Easter Getaway

My buddy Stan Czarniak and I returned last night from a great spring getaway to wonderful Melrose, Montana and the Big Hole River. With rivers around here high and off color, a trip North was in order. We floated three days and had a blast. River flows and water clarity were perfect for this time of year. For those of you not familiar with the Big Hole River, it begins its journey near Wisdom, Montana (in Southcentral Montana), and meanders through miles of pristine public and private land before joining the Beaverhead River near Twin Bridges.

It is an extremely beautiful river, with something for everyone; Brown and Rainbow trout dominate through alpine meadow, canyon and cottonwood environments. Although the most famous hatches are the Mother's Day Caddis and June Salmonfly hatch, early spring can often produce great topwater action on Skwala stoneflies. This weekend was no exception. Warmer temps and nice skies awaited us in Big Sky Country. We picked up fish on streamers, nymphs and Skwala dries.
The fish that were eating on top were in some very specific water. Fast water and riffles did not do the trick; these fish were holding off banks with a medium speed and depth to them; the tailouts were the best.
It's fun being able to fish large dries this time of year!

As always, Ryan Barba, owner of the Sunrise Fly Shop in Melrose, took excellent care of us. Flies, shuttles, gear (and an excellent Lasagna dinner!) awaited us there. If you're thinking about the Big Hole, check these guys out. The weather around Jackson today: back to snowshowers and cooler temps.

I'm ready for it to warm up...time to get this runoff started. The Snake is rolling at over 5,000 cfs at Moran (and very green in color), and the South Fork is now over 18,000 cfs and also very green. Stay tuned for a Pinedale report. More soon!