Downstream

Hatch didn't start near as early at Betty's this morning.  Its just a few hundred yards downstream!  I still don't get the differences up and down the short stretches of this creek.  After a slow start, and what seemed like whatever a miracle might look like with a 15 minute rain shower this morning, the PMD's finally got going a little around 10.  There were duns and spinners for 3-4 hours before it got breezy.  The evening bite down at Eva's was pretty good.  I had it to myself.  Hardly any wind.  Some passing clouds.  Pretty easy fishin' for a bit with spinners.

Early light

It DOES rain in Montana in July!  

The cloud photos.  They've been so rare.

Early evening.  Fish rising when the clouds blocked the sun

Not so much when it was bright

Lotsa love on this one last night and this morning.

For the Duns

For the spinners

It floats!  Powdered and high.  FOD

This must look blurry like this to the fish in the low light, 'cause they sure ate it!

These little Depuy's cutts sure take a pretty picture

Rainbow

 Trout, that is.  They were just above where I fished yesterday, the top of the run where that other guy was parked all day.  And some nice ones too, on river right no less.  Another perfect hatch, starting pretty early, and followed by the evening spinners on the spooky flat above the riffle.  Those were the biggest fish, apparently they don't allow kids in there.  Security is tight.

Speaking of security, apparently a black bear was watching me this morning.  A couple of the ranch hands carrying rifles approached me and asked if I had seen the bear.  What bear?  The one they were going to take a shot at, but I was in the way!  They said it has been on the property stirring up trouble, getting into things like bears do, and took off into the bushes behind me before they could shoot with a clean backstop.  I never saw it, or heard a gun shot, but went into my "Hey Bear!" mode for the rest of the day and the evening. 

And ya, there were about 6 big fish doin' it at the bottom of that long flat before sunset.  I got 5 of them to eat, and a couple to the net.  Remember that for next time!  Not many weeds yet like there is by September.

Dawn's early light

Short S-casts for the win 

Long version

East side flat just below the riffle

From the east bank  looking west

Still my favorite drift, an inch from the willows, in the shade.

Evening flat just above the riffle

In addition to the flies I fished yesterday and already posted about . . . 

Got ate pretty well

Got ate even better

What a no-hackle looks like when it's working

FOD  They loved it.

You're welcome.

Look at the spots on that one. 😄

 

Creek Browns!

There appears to be no shortage of brown trout in this creek, unlike what they're saying about many of the other Montana rivers.  All browns were living under the willows and on the banks of Armstrong's this morning.  The hatch started WAY early.  PMD's going when I got in the water at 7:30!  They went all day, and were still going a little when I quit at 2-something.  It was a "just right" hatch.  Enough bugs to keep fish up all day long, but not so many as to make them too selective.  Yes, some were on spinners, while some seemed to like the emerger more, and there were multiple fish eating duns from start to finish.  Duns!  I caught a bunch of rainbows from mid-river, mostly on the small side, and a few that took me to the cleaners.  6X drifted better than the 5X I started with, and broke easier when they found the streamside vegetation.  Definitely more eats though.

I was gonna wait and post the whole 7 days at the end, kinda like the MO post.  But today was different, and I'm slacking on the evening bite.  It clouded up this afternoon, but no rain or relief from the scorching 95 degree high.  That creek water is cold though, and I didn't feel the heat until I got out.  This is only day one, I have 6 more!

Early morning

Still the coolest damn trout flat there is.

The flat from the east bank

Started the morning with this getting ate

The first loop-wing killer

Always gets some creek love

I haven't tied on a traditional no-hackle in years!  They loved it today!

This seemed to be the preferred spinner.  (Only one I tried!)

Well, I guess they took this for a spinner too.  It floats!

FOD for sure.  Eaten Often

Oh man, I gotta say it.  "Look at the colors on that one!"

Pay attention

I love these half and half shots.  Gotta get more practice.

The lone semi-photo-worthy 'bow I got to hand.