Yellowstone ff trip

[sipe]

So, I have recieved the OK from the wife to do a trip to Yellowstone in summer, 2013. I'd like to rent a cabin if possible and fish a variety of waters. Flyfishing will be the focus of the trip, but obviously site seeing and wildlife watching will be of importance too. I have a budget but am unwilling to camp to save money. I will be flying and renting a car. Late JUNE or early JULY are the most likely times for me to go for a week.

SO....I've never been west. What waters should I fish for a great experience??? (not concerned with huge numbers or sizes...I hardly ever catch anything here!), just a beautiful setting and a beautiful experience.


HELP!

 

[pete41]

As a former Montanan I have been told to stay out of these questions as I don't understand Easterners-lol
Can advise that the earlier the better for animal viewing as they move up in the high country for fresher grazing etc.,.
also don't overlook the fact some of the best fishing can be as early in the morning as legal.
Most concentrate on hatches but good early morning undercut fishing with small streamers[8-10s].Have the rivers to yourself but when the hatch is on the fishermen appear like magic.
also on the Madison side the madison doesn't hold as many fish as the Firehole but they are firmer and better fighters.
Have fun.

 

[albatross]

Much of the park is either not open to fishing or still unfishable due to snowmelt until July 15. Get yourself a book or do some serious internet research to understand the regulations and the flow dynamics of the various drainages in the park.

I had my family out there in summer 2005 we rented a car, stayed in rustic cabins in the park and ate in restaurants and cafeterias in the park. I think we paid about $80 a night for lodging. You'll want to make your reservations in the fall of 2012 for a 2013 trip.

 

[bikerfish]

out west you'll find trout in just about any water fromroadside ditch to mountain stream to big river. fish with caution, it will ruin you.
kinda along the same lines as skiing out west compared to PA. it's ok here, but it's just F-ing awesome out west.
my 2 cents? get out there and explore. do the guide thing for a day or so, but then get out on your own.
yellowstone is great, but I prefer the tetons for scenery. stay around jackson WY, you'll have yellowstone to the north, the tetons just outside of town, and the wind river range to the east.
OR, west yellowstone, that puts you near the henry's fork in idaho.
OR, gardiner MT, I've heard there is one or two decent cricks in MT that might have some fish!!
whatever you decide, you can't go wrong. splendid scenery is everywhere, trout are everywhere. you may not want to come home.

 

[Foxgap239]

I went a few years back the week after Labor day to try to stay away from crowds and it worked perfectly. Pretty much had fishing to ourselves and we still got to see some great wildlife. The weather was great too. When i go back, I'll do it the same week. Black ants were my "cuttie" ticket!

 

[beerbyrnes]

What size ants foxgap?

 

[Foxgap239]

Size 16's with a wisp of white CDC for a wing. They seemed to love em.

 

[midgeman]

Critter jams = Yellowstone. You'll grow very tired of your fellow tourists stopping every 5-10 miles to look at animals. Fish outside the park, it's much much better.

 

[Sunsu2277]

Get a map of the park and hike in to Grebe Lake...Takes awhile but the Grayling are thick and almost no one else there. you will get the true wilderness experience...Fish off the beaten path. Take some Bear spray..

 

[Acristickid]

Great places in the park-

Slough Creek requires hiking though. Firehole is an expereince because of the thermal features. If your in the Mammoth area, you can go over the hill to the Gardiner River and when your done soak in Lava Creek hot springs that flows into the Gardiner.

What a difference the other side of the mountain makes- I spent a couple weeks fishing just outside the park along it's northern boundry in the Absaroka Beartooth Wilderness. I thought it was more wild than the park itself and 95% less people. Rivers were Rock Creek, Rosebud,Stillwater and Boulder. The upper Stillwater and Rosebud Rivers are about as scenic as it gets are among my treasured memories.

I know the park, I felt compelled to mention the area. You'll love it, still can find places to yourself since 90% of the visitors are never 100 yards removed from a road.

Blue Ribbon Flies or Parks Fly Shop keeps close tabs on the fishing.

Couple pics to get you going.

 

[gaeronf]

Listen, I can't give you any advice but this:

I'm young, flexible, small, and can fit in a medium-large size suitcase. I don't eat much and am good company 🙂 And I can tie flies for ya....just think about it, everyone needs a companion 😉

LOL in all seriousness, I hear a lot of guys saying attractor flies work great. IMO I think that you should try dry or dry-dropper as much as possible.

 

[Foxgap239]

Soda Butte Creek!!!!!!!!!!!! It's in the Lamar Valley and it is the neatest creek. There a parking area for hikers (and fisherman alike) that has a path to a bridge over the creek. I spent 3 hours fishing right on the upstream side of the bridge and had rising fish the entire time. Size 16 black ants with a wisp of white CDC as a wing. Boy, did I have fun!

 

[Foxgap239]

Gaeronf can tie some mean flies and if he's willing to fly baggage class, take him!

 

[mtangler]

Congrats on the hall pass from the wife for a Yellowstone trip! I grew up in PA but now live in Bozeman and we frequently help folks plan trips in the Yellowstone area. Early summer (late June or early July) is a great time to visit the greater Yellowstone region. This is a transition time of the year for waters in YNP and Montana and conditions will vary from year to year but you will be garaunteed some great fishing. I would avoid the Gardiner entrance and the waters in the north eastern section of the park like Slough, Soda Butte, Lamar, etc. if you are planning in advance for dates befoer July 15th. The risk is that these waters will still be too high depending on the snowpack (about a 50-50 chance). A safer home base for early summer will be the western section of the park. The catch is that the Firehole and Madison in the park warm quickly and on some years are too warm in early July. Grayling, Duck and Cougar are also great options in mid June (small streams near West yellowstone)

Another great fishery that is always good in June and July is the Madison River outside of the Park. Hebgen dam helps moderate the flows and the sections above the West Fork are fishable regardless of snow melt. The Madison is a big river and some parts are best fished from a drift boat so I would skip trying to DIY between Lyons and Ennis and hire a guide for that day. The best DIY water is from Hebgen to Lyons bridge, also some good wading in the Channels below Ennis.

Some of the fisheries in the park can get a little crowded in the peak summer months. I would almost recommend the 3rd week of June when the Firehole is a sure bet and most likely the Madison in the Park and definitely the wade section of the Madison below Hebgen. I would also recommend booking a rod or two on the spring creeks near Livingston like DePuy, Armstrong or Nelson for the pmd hatch which kicks off around June 15 and runs strong into early July. If you fish some of the more technical waters like the Letort you will feel right at home. The pmd hatch is a lot like the sulphur on Spring Creek or Penns but comes off mid day. Those rods book out far in advance FYI.

The nice thing about the third week of June is that the rivers will still be mostly empty and the wade sections will not be that pressured - they can get pretty busy in late June and early July.

Another idea is to push the trip back to mid July and target the great attractor dry fishing on the other end of the park and base your trip out of Paradise Valley on the Yellowstone River. You could hit Slough, Soda Butte, Gardner, Lamar, etc. inside the park, do a float on the Yellowstone River outside the park and also catch the Boulder river (amazing attractor dry fishing in mid July). The spring creeks would also still be a fun option and they are right there to mix it up a bit. I would wait until July 15 to play it safe in case of a big water year if you are planning in advance.

Some other great fisheries outside of the Park to consider are the Ruby and Gallatin for DIY fishing - they are both smaller fisheries with a lot of public access and good for wading.

Feel free to drop a line if you need advice on where to go, especially if you are planning on a lot of DIY fishing. A lot of the rivers you read about are too tough to fish by just showing up (some too big for easy access) and others are just right. Having a bit of inside knowledge can go along way to make sure you have a great trip. Enjoy!