Madison River (Yellowstone National Park) 10/8/08
Fish numbers increase every day on the Madison River inside of Yellowstone. Fishing for the larger lake run browns and rainbows has been good, though no one is catching huge numbers of fish. If you are happy and content to fish hard for one to three 16 inch plus browns and rainbows a day, than you shouldn’t be disappointed. Streamer fishing has been very good in the cold and cloudy weather that has recently blanketed West Yellowstone. Fish are active and are willing to chase buggers, sculpins and other big ugly creations. Stick with natural colors, cover a bunch of water looking for active fish and you’ll hook up. Soft hackle fishing has been equally productive though soft hackle fisherman need to be a little more selective than streamer fishers about the water they fish. Large (#6-#12) soft hackles fished on the swing are finding active lake runs. Concentrate on obvious pools and step down each cast from the head to the tail out. Nymph fisherman are also catching some nice fish. Though this is the slowest way to cover water, nymphs will induce takes from fish that just won’t chase a streamer or soft hackle. As more and more fish enter the Madison, nymphing will become even more effective.
Despite the large number of anglers this season, conflict on the river seems to be pretty rare. Most folks are out fishing to have a good time and expect to have to make concessions to fishing around other anglers. Nymph fishers need to remember that anglers fishing streamers and soft hackles are fishing downstream and should always enter a pool upstream of another angler. There is plenty of water to fish, so keep moving and let other anglers get their shots in too. If you are in doubt as to where to fish around another angler, just ask.
Firehole River 10/8/08
The Firehole has been kicking out Baetis in large numbers. Rising fish can be found from mid-morning on until late afternoon. The insects are #18 to #22’s and duns, emergers and floating nymphs should be in every angler’s arsenal. When few bugs are on the water, we’ve caught some fish swinging Bead Head Olive Hare’s Ear Soft Hackles in #18’s. During hatches, the dry fly fishing can be fantastic as there are tremendous numbers of fish steadily rising. Perfect drifts and well timed casts are often necessary to hook up, as few fish wear the dunce cap this late in the season. The longer the hatch lasts, the more picky the risers tend to be, so try to get on the water before the bugs really get going. Some Hebgen Lake fish are starting to turn up in Firehole Canyon. The water is well suited to both streamer fishing and nymphing and these methods are the best ways to tangle with larger browns and rainbows.
Gibbon River 10/8/08
Anglers are starting to catch a few lake runs up in the Gibbon below the Falls. Covering tons of water with Buggers is the best way to find these fish, as there just aren’t huge concentrations of fish to drift nymphs at. Baetis are hatching on the Gibbon and providing some good dry fly fishing further upriver.
Slough Creek 10/8/08
Slough is getting good hatches of Drakes and Baetis, with the Baetis far outnumbering the Drakes. Cold weather is on the way however and fishing on Slough will slow down as the temps plummet. Midday will be the best time to fish as the water starts to cool. Sunny fall days can make for some sporadic midging activity, so make sure to bring small imitations.
Lamar River and Soda Butte Creek 10/8/08
The Lamar and the lower end of Soda Butte are still fishing pretty well. Many of the fish that were higher up in Soda Butte seem to have moved downriver in preparation for the change in seasons. Small attractors are still a great way to find fish when little is hatching, but anglers will find the best fishing during Baetis hatches in the early afternoons. #22 Baetis Cripples and Emergers are candy to the Lamar’s Cutthroats.
Yellowstone River 10/8/08
Things aren’t getting any better on the Yellowstone below Fishing Bridge. Fishing in the Canyons is much better if you don’t mind a little down and up hiking.
Gallatin River (Yellowstone National Park) 10/8/08
The Gallatin is still seeing some Baetis, though the fishing seems to be a bit better in the river downstream in Montana. Afternoons are the only time to spend on the water in the Park, as cool water temps limit fish activity to the warm parts of the day.
One Comment
Thanks for your paragraph on fishing etiquette. Everything you said was right on. I especially liked the part about “keep moving” A high percentage of nymph fishers don’t seem to get it. The fishing ambiance on the Madison in the fall has has severely deteriorated in the past 10 years as you know. Keep reminding people about courtesy. There seems to be very little mention of it on websites and blogs. Thanks again