February 2020 Fishing Update for the Bighorn River

We were wondering when winter was going to get here, well it’s here.  Those of you who got to fish the past few weeks are glad you did!  There will certainly be some solitude on the river for the next week..

The Bighorn fish size continues to impress us this winter.  Should be a sign of things to come…  We’re seeing a lot of fish in the 17-18″ range with some bigger, and smaller ones (which is always good for a healthy river).  Numbers wise, our guides are doing very well for winter conditions and it seems like there are plenty around, of course not like it was, but some days it feels like it.  And no, we’re not just saying this to book trips, it’s actually been good!

If you’re not picking up fish and spending a considerable amount of effort in a run, move on!  Our Bighorn winter fish are not so much pattern specific as getting your weight, drift and in the water holding fish.  It’s safe to say about 80% of the fish are in 20% of the water right now.

Top Nymphs this past week, and will continue through most of the winter, include: Jellybean Sowbugs, Cotton Candy, Carpet Bug, Red Midge Larva, Green Weenie and Black Zebra Midges.

Streamers are hit and miss with water temps being in the high 30’s.  If you do go this route, stick to smaller patterns like The Grinch, Pete’s Bugger, Thinline Leech and Hot Bead Leeches.