Bozeman/Butte Recreation Report Bob Ward's Sports and Outdoors

Bozeman and Butte Bob Wards Outdoor Report 11/2/18
By Kamp Cook

Posted: November 2, 2018

Bozeman Fishing:
Gallatin: Pheasant tails, Master Baetis, and black zebra midges have been some of our favorite patterns for deep water nymphing. Swinging soft hackles and leeches has been a good option recently but your best bet will likely be nymphing.
Lower Madison: The best nymph rigs including crawdads, sculpins and baetis nymphs should work fine fished at about 4 to 5 feet from the indicator. The Zirdle and Dead Drift Craw have been the best crawfish patterns while lightning bugs and pheasant tails have been our best mayfly nymphs.
Upper Madison: Cluster midges and Griffiths gnats have worked when you see fish up but cannot tell what they are eating. BWO nymphs and emergers are quite effective along with midge or caddis pupa.
Yellowstone: BWO activity has been good and we have been fooling fish with small adams and the BWO Quill Gordon Parachute. Smaller natural mayfly beadheads and stonefly nymphs and San Juans have been the best options. Lil’ Spankers and Bead Head Pheasant Tails have been our favorites behind a Pat’s rubberleg.

Butte Fishing:
With the colder night temps things are coming to a stop & not much has changed the past few weeks worm day tricon or PMD’s are still working but mostly to nymph fishing or streamers. On the Big Hole anglers have still been doing well on red & pink san juan worms in size 8 or 10. Sparkle minnows have been doing well & JJ specials have been hit and miss. Darker colors seem to work better than bright rigs.
Bank fishing is still going good at the Reservoirs, catching trout using bait rigs consisting of marshmallows & night crawlers. Sucker meat has been a great substitute on Clark Canyon Reservoir & the Ruby for trout & ling. The Beaverhead is still murky near the dam due to the lake running over. The lower end of the Beaverhead is seeing a little activity on grasshoppers.

Hunting:
Deer/Elk General Rifle: Ends November 25th
Pheasant General: Began October 6th thru January 1th
Mountain Lion (without hounds): Started 20th thru November 25th
Wolf: Started September 15th thru March 15, 2019

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