Hot damn, it’s the first day of May.
For fly fisherfolk across the nation the arrival of May makes the upcoming traditional opening day of the season shift from the ethereal world of possibility to a pending reality.
Opening the general fishing season in May seems to be the norm for the most of our neighbors as well here in Montana; it’s a long standing tradition in Yellowstone as well. Even though many if not most of the neighborhood waters are accessible to catch and release anglers year round, the words ‘opening day’ still invoke a quickened pulse, sweaty palms, and the ‘thousand yard stare’ in fly fisher folk world wide.
That said – opening day in Yellowstone is only 22 days away; yep – Memorial Day weekend is a week early this year.
Many of our readers are here specifically because of the love they share for the waters of Yellowstone with us and anglers around the world. Yellowstone truly is a magical place, and while it can be crowded at times with both fly fishers and ‘tourists’, it is one of those places that fly fisherfolk simply have to fish at some time in their lives. Most come back again and again – Yellowstone has a magnetism that pulls you back.
If you’ve not been to Yellowstone in a few years, or have never had the chance to come out and soak in the splendor, here are 10 reasons you should fish the Park this year.
- Blue winged olives on the Firehole; either the spring or the fall hatch. Personally I love to begin and end the Yellowstone season on the Firehole, and probably will again this year. Evening caddis in late summer and early fall can be a hoot as well, but the Firehole says blue winged olive to me.
- Third meadow on Slough. Brings to mind bugs and bears on summer days cleansed by showers or thunderstorms, with PMDs, BWOs, as well as Drakes (gray and green) a bit later in the summer / early fall. There are still natives so naïve on some days its can almost break your heart (though you’ll be hiking to find these fish. )
- Hoppers on the upper Gallatin or Fan Creek. Summer and fall days, fair amount of hiking, fewer footprints and fish, but some really, really nice rainbows.
- Runners on the Madison in the fall. Runners out of Hebgen can bring smiles to the faces of the stoutest curmudgeons. You’ll work for them and you won’t be alone.
- Native cutthroat on the Upper Yellowstone River (the Thorofare run). A journey not for the weak of heart, leg, lung, or constitution. You can have an outfitter hold your hand and take you back there, or you can gear up and get in yourself. One of the ‘trips of a lifetime’ that can be done in the lower 48.
- Canyons of the lower Yellowstone; the golden stones and caddis in July and August make for some great fishing in typically uncrowded conditions. Fall can be very productive here as well.
- Brookies and an occasional graying reward those fishing the upper most Gibbon (check out Solfatara as well); grassy meadows and undercut banks that are better than you can imagine.
- Smaller lakes and ‘lesser fished’ waters. There are many nifty waters that are missed by thousands as they zoom from one feature to the next. Email us if you’re interested in smaller, relatively un-fished and harder to access water. You’ll fish water 99% of Yellowstone’s anglers never see.
- The Cascade Corner – the Bechler and Fall Rivers. Some of the finest, most remote, and most technical fall fly fishing in the Park. Elegant water features, little if any pressure, fishes best later in the season.
- The Lamar is one of the few rivers in the Park without a road running right along its banks. There are typically lots of elbows fishing this water despite the need for a walk. Wary fish grow more wary as they season progresses, though terrestrials and caddis on summer evenings can make you feel like the first guy or gal to have fished the water. Lace ‘em up and walk in.
This is just a quick list that came to mind in twenty minutes at the keyboard. Ask thirty different Yellowstone fans and you’ll get fifty different lists. There’s much, much more to fish in Yellowstone, and there’s some pretty decent water in the neighborhood as well.
Most of us aren’t Kamkatchka or Patagonia bound this year – Yellowstone is (relatively speaking) just around the corner.
This is your year. See you on the Firehole.
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Hey guys,
I was lucky as a youth to take 10 day backcountry horseback trips into the therofare. It is amazing. The fishing on beaver dam and mountain creeks is great as well.
If you like big brookies, a hike into Fawn Lake early in the year can be rewarding. I caught a 23 incher when I was 8 years old. Watch out for bears.
JR – we have a greatly renewed interest in Yellowstone’s (and other) smaller waters as well. Fawn is a great desination among lots of others. Have a picture of that 23 incher – I’d love to post it if you do. (I don’t have anything of mine from when I was eight….., I barely can remember back then when the earth’s crust was still soft)