Yellowstone National Park
Inside of Yellowstone the road between Madison Junction and Norris is closed. This prevents visitors from the West Gate from driving through the north part of the Park without having to detour south around Yellowstone Lake. Getting to the Lamar Valley will now take between three and a half to four hours from West Yellowstone. Therefore we will no longer be guiding day trips to this part of the park, nor will the information on the fishing report be very detailed, as I won’t be fishing the water myself. Construction should be finished in time for the winter season and 2o10 should see things back to normal.
Madison River (Yellowstone National Park) 9-17-09
Though the weather has not been conducive to fall fishing, there is a fishable number of Hebgen Lake rainbows and browns in the Madison in the Park now. Angler attention to the river has also grown. Fishing should continue to improve as the days shorten and we move deeper into fall. The best times to find lake fish are early and late in the day until summer wants to go away. A few folks are nymphing up some nice ones, but we’ve mostly been after the fish with soft hackles to cover water faster and avoid the schools of whitefish. Streamer fishing has been slow due to the weather.
Firehole River 9-17-09
A few cool days would be beneficial to the Firehole. The river is still getting into the 70’s at the height of the day’s warmth, which isn’t helping the fishing. There are still Caddis in the afternoons and evenings bringing fish to the surface. Swinging or twitching adults can be more effective than a dead drifted dry. There are some Baetis hatching, but there numbers are limited by the clear blue sky. We’ve had some good fishing with terrestrials on the Firehole as well.
Gallatin River 9-17-2009
We’re seeing a good terrestrial bite on the Gallatin River. Fall Baetis have been sparse, but the ant, beetle and hopper fishing is surprisingly good for this time year. Look for this trend to continue until the weather turns.