Hello, Angie here from Bob Ward & Sons…you gotta be loving this cooling trend! Fish’ll be stacking up all over!
As for BUTTE, the BEST of the BEST places on the BIG HOLE (shown in the picture above) right now are below Salmonfly, the BEAVERHEAD below Pipe Organ Bridge, the JEFFERSON below Waterloo Bridge, & the RUBY RIVER above the Reservoir…October Caddis are all over on the BIG HOLE & BEAVERHEAD, the Streamer action is hot n’ heavy on the JEFF, & Blue Winged Olives or even Hoppers are the go-tos on the RUBY! Subsurface, our guys are using a Flashback as a dropper or on its own, & they’ve met with BIG results. GEORGETOWN LAKE has provided good bank fishing at Denton’s, using Powerbait or Crawlers w/flavored marshmallows about a foot off the bottom. CLARK CANYON is still pretty much lights out w/weighted line rigs or Black Wooly Buggers, Rapala rigs, & the good ole Nightcrawler from the shores or docks. A lot of excellent choices, my friends!
In BOZEMAN, expect the GALLATIN to be very productive once the fish are used to the sudden change in weather…the store anglers recommend Rubberlegs, small Midges or Egg Patterns fished right on the bottom in the slow sections & in the tail ends of the pools…both UPPER & LOWER MADISON are giving up the goods to the Nymphing angler…think Crayfish, Stoneflies w/a Baetis emerger as a dropper, or flashy Attractor flies….the YELLOWSTONE is most consistent high up, but the Valley & near town are coming around…try your Stones, Midges, Beadheads in small sizes, or go for a big nasty Streamer like a Black Krystal Bugger or a Black & Copper Zonker on the cloudy afternoons. The EAST GALLATIN is solid, but tricky…spooky fish, with finicky appetites! You can feed ’em Mahoganies, Tricos (which are just about over), or Blue Winged Olives (which are just coming on), & see which they prefer.
Warm up at the Butte or Bozeman Bob Wards with new fall & winter wearables that will keep you cozy outside, no matter the changing weather! Great new stuff’s in & ready to be selected! Stop on by, or see us right therer with you, in the great MT autumn outdoors! Happy fishing, & we’ll talk again next week.
