Fishing Report

Yellowstone National Park

Madison and Firehole Rivers

Cooler temperatures have improved fishing on these two rivers. A few spawners are up from Hebgen and you have a chance a hooking one. Early morning or late evening with a streamer is your best bet. During the day we are still using hoppers and ants. Not much for hatches yet, look for blue wing olives, midges and cream caddis in the next several weeks.

Slough Creek and Lamar River

Your best day fly fishing will be found here.  Terrestrials are the name of the game.  Hoppers, ants, beetles, and crickets.  Cinnamon ants have been particularly good- sizes #14 and #16.  The bad news is all the rain we have had lately has made the rivers more dirty than clear.

Gibbon, Gardner, and Gallatin Rivers

Let it warm up and head out at 9am or 10am and fish attractor dries like Royal Wulffs or Trudes, Yellow Stimulators and Para Madam X- sizes #12 and #14.  Cover lots of water and hit every pocket.  Good action for smaller fish, and once and awhile a nice brown.

Montana

Madison River

During the morning’s midges have been active and nymphing with Black Zebras in sizes #16 and #18 have proven successful.  Then as it warms up go to hoppers and ants, or a hopper dropper combo and a #16 bead head.  Some droppers to try: Shop Vacs, Brown Three Dollar Dips, and Lightning Bugs.  Late afternoons find the deeper green water and use a nymph rig and indicator.

Hebgen Lake

Gulpers are winding down, they were never that great this year.  Woolly buggers in black and dark olive have been best.  The fish should start staging near the inlets in prep for the fall run.  Of course, you can always bob the noid under an indicator.

Idaho

Henry’s Fork

Tough reports, not much hatching.  The mahogany duns should start soon and with all this rain the blue-winged olives won’t be far behind.  The best reports are from the Box, nymphing with #16 Black Zebras and a #20 dropper.

Henry’s Lake

It’s been slow fishing and launching a boat is hard because of low water.  Fishing should really pick up in the next several weeks as it continues to get cooler.