Madison River (YNP) 8/10/2010
The Madison is still seeing some Caddis just before dark. Ants and Beetles can be effective in the morning hours. Mid-day isn’t the best time to be on the water right now.
Firehole River 8/10/2010
It is time to fish elsewhere until things cool down in the fall.
Gibbon River 8/10/2010
Hopper fishing in the Meadows is a super fun way to kill a sunny afternoon this time of year. Now if we can just get a sunny afternoon, we’ll be in business.
Gallatin River (YNP) 8/10/2010
The Gallatin in the Park is by far the best option close to West that doesn’t involve braving the dreaded Yellowstone Park road construction on the Gibbon. Ants, Stimulators, small Hoppers and Rusty Parachutes have all been good flies. Hatches are thinning out a bit, but make sure to have some Rusty Spinners for the mornings and evenings.
Slough Creek 8/10/2010
Slough is getting a lot of angler attention when the Lamar and Soda Butte are blown out, but the fishing has been pretty good. As usual the fish are tough to fool (especially the big ones) but will succumb to a properly drifted dry most of the time. Beetles, Ants, PMD’s and small attractors can all fool fish, but once refused by a trout will not be effective. Change flies and try again. Dropping a small Sawyer Pheasant Tail off a dry is an old trick that often works with picky fish that won’t commit to eating a dry.
Lamar River/ Soda Butte Creek 8/10/2010
Water conditions on the Lamar have been off and on this past week. Keep an eye on the stream flow when you are headed out to the river. Terrestrial fishing has been really solid when the river is clear and there are also some good PMD hatches coming off. As always, it usually pays to walk a bit from the road to find fish that see a little less pressure. Soda Butte has also been dirty, but is fishing very well (if you don’t mind some company) when clear. Smaller flies tend to be more effective on Soda Butte as its fish know every hopper pattern in the Umpqua Feather Merchants catalogue by now.