We’re a little behind on our Big Hole reports, July has flown by. We will keep this short and simple.
Flows have dropped below 600 cfs at Maiden Rock. Bring your raft! It is time to monitor water temperatures as well. Fish become stressed above 68 degrees, and catching them above 70 degrees increases stress = mortality. But, coolers keep beer cold, and cold beer is nice on a hot day, so make sure you have that along when it is time to reel up the fly rod.
Effective patterns: Ants, Purple hoppers, #18 purple haze, #14 Pink Chubby, #16 Rocky Mt Mint, Caddis #16, Red Copper John, Split Case PMD, #12 Black Pats.
If you are looking for top water action, try to stick to the mornings and evenings. As the river continues to drop, we will need to modify where we fish. Try a dry dropper, and look for areas that have faster moving currents.