08-04-2004, 02:31 PM
Paradise Valley Spring Creeks - August 3rd, 2004
supplied by: [url "http://www.fisheyesoup.com/redir.php?recKey=91,re"]Yellowstone Angler[/url]
FISHING: Good
Armstrong Spring Creek (O'Hair Ranch), Nelson's Spring Creek, DePuy's Spring Creek
After very strong hatches of Pale Morning Dun mayflies through mid-July, the bugs have slowed down quite a bit on the Paradise Valley spring creeks in the last week or two.
Nymph fishing is the most productive method in the morning hours before the PMD hatch starts. Good pattern choices include Pheasant Tails, Sawyer Style Pheasant Tails, George's Copper Drake Nymph, and a new pattern for us this season, the Olive Epoxy Biot Nymph, all in #16-18. You can fish these under a dry fly, but using a small foam or yarn indicator is probably the most efficient method.
The fish often feed heavily on midge larvae in the mornings, and you may find larva patterns more effective than mayfly nymphs, especially on certain sections of the creeks. The Miracle Nymph, Green Krystal Midge Larva, and any of the Lace or Epoxy Head Midge Larva patterns can be very effective.
The PMD hatch should start around 10:30-11:00 am. In the early stages of the hatch, try fishing a variety of PMD emergers, as you see fish rising to take mayflies in the film. Some of our favorites include René Harrop's Biot Body Cripples (in the Parachute, CDC or Hairwing versions), CDC Transitional Duns, and PMD Sprout Emergers. Once the fish start keying on duns, some of the best patterns include PMD No Hackles, Biot Sparkle Duns, Comparaduns, and CDC Biot Parachutes.
Morning PMD spinner falls have been light, and the hatch has tapered off enough that the evening spinner falls will not be that consistent. The best spinner pattern is either a Harrop Pale Olive Biot Spinner in #16 or 18 or a Rusty Spinner in #18. Even if you don't encounter heavy spinner falls, the spinner silhouette is familiar enough to the fish that you can fish a spinner pattern as a "searching pattern" during non-hatch periods.
The Sulfur hatch is still going strong, but it has not been consistent day to day. On some days, it has been quite strong, but other days it has been surprisingly sparse. This hatch starts in late afternoon/early evening, usually starting around 4:30 or 5:00 pm. During this hatch, the fish really key on emergers, and don't eat many duns until late in the hatch. Some of the best emergers include the Parachute Sulfur Emerger, Hairwing Biot Body Cripple, Swimming Sulfur, and CDC Transitional Dun, all in #20-22. As the hatch winds down, the fish will pick off more duns, and at this point, a Sulfur No Hackle or Sulfur Comparadun will work very well.
Midge hatches will continue to provide some surface action on the spring creeks. Some of the best fishing has been late in the afternoon, in the period just before the Sulfur hatch. The midges can be difficult to spot, so watch riseforms in the afternoon to determine whether the fish are eating Sulfurs or less obvious midges.
During midge hatches, try fishing any of the CDC surface emergers like René Harrop's CDC Biot Midge Emergers and our Z-lon tailed CDC Midge Emerger.
Now that the summer mayfly hatches have tapered off, small terrestrial patterns like ants and beetles will be a more important part of the daily mix of fishing techniques. Best sizes are #14-18. If the wind kicks up in the afternoon, try larger terrestrials like hoppers or crickets.
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supplied by: [url "http://www.fisheyesoup.com/redir.php?recKey=91,re"]Yellowstone Angler[/url]
FISHING: Good
Armstrong Spring Creek (O'Hair Ranch), Nelson's Spring Creek, DePuy's Spring Creek
After very strong hatches of Pale Morning Dun mayflies through mid-July, the bugs have slowed down quite a bit on the Paradise Valley spring creeks in the last week or two.
Nymph fishing is the most productive method in the morning hours before the PMD hatch starts. Good pattern choices include Pheasant Tails, Sawyer Style Pheasant Tails, George's Copper Drake Nymph, and a new pattern for us this season, the Olive Epoxy Biot Nymph, all in #16-18. You can fish these under a dry fly, but using a small foam or yarn indicator is probably the most efficient method.
The fish often feed heavily on midge larvae in the mornings, and you may find larva patterns more effective than mayfly nymphs, especially on certain sections of the creeks. The Miracle Nymph, Green Krystal Midge Larva, and any of the Lace or Epoxy Head Midge Larva patterns can be very effective.
The PMD hatch should start around 10:30-11:00 am. In the early stages of the hatch, try fishing a variety of PMD emergers, as you see fish rising to take mayflies in the film. Some of our favorites include René Harrop's Biot Body Cripples (in the Parachute, CDC or Hairwing versions), CDC Transitional Duns, and PMD Sprout Emergers. Once the fish start keying on duns, some of the best patterns include PMD No Hackles, Biot Sparkle Duns, Comparaduns, and CDC Biot Parachutes.
Morning PMD spinner falls have been light, and the hatch has tapered off enough that the evening spinner falls will not be that consistent. The best spinner pattern is either a Harrop Pale Olive Biot Spinner in #16 or 18 or a Rusty Spinner in #18. Even if you don't encounter heavy spinner falls, the spinner silhouette is familiar enough to the fish that you can fish a spinner pattern as a "searching pattern" during non-hatch periods.
The Sulfur hatch is still going strong, but it has not been consistent day to day. On some days, it has been quite strong, but other days it has been surprisingly sparse. This hatch starts in late afternoon/early evening, usually starting around 4:30 or 5:00 pm. During this hatch, the fish really key on emergers, and don't eat many duns until late in the hatch. Some of the best emergers include the Parachute Sulfur Emerger, Hairwing Biot Body Cripple, Swimming Sulfur, and CDC Transitional Dun, all in #20-22. As the hatch winds down, the fish will pick off more duns, and at this point, a Sulfur No Hackle or Sulfur Comparadun will work very well.
Midge hatches will continue to provide some surface action on the spring creeks. Some of the best fishing has been late in the afternoon, in the period just before the Sulfur hatch. The midges can be difficult to spot, so watch riseforms in the afternoon to determine whether the fish are eating Sulfurs or less obvious midges.
During midge hatches, try fishing any of the CDC surface emergers like René Harrop's CDC Biot Midge Emergers and our Z-lon tailed CDC Midge Emerger.
Now that the summer mayfly hatches have tapered off, small terrestrial patterns like ants and beetles will be a more important part of the daily mix of fishing techniques. Best sizes are #14-18. If the wind kicks up in the afternoon, try larger terrestrials like hoppers or crickets.
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