06-29-2004, 04:42 PM
Paradise Valley Spring Creeks - June 24th, 2004
supplied by: [url "http://www.fisheyesoup.com/redir.php?recKey=91,re"][#0000ff]Yellowstone Angler[/#0000ff][/url]
FISHING: Good
Armstrong Spring Creek (O'Hair Ranch), Nelson's Spring Creek, DePuy's Spring Creek
The Pale Morning Dun hatch, the first of the major summer hatches, has started on the Paradise Valley spring creeks.
The PMD hatch is still on the upswing, but we have started to see fishable numbers of bugs each day. The emergence is producing good nymph and emerger fishing, and dun patterns will become more important as the hatches get heavier.
Because the fish are seeing the nymphs of both PMDs and Sulfurs (which should start hatching in the next two weeks), nymph fishing is very productive. Good pattern choices include Pheasant Tails, Sawyer Style Pheasant Tails, George's Copper Drake Nymph, and a new pattern for us this season, the Olive Epoxy Biot Nymph, all in #16-18. Fish these under a PMD dry flym a small foam or yarn indicator, or try sight fishing without an indicator.
In the early stages of the hatch, try fishing a variety of PMD emergers, as you see fish rising to take mayflies in the film. Some of our favorites include René Harrop's Biot Body Cripples (in the Parachute, CDC or Hairwing versions), CDC Transitional Duns, and PMD Sprout Emergers. Once the fish start keying on duns, some of the bset patterns include PMD No Hackles, Biot Sparkle Duns, Comparaduns, and CDC Biot Parachutes.
We have still been seeing a few of the pale Baetis that are the mainstay hatch in the weeks preceding the start of the PMDs. These will probably fade quickly, but while they last, they can provide some very good dry fly fishing. This past week, they have been mixed with the PMDs, and they fish have preferred the smaller fly much of the time. This brood of Baetis is much paler than our "regular" spring Baetis, and #20 PMD or Sulfur patterns will work well when this bug is on the water.
Midge hatches will continue to provide some surface action on the spring creeks. There is usually some emergence mid-morning and again late in the afternoon and early evening. During the hatch, try fishing a variety of surface emergers like René Harrop's CDC Biot Midge Emergers and our Z-lon tailed CDC Midge Emerger. These small gray midge emergers can be tough to see, but you can always use these in combination with a more visible pattern like a CDC Hanging Midge, or simply fish them with a small yarn indicator.
The fish feed heavily on both midge larvae and midge pupae as well as surface emergers, so be sure to have some of these in your box. The Miracle Nymph, Green Krystal Midge Larva, and any of the Lace or Epoxy Head Midge Larva patterns can be very effective.
Now that the weather has turned warmer and brighter, small terrestrial patterns like ants and beetles will also be effective. Best sizes are #14-18.
supplied by: [url "http://www.fisheyesoup.com/redir.php?recKey=91,re"][#0000ff]Yellowstone Angler[/#0000ff][/url]
FISHING: Good
Armstrong Spring Creek (O'Hair Ranch), Nelson's Spring Creek, DePuy's Spring Creek
The Pale Morning Dun hatch, the first of the major summer hatches, has started on the Paradise Valley spring creeks.
The PMD hatch is still on the upswing, but we have started to see fishable numbers of bugs each day. The emergence is producing good nymph and emerger fishing, and dun patterns will become more important as the hatches get heavier.
Because the fish are seeing the nymphs of both PMDs and Sulfurs (which should start hatching in the next two weeks), nymph fishing is very productive. Good pattern choices include Pheasant Tails, Sawyer Style Pheasant Tails, George's Copper Drake Nymph, and a new pattern for us this season, the Olive Epoxy Biot Nymph, all in #16-18. Fish these under a PMD dry flym a small foam or yarn indicator, or try sight fishing without an indicator.
In the early stages of the hatch, try fishing a variety of PMD emergers, as you see fish rising to take mayflies in the film. Some of our favorites include René Harrop's Biot Body Cripples (in the Parachute, CDC or Hairwing versions), CDC Transitional Duns, and PMD Sprout Emergers. Once the fish start keying on duns, some of the bset patterns include PMD No Hackles, Biot Sparkle Duns, Comparaduns, and CDC Biot Parachutes.
We have still been seeing a few of the pale Baetis that are the mainstay hatch in the weeks preceding the start of the PMDs. These will probably fade quickly, but while they last, they can provide some very good dry fly fishing. This past week, they have been mixed with the PMDs, and they fish have preferred the smaller fly much of the time. This brood of Baetis is much paler than our "regular" spring Baetis, and #20 PMD or Sulfur patterns will work well when this bug is on the water.
Midge hatches will continue to provide some surface action on the spring creeks. There is usually some emergence mid-morning and again late in the afternoon and early evening. During the hatch, try fishing a variety of surface emergers like René Harrop's CDC Biot Midge Emergers and our Z-lon tailed CDC Midge Emerger. These small gray midge emergers can be tough to see, but you can always use these in combination with a more visible pattern like a CDC Hanging Midge, or simply fish them with a small yarn indicator.
The fish feed heavily on both midge larvae and midge pupae as well as surface emergers, so be sure to have some of these in your box. The Miracle Nymph, Green Krystal Midge Larva, and any of the Lace or Epoxy Head Midge Larva patterns can be very effective.
Now that the weather has turned warmer and brighter, small terrestrial patterns like ants and beetles will also be effective. Best sizes are #14-18.