Creek One

Good start to Livingston week!  Got an eat on the first cast.  Rising fish to midges early, then the PMD's right on schedule and pretty much all day, and evening midge eaters  from 6 to 8.  A couple of heavy T-storms sent me packing from 1:30-ish until about 6, even though they had passed before that.  It took a while to get on my game for the PMD's, but I finally sorted it out and slayed 'em pretty good.  Emerger stuff, and not with the adult popping out very far.  Stayed in the main run both sessions.  This creek may be one of the only constants in the rocky mountain fly fishing universe.

Day two was severe clear and no wind.  Same hatch, but lighter, and it seemed to taper off between 1 and 2.  I needed to stop anyway.  I got some bugs to work today that I couldn't get going yesterday.  Started with Ants, and those were pretty fun until the PMD's started popping.  See a rise, feed 'em an ant, what's so hard about that?  The Mole came though today, in a pretty good way.  The soft hackles of course.  Some Harrop emerger interest.  And, a weird one that has had mixed results, but they really liked today.  I fished one area, sandwiched by guys and guides on both sides, so fly changes were in order.  It worked.  Good thing I've got a few flies.

I went back at 6:30 to an absolute boiling river.  Midges, PMD's, all kinds of bugs.  It was just silly through 8:30.  Throw 'em anything reasonable.  15 eats easy.  They loved the soft hackle.  No rain, no wind, and a bug infested evening.  Forecast says back to evening thunder so we'll see how the rest go just downstream starting tomorrow.

Sunny and fish rising.

The evening after the rain.

For the early risers

Day one's early hatch fly.

Both days' fly of choice.

PMD spider

Morning two's clear winner, before any PMD's.

Finally got some love on day two, but minimal

I tied a couple of these a couple of years ago.  Results were mixed.  Day two they loved it!  Really loved it.

This early one is for ant Bob!  

Last season, I didn't remember the burnt area behind my favorite cast.  Lightning?

Most of my fishing places have an iconic view or background that define the pools.  Millionaires. Last Chance.  Lone Tree.  PHD Island.  Mouth of Loving Creek. Grove/Stalker Junction.  Here, the Absarokas are always watching you cast and fish the best 100 yards of spring creek in Montana.  Maybe just anywhere.  A fine place to be as the sun sets on the west side of Paradise Valley.

And not to end on a critical note, but why is it all the guys wearing these big half-sombrero hats are assholes?  He waded in and right over the fish I was working less than 50 feet from where I stood.  "I'm gonna get in right below ya."  Didn't ask, but just said it and waddled in.  We were the only ones in the whole run!