What The Ruby Is About

Tying on a size 20 adams dry fly is not fun for anyone. Luckily Those “big-eyed” dries that have been patiently waiting in your fly box; will be put to use here in the Ruby Valley. The upper Ruby River is home to a variety of top-water oriented fish that have a hard time passing up a chubby chernobyl ant for a meal. For the bigger dry flies, we recommend using a 5 wt and even a 6 wt rod. This allows for easy fly turn-overs in windy conditions, and also better accuracy with the cast.

Terrestrial fishing at its finest! An article in an American Angler magazine, that’s read in the dentist’s office waiting room does not do this style of fishing justice. Explosive and visual takes are what give terrestrial fishing its reputation. The fish that dwell in the Ruby Valley are very familiar with the “hopper hatch” that starts in mid-July and runs to about mid-September. The smaller tributaries are slightly more successful with hopper flies than the big brother, Ruby River.

The popularity of this nymphing tactic is quickly becoming a favorite amongst sub-surface anglers. The terms “Euro nymphing”, “czech nymphing” and “spanish nymphing” can all be categorized as Tight Line Nymphing. Numerous sections on the Ruby River offer the perfect water type for this type of nymphing. Our guides here at UCO are set up with the equipment needed to perform this style of fishing and eager to teach any angler the terms, tactics, and technique.

One of the oldest tandem rigs tied on the end of a leader. To this day, dry/dropper fishing stays under the radar as one of the most effective ways to catch a trout. The watersheds in the Ruby Valley see hatches like Caddis, Pale Morning Duns, Blue Winged Olives, Tricos, etc… Fishing two different stages of a bug’s life cycle is truly killing two birds with one stone or two trout with one rig. Trust us, it has been done.

At Upper Canyon Outfitters we are very familiar with both hunting and fishing. Small stream tactics are collaging the two sports into one. From crouched down casting to lion-like stalks, this fishing is high risk-high reward. The valley’s tributaries hold many cooperative fish looking for their next meal. The only catch is; they cannot know you’re there. For this type of fishing, earthy colored apparel is needed.