Water flow: 2050 CFS
Visibility: 24 inches plus
Water condition: Clear and mossy
Best time of day to fish: 10:00-4:00
Best stretch: Afterbay to Bighorn
Fly fishing hatches in order of importance:
Sow Bugs (not a hatch) Midges, Baetis
Fish species: Trout
Fishing season: Year Around
Nearest airport: Logan International (Billings)
Recommended fly-fishing leader: 6 Foot Leader
Recommended fly-fishing tippet: 3X Tippet
Best fly-fishing rod: 9' 6 Weight Fly Rod
Best floating fly line: WF Trout Fly Line
Fly Recommendations: 16 Grey Ray Charles, 16 pink soft hackle, 16 Eddie Vedder, 18 Root beer midge, 16 Olive snow hair, 18 Black Smoke Jumper.
The Bighorn river is fishing well! Expect to fish primarily nymphs right. Fish double sow bug patterns like a Ray Charles grey or Eddie Vedder purple in a size 16 or a size 18 midge pupa with a 6-foot leader and a small log of tungsten putty. Fish are finding target water in close to the seams so focus your efforts there. Dry Fly Fishing can happen right now nut you must have the right conditions. Keep an eye on the weather repost and look for cloudy days without wind. Rainbows are on their beds right now, so it is best ethically to leave them along and let them do their thing. That means more fish for the future. We are having some hot weather this week, I expect the inflows to rise and the river to come back up soon.