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Yellowstone Park

Jimmy's All Seasons Angler / Yellowstone Park (Page 20)

Yellowstone Park 7-8-14

It is amazing how much snow is left in the Park’s high country! Extensive areas on the Madison and Pitchstone Plateaus have snow cover remaining. Rangers who have traveled to these places say drifts up to three feet in depth remain.This bodes well for all drainages ( Bechler, Fall, Firehole, Lewis Rivers) from these places. Cool water from snow melt will keep dependent streams in the best fly-fishing shape well into this summer. This is now the case with Fall River Basin streams which are all running high for this time of year, but are clear and cool indicating a gradual run-off. The large PMDs that emerge this time of year are ongoing on all these streams with trout responding to them during PM hours.  Look for a good afternoon green drake event followed by a great evening brown drake event on all these streams in the upcoming days.

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Yellowstone National Park 6-28-14

Runoff still remains high on Fall River Basin streams.  Same with Lamar River drainage. The Firehole River has come into its own and with the current cool weather will stay that way until the Park weather warms up.  Don’t overlook Duck Creek if you are looking for a dry fly challenge, and remember there is a good brown drake hatch coming in near future evenings. Lewis Lake offers good fishing with streamers, but if you use a boat, watch for the wind. The Lewis River in the meadow below the lake features an afternoon green drake hatch that has been a bit sparse in recent years but brings up resident brown trout.

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Yellowstone National Park 6-24-14

The Ashton-Flagg Road is open at least to Grassy Lake Reservoir. That means all access points along the road to Fall River in the Park are open.  Fall River remains somewhat high with run-off but can be fished.  That’s the same with all Fall River Basin streams in the Park. Streamer and woolly bugger patterns will be the best bet.The Beula Lake trail head can also be reached.  If you travel to Beula, best fishing results from a float tube.  Try medium sized wooly bugger (#8-10) types, damselfly nymph patterns, bead head nymphs,  and midge pupa under an indicator.

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Yellowstone Park 6-10-14

The Firehole River is living up to its reputation as an early season destination with fish responding to PMDs, BWOS, and caddis.  Some giant stoneflies are emerging in the lower Firehole River canyon with wind blown individuals flying above and below. If you visit the Madison Junction area waters in the next few days, consider having some adult stonefly patterns on board. Duck Creek is in prime fishing shape. Runoff is out of it, but leech and woolly bugger patterns work best because post spawning ‘bows and ever hungry brookies look for this source of easy protein so recently abundant.  Ice is off Lewis, Shoshone, and Yellowstone Lakes.

A Park policy which is causing some inconvenience is the necessary and suitable inspection of all boats for invasive species.  Fishing regulations state that float tubes are excluded from this inspection, but it might be best to ask at any entrance or facility what the Park considers to be a float tube. These inspections are performed only at Grant Village and Bridge Bay Marina, and therein lies the inconvenience for boaters coming in the west, north, and northeast entrances.  So for the remainder of this year, at least, put some extra time on the front of your boating-fishing trip into the Park and make sure that the Park agrees with you concept of what a float tube is.

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Yellowstone Park 5-24-14

We received a message from Yellowstone Park Visitor’s Service Office that most of the lakes in the Park have much of their surfaces covered with ice.  The Office warns that most of this ice is unsafe for holding any weight and that falling through it would result in immersion in very cold water resulting in a low survival rate.  If you plan to fish any of the Park’s lakes in the upcoming days, consider calling the Visitor’s Service Office, 307-344-2107 or -2109 to determine surface conditions where you plan to visit.

Fishing is good on The Firehole River. Try swinging soft hackle flies through runs. Caddis and BWOs are getting interest from trout. Look for some early PMDs to emerge.  The Madison is high and a bit discolored, but run-up rainbows from Hebgen Lake may strike at a deeply fished streamer pattern.

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Yellowstone Park 5-17-14

Park fishing season opens Saturday, May 24th. Between now and then all types of Park fishing licenses and copies of fishing regulations will be delivered to the shop. We will post their arrival in the shop here.

Based on current conditions, look for the Firehole River to offer good fishing for trout responding to BWO and caddis activity.  To a lesser extent the same can be expected on the Gibbon River.  Some early season spawning rainbows will be heading back down the Madison River to Hebgen Lake.  So presenting streamer patterns in the river near the Park’s west boundary could result in an encounter with a trophy rainbow.

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Yellowstone Park10-19-13

The Park re-opened its fishing season three days ago.   Crowds are not up to usual amounts. This means that such popular locations like the Firehole River and the Madison River could be more enjoyable to fish. Streamer patterns will be your best bet for migrating browns in the Madison River. Likewise for migrating browns in the Gibbon River, Gardiner River, Snake River, Lewis River, and Yellowstone River where low light conditions give the best chance for action on each.  Afternoon BWO hatches will dictate how to fish on the Firehole River. If you do not mind the long drive, now begins the fall season on Trout Lake. Colder water will convince lunker hybrids and cutts there to take leech and damselfly nymph patterns.  Make sure you watch the weather in that neck of the woods before you go.

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Yellowstone Park 10-12-13

The Park remains closed to fishing, and trespass citations are being issued to persons entering it anywhere.  Currently there is no action by the Wyoming (and Montana ) governor to open the Park as has been done in Colorado and Utah. We will announce any re-opening of Yellowstone Park here.

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