Hunting:    

Pheasant grouse and fall turkey season is coming to an end January 1st and duck and geese hunting will come to a close January 11th so come on in get your gear and get out there while you can!

Winter mountain lion season with use of hounds opened December 1st and goes until April 14th. Remember any tag purchased after August 31st of this year will not be valid until five days following the purchase date. There is an exception with a drawn special tag, it is automatically valid.

Bozeman Fishing:

It’s time to bring out the bigger weight rods and flies; there are some very big fish being caught on the local rivers!

Also don’t forget the local lakes, as the ice thickens fishing is great but be careful.

Several hatches are being observed and are producing some great dry fly action.

Stop by the fishing counter at your local Bob Ward’s for today’s hot spots and equipment.

Butte Fishing:

The Big Hole River is open this past week and free of ice flows. The fishing has been fair near Dickey Bridge for whitefish and brook trout. Rainbow and Brown trout fishing has been fair below Jerry Creek access and the Mayflower access at Melrose.

The Beaverhead was fishing fair at the Grasshopper access. The browns were stacked in and biting nymphs regularly. Fishing below Pipe Organ access was fair as well. The river flow is at a minimum presently.

Clark Canyon Dam and Ruby Reservoir are both open water fishing. Casting spoons or bait from a bank has been fair.

Delmoe Reservoir is giving up a few nice cutthroat trout through the ice. Nuclear ants or rat finkee lures tipped with maggots are producing fish. Vertical jigging Rapalas in a Rainbow trout pattern or blue zinc Swedish Pimples are producers as well.

Georgetown Lake has been good ice fishing this past week for both trout and kokanee. Grab your favorite jigs and bait as the lake has been over 12” of ice and the crowds have been at a minimum.

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