September 7th, 2023

Thanks for taking the time to read our weekly newsletter, and as always if you have questions or comments don't hesitate to give us a shout at 406-646-7642! Our current hours are 7:00am to 8:00pm. 

Fishing Report

A nice brookie starting to color up for the fall dance.

Photo by Tom Belyea.

The Firehole has been a hot topic lately. Water temperatures have been good the last few days but be sure to keep an eye on afternoon temps if you head that way. Early mornings are the safe bet and then move somewhere cooler in the afternoon. There have been a few caddis around including White Millers. Small hoppers and ants should also convince a few fish into making mistakes. Swinging a #16 White Miller Soft Hackle should be productive or prospecting with a #16 Saliga's Epoxy Ant could be an option. It won't be long until we're back in prime time, but it's not happening quite yet.

The Madison in the valley is starting to show some signs of fall. With the rain last week we saw a few days of blue wings hatching, while no fish really keyed in on the duns the nymph fishing was quite productive. Ants have still been the best choice for the dry fly bite and I imagine that will continue until we see a freeze. With cooler water temps we should see the streamer bite start to pick up as well, so if you like the big flies now may be your time. If you're heading down that way be sure to have some #16 Arrick's Flying Ants, #16 Brown Montana Bullets, #18 Green Machines and #20 Juju Baetis.

The Madison in between the lakes has been quite good the last few weeks. There are still some trico's and fish looking up for them in the morning. Fishing a small hopper or ant has been good during the afternoon hours for those looking to stick with the dry. Nymphing is as consistent as always. We've been liking a #20 Cdc Para-Spinner Trico for the mornings and a #12 Donkey Kong Hopper or Arrick's Flying Ant in the afternoon. For nymphs a #16 Hot Vac or #16 Lite Brite Perdigon have been good choices. We generally fish a smaller nymph behing a #10 Black Rubber Legs or Red San Juan worm this time of year just to help them get down.

Northeast Corner is fishing just fine at the start of fall. There are bugs flying and terrestrials are still fooling fish. Last weekends rain colored up the Lamar and Soda Butte, but they should be in fine shape for this weekend. #12 and #14 Drake Mackerel Sparkle Duns should have a spot in everyone's box right now. The same could be said about #18 Zebra Midges for the sub surface game. There have been Baetis around as well so it would be beneficial to have a few #20 Baetis Sparkle Duns. It can be busy over there so be sure to be courteous and give other anglers space and have fun!



Flies of the Week

Soft Hackle Streamer

We've sold this classic Jack Gartside pattern for years here at BRF, and it's still a local favorite. The simple marabou design provides plenty of action in the water, but it is still light and pleasant to cast. You can fish it on the strip or on the swing, and both methods will produce great results.

Little Green Machine

This slender nymph is a good PMD nymph imitation that we fish through most of June and July. The #18 is a fantastic blue wing nymph as well.

Marabou Blood Quills

Marabou has a limitless number of uses, and the marabou we offer is the high quality, strung blood quill feathers with lots of fluff, that is easy to use and so effective.

Umpqua Xc290bl

The XC290 is as stout as they come, and is a great choice when targeting strong fish and you need a hook that you know won't bend. The slightly short shank and wide gape make this a dynamite soft hackle hook, both for fall runners in the larger sizes as well as standard soft hackles in smaller sizes. It's also perfect for small streamer and leech patterns like our Super Squirrel.

BRF Bigfork SS Tee

100% Cotton short sleeve tee. Small logo left chest. Full color logo on back.

Loon Bench Rings

Have trouble organizing packages of dubbing, flash, hooks, and other tying materials? We all do, but Loon's Bench Rings are here to help. With these handy rings, you can organize materials by type, size, color, or however you choose, simply by leaving them in the bags that they came in and looping them onto these locking rings to keep them together.

Umpqua Zs2 Wader Tote

This handy new bag from Umpqua is perfect for carrying your waders and boots, along with plenty of other gear as well. The spacious main compartment will keep all your gear ready to go at a moment's notice, so you can be on the road to the river in no time. And once you get to the river, the attached, fold-out 22" x 16" padded mat provides the perfect place to get wadered up, proteting your feet and wader booties from pesky gravel. When stowed, the mat forms a sleeve that is handy for transporting rod tubes as well. A Molle web panel on one end allows for attachment of Umpqua's various ZS2 accessories, and a full-size mesh water bottle pocket on the other completes the package.

A beautiful fall day in the Montana backcountry.

Photo by Josh Almond.