Hunting:    

Youth Pheasant/Waterfowl opens this weekend, September 27 – 28th. With our specials on hunting loads you can’t afford not to take the kids hunting.

FWP is really adamant about being bear aware this season. We’ve already had a few encounters so carry your bear spray. Check out the great video below on how to stay safe in bear country.

Upcoming opening dates:

• Youth Pheasant/Waterfowl opens this weekend
• Waterfowl October 4th

Bozeman Fishing:

With Fall approaching and Summer hanging on the water temperatures keep changing and it is affecting fishing. Nymphs are great right now for most anywhere you go. Some of the ones that would be great to keep with you are a variety of bead headed nymphs to get down deeper in the water, copper johns/bobs, and pat’s stones.

Lower Madison-hares ear nymph, pat’s stone, and copper johns/bobs.

Upper Madison-use larger nymphs and streamers and stick below the surface unless the water temps rise. It could get the BWO mayfly hatch going but otherwise use terrestrials. Browns are going to start running and streamer fishing will be the best.

Gallatin-Nymphing is the best bet with maybe some dry flies mixed into switch it up, concentrate on later times of the day. Some patterns to try are bead head pheasant tails, purple haze, pat’s stones, copper john’s and wooly buggers.

Yellowstone- The mayfly hatch has been spotty but is going to be big sooner than later, use emergers and dries and you will have some fish on. The purple haze and purple prince nymph have been driving the fish wild so give them a whirl.

Hyalite Lake-fishing is great. You can throw just about anything from the bank, but worms are working fantastically.

HINT**October-Think Streamers!

Butte Fishing:

Cooler weather sparks great fishing in the rivers of SW Montana this past week.

Trico hatches and Callibactis hatches continue to provide excellent fishing on the Big Hole and Beaverhead rivers. Dark mahogany Dun, Black Mayfly and light Cahill are perfect imitators. Cripple Callibactis and Cripple PMD’s are catching some fish as well. October caddis provide an excellent alternative for hungry browns.

Terrestrials are a great choice if fishing the Upper Wise River and smaller tributaries of the Big Hole. Double body black ants and Joe’s Hopper have been working well for many anglers.

Rainbow hybrids have been plentiful on Denton’s point and nightcrawlers have been the bait of choice. A few brook trout have been taken as well.

For big brown activity, the mighty Missouri below Hauser has been the place to fish. Spawning trout are moving in to prepare the redds.

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