[ARCHIVE] Stillwater River Report 09/23/19

Flows bumped up a bit after last week’s rain. The lower river is comfortable to float. For the wade fisherman, the entire river is accessible, best bet is to head up above Absarokee where it’s much easier access. With cooler mornings, fishing usually picks up by mid to late morning and on into the afternoon. Nymphing is a good way to go early, or use a long dropper with a beadhead nymph like a pheasant tail, copper john, batman, or prince nymph off of a searching dry fly pattern like a Jack Cabe, PMX, Stimulator, or Purple Haze. By late morning, fish are looking to eat the small dry fly on top. Smaller dries like a PMD, Caddis or purple haze are working well in the afternoon. There are still hoppers out in the warmer afternoons. Look to fish smaller hopper patterns too like a Fat Frank, Yeti, or Yellowstoner or Schroeder’s in peach, pink, grape, tan or olive body colors. The cooler, cloudy, wet weather in the forecast should make for some nice BWO hatches. Use a smaller size Purple Haze or Parachute Adams. It’s time to break out the streamer rod too. Basic streamer patterns like the Grinch, Sparkle Minnow, and Clousers can always trigger a reaction from a nice pre spawn Brown Trout.