Yellowstone National Park, September 16th, 2023

This is a great time to visit Park waters. Number of angers is down on most waters as is traffic, and weather is comfortable at least for the upcoming days. Changes to unsettled conditions are expected for the upcoming week.

The Firehole River offers good fishing especially through swinging soft hackled patterns such as partridge and orange, partridge and peacock, and white miller. Small terrestrial patterns presented tight towards banks also produce. Upcoming unsettled weather will increase BWO activity.

Number of browns and rainbows running out of Hebgen Lake upstream into the Madison River is increasing, but so are the number of fly fishers pitching streamer patterns to them. Brown trout are active in Duck Creek, but with base level flows they are totally wary of any vibrations and the sight of bank side anglers.

Boundary Creek in Late Summer

Meadow areas of Fall River Basin streams are loaded with grasshoppers, ants and horse flies. Resident trout know what a horsefly is, so pitch that swatted specimen into the water. Go after the trout that rises to it with such as a beat up humpy, and a good tussle will follow. Cooling weather and shorter evenings mean the best time to fish is during mid day to around 5 PM.

Before venturing to northeast corner streams (Lamar, Slough, Soda Butte), consult with nearby fly shops because thundershowers can discolor streams here making for a disappointing visit.