From the center of the boat fishing report 5/18/2017
Client Question: “What’s your last on Donald Trump”
Guide Response: “Who!? What!? I didn’t say cast at the stump. I said cast behind it in the slow water, and give it an upstream mend.”
Client Question: “What do you think about Comey”
Guide Response: “What!? Shout out to my homie!? No cell phones on the river bud, lets concentrate on that cast of yours and catch one.”
Politics mean next to nothing to a fishing guide on a guide day. A true fishing guide wants you to have as much fun as possible on the water. This means not thinking about anything else but what the guide tells you to do is CRUCIAL to your ultimate success.
A lot of times in in high water the proper fishing method is to make the perfect cast to a slack water location on the bank and give your flies the best drift possible. For beginner fly fisherman this can be tough, but remember the guide will always tell you what and how to do it to get it done.
Come on guys! It’s the Bighorn River and whether the water is high or not the Bighorn River boasts more than 7000 trout per mile. Just because the water is high doesn’t mean the fish aren’t there. You just have to fish a little different to catch em’!
The Fishing Report 5/19/2017
River Data:
River flow: 13,000 cfs
Water Temp: 51.1 F
Mountain Snow pack: 131% of average and rising
Hot Flies:
Nymphs: Sow bugs, worms, baetis nymphs
Method: 8 foot 3x or stronger leader to one 3o split shot and a bb. 1ft or so to the first fly. 1ft or so to the second fly.
Size 14-18 Grey Ray Charles
Size 14-18 Pink Soft Hackle both with or without a pink bead.
Size 4-6 Steel worm. Red, orange, purple
Size 8-10 Chenille Worm
Size 16-18 Zebra Midge
Size 16-18 Baetis nymphs. Wonder nymph, black baetis, juju baetis
Size anything white streamers dead drifted.
Dry Flies: Blue Wing Olive Mayflies and midges
Method: 9 foot 5x leader to the top fly. 1ft or so leader to the second fly.
Size 16-18 Cripple Thor
Size 16-18 Snowshoe Baetis
Size 16-18 CDC Student
Size 16-18 Midge clusters
Size 16-18 Baetis spinners
Streamers: Little shiner minnows
Method: 4-6 foot ox or stronger leader to a single small white streamer.
Small White Shiner imitations
Thanks for reading and until next time enjoy our wild Bighorn!
Nick Chiasson reporting for Forrester’s Bighorn River Resort