July in MT, recommendations on tying

FAOL Community Fly Anglers Online
1

Hey all,

I have reserved a place for 10 days or so at the beginning of July (5-16) in Ennis and need a little guidance on what to tie. I have a list of the standards, have already tied up 20 dozen or so of EHC, E&CDC, Stimis, (salmon and yellows), pheasant tails, PMD duns, emergers, and spinners, foxsquirrel nymphs. Used the size charts from Blue Ribbon as guide.
Two questions to those who fish the Madison, Gallatin, and Ruby. Tie some streamers too, and are there other patterns needed?
Final question: I would like to hire a guide for a day to learn. Recommendations or testemonials would be appreciated.

2

You might want to look at the Madison River Fishing Company in Ennis Mt for some help

http://www.mrfc.com/MadisonRiverMontana … fault.aspx

Other fly shops are:

Bud Lilys

Bob Jacklin

Blue Ribbon Outfitters

A guide for what river???

3

Probably the Madison, but I’m flexible. Interested in a teaching guide who will be generous with how tos.

4

I would go with Jacklins. Guides are more interested in your learning experience than even fish numbers. They know where the fish are and how to bring them to you.

5

I live in Montana and would never use a nymph in July, but that is just me. Hoppers, Elk Hair Caddis, Salmonflies, Stimis, Peacock PMX are all good patterns. You should be here right at the beginning of some great dry fly fishing. I will caution you that it may be a bit crowded, but you can always find places to enjoy the river. Jacklin’s would also be my choice for a guide.

There is a campground up river from Ennis that rents rafts and has shuttle services if you want to float on your own. The Ruby and Gallatin will also be fishing well along with many of the other small creeks and streams in the area.

Keep an eye out for snakes.

6

Hi
I don’t fish the rivers, but you might want to have some ants and beetles also.
Dean

7

I would focus less on stimulators and more on low riding patterns like Rogues and cat-pukes for the salmonflies.

Blue Ribbon has great guides. I would request a guide who is a year round resident, no matter which outfitter you use.

8

Hello Benjo ! Rogue and Cat Puke pictures/recipes please? :))

Happy New Year !

MontanaMoose

9

If you look in the old fly of the week sections there are instructions to tie a Rogue style.

Google might find you a recipe for the “cat puke”, which is an interesting pattern. I’m not in love with the puke style of flies but there’s no denying that they catch fish.

10

Thanks benjo ! I like the Rogue Stone from Orvis…

http://www.orvis.com/orvis_assets/image … Step-9.jpg

Checked out the ‘cat puke’, I wouldn’t tye stones like that either.

Happy New Year,

MontanaMoose

11

I like your ideas for tying flies. I would toss in a few adams, chernobyls, olive woolly buggers (hmmm that can be said for a lot places LOL), and some PMD sprout emergers. If you are interested in seeing what Bozeman has to offer for guides then I would recommend The Rivers Edge and Greater Yellowstone Flyfishers (my personal favorite, ask for Chuck or Tim as guides and see if they work that area much). As far as prices go…I have no clue but the people who work there have always treated me very well and have really helped me along in flyfishing and tying. Blue Ribbon and Jacklin’s in West Yellowstone are very good as well.

As a disclaimer…I don’t fish the Upper Madison but I spend some time in the summers on the Gallatin.

12

I stayed in Ennis last year, towards the tail end of your projected stay.

I used Eaton Outfitters, and they were simply fantastic w/ one caveat that I’ll get to in a bit.

We fished the Madison for two days, the Yellowstone for one day, and waded the Ruby on another.

Drifting the Madison and Yellowstone (we never waded) THE fly was a Brown Rubber legs in about a size 8. It’s basically a brown girdle bug with pumpkin silly legs. As a dropper, we used various things but had a lot of success with a Wisconsin pattern that I had brought called a pink squirrel.

On my last afternoon on the Madison, we had tremendous success fishing with Fat Alberts (in about a size 10 or 12).

The wind was up pretty good on the Yellowstone, so we never really got a chance to fish dries.

On the Ruby, the definite go to rig was a yellow sally nymph on the point and a starling & herl on the dropper. The yellow sally would take them on the drift, the S&H would work on the swing.

The one caveat I would have about Eaton Outfitters is that they are licensed to fish the Lower Ruby, but not the Upper. The lower was pretty crowded when I was there, although we got some space and got fish. My guide, illegally, took me to the Upper Ruby (my heart was set on getting a grayling) but there was always a little nervousness there. So if you want to fish the Upper Ruby with a guide, you need to find somebody else besides Eaton Outfitters.

That said, I really don’t think you’d need a guide to do alright on the Upper Ruby. We fished somewhere around Vigilance (?), I think, but there’s a lot of good looking water. When I go back, I’ll hit the Upper Ruby on my own.

13

Thanks to all for the good info! I appreciate the willingness to share on this site. Looks like I have some tying ahead. Also, seems to be Flavs and epeorus at that time. Certain patterns that anyone recommends for those? Or use searching patterns that match the size and type?