Smokey, with a Side of Grasshoppers

While the landscape looks apocalyptic and it isn’t extremely healthy to be inhaling the smoke filled air, the fishing is good with the prospects of it becoming excellent by the end of the week. Most of our fisheries are better when it is cloudy.  The smoke has provided that as well as cooling daytime water temps without direct sunlight.  Portions of the Big Hole have not hit 70 degrees in a week and we are wondering, why they are still on Hoot Owl?  Rain is in the forecast for the latter part of the week with temps in the 70’s, could the dog days of August be over?

Beaverhead River – The water is green with 2 plus feet of visibility coming out of Clark Canyon Reservoir.  We are catching good fish near the dam and the terrestrial dry fly bite is getting better downstream.  There are still a few PMDs, some lime midges and worms and sowbug are back in play.

Big Hole River – I would not have bet a dollar back in mid June that the Big Hole would be open to fishing in August this year.  However, a massive amount of rain in late June and consistent showers through July have it open and near longterm average flows.  There are some fish on tricos with most fish being caught on hopper/dropper setups.