Madison River (Yellowstone National Park) 10/28/08
This is the last weekend to fish in Yellowstone. There are plenty of lake run browns and rainbows in the Park on the Madison, yet our warm bright days have made the fishing tough. Mornings and evenings have been pretty good. Clouds appear to be on the way for the weekend, so fishing should improve through the mid day hours. We’ve had good fishing either swinging soft hackles or nymphing with a San Juan Worm and a Pheasant Tail Soft Hackle or Prince Nymph dropper. Streamer fishing has been pretty tough except late in the day, or earlier than I am willing to get out of bed. It seems that anglers think the Madison Junction is the only place to fish right now, as it has been crawling with fisherman. There’s fourteen miles of great water in the Park!
Firehole River 10/28/08
This weekend is the last chance to enjoy the wonderful fall fishing on the Firehole. We’re still seeing Baetis, some Midges and enough Caddis to bring some fish up in the afternoons. When nothing is going on, there are still plenty of trout willing to eat a #16 or #18 Bead Head Olive Hare’s Ear Soft Hackle swung in the riffles. Black Better Foam Caddis in #20, Baetis Stacker Cripples, BWO CDC Biot Comparaduns in #22 and Midge Emergers in #22 are all effective flies for their respective hatches. Bring some 6 X and expect to make tight accurate casts to fool fish.
Gibbon River 10/28/08
Any of the deeper pockets and pools in the Gibbon below Gibbon Falls will have some larger Hebgen Lake fish in them this time of year. Anglers have the best success chasing these large fish with nymph rigs, though streamers can work wondered if the fish aren’t in direct sunlight and haven’t been pressured. When the sun is bright, small nymphs like #14-16 Prince Nymphs, Pheasant Tails and Ram Caddis can work wonders.