Yellowstone Park 7-18-2011

Waters are finally beginning to recede. The Madison River drainage remains in the best condition.  Afternoon PMDs and evening caddis activity result in action. The Firehole River is warming to levels where fish can become stressed while being played. Let’s give ’em a break until we cool off in September.  If you are up the Firehole’s way, why not try the Gibbon River. It’s a smaller version, but it holds fish just as large, if not larger.  That’s right: the official largest brown trout caught in Yellowstone Park is from the Gibbon in the meadow reach.  Going north out of West Yellowstone, Duck Creek in the meadow is every bit as challenging as any water around. Right now beetles and ants would bring the best chances for big resident ‘bows and browns, but you had better be a “Henry’s Fork Hunchback”.  Fall River Basin and Lamar River drainage streams remain high, but are dropping and clearing. The Lewis River is high, clear and suitable for fishing.  Pelican Creek is open to fishing, but few fish are present. Right now some of the fastest fishing in the Park is in Beula Lake.  It is all Yellowstone cutts, and they range up to near twenty inches.  Riddle Lake may be a close second, but the cutts are smaller.