Hit YB for a couple hours this afternoon...
WEATHER: Overcast, 40tysomething, occasional breeze, melting snow.
WATER: Clear, 46 degrees F (confirmed by thermometer) with no ice. A few anglers here and there but not crowded by YB standard.
HATCHES/FORAGE: None. Saw a couple splashy rises but could not ID any midges or other predicable bugs. Small fallfish and various minnows and suckers of all age classes were widely visible in the usual spots, including shallow areas.
Started out with a streamer when I saw the surprisingly warm water temp. I usually expect colder temps when snow is melting. We rec'd about 8-10" in the recent storm and it has melted down to less than half that as of today. Got one stocked BT on the streamer and decided to switch to skinny stuff after about half an hour. I saw no stocked trout, other than the one I caught, but there are always some fish here and there.
Action was a steady pick on zebra midges fished low and mid water column. Took multiple wild BTs and one wild RT (see photo). Wild RTs are in the YB and its watershed but not numerous. I get a couple every year and it's always nice to see. Interestingly, I had more luck in riffles and shallow runs than deeper areas today. Don't ignore riffles in winter.
If you haven't been out lately, don't forget to wear your wool socks and long johns if you're wading.
WEATHER: Overcast, 40tysomething, occasional breeze, melting snow.
WATER: Clear, 46 degrees F (confirmed by thermometer) with no ice. A few anglers here and there but not crowded by YB standard.
HATCHES/FORAGE: None. Saw a couple splashy rises but could not ID any midges or other predicable bugs. Small fallfish and various minnows and suckers of all age classes were widely visible in the usual spots, including shallow areas.
Started out with a streamer when I saw the surprisingly warm water temp. I usually expect colder temps when snow is melting. We rec'd about 8-10" in the recent storm and it has melted down to less than half that as of today. Got one stocked BT on the streamer and decided to switch to skinny stuff after about half an hour. I saw no stocked trout, other than the one I caught, but there are always some fish here and there.
Action was a steady pick on zebra midges fished low and mid water column. Took multiple wild BTs and one wild RT (see photo). Wild RTs are in the YB and its watershed but not numerous. I get a couple every year and it's always nice to see. Interestingly, I had more luck in riffles and shallow runs than deeper areas today. Don't ignore riffles in winter.
If you haven't been out lately, don't forget to wear your wool socks and long johns if you're wading.
