River Data:
River flow: 2800 cfs
Water Temp: 56 F
Water Clarity: Off color due to lake turnover, but definitely fishable.
Moss and grass Factor: Grass is breaking up and clearing out of the upper thirteen miles, but it’s still a little bit of an issue further downstream.
Fishing pressure is down with the colder weather and that means more receptive fish. The fishing seems to be pretty good with good numbers of daily catches being reported by the guides. Not much has changed as far as what their eating, but as the season progresses we should see more and more fall baetis hatching in the riffles.
Hot Flies:
Nymphs: Big Orange Scud, Sow Bugs, Baetis Nymphs and snails
Method: 8-foot 3x or stronger leader to 2 bb’s or a 3o size chunk of tungsten putty. 1ft or so to the first fly and1ft or so to the second fly on your 4x tippet.
Size 12-18 Baetis Nymphs
Size 12-18 Bead Head Pink Soft Hackle
Size 12-18 Carpet Sow Bug Gray and Tan
Size 12-18 Eddie Vetter both tan and grey
Size 16-18 Pink Soft Hackle
Size 12-16 Scuds (natural, pink, orange and olive)
Size 18-22 Pseudo Nymph (yellow and tan)
Fish the medium speed water between the grass edges and the center river current and make sure to manage your drift well. Set the hook on any little movement on the indicator. This water makes it tough to see the strikes. Try a variety of flies from the list above on the bottom fly. For your top fly closest to the weight we recommend an orange scud. The majority of the scuds on the Bighorn River live in the tall grass. Trout wait on the outer edge of the grass to ambush the busy scuds zipping in and out.
Dry Flies: Pseudo nymphs
Method: 9-foot 5x leader to the top fly. 1ft or so leader to the second fly.
Size 16-18 Pseudo spinners
Size 16-18 PMD Dry Flies
Not many dry fly eating trout on the River right now, but it’s only a matter of time before they start targeting the larger fall blue wing olives.
Streamers:
Method: 5 foot heavy leader with a loop knot to the streamer
Colors: Black and Olive
Brown trout are getting into spawn mode. Many of the males are already putting on the tuxedo for the big dance. The hook jaw is a little more pronounced and the brilliant orange and vibrant brown colors are starting to show on the trout. Pound the banks and tail outs for aggressive pre-spawn brown’s.
Waterfowl Watch:
Holy smokes! It’s no surprise that this sudden storm front that just came through the Bighorn River valley has moved in some ducks and geese. Almost overnight they came in by the hundreds. BUT the season is still closed for another week. Temperatures are supposed to increase again in the next week so the birds will most likely push north again and use the non-huntable cattle reservoirs that surround the Bighorn River. This latest push of birds is simply a tease to remind of us of the incredible hunting possible at Forrester’s Bighorn River Resort
Happy Fall fishing and bird hunting from Forrester’s Bighorn River Resort!
