Yellowstone Fishing Report

August 26, 2004

With the better weather conditions and improved water flows, over all, fishing this year in Yellowstone Park has been good. The Firehole fished well into the middle of July, which is at least two weeks longer than it normally should. Yellowstone Lake and the Yellowstone River have fished the best they have in years. In both river and lake, we may not have seen the numbers of fish that we have in the past but the average fish size has been impressive. Many people that came by the shop commented on how long it took the Lamar to clear and become fishable but in all actually it was a very ordinary year. I guess the drought years have also brought on memory loss. In years past, rarely would we think of fishing the Lamar before August. Although this year none of Yellowstone�s waters have really stood out as being spectacular, all waters in the park have been consistent fisheries. June and July had very normal weather patterns but August has been wet and cold. This has hindered the fishing as of late but will definitely be a bonus for the late season.

Throughout the park grasshopper activity has picked up considerably, especially on the Yellowstone and the Lamar. There has still been a little PMD activity on the Yellowstone but most of your dry-fly action (besides hoppers) will probably be with spinners, caddis, ants, and beetles. The Lamar has seen very good caddis but also be prepared with Chernobyl Ants, Power Ants, and Black Triple Deckers. During the times of dry-fly inactivity, don�t overlook dropping a nymph off these large attractor patterns. Green Beans, Anto-Mays, and Dirty Birds have all proven themselves as successful nymph patterns. In other words, good fish getters.

It won�t be long before the Firehole comes back around, especially with the cooler temperatures we been experiencing. And before you know it, the browns will be running out of Hebgen Lake and up the Madison. Then this fall jewel will be sparkling again. One thing most Yellowstone fisherman ignore, is its smaller water. If you want to get away from people, try some of these little gems. For most of them, a short hike is all it takes to find seclusion and surprise to what good fisheries they can be. For most of them all it takes is a Royal Wulff, Humpy, Parachute Adams, or Trude in a size 14.

Things are stacking up to be a good fall in Yellowstone Country. For those of you who live here take some time and enjoy it. For those of you who don�t, we hope you can come out an experience this extraordinary National Treasure. As always, for up-to-the-minute info don�t hesitate to give the shop a call at 307-733-7210.

Until next time good fishing,
Howard Cole

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