"Autumn Fly Fishing on the Bighorn River: Subsurface Tactics and Hatches to Target"

As of October 25, 2024, the Bighorn River in Montana is offering some challenging yet rewarding fly fishing opportunities as the seasons transition. Here’s what you need to know for a successful day on the water. ### Weather and River Conditions The weather is expected to be cool with nighttime temperatures causing aquatic grass to break free, so keep your bugs clean. High temperatures will be around 70 degrees, with some wind and wet, cool weather intermittent over the next few days. The river flows are currently at 2,250 cubic feet per second, and the water temperature is about 57 degrees. ### Sunrise and Sunset Sunrise is at 7:43 AM, and sunset will be at 5:47 PM, giving you a good window for both morning and evening fishing. ### Fish Activity Fishing has been a bit more inconsistent lately, but there are still plenty of fish to be caught. Subsurface fishing has been the most productive, with fish feeding more actively below the surface. You can expect to catch a mix of trout, including rainbows and browns. ### Types and Amounts of Fish While the dry fly bite is winding down, there are still some Pale Olive Baetis and Tricos around, though surface action is spotty. However, subsurface fishing has been stellar, with lots of big, healthy fish throughout the entire Bighorn River system. Yesterday saw a good number of fish caught on nymphs, particularly on patterns like San Juan Worms, Dorsey’s Scud, Carpet Bugs, and Tailwater Sowbugs. ### Best Lures and Bait For nymphs, focus on using #10 Squirmy Worms in blood red or burgundy, #14 and #16 Orange Scud, #14 and #16 Tailwater Sowbug, and #16 Nightmare Perdigon. Streamer fishing is also picking up, with patterns like the Articulated Goldy, Dirty Hippie, White Zonker, and Rusty Trombone working well. If you're looking to try dry flies, a #22 CDC Baetis or #22 Trico Spinner could be effective. ### Hot Spots The upper three miles of the river have some grass growth, but everything below remains clean and is fishing very well. Look for clean lanes where the aquatic grass is not choking off the runs. The area below 3 Mile is also worth checking out, especially for Trico hatches. Overall, while the fishing conditions are a bit tougher due to reduced water clarity, the crowds are smaller, giving you more space to enjoy the river. Keep your bugs clean, and be prepared for some excellent subsurface fishing. This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.