Yesterday Mark and I drove through the Gallatin Canyon on the way to West Yellowstone to meet with John Juracek before his trip to England. The number of folks fishing the Gallatin was impressive – there were people on the water from the confluence with Fan Creek basically all the way down through the Canyon.
Maybe even more impressive were the several big mud plugs (at least two different discreet ones) that we saw. Yesterday morning one was below Big Sky and the other above. The worst one (the upper) was a several mile stretch of pretty much chocolate milk, though as always the river was in pretty much pristine shape above Taylor Fork.
I know we say it every year, but the Gallatin fishes really well this time of year when the water is dropping and clearing – this may in fact be the time that the Gallatin gives up some of the best dry fly fishing she’ll offer all year.
There are still PMDs, Yellow Sallies, Caddis and Green Drake in the Canyon, and even some hoppers lower. Ants and beetles have been very useful throughout the river.
Didn’t see Yellowstoner’s bears but they’re sure warning folks about them (here’s one at the Bighorn Trailhead). The upper river valley is in great shape for this time of year with a great display of wildflowers.
Tags: River - Gallatin
