Madison River (YNP) 9/1/2010
There are a few (VERY FEW) lake run fish up into the Madison in the Park so far. Soft Hackles and Streamers are the best way to fish this time of year, as anglers are really searching for a needle in a haystack. Nymphing will hook an angler up with untold numbers of whitefish, so if that is your thing, tie on the bobber. Dry fly fishing for resident fish has been pretty good. The river has some Tricos in the mornings, Baetis on cloudy days and a decent caddis hatch just before dark. Hoppers can find some fish as well provided the conditions are good for terrestrials.
Firehole River 9/1/2010
The Firehole has cooled back down and is certainly a good option on cloudy days. Baetis and Caddis are hatching in good numbers and there are plenty of fish rising. Stay off the Firehole in the middle of the day when the sun is on the water, aside from then, it should be good to go for the rest of the fall unless we see a few days in a row back in the 80’s.
Gibbon River 9/1/2010
Baetis hatches in the Meadows have made for some great fishing on cloudy days in the afternoons. The larger fish are no pushovers but there are often enough heads up that one gets plenty of chances to fool some fish. CDC Comparaduns in #20-22 are rarely refused. Keep a few small Pheasant Tails in the box to hang off of the dry for a really difficult fish.
Gallatin River (YNP) 9/1/2010
The Gallatin is getting good Baetis emergence on cloudy days. Tilt Wing Duns, Thorax Duns and Paramergers are all effective when cast with a good drift over rising fish. Attractor and terrestrial fishing can be a lot of fun when the sun is on the water, but the fish are pretty demanding of an excellent drift at this point in the season.
Slough Creek 9/1/2010
Slough is seeing some good fishing, but there are a few more anglers around due to the dirty water on the Lamar. Drakes have started, but there hasn’t been enough to really get the fish interested yet. This should change quickly. Midges and Baetis are the most important aquatic insects to imitate and one should always come with plenty of small terrestrials. The fish are tough to fool throughout the river right now. A careful approach and accurate first casts hook a lot more fish than the 17th cast. Get is right the first time!
Lamar River/ Soda Butte Creek 8/1/2010
Water conditions on the Lamar continue to be variable, as we are still seeing some thunder showers. Keep an eye on the stream flow when you are headed out to the river as rises in the water generally equate to muddy water. Soda Butte has stayed in pretty good shape and has had some hatches. Epeorus, Baetis and even a few Drakes are starting to hatch. The fish are super picky so make sure to have the color and size of the natural matched perfectly. The further upstream one goes on Soda Butte, the more the fish actually act like Cutthroat, but the smaller the fish get.