Yellowstone Park

Yellowstone Park 7-19-10

One of the less advertised features about fishing the Park is the abundance of small streams.  Every drainage has them, and they tend to be less crowded than the well advertised big waters like the Madison, Yellowstone, Gallatin, Lamar rivers and Slough Creek. On the Gardner river drainage, such a Obsidian, Indian, and Panther creeks provide day long action, have easy access and are relatively safe.  All these feature scrappy , but small brook trout.   Bring your lightweight equipment.  Along the Gibbon River drainage, the upper river and Solfatara Creek near Norris feature small  brook trout and browns that can reach decent sizes. The river also has rainbows and a few grayling.   Boundary and Mountain Ash creeks in Fall River Basin would be destinations worthy of media attention but for the fact that walks of a few miles are needed to enjoy them. On the Lewis River side Polecat Creek features brookies, browns and cutts. Some browns reach very respectable sizes.   A few miles north of West Yellowstone Duck, Cougar and Grayling creek feature brookies, browns, ‘bows and a few and cutts.  All host trout of sizes that do justice to those in the nearby Madison River.  All these are just a few of what the Park offers.  Get in touch with us for more information on these and how to approach them.

Yellowstone Park 7-15-10

Except for the Firehole River, all streams are in best fishing shape.   Fall River Basin streams feature afternoon PMD and sally hatches and evening brown drakes.  Green drakes are  pretty much finished on these. The Lamar River has cleared and is a good choice with caddis, PMDs, golden stones, and sallys attracting fish.   The Gibbon River around Norris Jct. is a small stream but the browns, ‘bows, rainbows and a very few grayling are quite active there. Try PMD and sally life cycle patterns.  Speaking of small streams: Obsidian, Indian and Panther creeks are loaded with small but aggressive  brookies.    Do you have an entry level person or one that must stay away from challenging terrain?  Take very light weight equipment, PMD life cycle,  caddis, sally and attractor patterns (all in sizes 12-18), and try one of these easily approached streams.  You might experience some of the fastest fishing in the Park. On all these waters and others in the Park, be sure to have beetle and ant patterns.  Good hopper fishing is soon in the future.  And remember, for fast still water fishing in the Park, nothing beats Beula Lake.

Yellowstone Park 7-09-10

Fall River Basin streams have dropped dramatically in the last week. This means they are in prime dry fly fishing condition.  Green drakes & PMDs  emerge in the mid afternoon, and brown drakes emerge during evenings.  With drying and warming beetles and ants are out and are a significant part of trout’s diet. So are adult damselflies.   The next few weeks should be great dry fly fishing on such as Bechler River and Boundary Creek and on Fall River, Mountain Ash and Proposition creeks.   After that time frame hoppers will make for great fun, but as waters drop take all you skills.  Mosquitoes and deer flies make DEET a necessity.  Want to see the fastest fishing in all of Yellowstone Park?  Try Beula Lake at the head of Fall River.  The inlet and the north shore make for the best wading, but packing a float tube opens the whole lake. Get in touch with us for more information on this great fishery and others that the Park offers.

Yellowstone Park 7-05-10

Only real change since our last report is that the Firehole River is warming to levels where fish are having trouble getting enough dissolved oxygen to live comfortably.  So let’s give ’em a break until we cool off during the Fall season.   Other than that, looks like the Lamar River is the last of Park streams to clear up to join most other Park streams being in great fishing shape.  Through the season Beula Lake will offer some of the fastest fishing in the Park.   Some easily approached and great smaller streams in the Park are now in good shape.  These include Cascade, Polecat, Cougar, Crawfish, Fan, Spirea, Indian, Obsidian, Tower, and Lava creeks.  Get in touch with us or stop by the shop to get information on where and how to fish these great Park waters.

Yellowstone Park 7-03-10

Expect fishing on the Firehole River to start slowing as we warm up. But most other Park streams are reaching their fishing peak.  Slough Creek  flows are dropping, and brown drakes should make evening fish there fun.  On the west side of the Park,  Duck Creek and the meadow reaches of the Gibbon River have great evening brown drake hatches ongoing.   The Madison River PMD hatch is ongoing. Fall River Basin streams are dropping to early summer flow levels as snow is rapidly melting & running off the Pitchstone and Madison plateaus. In the Basin yellows sallys and PMDs are attracting fish on Bechler and Fall rivers and Boundary and Mountain Ash creeks.  Each of these holds big cutbows.  With the Ashton-Flagg road open, one can reach Beula Lake and enjoy some of the fastest fishing the Park offers.  This road being open also allows for several access points to Fall River. Stop by the shop to learn which would be the best bet at any given time.

Yellowstone Park 6-28-10

Streams are really shaping up now.  Firehole River has PMDs, BWOs , damselflies, white millers and other caddis. Madison River’s PMD emergence is on-going great guns with some golden stones  also attracting trout.  Fourth of July weekend will be a great time to enjoy the evening brown drake hatches on the Gibbon River and Duck Creek.  Slough brown and green drakes should be starting to emerge, and water is dropping. Fall River Basin streams are high but clear.  Yellow sallys are emerging with PMDs due to start any time.  Bring your DEET if you want to keep your blood supply at the full level! The same applies if you walk into Lewis River channel where streamers are catching big browns.  Juvenile macks and big browns are also hitting  streamers on Shoshone and Lewis lakes.  Big’macks are taking them close to shore on Yellowstone Lake.

Ashton-Flagg Ranch road is entirely open, so Beula Lake and Fall River in Yellowstone Park are accessible.

Yellowstone Park 6-26-10

Streams are shaping up nicely. Grayling Creek is fishable.  Duck Creek is fishing well. Use damselfly nymph patterns. Watch for evening brown drakes beginning in about a week. Same will happen on meadow reaches of the Gibbon River.  Fall River Basin streams are dropping, but wet flies remain best.  Some rises to yellow sallys.  Hare’s ear nymphs #10 fished just below surface work well.  Look for PMDs to begin emerging soon there.   The Firehole River is still producing for those using BWO, PMD, and caddis life cycle patterns.  The Madison River PMD hatch goes on.  Green drake emergence on the Lewis River meadow reaches below Lewis Falls is getting going.   Some are also emerging on meadow stretches between Lewis & Shoshone lakes, but pitching streamers there is best bet for action.  Shoshone Lake is great fishing if one gets out to submerged weed beds and uses full-sink line to present scud (olive) and small leech patterns.  Ashton-Flagg Road is not officially open on the west side. Needs to dry out on highest stretches before Beula Lake can be reached from the Idaho side.

Yellowstone Park 6-19-10

Best dry fly fishing by far is on the Firehole River during this late spring. Caddis, BWOs PMDs and a smattering of small stoneflies make for action.   Madison River PMD hatch has resumed. Duck Creek is good fishing for those using small leech patterns.  Fall River Basin streams are dropping.  Best still water action is on Lewis and Shoshone lakes. Get out to weed beds and use full sink lines to get scud and damselfly nymph patterns down to foraging browns and juvenile macks.    Trout Lake opened on June 15th. No reports on it yet, but damselfly nymph patterns work well until “weed-up”.  The Ashton-Flagg Road remains closed  from the Idaho side to our knowledge, so no reports available on Beula Lake.

Yellowstone Park 6-12-10

Streams are dropping, but still high enough to slow fishing.  Firehole is best bet with BWOs, PMDs and caddis life cycle patterns working.  Try dry damselfly adult patterns.  Duck and Cougar creeks are others to consider.  Try damselfly nymph patterns.  If you try streams with high waters, San Juan worms are a good bet.  Best fishing now is on Lewis and Shoshone lakes.   Use full sink  lines and your favorite streamer patterns. If you can get to weed beds, scud patterns will work.  Trout Lake opens on June 15th and holds some of the biggest cutts and ‘bows in Park waters.  Damselfly nymph, scud and midge pupa patterns will be good choices.

Yellowstone Park 6-8-10

Streams here are still impacted by the recent  big rains.  Best exception is the Firehole River where water is a bit high.  Caddis, BWO, PMD and yellow sally life cycle patterns are making for action.   Duck Creek also offers some action with damselfly nymph patterns and streamers being best bets.