddies and slower runs and catching some fish, and typically nice fish during this high water.  That fishing can only be described as down and dirty, but is effective.  Like the Yellowstone, I feel the Gallatin has peaked as well, but on a river that is 99% wade fishing, we’ll have to wait a bit longer to be able to wade safely on this one. 

Above the Taylor’s Fork on the Gallatin is a little different story.  Most of this fishing here is done inside of Yellowstone National Park with the exception of about a mile between the Park boundary and the Taylor’s Fork.  For now, this stretch has cleaned up nicely boasting about 2 feet of visibility with only a little color left in the river.  I would call this water very fishable today and in fact, we have had several good reports from anglers up in that stretch having great nymph fishing.  The river is still up and wading is not easy, but since the river has less volume up there, it is a little easier to get around.  This is a great option for a nymph fisherman looking for great scenery and no people.

Back to the “big question” of when will things clear up and be fishable?  Hopefully I have answered that with some degree of certainty.  For now, there are several places to fish and in the coming weeks, there will be many more.  A great place to keep track of our fishing conditions in the Bozeman and surrounding area is our fishing report.  At The River’s Edge we always try to keep it up to date and keep you informed and if you don’t find the information on our site, give us a call.

With so many unbelievable rivers within an hour drive of Bozeman the Gallatin River can sometimes get overlooked among the bigger rivers such as the Yellowstone and Madison.  While the average size of the fish caught on the Gallatin River might not be as large as the fish caught on those other rivers the beautiful scenery and abundant dry fly opportunities more than make up for it.  There are three main sections to the Gallatin which we will discuss and the different types of fishing that is found in each one.

The first section of the Gallatin River is from the headwaters to the town of Big Sky.  Here the Gallatin is mainly a meadow stream that is great for the wading angler.  A large portion of the river in this section is in Yellowstone National Park so there are different regulations and licenses that will apply.  There are a number of 12” class trout found in this section and they readily rise to a well presented dry fly.  The insect hatches that one will find in this area are diverse with hatches ranging from Blue-Winged Olives to Salmonflies.  There is a great caddis hatch that starts in late spring and lasts through most of the summer.  A great way to spend an evening is to drive up from Bozeman and fish this hatch as the fish really get active towards the end of the day.  Smaller attractor dry flies like Parachute Adams, Royal Wulffs, and H & L Variants will take fish throughout the year up here.  Nymphing with small beadheads will also account for a large number of fish in this section if the dry fly fishing is not producing.  The Gallatin is a freestone river which means that it is affected by spring runoff which can make the river dirty for much of May and June.  The main culprit of this runoff is the Taylor’s Fork, a small tributary south of Big Sky.  Often the river above where the Taylor’s Fork flows into the Gallatin will be clear and fishable long before the rest of the river clears.  As with the rest of the Gallatin there is abundant fishing access in this section with Yellowstone Park and plenty of National Forest land.  There are many pullouts along the highway to park and access the river for fishing in this section.

The next section of the Gallatin River is usually referred to as the “Canyon” stretch which goes from the town of Big Sky to the small hamlet known as Gallatin Gateway.   This is the most popular stretch of the Gallatin and with Highway 191 running the length of the river it is easily accessible.  The canyon stretch is classic pocket water with both nymphing and dry flies producing during the season.  Stoneflies are prevalent in this stretch and the salmonflies and golden stones are a great way to start the summer season on the Gallatin as they tend to hatch towards the end of June.  Another interesting insect that has become a staple of summer fishing on the Gallatin is the spruce moth.  These little bugs which look like a large caddis appear in the middle of the summer and have provided some incredible fishing the past couple of years.  Caddis also make up a large portion of the insect life in this stretch and like the upper stretch they hatch from late spring through most of the summer.  Casting an attractor dry fly will bring plenty of strikes in the summer and you will find lots of 12” class trout this way.  If you are looking for the bigger fish in this stretch try fishing a large stonefly nymph or streamer in the many deep holes along the canyon.  If you are one of those people that think that the Gallatin River only has smaller fish in it you might be pleasantly surprised if you devote some time to these tactics!  Attractor dry flies like PMXs, Stimulators, and Chernobyl Ants with a beadhead hung below make for a great combination on the Gallatin.  A couple of spots that we like to fish the Gallatin at are Moose Creek and Greek Creek campgrounds.  The fishing is great at these two accesses and the campgrounds have nice amenities for the family member who does not want to fish.  In the summer one should take note of the whitewater rafting that occurs between Storm Castle and Moose Creek as there are lots of rafts floating this section.

The last stretch of the Gallatin River that we will cover is from 4 Corners to the Missouri Headwaters.  In this stretch access becomes more limited as the river flows through the populated Gallatin Valley.  There are several access points close to 4 Corners that deserve mention. They are Axtell Bridge, 4 Corners Bridge, and Cameron Bridge.  By virtue of their close location to Bozeman and Belgrade these sites see their share of angling pressure.  A good rule when fishing these spots is to walk for a short distance before you begin your fishing as many anglers don’t ever lose sight of their car.  During the summer one can find great hopper fishing as the river makes its way through the many fields that dot the Gallatin Valley.  As the river flows towards the towns of Manhattan and Logan the fish numbers began to drop, but there are some large fish down there.  An angler willing to take a chance might consider floating between Manhattan and Logan to try for one of those lunkers. 

Overall the Gallatin offers an angler many different fishing opportunities as it flows from just outside West Yellowstone all the way to the Missouri Headwaters.  One would have to look hard to find a more accessible river in the state of Montana.  While the fish in the Gallatin might be of a smaller class when compared to the Madison or Yellowstone they are usually more willing and a little more forgiving of a bad cast.  Beginners and children often catch their first Montana trout in this river and remember it fondly.  The scenery of the Gallatin is second to none, “A River Runs Through It,” was filmed on the Gallatin.   When visiting Bozeman be sure to give the Gallatin a chance and I believe you will be glad you did so!

Daniel Uter
The River’s Edge

The Madison is probably the most fabled River in the West and for good reason.  It flows through some beautiful landscapes and serves up consistent action for nice rainbows, browns and whitefish.  Having made a strong recovery from whirling disease it’s safe to say that the river is back and once again one of Montana’s top angling destinations.  You can divide it into two dramatically different sections outside of Yellowstone National Park: the Upper and the Lower.  The Upper Madison refers to the river from Hebgen Dam down to Ennis Lake, while the Lower Madison refers to the water below Ennis Lake all the way to the headwaters of the Missouri.

The Upper Madison outside of the Park begins its journey below Hebgen dam.  There is a short stretch of fishable water before the river hits Quake Lake, which was formed by a landslide that occurred in 1959.  This stretch between the lakes is home to a lot of nice fish, especially in the spring and fall when trout move up out of Quake Lake to spawn.  From the outlet of Quake Lake down to Lyons Bridge, the river is closed to float fishing and provides wading anglers with plenty of spots to fish.  The stretch from Ennis to Ennis Lake is also closed to float fishing and is another popular destination for the angler on foot.  Reynolds Pass, Three Dollar Bridge, Eight Mile Ford and Valley Garden are all good access points.  The section from Lyon’s Bridge to Ennis is typically considered best suited for boat fisherman with the ability to cover water.     

                The Lower Madison is a unique alternative to the Upper River.  It provides anglers with abundant public access and a healthy population of rainbows and browns.  Immediately below Ennis Lake the river passes through the picturesque Bear Trap Canyon.  The canyon offers about 8 miles of pocket water, deep holes and weed beds.  Considering the absence of a boat ramp below the dam and the presence of a Class IV rapid known as the “Kitchen Sink”, this section of river is rarely floated except by those with rafts and solid whitewater experience.  Starting around the Warm Springs fishing access, the river begins its gradual retreat from the canyon towards the open valley below.  It is here, that most floating begins.  The stretch from Warm Springs to Black’s Ford is also popular for wading anglers because nearly all of it is accessible thanks to state land that borders the river. 

                Trout populations are substantial between Warm Springs and Grey Cliff.  This stretch of river is often considered difficult to read and figure out because it all looks the same at first glance.  Concentrate on weed bed edges and deep holes, keeping in mind that such “deep” spots are seldom more than 2-3 feet deep.  Many such spots exist in the middle of the river – those who stay oriented towards the banks will miss much of what the river has to offer. 

Nymphing is the most consistent method for catching the browns and rainbows that call this stretch of river home.  A typical Lower Madison nymph rig starts with a sculpin or crayfish pattern trailed by a small soft hackle or bead head nymph.  The San Juan worm is another proven pattern for the Lower Madison.  In late April or early May the Mother’s Day Caddis hatch provides the best opportunity for dry fly fishing on the Lower, but generally speaking this section of river is not known as a dry fly haven. 

Downstream from Black’s Ford, wading access is limited to the Grey Cliff and Cobblestone Fishing Access Sites.  Float fisherman should note that Cobblestone does not have a boat ramp and as a result, floaters must travel from Grey Cliff all the way to the I-90 bridge near Three Forks (nearly 17 miles).  Fish numbers drop as you get down into the lower stretch of the Madison, but there are some very large fish and lots of beautiful water. 

Due to its shallow nature and warm water discharges from Ennis Lake during the summer months, the Lower Madison could be considered a seasonal fishery.  From mid September through the end of June, water temperatures are prime.  Once the water warms to the 70 degree mark during July and August, the river’s fish become relatively inactive.  This, coupled with the fact that the Lower Madison becomes a popular inner tubing destination during the summer, tends to put it on the bottom of the list for that time of the year.

For more information on the Lower or Upper Madison Rivers, please call The River’s Edge fly shop at 406-586-5373 or send us an email at info@theriversedge.com.

Kit Sawyer
The River’s Edge