LATE & EARLY SEASON FISHING AT DEPUY'S SPRING CREEK - PART 12
| Sysadmin Note |
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| Part 11 can be found here |
APPICATION 1 – DIFFERENT SEASON
So I have covered months, hatches, flies, tactics, and techniques during the winter. Is all of this knowledge and information limited to only cold days during which not many anglers are eager to fish? Information for spawning runs may not be much use for other months of the year, but Yellowstone Cutthroats do come into DePuy's for spawning in June but it isn't as big an event as rainbows and browns. Also it's true that the trout population in the creek can change monthly affected by miscellaneous factors (insect hatches on creek, what's going on with Yellowstone River such as high water, high water temperatures, and so forth). However, over all I can guarantee you what I have written (what you have experienced virtually and have seen imaginarily) can be applied to other months of the year. Are you planning for the famous PMD time? You already know the spots, sections, and techniques from BWO hatches, so just adjust your fly patterns. I bet you have already started tying some of the nymph/aquatic food patterns I have introduced in case you don't see much surface activity. Also you have developed a mind-set to use streamers at DePuy's or even at your home spring creeks. I'd like to conduct a case-study again.
Middle Section in summer:
If you couldn't book a day or two in late June or early July while PMD hatches are expected to be the strongest, and ended up booking in late July or sometime in August, be advised that there are still all kinds of aquatic insects available on DePuy's. It's still in the middle of fine summer days in Paradise Valley. There are several more anglers besides you and your companion(s), and by the time you arrive at the creek, the popular "Upper" and "Lower" areas are filled with other anglers and their vehicles. Or you may be one of early-birds of the day but more anglers arrive and fish around you at those popular sections. Either way, you may want to move away from other anglers. Well, most likely you will be fishing the middle section. Should you fish with Shotgun Nymphing? Of course you can, but also you will see good insect hatches and rising trout there too if you are observant. Then do you remember riffles and cutbanks with over-hanging grasses of middle section? Now it's terrestrial time! Rig up with your favorite hoppers, beetles, ants, and crickets. Where and how to cast? You already know from winter months. If you stomp along banks, trout will already be spooked and gone. If you try to position yourself in the middle of creek for down-&-cross casting, you will spook trout with your first step. Instead approach from down-stream. Then cast up-stream or up-and-across aiming tight along banks or "chutes" between weed-beds, just as I have explained for Shotgun Nymphing. Now you are Shotgunning with dry-flies. Let me repeat: trout are smart enough not to be easy preys by taking a nap on top of the weed-beds. That's why you are aiming at the "chutes" between the weed-beds. Trout will rise to your terrestrials. You may be covering the entire length of middle section all by yourself (or with your friends) till 5:30pm. By then most of anglers become thirsty for adult beverages and start to leave the creek one by one. Now it's your turn to take over popular "Upper" or "Lower"sections. You will be fishing for evening midges or caddis and some spinners may be falling. Day(s) you booked might turn out to be windy yet I suggest you stay as late as 7:00 pm (or grab a bite to eat and come back). During summer months, the winds oftentimes die down in the evening.
Though it might be hard to imagine with snow on the ground, grass will grow tall and over-hang along Middle Section during summer months. Trout are at same holding spots where they have awaited aquatic foods tumbling toward their months during winter months. In summer, trout anticipate terrestrials floating above and are ready to take them on surface.
Favorite Terrestrial Patterns: Same patterns that are used for rivers usually work at DePuy's too. But probably you don't want to throw extremely huge hoppers……
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Trina's Carnage Hopper – Montana Fly Co. |
Yamamoto's Ra Beetle |
Yamamoto's Combo Ant |
In misc. colors and sizes, Carnage is one of best hopper patterns around here. Olive #12 imitates tiny leaf hoppers that reside along grassy banks of DePuy's. Don't hesitate to use 3X or 4X tippet and let it pop! (*NOTE: Tying this can be elaborated. One can find/order at Montana Fly Co. dealers in the area. www.montanafly.com) |
Never underestimate trout's appetite on beetles in varieties of sizes. This is especially true when trout seems tired of big hoppers as summer goes by. One can tie 3-pair of legs or even omit all for smaller sizes. While trout are looking up round, chubby, and juicy silhouette, indicator will glow like Egyptian Sun God Ra!! |
This is the "all-star" ant. In today's market, one ant pattern has one element and lacks the other. I combined good materials without being too lousy. This has also been proven at another toughest spring creek in the area = Lower Meadow of Slough Creek. |
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Satoshi Yamamoto, http://leftyangler.blogspot.com, brought his passion for fly-fishing & fly-tying from Japan to Montana and became the first ever Japanese guide in Livingston, MT. He guides and fishes big rivers like Madison & Yellowstone, spring creeks in Paradise Valley, and various waters in Yellowstone Park. Hence, with his Regal Vise at the bench, his fly tying interests vary from tiny midges to 5-inch streamers and anything in between. Once his ideas are combined he goes out for experiments at those near-by waters. Satoshi submits his innovative patterns to Montana Fly Company (www.montanafly.com).
His own innovative original patterns can be purchased from his fly-shop, http://leftytyer.blogspot.com.
| Sysadmin Note |
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| Part 13 can be found here |