SW Montana Hatch Calendar

This Hatch Calendar is provided for those of you planning to visit SW Montana in particular Beaverhead County and parts of Madison County.   The rivers included are the Beaverhead, Big Hole, Jefferson, Ruby, and Wise.  While not all rivers and tributaries contain these hatches many do, local fly shops can provide additional information.

Mating Damsel Fly

Recipe Rated-X Damsel Fly

 Front Fly

-  Hook – 4 or 6X Long Shank, Size 10

-  Thread – 6/0 Blue

-  Eyes 1/8 inch black round foam

-  Body – 1/8 inch Blue Heat Shrink Tubing

-  Collar – Grizzly Hackle (optional)

-  Wing – Web Wing or similar (Clear with black ribbing)

-  Legs – Black and White Rubber or Brown Mono

Rear Fly

           -  On the same hook

-  Thread – 6/0 Blue

-  Eyes 1/8 inch black round foam

-  Body – 3/32 inch Clear Heat Shrink Tubing colored with blue alcohol ink

-  Collar – Grizzly Hackle (optional) 

-  Wing – Web Wing or similar (Clear with black ribbing)

-  Legs – Black and White Rubber or Brown Mono

This fly is great on any water where damsel flies are present.    Fish this fly in calmer water especially under overhanging bushes and trees.

Mating Crane Fly

Recipe – X-Rated Crane Fly

Base Fly

-  Hook – 4 or 6X Long Shank, Size 10

-  Thread – 6/0 Light Brown

-  Body – 1/8 inch Heat Shrink Tubing Colored Brown

-  Wing – Web Wing or similar (Clear with black ribbing)

-  Legs – Brown Monofilament

Butt Fly

           -  No hook

-  Thread – 6/0 Light Brown

-  Body – 3/32 inch Heat Shrink Tubing Colored Brown

-  Wing – Web Wing or similar (Clear with black ribbing)

-  Legs – Brown Monofilament

This fly is great on any water where crane flies are present. (Note: a second hook can be added to the butt fly and connected to the base fly with minimum 20# line)   Fish tend to hit this fly hard especially in calmer water under overhanging bushes and trees.

Mating Salmon Fly

Recipe – Big Bang Coitus Fly

Base Fly

             -  Hook – Aberdeen Hook, Size 2

-  Antenna – Brown Monofilament

-  Thread – 6/0 Orange

-  Body – 1/4 inch HeatShrinkz - UV Reactive Orange Heat shrink

-  Wing – Web Wing or similar (Clear with black ribbing)

-  Legs – Brown Rubber

-  Collar – Orange Metallic Thread

-  Head – Gray Foam

 Rear Fly

           -  No hook

-  Antenna – Brown Monofilament

-  Thread – 6/0 Orange

-  Body – 1/4 inch HeatShrinkz - UV Reactive Orange Heat shrink

-  Wing – Web Wing or similar (Clear with black ribbing)

-  Legs – Brown Rubber

-  Collar – Orange Metallic Thread

-  Tail - Black 1/8 inch Foam

-  Head – Brown 1/8 inch Foam

We all know about famous Salmon Fly hatches and have most likely seen Salmon Flies mating on bushes near the waters edge.  What we don’t realize is that fish really key on mating flies when they fall in the water.  Big fish seem to watch for this phenomenon and explode when they see it happening, thus the Big Bang Coitus fly.  Fish this fly anywhere when Salmon flies are out, but especially under overhanging bushes and trees.

Mating Stonefly

Recipe Coitus Stonefly

Base Fly

-  Hook – 6X Long Shank, Size 12

-  Antenna – Brown Monofilament

-  Thread – 6/0 Yellow or Gold

-  Tail - Yellow Biot

-  Body – 1/8 inch Latex Tubing

-  Wing – Web Wing or similar (Clear with black ribbing)

-  Legs – Brown Rubber

 Top fly

          -  No hook

-  Thread – 6/0 Yellow or Gold

-  Body – 3/32 inch Clear Heat Shrink Tubing (colored yellow)

-  Wing – Web Wing or similar (Clear with black ribbing)

-  Legs – Brown Rubber

-  Antenna – Brown Monofilament

The development of this fly was suggested to me by a local fly tier and shop owner Tim Tollett after seeing my DC Shuckster.    Fish this fly anywhere when stone flies are out, but especially under overhanging bushes and trees as well as cut banks.

Emerger with Shuck

Recipe – DC Shuckster

Shuck

• Hook – Long shank, light wire, size 8 to 14
• Thread – 6/0 caramel or light brown
• Tail - Brown Biot
• Body – Brown heat shrink
• Collar – Brown/Green Web Wing of similar
• Legs – Brown rubber

 Emerger

• No hook
• Thread - Green or color to match the emerging fly 
• Wing – Web Wing or similar (white or off-white)
• Collar – Grizzly or white saddle feather
• Legs – White/Black spotted rubber

Taking Gary LaFontaine’s claim of an air bubble causing a nymph to rise to the surface and emerge I have gone one step farther and developed the DC Shuckster.  This nymph/emerger semidry pattern as it is designed to float has both the nymph shuck and the emerging fly with air inside both to hold it right at the surface.  Fish this fly anywhere you would any other emerger, but especially in surface film or foam. 

Dave's Bubble Emerger

Recipe – Dave’s Bubble Emerger

Hook – Long shank, light wire, size 12 to 18

Shuck – Variegated Z-lon or Antron (colors of your choice)

Thread – 6/0 green, yellow, or light brown

Body – Thread

Air Bubble – Clear heat shrink

Wing – Web Wing or similar (white or off-white)

Collar – Grizzly saddle feather cut flat on the bottom

Legs – Brown rubber

Real air bubble nymphs using heat shrink - what I have termed the Dave’s Bubble Emerger.  I realize there is plenty of controversy over Gary LaFontaine’s claim of an air bubble causing a nymph to rise to the surface and emerge, but few dismiss the use of a bead or some type of material (usually Antron) to create this elusion.  So, if you are going to tie a nymph or emerger that has this elusion why not make it a fly that really has an air bubble.  (Note: this technique can be applied to any fly where air bubble elusion is desired)  Fish this fly anywhere you would any other emerger, but especially in surface film or foam.