9/14/08 September river report - So far this month has been the rainiest on record for this part of the state, so far we have recieved over 3 1/2 inches in the first 12 days of September. The water temperature has been warm due to the large amount of water released through the dam this early summer. There was as high as 9800cfs being release and an average of 3000cfs this summer. Right now the water temperature is 62 degrees at the afterbay access. It is mid September and there are still no Trico mayflies on the river here at the lodge. The black caddis were good for about a month and have since tappered off. The pale olives have been coming off strong but are not what I call fun to fish, the imitations are #22-#26. The lower river has been getting as warm as 66 degrees on the warmer days. With all the warm warter the grass has gone wild. It has fill the lower flats and made most of the fishable runs much slower.

September 6,7,8, 2008
Fished with Tony, Kerry,Bill, and Boys. Fished the lower river with the kids and did fairly well bouncing bell sinkers. The grass was a pain but if we could get a drift we caught fish. We landed 20-25 fish in a 3 hour period. Fished the upper 3 miles the next day and landed a few nice fish using a #20 tan softhackle with a red head, and a # 20 grey sowbug. The pale olives have been coming off strong but they are #24's. There have been a few fish up but are not easy to catch on a #22 pale olive. The last day we floated the upper 13 miles and landed some nice browns. The grass is really starting to make fishing tough, it has not been what I call fun. If you are thinking of coming to the Bighorn be prepared for tough fishing. The water temperature is 62 degrees at the afterbay and warming as the warms.

August 18,19,20, 2008
Fished with Keith and Mike, we fished 3 Mile to Bighorn for 2 days and fished for carp on the lake the last day. The black caddis have finally start to hatch in large numbers, the trout are really keyed into the pupa in the mid afternoon. We fished above the corral hole island for two days in the afternoon and caught trout after trout on black caddis pupa patterns. In the mornings we used a softhackle and a mayfly nymph and landed a few here and there. The trout are really eating the spent adults in the evenings. The last day we fished for carp on the lake using grasshopper patterns. The lake is warm and the carp seem to be feeding on the alge in the lake. The fishing was good when we spotted carp looking up. The lake is a fun way to spend the day on the Bighorn.

August 10, 2008
The River has been fishing well the last 7 days. The river temperature is 59 degrees at 3 mile in the mornings and warming a couple of degrees in the afternoon. The black caddis have been coming off and have been catching trout in the upper 3 mile on black caddis pupa, but not so well on dries. The pale olives have been hatching really well and the trout are eating a #22 dark mayfly nymph. My best flies have been a #18 tan softhackle and a #22 killer mayfly nymph. The grass is in the river and we are starting to lose fish in it. The fishing has been great on one day and good the next. Hopefully the black caddis hatch will get stronger and more consistant soon.

July 30, 2008
Used the small jet boat on the lower river with Mac. We started fishing the run below the Saint Xavier bridge. The trout seem to be is the most fast pieces of water right now. I only caught 2 brown on the shelf and 4 rainbow up in the shallow fast water. Mac landed a couple in the back channel. I took the water temperature and got a 63 degree reading, wow that is warm for this early in the season. then we jetted down to the Lodge Hole and did pretty well on the normal upper shelf. Most all the trout are taking the #16 softhackle and not many on the worm. I fished a black caddis pupa for a while and never landed a fish on it. As for the floating grass right now, it seems like late september.

July 20, 2008
Floated 3 Mile to the lodge with Jeff, Jessie, Zack, and Cody. Started the day in Schnieders channel and landed a few nice rainbows. Spent a few hours in the top and bottom runs in the Soap creek channel and did very well. The flies of choice have been a #16 tan softhackle and a #18 grey sowbug. The island across from Bighorn access was very good, and most of the trout were eating the brown worm. Jeff did very well at hay coulie on a brown worm and a softhackle.

July 17, 2008
Floated 3 Mile to the lodge with Steve, Greg, Dave, and Brad. The river has fallen to 3800cfs over a 2 day period. The fishing is good but the trout are on the move. The water level is, what I think the best it can be. The are many shelves and riffles where the fish can be right now. With the water temperature at 55 degrees at 3 Mile, the fish are on the feed. PMD's are starting to hatch on the lower river and the smaller fish are starting to eat them. In the next couple of days the dry fly fishing should get good.

July 12, 2008
Floated 3 Mile to the Lodge with Mac, Cassie, and Jason. We started the day in the upper Snag Hole and did very well on Sowbugs and Worms. The Rainbows are on the feed and if you can see them, you can usually catch them. Boat fished the upper 10 miles and did pretty well, we seemed to catch a trout off every shelf we floated by. The run at sedge ledge was hot, we landed 12 or so nice trout. The last stop was the island above the lodge and Mac hook 6 nice trout and only landed one.

July 4th & 5th, 2008
Floated 3 Mile to Bighorn with Chuck and Cathrine. The fishing was good but alittle off with the water flows dropping. The upper end of Schnieders Channel fished well for Chuck, and across from Holly's fished well for Cathrine. Next day we fished the lower river with the jet boat. The lower river fished much better, most of the trout were eating the #14 softhackle. The fishing will be changing daily with the river starting to drop.

June 29 & 30, 2008
Jet boated the lower river with Bob, Rob, Bill, and Charlie. Fished the mornings with Charlie using a bell sinker rig and did very well. In the afternoons we fished the with our fly rods and did very well. The usual was working, a brown worm and a soft hackle dropper. Rob landed the largest at 25" and Bob with a nice 23" Rainbow. The lower river is fishing well and not crowded yet.