Ruby River fishing report - Ruby is Rockin'!

Date
Wednesday, 13 Apr, 2016
Water Clarity
Clear
Angler Traffic
Medium
Fish Caught
13-19 fish
Report
Upper ruby is starting to run off.
Lower ruby is fishing really well, lots of rainbows in the system!
Bugs: streamers color is a key to the ruby this time of year; don't be scared to experiment with lots of colors and tie's, like sparkle minnows or jj cone heads. The ruby this time of year is a fundamental fishery in the sense that traditional flies are the hot ticket to success. Prince nymphs of different varieties, pheasant tails, worms, small girdle bugs, and hares ears! In the evening midges and BWO's and fish can be taken readily in the afternoon hours on these dry fly imitations.

Secret of the Week: Small Chubby Chernobyl!

Sent from my iPhone
 
Start Time:
10:00 AM
End Time:
6:30 PM
Flies
Dries
Name
Size
Parachute Adams
16
18
20
Nymphs
Name
Size
Prince nymph
14
16
18
Hares ear
14
16
18
San Juan worm
6
8
10
Girdle Bug
8
10
Streamers
Name
Size
JJ Special
6
8
Green Crstal Flash bugger
6
8
Fishing Water Report
 (2)
Ruby is the perfect name for this river, for it is a largely hidden, sparkling gem. Its crystal clear waters begin in the pristine Beaverhead National Forest in southwest Madison County, ... morebetween the Snowcrest Mountains and the Gravelly range. While it starts as a rather thin trickle, it picks up more than a dozen mountain, freestone creeks, and gains velocity as it flows for 40 miles past Alder and into the Ruby Reservoir. Past Alder, the river runs north between the beautiful Tobacco Root Mountains to the northeast and the Ruby Range to the southwest. Nestled in the quaint Ruby Valley, the river is conveniently located a mere thirty minutes from Ennis and a lovely one-hour drive from Bozeman. Like many other rivers in this region, the Ruby is small at only 76 miles in length, but it is full of surprisingly large fish.

Leaving Alder, the Ruby exits the reservoir as a tailwater and supports abundant midge, caddis, and Pale Morning Dun (PMD) hatches. For a short time the river passes through a scenic, arid canyon before abruptly transitioning into a meandering open agricultural valley. At this point the Ruby runs over vast swaths of private land, sometimes making access difficult. The 40 mile descent from Alder to Twin Bridges also crosses over high-end ranch properties, where again, access can be challenging although public access points do exist and can be easily located.

The river is open year round to fishing and conditions are good through all seasons. Springtime on the Ruby brings hatches of baetis and early season caddis. When the water warms in summer, the river will explode with Yellow Sallies and Pale Morning Duns (PMDs), along with hoppers and other terrestrials. Late summer and early fall is considered by many to be the best time to fish, as clouds settle in the high mountain valley providing fast paced action for the streamer enthusiast. Running a nymph rig subsurface, or using a dry/dropper combo is the best technique on the Ruby throughout the year.

Fish will jump for hoppers during the late summer months, while streamer-fishing can very satisfying throughout the summer and early fall. A predominantly brown trout fishery, the Ruby is full of trophies that often reach 18 – 20 inches. The greatest numbers of rainbow trout are found in the first few miles of the river just below the dam. If you seek a unique opportunity, the upper portions of the Ruby rumored to hold rare cutthroat trout and arctic grayling.
Reporting Outfitter
 (10)
What do you think of when you hear "Montana?" Small towns? Cowboys? Cows? BIG TROUT?! The answer is D, "All of the above"! Montana is still the place it was 80 years ago, where a man's ... morehandshake means something and big trout thrive. Located in the "Trout Mecca" of Southwestern Montana, our location and our guide's experience allow us to guide on a number of world class rivers; the Madison, Jefferson, Ruby and Yellowstone rivers are arguably the best trout streams in the lower 48.

Whether you have never held a fishing pole in your life or if you've been fishing since you could walk, the versatile, select guides we employee at MFFT all live on, and spend all they're free time on, these select rivers. They know how satisfy ALL of our clients, from novice to pro.

But Montana is so much more than just a trout haven. With picturesque mountains, abundant wildlife and under a million people, you actually have to try to not enjoy our beautiful state. As longtime client and friend Don Patton once wrote me after a trip, "fish count is only one criteria, there are many more markers for success. We hit them all." Here at MFFT we strive to give our clients much more than just a fishing trip, we want to share our passion for fishing and our love of Montana with all of our guests and new friends.

Charles P. Graham

Owner-Montana Fly Fishing Trips

Montana Fishing Outfitter#10349
Reported Trip
  • Transportation to the river and back from Ennis, Alder, Sheridan or Twin Bridges
  • Access to top of the line fishing equipment
  • Wonderful streamside lunch
  • Instruction and local knowledge from a professional, experienced and enthusiastic MFFT fishing guide!
If you don't like dirt roads, small rivers and big trout, then this is not the river for you! Located in the heart of the Ruby valley and just outside the town of Alder, Montana, the ... morearea is brimming with history and rustic charm. The Ruby is a river you hear a lot about but don't get many specifics. And, that's the way the locals like it. That's where MFFT comes in--we know which turns to make, which flies to fish and which bridges are public and where all those Rocky Mountain jewels, that we call trout, live and play.
Fishing Waters:
Destination:
Report Location
Start Access Site
Find out about the latest fishing action with our Ruby River Fishing Report
Fishing Water Reports:
Size:
21 acres
Elevation:
4,885 ft
Activities:
Fishing, Hunting
Sanitation & Water:
Toilet
Find out about the latest fishing action with our Ruby River Fishing Report
Fishing Water Reports:
Size:
11 acres
Elevation:
5,135 ft
Activities:
Fishing, Hunting
Sanitation & Water:
Toilet
1 reviews   0 comments
Accuracy
(5.0 of 5)
Completeness
(5.0 of 5)
Thanks for the fly suggestions
Gotta love the Ruby. What a gem of a water. Yes, pun intended.
Accuracy
Completeness
0
0

Discover Your Own Fishing and Hunting Adventures

With top destinations, guided trips, outfitters and guides, and river reports, you have everything you need.