June has been an interesting month on the Bighorn. Lower than average flows, very cold water and fish that just aren’t exactly ‘gorging.’ There have been some good moments, but we can’t wait for July to arrive, especially when the PMD’s make their appearance. We’re at least a couple weeks, if not more, from seeing consistent bug activity. Read more...
The Bighorn River is known for its epic hatches, and during the summer months, caddisflies emerge in abundance, providing anglers with exciting fishing opportunities. Here are some top-performing caddis patterns to target these insects:
A classic caddis pattern, the Double Duck Caddis features two CDC wings that create a lifelike appearance and excellent flotation. Read more...
Fishing has been HOT here on the Bighorn. PMD’s, Black Caddis and a few Tan Caddis are keeping the Bighorn fish interested up top and underneath. It’s been a bit busier than usual, so be considerate of other anglers out there!
The upper 3 miles has the most consistent hatch activity from about 11:00 AM till dark. Read more...
The Bighorn River, Montana, has always been an approachable, consistent and easy to read river for most anglers. But sometimes a curveball is thrown, and the Bighorn has certainly been representative of that over the past few years. From dramatic water level fluctuations to earlier insect hatches, the river is demanding adaptation from even the most seasoned anglers. Read more...
The Bighorn has finally cleared and fishing is great! A few folks around, but not too bad. Our Bighorn Brown Trout are in full spawn mode so please stay off the redds!
Nymphing with BIG Sowbugs, Squirmies and Orange Scuds are still about all you need.
We’ve seen some BIG fish showing up to chase the streamer. Read more...
It’s finally turning around! The Afterbay is beginning to fill and clarity in the river is slowly improving. We’ve had some fantastic weather and great fishing the past few days and should continue to get even better!
Streamer time is here. Dredging with tips is the preferred method this time of year. Read more...
We’re getting closer, but water temps need to come up just a bit. Flows are still stable at 1750-1800 CFS and the river remains Gin clear with some drifting vegetables below 3 Mile. Keep your flies clean and the fish will eat them!
A couple of PMD’s around, but not the main push yet. Read more...
This past Summer we fished with the crew from the New Fly Fisher and are proud to share the episode to you. Please be sure to follow @thenewflyfisher ‘s YouTube page as well. A big thanks to Mark Melnyk and crew.
We’re looking forward to another awesome Summer just like this past year! Read more...
Dry fly season is on! The Bighorn continues to kick out impressive hatches of PMD’s and Black Caddis daily. Fishing has been great in all aspects (Nymphing, Dry fly, some streamers). Definitely a few people around, but the fish don’t seem to mind.
If you’re looking to hunt heads, plan on being on the water by about 11 and stay until dark. Read more...
We’re currently experiencing some of the best PMD fishing we’ve seen in years on the Bighorn. The fish are eating them with reckless abandon (a good presentation is still necessary) but it’s damn good! Here is one of our favorite PMD nymphs ever that works across the West and is especially good on the Bighorn. Read more...