Water flow: | 3000 CFS |
Visibility: | 6-8 Feet |
Water condition: | Very Clear |
Best time of day to fish: | 10:00-4:00 |
Best stretch: | Afterbay to Bighorn (Top 3 miles) |
Fly fishing hatches in order of importance: | Midges, Baetis |
Fish species: | Trout - Brown, Rainbow |
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: | 14-16 Zebra Midge, Orange or Pink or Gray SH Sowbugs / Scuds / Ray Charles, Dark San Juan Worms |
Following a brief cold snap with snow, spring is returning along the river. We are expecting days to return to high temperatures in the mid-60s, with lows in the high 30s overnight, so plan accordingly. With the added precipitation, the river flow has been increased to 3000 CFS as of yesterday. As a result, water clarity is about as good as you can get, with visibility up to 6-8 feet. Nymphing has been the most consistent, with Zebras Midges and Pink or Tan Ray Charles (size 14-16) and San Juan Worms (the darker the better) getting good results. Dry fly action has been fair to good with baetis hatches in the afternoon. There has been some luck with streamers, but with the water temperature still in the low 40s, it has been hit and miss. Even with the recent added precipitation, the snowpack remains very low for the year, meaning we can expect another spectacular year along the Bighorn, with very large fish in growing numbers per mile.