Same as the last report: Get to creek mouths and spring holes as early as possible. Use standard Henry’s Lake patterns with a slow retrieve of that intermediate line. If you start having success, expect company to surround you because a common Henry’s Lake practice is using binoculars to observe where fish are responding, then converge on that location to share the action.
The best fishing on the lower river is from Warm River to Ashton, but that section is beginning to turn to early and late in the day for the best results. PMDs, a few goldens and flavs are present with caddis providing PM action. Don’t forget to pitch a steamer pattern around overhead cover as the sun sets. Crowds have thinned everywhere on the river. Much of that is because of the activity on the South Fork. On the upper river nymphing seems the most effective way to action in Box Canyon where recreationists will share the water. Further downstream at Last Chance and Harriman crowds have thinned a bit and mayfly hatches are off their peaks. AM and PM spinner falls provide good action with standard rusty spinner patterns being most effective. PMD and decreasing flav activity provide some daytime action with a variety of caddis taking over during PMs.
You cannot go wrong on just about any small stream. The Teton River in the basin and its tribs have shaped up, for example. PMDs, (spinners and duns), isoperla stoneflies, and PM caddis activity are providing action with terrestrial insects yet to peak. Recreationists are present making early and late in the day the best time to fish with fewer interruptions. Expect to see increased use of the river by fly-fishers and floating recreationists for the reason given on other pages of this report. Because of this growing use, it may be time to seek the smaller streams in the area. They are too numerous to relate here, so get in touch with us because we keep track of their quality and can pass such info on to you.
Everywhere waters are warming up and in most waters damselfly activity has peaked. Go deep with 3 and 4 type sinking lines to get black or olive leech patterns down to cool waters where the larger fish have settled. A good line choice for getting and saying deep is the new Fathom Clean Sweep Slow sinking line by Rio. At its tip is a clear intermediate front end, followed with faster sinking S4 section, then an S2 running line section.
Flow below Mackay Dam has been around 350 cfs for weeks. That makes for stability. Now is the time of year when golden stones and western green drakes activities take place in the river. Most folks coming from over from Sun Valley will be fishing the river above the reservoir.
The upper Gallatin River is coming on with caddis , some PMDs and big stoneflies. As word of good fishing gets out visits will increase to the easily approached river adjacent to the highway. If you venture there and note filled parking areas, walk upstream on the Big Horn Pass trail a few miles to find more tranquility in the river running through the sloping meadow. Be bear aware!
If you live in the southwest corner of the Greater Yellowstone Area, why travel nearly 200 miles to fish the northeast corner of the park when the four major Fall River Basin streams (Bechler and Fall Rivers, Boundary and Mountain Ash Creeks), currently are in great dry fly shape and offer PMD, yellow sally, damsel fly, green and brown drake activity with oncoming terrestrial insect activity. In addition, Beula Lake at the top of Fall River offers some of the fastest fishing in the area. All one needs to do is walk a few miles to enjoy the best waters in Fall River Basin.
There is some success to be found in water of a moderate depth with small black or olive leech patterns. But now is the time to arrive early at creek mouths and springs to stake out your claim on water. The earlier the better because as the season advances and the lake warms, the more folks will be doing the same. An intermediate line to present standard Henry’s Lake patterns at creek mouths will do the trick.
Flow on the river is at great levels ( 12400 cfs at Irwin, 13500 cfs at Heise, 5000 cfs at Lorenzo) and water is cold but clearing up. Fish responding are where you find them! There are plenty of sallies, some caddis, PMDs and big stone flies round, but fish seem to take them on an inconsistent basis with respect to location on the river. Nymph patterns, with and without a bead head presented over drop-offs seem to be the most consistent way to success.
Time to enjoy what is left of the great mayfly hatches on the upper river. Brown drakes and flavs are beginning to diminish. Soon PMDs and speckled duns will make up the major mayflies. Caddis of many types will be around. But just around the corner terrestrial insects will rule the roost. Ants and hopper will be of major attraction to trout.
Look for the lower river to begin warming to the point that early and late in the day will be the best times to present caddis life cycle patterns as well as those for terrestrial insects. Also look for boat traffic to drop, but an increase in recreational boaters.
Almost every small stream now offers good fishing. The number of these is almost beyond counting. From the Sinks Drainages (Big Lost River above Mackay Reservoir, Beaver, Birch, Camas, Little Lost, Medicine Lodge, Sawmill Creeks) on east to Palisades Reservoir and Salt River Drainages ( Big Elk, Bear, Crow, Jackknife, McCoy, Stump, SF of Tincup, Tincup, Creeks), all have something to offer the small stream enthusiast. Get in touch with us with questions on what to use, when to visit, etc., on any of these or others that are of interest to you.