Bozeman and Butte Outdoor Report
By Matt Schauer

Posted: January 27, 2012

THIS is a little more like it, at least from a temperature perspective….it has been COLD and more than a little blustery round these parts, helping the ICE to stay solid! A few of the local rivers now have some slush and a few floes along the banks, & the INSANE burst of midge hatches has slowed to a stop for the time being.

Get your NYMPHING game back on! Best RIVERS right now (without too much ICE) are the LOWER MADISON (where CRAYFISH like the Clousers or the Deaddrift in sz 10 are HOT right now), the GALLATIN (where a RUBBERLEGS GOLDENSTONE in a 6 or 8, with an egg or midge emerger trailing, has had success!), or even the YELLOWSTONE, (around Livingston, you can still drop a boat…try the Copper-colored or Pearl Zonker in a 6-8). Other good choices are toward Big Timber on the BOULDER, or on the SPRING CREEKS, where the winter fishing is always remarkable…(we like egg patterns or sow bugs here!)

The ice is nice at GEORGETOWN LAKE (tho watch the areas around the warm springs, for obvious reasons), HYALITE RESERVOIR & LAKE DELMOE, & we’re still preaching the vertical jigs on these frozen waters. Kokanne salmon at GEORGETOWN is still hopping, so get your cocktail shrimp ready for a decent catch.

On the slopes, MOONLIGHT & BIG SKY are racking up the snow, and have finally reached depths of 47+ inches…BRIDGER BOWL has a 32 inch base, with all lifts and trails open! DISCOVERY SKI RESORT has a solid 36”+ base and 51 inches at the summit, and is fully operational too.

This report is brought to you by ANGIE from Bob Ward & Sons, with where to fish in the Butte & Bozeman areas!

 

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