Paradise Valley Fishing Report

“A Dry Hook Never Caught a Fish”

Paradise Valley Fishing Report for the week of March 29, 2023

Yellowstone River

Recent snowstorms have made moving up and down the river challenging.  Cold temperatures have parts of the river still locked with ice making access tricky.  With that said the river channel is opening and we are hearing reports of easy passage between Emigrant and Grey Owl public

Goldenstone Nymph Sampled from DePuy’s Spring Creek

access as well as other open stretches of river.  Fish are being caught on dead drifted nymphs and streamers either swung or fished slowly in stable pools.  Again, use caution on shelf ice.  Boat access and through passage may be limited or blocked.  If you are venturing out on the river in a boat, be informed and be safe.

The Yellowstone River is seeing some very productive midge and baetis hatches and surface rising fish that can be targeted and caught with dry flies. Slow nymphing pools and seams during the warm part of the day will be your best bet.

This time of year, as rainbow trout are spawning, please keep an eye out for any cleared off patches of gravel, as they may be spawning redds (spawning beds). Please don’t try to catch the (often large) trout milling about the redds or wade across the cleared off patches, as you may crush eggs. These are the trout we’ll be catching in the future, so give them their best chance!

Dry Flies: Cluster midge #20, Parachute Adams #20-22, Harrop’s Hanging Midge #20-22, CDC Transitional Midge #20, Sprout Midge #20-22

Nymphs: Zebra Midge #20-22 (red, black, grey, olive), Baetis Nymph 18-22, Stone Fly Nymphs 8-18 (Pteronarcys, Little Yellow Sally, Little Brown stone), Pats Rubber Legs, Psycho Prince 14-18, Lil Spanker 12-18 (pheasant tail, et.al).  Perdigon Nymph 12-18 (olive, et.al.). Bead Headed Olive Soft Hackle 14-16

Streamers: Skittering Smolt, Olive or black Sparkle Minnow, Wolly Bugger, Peanut
Envy, Leach patterns worked slow under an indicator.

DePuy’s Spring Creek Brown Trout

Paradise Valley Spring Creeks

Depuy’s, Armstrongs and Nelsons offer your best bet on consistently reliable winter and early spring fishing. Winter rates are reasonable at $40.00-45.00/day.

Recent snowstorms have made foot travel along the creeks challenging, but not impossible.  River fish are starting to show up and staging in the deep stable pools along the lower stretch of Depuy’s.  The refuge cones are out at Eva’s Hut and there are a few fish already on redds in the gravel. Please avoid these redds and any other patches of cleared-off gravel! The last few days Depuy’s has seen great nymphing with some excellent Baetis nymph fishing.  Additionally, there are good numbers of hatching Baetis and Midges that have brought fish to the surface to feed on the glassy water below Eva’s and above the pond- which is seeing some of the best dry fly opportunity in the area. .

Dry Flies: Miracle Midge dry, Cluster Midge #20, Parachute Adams #20-22, Haroups Hanging Midge #20-22, CDC Transitional Midge #20, Sprout Midge #20-22, Rusty Spinner #20-22, Olive No Hackle 20-22, Olive Comparadun 20-22

Nymphs: Zebra Midge #20-22 (red, black, grey, olive), Black and Blood Midge #20, Tungsten bead string thing, Baetis nymph 18-22 (Crack back bwo, Juju baetis, Saywer PT–dark) , Tung Little Yellow Sally stone fly nymph #18, Cased caddis #18-20, Perdigon nymph 18 –20 (olive, et.al.).  Balanced Leach dead drifted in deep holes.

Streamers #10-12: Skittering Smolt, Olive Sparkle Minnow, Leach patterns worked slow

Looking forward

Winter conditions persist, with low barometric pressure and snow forecast throughout the end of the week and weekend.  Warm daytime temperatures, predicted, can make for good fishing during the days.  With the right rig fished in the right location fishing will continue to improve as we begin April.

Warm temps may cause some surface snow run off and roil the water a bit.