We are seeing a few more lake run browns in the Madison in the Park.  They are still super sparse, and will remain so until sometime between the 15th and 25th of the month.  Swinging soft hackles is the best way to find the larger lake fish, though a few are being caught on both streamers and nymphs.  We are still seeing some good dry fly fishing for resident fish with terrestrials and caddis in the evenings.  Baetis have popped on a few of the cloudy days and there have been some good fish feeding on them, but it takes a bit of looking to sort them out from the dinks.

Firehole River 9/7/2010

The Firehole is back.  The water has cooled down to the point that it is no longer dangerous to the fish and the river is putting out some good hatches.  We’ve seen some Baetis in small numbers but these mayflies should really get going once we get some wet weather.  In the meantime, caddis hatches and egg laying has made for some good dry fly and soft hackle fishing.  White Miller Caddis make up the bulk of the insects on the water.  Come prepared with spent caddis and emergers for imitations.  Swinging an emerger or soft hackle with an egg laying adult pattern can be very effective in the Firehole’s riffles.

Gibbon River 9/7/2010

Cloudy days are seeing some good Baetis in the meadows.  When the sun is on the water, fishing terrestrials can still be pretty good, but it is wise to wait for the water to warm up a bit in the afternoons before heading to the water.

Gallatin River (YNP) 9/7/2010

Inside Yellowstone, the Gallatin has fished decently with terrestrials in the afternoons but isn’t seeing a lot of insect activity on the brighter days.  Fall Baetis are fairly weather dependent and make for good fishing on cloudy afternoons.  The Firehole will consistently have more rising trout this fall and is about the same drive from West Yellowstone, but the Gallatin remains a good option close by.

Slough Creek 9/7/2010

On Slough Creek, we are seeing some drakes, midges, some Baetis hatching on Slough.  Terrestrial fishing is still effective but the fish are well conditioned to the standard patterns.  The river is very low and clear and it is easy to spot fish.  Try to keep out of sight and the fish are generally more responsive to good drifts.

Lamar River/ Soda Butte Creek 9/7/2010

The Lamar and Soda Butte are fishing pretty well this fall.  Rain can still put the Lamar out in an instant, but when it is clear it is still some of the best fishing in the Park.  Ant fishing has been very good and the river has had some Heptegenia and drakes hatching as well.  Getting away from the road or fishing late into the evening can help with the crowding on Soda Butte.

There are a few (VERY FEW) lake run fish up into the Madison in the Park so far.  Soft Hackles and Streamers are the best way to fish this time of year, as anglers are really searching for a needle in a haystack.  Nymphing will hook an angler up with untold numbers of whitefish, so if that is your thing, tie on the bobber.  Dry fly fishing for resident fish has been pretty good.  The river has some Tricos in the mornings, Baetis on cloudy days and a decent caddis hatch just before dark.  Hoppers can find some fish as well provided the conditions are good for terrestrials.

Firehole River 9/1/2010

The Firehole has cooled back down and is certainly a good option on cloudy days.  Baetis and Caddis are hatching in good numbers and there are plenty of fish rising.  Stay off the Firehole in the middle of the day when the sun is on the water, aside from then, it should be good to go for the rest of the fall unless we see a few days in a row back in the 80’s.

Gibbon River 9/1/2010

Baetis hatches in the Meadows have made for some great fishing on cloudy days in the afternoons. The larger fish are no pushovers but there are often enough heads up that one gets plenty of chances to fool some fish.  CDC Comparaduns in #20-22 are rarely refused.  Keep a few small Pheasant Tails in the box to hang off of the dry for a really difficult fish.

Gallatin River (YNP) 9/1/2010

The Gallatin is getting good Baetis emergence on cloudy days.  Tilt Wing Duns, Thorax Duns and Paramergers are all effective when cast with a good drift over rising fish.  Attractor and terrestrial fishing can be a lot of fun when the sun is on the water, but the fish are pretty demanding of an excellent drift at this point in the season.

Slough Creek 9/1/2010

Slough is seeing some good fishing, but there are a few more anglers around due to the dirty water on the Lamar.  Drakes have started, but there hasn’t been enough to really get the fish interested yet.  This should change quickly.  Midges and Baetis are the most important aquatic insects to imitate and one should always come with plenty of small terrestrials.  The fish are tough to fool throughout the river right now.  A careful approach and accurate first casts hook a lot more fish than the 17th cast.  Get is right the first time!

Lamar River/ Soda Butte Creek 8/1/2010

Water conditions on the Lamar continue to be variable, as we are still seeing some thunder showers. Keep an eye on the stream flow when you are headed out to the river as rises in the water generally equate to muddy water.   Soda Butte has stayed in pretty good shape and has had some hatches.  Epeorus, Baetis and even a few Drakes are starting to hatch.  The fish are super picky so make sure to have the color and size of the natural matched perfectly.  The further upstream one goes on Soda Butte, the more the fish actually act like Cutthroat, but the smaller the fish get.

There are still a lot of Caddis just before dark.  It takes a lot of hunting to find a decent fish eating them, but if you want some close by match the hatch fishing, the Madison is an option.  Tricos are hatching in the mornings, but most of the fish feeding on these tiny mayflies are as diminutive as the insects themselves.

Firehole River 8/24/2010

It is time to fish elsewhere until things cool down in the fall.

Gibbon River 8/24/2010

Attractor dry fly fishing in the pocket water can be a lot of fun, but don’t expect to catch anything noteworthy.  Bigger fish await in the meadows, but they are tough to fool this time of year.  Terrestrials are this ticket.

Gallatin River (YNP) 8/24/2010

The Gallatin in the Park is fishing a bit tougher than it has been.  There are a few Spruce Moths around, but they are pretty sparse anymore and the hopper fishing can be fun, but there aren’t many aquatic insects to get the fish eating on the surface.  Baetis will make for a good rise when fall weather hits.

Slough Creek 8/24/2010

Slough has been a lot of fun as of late. The fish are no pushovers, but stalking these picky cutthroats can be a great way to spend the day.  As usual, the second and third meadows offer slightly less difficult fish.  Try using offbeat flies (big, little, that one time experiment) unless there is a hatch of midges or Baetis.  Terrestrials still rule the day when there are no hatches.

Lamar River/ Soda Butte Creek 8/24/2010

Water conditions on the Lamar continue to be variable, as we are still seeing some thunder showers. Keep an eye on the stream flow when you are headed out to the river as rises in the water generally equate to muddy water. There isn’t much hatching so plan to fish terrestrials and attractors to pull fish up to the surface.   Cover a lot of water when fish aren’t rising and get as long of drifts as possible.  At times, twitching the flies can get fish to react when a dead drift isn’t getting much action.

The Madison is still seeing some Caddis just before dark.  Ants and Beetles can be effective in the morning hours.  Mid-day isn’t the best time to be on the water right now.

Firehole River 8/10/2010

It is time to fish elsewhere until things cool down in the fall.

Gibbon River 8/10/2010

Hopper fishing in the Meadows is a super fun way to kill a sunny afternoon this time of year.  Now if we can just get a sunny afternoon, we’ll be in business.

Gallatin River (YNP) 8/10/2010

The Gallatin in the Park is by far the best option close to West that doesn’t involve braving the dreaded Yellowstone Park road construction on the Gibbon.  Ants, Stimulators, small Hoppers and Rusty Parachutes have all been good flies.  Hatches are thinning out a bit, but make sure to have some Rusty Spinners for the mornings and evenings.

Slough Creek 8/10/2010

Slough is getting a lot of angler attention when the Lamar and Soda Butte are blown out, but the fishing has been pretty good.  As usual the fish are tough to fool (especially the big ones) but will succumb to a properly drifted dry most of the time.  Beetles, Ants, PMD’s and small attractors can all fool fish, but once refused by a trout will not be effective.  Change flies and try again.  Dropping a small Sawyer Pheasant Tail off a dry is an old trick that often works with picky fish that won’t commit to eating a dry.  

Lamar River/ Soda Butte Creek 8/10/2010

Water conditions on the Lamar have been off and on this past week.  Keep an eye on the stream flow when you are headed out to the river.  Terrestrial fishing has been really solid when the river is clear and there are also some good PMD hatches coming off. As always, it usually pays to walk a bit from the road to find fish that see a little less pressure.  Soda Butte has also been dirty, but is fishing very well (if you don’t mind some company) when clear.  Smaller flies tend to be more effective on Soda Butte as its fish know every hopper pattern in the Umpqua Feather Merchants catalogue by now.

The Madison in the Park is still seeing good evening Caddis activity.  Rising fish can be found almost every night for the brief time when the sun sets behind the mountains until it is just about too dark to see.  Hopper fishing hasn’t been too fast paced in the afternoons, but can be fun if you want a quick and easy fish close to West.

Firehole River 7/21/2010

It is time to fish elsewhere until things cool down in the fall.

Gibbon River 7-31-2010

Anglers looking for a challenge can enjoy some tough fishing in the Gibbon Meadows.  Trout can be fooled with attractors and beetle patterns, but everything has to be spot on and one must get a bit lucky.

Gallatin River (YNP) 7-31-2010

The Gallatin is seeing pretty good PMD hatches in the afternoons and the fishing has been great during these hatches.  In non-hatch times, we’ve had good luck prospecting with ants and Royal Stimulators in #16.  Evening time brings good numbers of Caddis, but be aware of the bears if fishing after the sun goes down.

Slough Creek 7/31/2010

Slough has been its normal mid summer self lately.  There are sizable and picky Cutthroat that are tough to catch but very rewarding.  Rusty Spinners, Ants and Beetles have all been fooling fish, but everything needs to be spot on.  Fishing very small flies or very large flies can often be the ticket to getting a reaction from a sullen fish that acts like it has seen it all.

Lamar River 7/31/2010

Keep an eye on the stream flow for the Lamar.  Spikes in flow usually indicate post thunderstorm dirty water.  The river has been fishing well when clear.  PMD hatches have been pretty good in the afternoons and there are increased numbers of terrestrials in the last week or so.  Fish rising to PMD’s are pretty easy to fool because they are suckers for a cripple or parachute.  The hoppers are pretty small this year so far but in the afternoons they are plentiful and active.  Twitching hoppers with rubber legs can draw a lot of interest from fish that ignore a dead drift.

We’ve had some fishing on the Madison in the Park in the morning hours with small attractor dries, ants and beetles.  Mid day fishing with big attractors and foam isn’t fast paced, but one can pull up a decent fish or two.

Firehole River 7/21/2010

It is time to fish elsewhere until things cool down in the fall.

Gibbon River 7-21-2010

Anglers looking for a challenge can enjoy some tough fishing in the Gibbon Meadows.  Trout can be fooled with attractors and beetle patterns, but everything has to be spot on and one must get a bit lucky.

Gallatin River (YNP) 7-21-2010

The Gallatin in the Park has fished very well with dries the past week.  The best bite has been from late morning into the early evening hours.  There are a lot of caddis, plenty of PMDs a few Flavs and some Yellow Sallies doing their thing.  Fish can be found rising, but most of the fish we are catching are brought up to a prospecting dry fly.  Unless you are fishing to rising fish, keep your feet moving and cover a lot of water.  The more trout that see a good drift the better the fish tales at the end of the day.

Slough Creek 7/21/2010

Slough’s fish are already getting well educated and seeing a lot of anglers.  There are still a few Drakes, some PMDs, Caddis and Yellow Sallies.  Approach each fish with the thought of fooling it on the first cast.  Pay special attention to your positioning, make an accurate slack line cast and get the fly over the fish before it sees the leader.  If a fish rises to, but refuses the fly, change flies immediately and try to get a better drift.

Lamar River 7/21/2010

With severe thunderstorms in the forecast for tonight, keep an eye out on the water levels on the Lamar.  Spikes in the flow will indicate dirty water here, and more than likely on Soda Butte Creek as well.  Both rivers are fishing pretty well, though the Lamar is a bit high still for excellent attractor fishing.  When there is a hatch the fish are pretty willing to rise.  As usual, there are plenty of fish and fisherman in Soda Butte. We’ve had good fishing on small Parachutes and CDC Comparaduns.

The Madison still has some good Caddis fishing in the evenings, but there isn’t much else going on in the insect department. Terrestrial fishing hasn’t been anything to write home about, but fish will rise to small Wulffs and beetles in the morning hours.

Firehole River 7/13/2010

It is time to fish elsewhere until things cool down in the fall.

Gibbon River 7-13-2010

Fishing the Gibbon this time of year below the falls is mostly a game of attractor fishing with dries.  Caddis are prevalent in the evenings, but there aren’t too many good fish rising to them.  Above the falls the Meadows can be good in the mornings but are extremely tough to fish when there isn’t a good hatch.  Terrestrial fishing hasn’t been terribly productive yet.

Gallatin River (YNP) 7-13-2010

We’ve had good fishing on the Gallatin in the Park.  There are a lot of insects hatching when the weather has been nice in the afternoons.  PMDs, Caddis, small stones, and a few Green Drakes are all making an appearance and the dry fly fishing has been good.  Fishing a dry dropper rig can often be effective earlier in the day.

Slough Creek 7/13/2010

Slough is fishing better but it is still coming into shape.  The water is a bit large and cold, but there are more insects out  than a week ago and some fish are rising.  A few Gray Drakes and some Caddis are starting to pop as well.  Conditions should continue to improve if we get dry weather.

Lamar River 7/13/2010

The Lamar is still pretty big and has color, but is certainly fishable.  The water is cold and there isn’t much happening in the way of bugs, but if you really need to catch a Cutty, tossing a bugger around or drifting some nymphs will get you some bites.  Soda Butte is in a lot better shape, but still a bit on the chilly side.  There some caddis and PMDs beginning to hatch but the bug activity is sparse.

As of late the Madison in the Park has had some butt kicking White Miller Caddis activity. This is an early and late in the day fishery and the Caddis are especially thick in the evenings.  Spent Caddis in #14 have been the fly.  Most of the fish rising are smallish, though there are decent fish to be found if one looks hard.

Firehole River 7-7-2010

The Firehole has cooled down a bit, and could be a good stop in the mornings before the water heats up, but it is really time to fish elsewhere in the Park.

Gibbon River 7-7-2010

Fishing the Gibbon this time of year below the falls is mostly a game of attractor fishing with dries.  Caddis are prevalent in the evenings, but there aren’t too many good fish rising to them.  Above the falls the Meadows can be good in the mornings but are extremely tough to fish when there isn’t a good hatch.

Gallatin River (YNP) 7-7-2010

The Gallatin has been fishing pretty well in the Park.  Caddis, PMD’s and Yellow Sallies keep the fish looking to the surface.  We’ve had good luck with Yellow Stimulators,Royal Trudes, Elk Hair Caddis and PMD Parachutes.

Slough Creek 7/7/2010

Slough is dropping and clearing, but still pretty cold.  Grey Drakes aren’t too far off, so be sure to pack some if headed to Slough.  We have had piecemeal days on Slough with a little bit of nymphing and some dry fly fishing.  The river gets in better shape for fishing on the surface everyday.

Lamar River 7/7/2010

The Lamar is dropping fast but it is still pretty dirty.  Soda Butte is coming into shape though still pretty cold.  Another week of good weather should be all we need for some good dry fly action, and the subsurface fishing is adequate right now.

The Madison in the park is best fished either early or late in the day.  Mid-day it is a great time to take a nap or stock up on Olympia for post evening hatch sipping.  Caddis are numerous in the evenings and there are often good Mayfly spinner falls as well. Things get going most evenings between seven and eight and last until the 10:00 PM closure.  Bring some Iris Caddis, Spent Caddis and Rusty Spinners in #16-18.  In the mornings we have been seeing good caddis and PMD hatches, both are getting the fish up to the surface.

Firehole River 6-29-2010

The Firehole is topping out at over 80 degrees during the middle of the day.  It is time to fish somewhere else unless we get a spell of cool weather.

Gibbon River 6-29-2010

Fishing the Gibbon this time of year below the falls is mostly a game of attractor fishing with dries.  Caddis are prevalent in the evenings, but there aren’t too many good fish rising to them.  Above the falls the Meadows can be good in the mornings but are extremely tough to fish when there isn’t a good hatch.

Gallatin River (YNP) 6-29-2010

The Gallatin in the Park saw Salmonflies early this year and have passed through already.  There are still some Golden Stones hanging around and the smaller bugs such as caddis and PMDs  are doing their thing as well.  Yellow Sallies are hatching, making a Yellow Stimulator a good fly choice.  Parachute Adams and Lime Trudes are also great flies to entice fish with.  Nymphing has been pretty slow, so stick with the dries.

Slough Creek 6/29/2010

Slough is still pretty high and cold but clear enough to fish.  Good dry fly fishing is still a bit away but the river is fishable.

Lamar River 6/29/2010

Not yet.  Keep an eye on the flows and weather.

The Madison in the Park is fishing very well and has seen some great hatches in the last week.  Luckily, we should see this trend continue.  The last of the Salmonflies have been flying around lately.  With their demise, PMDs, an assortment of Caddis and Yellow Sallies have  taken up the slack.  Rising fish aren’t tough to find in the mornings and evenings and even mid day fishing can be pretty good.  The fish rising to hatches in flat water can be quite picky, so it doesn’t hurt to bust out the 6x and the 12 foot leaders we always dread using.  

Firehole River 6-23-2010

Mid day fishing on the Firehole has slowed down a bit, but the morning and evenings are still fishing well. Pale Morning Duns are still the dominant insect earlier on in the day, but Caddis have increased in numbers and there have also been a lot of Yellow Sallies throughout the day.  Trout in the flat water stretches of the Firehole are reaching the final stages of PHD study, so don’t be too embarrassed when you get out smarted by a 9 incher, it happens to everyone.  Willing fish can still be found, especially in the riffles.  Emergers and floating nymphs can be a life saver on the really tough fish.

Gibbon River 6-23-2010

The Gibbon has had some good Caddis activity and is seeing some small stoneflies as well.  This is a great time of year to tie on a yellow or olive Stimulator with a bead head dropper and cover some territory.  You may need some more realistic caddis patterns if the hatches are thick, but for the most part, attractors will drum up fish.]

Gallatin River (YNP) 6-23-2010

The Gallatin is pretty clear in the Park stretch.  There aren’t many hatches yet as the water is pretty cold, but the nymph fishing hasn’t been bad at all.  Each nice day will see a little improvement in the water temps and bug activity so it won’t be long before the Gallatin’s trout want to eat dry flies.