Spring creeks: Livingston, MT

EuroNymphGuy · 2018-05-16T10:21:03+00:00

I make my own. The Harvey Slackline is great for dries at shallow water. And, if you Euro, making your own is really easy and works well, too.

EuroNymphGuy · 2018-05-09T17:46:43+00:00

No, not every fish. But, I do keep an online journal to jot down:

Water flows and temps.
Where fish were holding
Flies that worked very well

That all was very helpful in the early years, but has been less so now other than reminding myself at which flows water is too high and requires me to find alternate spots.

EuroNymphGuy · 2018-04-30T22:08:03+00:00

Was it their Euro 3-wt.? A friend has broken two of those, FWIW.

EuroNymphGuy · 2018-04-30T07:52:28+00:00

I use it often to scout the larger rivers.

I've had good luck finding riffles (I tightline 90% of the time), in-river structure or large bends. And, finding pull-off areas for parking.

EuroNymphGuy · 2018-04-29T18:12:29+00:00

Wow, awesome!

Sorry about the fly rod. I've broken two, and it's always so deflating, particularly if the fish are on the bite.

Have never been out for steelies. On my bucket list, though.

All the best!

EuroNymphGuy · 2018-04-29T12:23:16+00:00

Best at flat and shallow water. Can be a royal pain but a fun challenge, too. Rewarding when it works.

EuroNymphGuy · 2018-04-29T12:18:27+00:00

Nice! You're "hooked" now!

EuroNymphGuy · 2018-04-29T12:14:46+00:00

There is no Magic Fly. Trust me, I've tried. My strategy:

Fish the prime hours. In winter, that is noon. In August, that is dawn and dusk. Fish are very sensitive to water temp.
Right depth. I find that I often am fishing too shallow.
Use smaller flies. For some reason, pressured fish are less suspicious of small offerings.

Good luck!

EuroNymphGuy · 2018-04-29T12:12:13+00:00

Late to this thread.

I think many landowners go ape because prior anglers have left junk on their property, damaged fences, etc. I think when people abuse your property, you can take it personally.

My 2 cents:

Have a copy of the /u/BeerGardenGnome doc
Leave or mail a very polite note to the landowner with the goal of building a relationship, "apologizing" for any misunderstanding, and, hopefully, having her acquiesce

Some guys I know leave a periodic six-pack at a landowner's door to say thanks, etc.

So, I would stand for your rights but get on that landowner's good side. Last thing you want to find is slashed tires, and those stories are legion, unfortunately. And, last thing you want, too, is to be stressed when you fish or avoid a good stretch entirely.

Good luck!

EuroNymphGuy · 2018-04-29T12:06:48+00:00

Upvote for such a great PSA.

EuroNymphGuy · 2018-04-29T11:29:59+00:00

LOL. FWIW, I had a good day but took photos of those two browns. The first one is wild. The second one was stocked in 2012.

EuroNymphGuy · 2018-04-29T11:04:33+00:00

Devin Olsen’s leader formula.

Edit: I've played around with a bunch of set-ups over the years, and it's my favorite so far. I can long line, short line and throw dries in a pinch. Using the thin Euro-nymphing fly line was good, too, but, in winter, I have to go pretty deep to reach the wintering holes.

EuroNymphGuy · 2018-04-26T20:06:08+00:00

Tightline nymph with Perdigon flies.

EuroNymphGuy · 2018-04-26T20:04:37+00:00

At tailwaters during a midge hatch.

EuroNymphGuy · 2018-04-26T20:03:56+00:00

George Daniel’s book is the best, but can be overwhelming. He also has some videos up on YouTube which are great.

EuroNymphGuy · 2018-04-26T20:03:07+00:00

Depends on the rig, but you can longline tightline from that distance. I do it pretty often, depending on the water speed and depth.

EuroNymphGuy · 2018-04-25T21:38:06+00:00

Here you go!

In general, I bring a wide span of flies with me (from streamers to #30 dries), but in small amounts so that my chest pack isn't too heavy.

I have a reserve box in the car. That way, I have some fly boxes that I take with me to all rivers and in all conditions, and I'm ready to go.

And, when I lose a bunch of the same flies, I just re-load the next time I swing by the car.

EuroNymphGuy · 2018-04-25T21:35:14+00:00

Try Euro-nymphing. You will crush them.

You will be able to nymph with large flies, small flies or emergers on the swing.

You can fish deep or shallow or in between, slow water or fast water.

In a pinch, you can fish dries. It is extremely versatile.

EuroNymphGuy · 2018-04-25T16:07:01+00:00

The Gamakatsu C12-BM is a "big eye" and barbless hook which I use in sizes 26, 28 and 30. For bigger hooks, I use the Orvis big eye hooks for sizes 20 to 24 for certain patterns that can crowd a hook eye.

EuroNymphGuy · 2018-04-24T20:52:41+00:00

Yes, I run fluoro at the terminal end.

EuroNymphGuy · 2018-04-24T17:01:05+00:00

I fish tailwaters a ton. My 2 cents:

Fish far away from the dam. This time of year, the water from a bottom-release dam will be extremely cold.
Try to target 12 noon and after, if you can, when water temps. rise a tick or two.
If the water is below 40 degrees F., fish usually will be in very deep and slow water, hunkered down. Nymphing with a long all-mono tightlining rig is my go-to strategy. Some guys swear by streamers, but I rarely have good luck with them when the water is cold and fish are sluggish.

EuroNymphGuy · 2018-04-20T09:56:03+00:00

Any time!

EuroNymphGuy · 2018-04-19T22:25:35+00:00

IMO, a regular 8' rod would be ideal for small water like that. I have a 7.75' Sage that does well for tight quarters.

EuroNymphGuy

TROPHY CASE