Bozeman/Butte Recreation Report by Bob Ward’s Sports & Outdoors (7.4.14)
By angelamontana

Posted: July 4, 2014

Hunting:
If you are interested in getting on the hunt roster for game damage hunts then go to fwp.mt.gov and click on Hunt Roster. You can sign up all the way through July 15th. These are special hunts that are used as a management tool for maintaining appropriate deer, elk, and antelope populations on private and public lands. Currently the damage hunts are being set up to control the elk population near livestock to reduce the spread and contraction of brucellosis.

Bozeman Fishing:
We are between the spring hatch and the summer hatch. You can certainly still do well with BWOs, march browns, and Caddis flies but if you mix it up some you can do very well with the immature stages of the flies to come, stoneflies, salmon flies, pmds and yellow sallys.

Upper Madison-stoneflies, sanjuan worms, scuds, sowbugs, and midges are all good to use right now too.

Lower Madison-streamer fishing is working okay. Definitely can still use crayfish and worm patterns. Get ready for the upcoming hatches such as salmon flies and yellow sallys.

Yellowstone-still poor fishing right now but is on its way to improvement. Best to fish from the banks with streamers and nymphs. Be sure you are very comfortable with your boating skills before attempting to float the river at this time.

Gallatin-just like the lower and upper Madison, use the immature and emerger patterns of the upcoming hatches. You can still get some rises out of caddis and PMD flies.

Butte Fishing:
A parade of boots must have been the theme on the Big Hole River this past week. Anglers were floating elbow to elbow to experience a moderate at great salmonfly hatch. Cooler temperature and snow kept the bugs down high water washed the larvae further downstream. The fishing has been good for anglers getting out when the crowds are at a minimum. Rapalas in size 7 or 9 and #9 panther martins have been equally successful.

Wooly Buggers and Thomas Cyclone lure have been a huge success on Georgetown Lake this past week. Orange powerbait fished in a grape sized ball has been equally effective.

Try a copper buoyant or gold conduit 3/8oz lure.

Agnes Lake was giving up some grayling to the fly anglers using a #14 or 16 Royal Wulff last week. A few anglers using beadhead Purple Prince Nymphs were also catching a few of the trout.

Anglers have been catching the Rainbows in Upper Hell’s Canyon on the Jefferson. Catch and release is a must for these nice 4-5lb Rainbow.
Double beaded Golden Stone Nymphs and Bullhead imitations fished near the bottom has been the key to hooking these hogs.
With some of the precipitation letting up look for improving conditions this week.

(Report by Ryan Corwin-Bob Ward’s Sports & Outdoors)

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