Wild Trout Outfitters Fly Fishing Report 5-2-2017
GALLATIN RIVER
The Gallatin River is on the rise at Gallatin Gateway. The river has provided us with excellent fishing so far this year. We should see several more days of good fishing before the BIG Muddy. The spring runoff which will last for approximately 4-5 weeks.
The Gallatin River is about to experience a good, healthy runoff that will flush out sediment and create new habitat. As of today the Gallatin snopack is at 114% . We anticipate a fairly normal runoff that will subside in mid-June… Just in time to fish the salmonfly hatch.
During runoff the river will remain fairly productive for those who are intimately familiar with it. In fact some of the largest browns of the year are caught during runoff conditions. Streamers and large nymphs are the go-to patterns at this time. Fishing the mouth’s of clear-flowing tributaries is one tactic that can be successful.
If the muddy water has you down, conditions are typically a bit more conducive upstream of the Taylor Fork confluence. Keep in mind that Yellowstone National Park doesn’t open to fishing until 5/27, the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend. There is just a short stretch of river between the Taylor Fork and the park that is currently open to fishing, this reach of the Gallatin will see increased fishing pressure during May.
If you are here visiting and need your fly fishing FIX we can make it happen, just pick up the phone and call Wild Trout Outfitters and we will do what we do best (PUT PEOPLE ON FISH). Don’t forget to pinch your barbs down and practice catch and release, please love them and leave them in the river.
Currently: Large nymphs or dead-drifted streamers in the #4-8 size range such as the Pat’s Rubber Leg, Bitch Creek, Amber Stone, Golden Stone, San Juan Worm, Bow River Bugger or Sparkle Minnow.
Patterns to stock up on for post-runoff:
Dries: Flutter Bug #6-8, Cat Puke (salmonfly & golden stonefly) #6-10), Rogue Stone (salmonfly and golden stonefly) #6-10, Chubby Chernobyl (Golden) #8-10, Stimulator (Yellow) #10-14, Elk Hair Caddis (Yellow/Tan/Olive) #14-16, X-Caddis (Olive) #14-16, Lime Trude #14-16, Sparkle Dun (PMD) #16-18, Purple Haze #14-18
Nymphs: Pats’ Rubber Legs #6-10, Mega Prince #8, Dirty Trixie (Red) #12, CDC Pheasant Tail #16-18, Pheasant Tail #16-18, Lightning Bug #16-18, Copper John #14-16, Beadhead Yellow Sally #14, CDC Emerger #14-18, Shop Vac #16
Streamers: Black and Olive Wooly Buggers #2-8, Black and Olive Wooly Bead Buggers #2-8, Bow River Bugger #4-6, Home Invader #2-6, McCune’s Sculpin#4, Zonker #4. Be sure to have an array of colors represented in your streamer box including: white, yellow, olive, natural/tan, and black.
Wild Trout Outfitters Fly Fishing Report 5-2-2017
UPPER MADISON RIVER
The upper Madison remains very fishable and productive with over two feet of visibility. Stream flows at Kirby Ranch are currently around 1,500 cfs .
This Year the snow pack for the Madison is still currently between 113% and 122%(depending on where you look) Flows have increased with the recent warm weather, but visibility remains fair and the fishing is great. Anglers can currently expect over 2 feet of visibility above the West Fork, and a bit less below.
The nymph and streamer fishing has been excellent. A wide variety of nymph patterns are taking fish right now, and fish are holding in a variety of water. It’s definitely time to start fishing some of the water that we’ve been ignoring over the past several months. Particularly on warmer afternoons, those fishy looking, summertime type of holds are starting to produce again. We’re talking about the buckets and shelves below riffles… faster seams, and tailouts.
The streamer bite has been much more consistent over the past week, and we expect that to continue. Fish are chasing aggressively at times and large, articulated patterns seem to be attracting the most attention. Black has been a top producer, but olive has been hot at times, as has white.
Good numbers of caddis have joined the ongoing emergences of baetis, March browns, and midges. Despite the presence of all these insects, the dry fly fishing has been spotty. But it is good to be prepared for rising fish by having a rod rigged and ready for the possibility of dry fly fishing.
The upper Madison remains our most productive fishery in the region.The upper, walk/wade stretch of the Madison River will remain fishable throughout runoff. Water clarity will be diminished significantly at the height of runoff, but the fishing typically remains very productive with large nymphs and streamers worked along the banks. Some of our clients’ largest fish of the year come from this stretch of the Madison during May and June. We’ll be running guide trips daily, give us a call (800-423-4742) to arrange a trip.
Nymphs: Pats’ Rubber Legs #6-10, Amber Stone #8-10, Pheasant Tail #18, Soft-Hackle Olive and Brown #16-12, Lightning Bug #18-14, RS-2 #18-20, Shop Vac #16, $3 Dip #16-18, San Juan Worm #12
Dries: X-Caddis Olive, Brown & Grey#16-12, Elk Hair Caddis #12-16 , Parachute Adams #18-14, Purple Haze #14-18, Sparkle Dun (olive) #18 and #12 (brown),
Streamers: Black and Olive Wooly Buggers #2-8, Black and Olive Wooly Bead Buggers #2-8, Sex Dungeon #4, Circus Peanut #4, Barely Legal, Sparkle Minnow #4-6, Bow River Bugger #4-6, Home Invader #2-6, McCune’s Sculpin#4. Be sure to have an array of colors represented in your streamer box including: white, yellow, olive, natural/tan, and black.
Wild Trout Outfitters Fly Fishing Report 5-2-2017
YELLOWSTONE RIVER
The Yellowstone River is holding steady at 3550 cfs. The River is in fishable condition and could hold on for the Mothers Day Caddis Hatch.Keep your fingers Crossed. With warmer weather in the forecast the river is only days away from the BIG MUDDY until runoff subsides in mid to late June.The Snowpack for the upper Yellowstone river is currently at 139%
After a few more days of good fishing conditions on the Yellowstone, river levels will be on the rise again.With warmer temperatures in the forecast the stream flow will increase and the water clarity will deteriorate. The Lamar, Gardner, and Shields – all major tributaries of the upper Yellowstone – will substantially increase the flow in the next week to 10 days. The river is will be entering full runoff inside of 2 weeks.We expect runoff to subside in late June or early July this year, hopefully in time for the salmonfly hatch.
Currently: Large nymphs or dead-drifted streamers in the #4-8 size range such as the Pat’s Rubber Leg, Bitch Creek, Yuk Bug, Mega Prince, San Juan Worm, Bow River Bugger or Sparkle Minnow.
Dries: Elk Hair Caddis (Grey/Brown/Dark Olive) #12-16, X-Caddis (Olive) #14-16, Chubby Chernobyl (Golden) #8-10, Stimulator (Yellow) #10-14,, Lime Trude #14-16, Sparkle Dun (PMD) #16-18, Purple Haze #14-18
Nymphs: Pats’ Rubber Legs #8, Mega Prince #8, Dirty Trixie (Red) #12, CDC Pheasant Tail #16-18, Pheasant Tail #16-18, Lightning Bug #16-18, Copper John #14-16, Beadhead Yellow Sally #14, CDC Emerger #14-18, Shop Vac #16
Streamers: Black and Olive Wooly Buggers #2-8, Black and Olive Wooly Bead Buggers #2-8, Sex Dungeon #4, Circus Peanut #4, Barely Legal, Sparkle Minnow #4-6, Bow River Bugger #4-6, McCune’s Sculpin#4. Be sure to have an array of colors represented in your streamer box including: white, yellow, olive, natural/tan, and black.
Wild Trout Outfitters Fly Fishing Report 5-2-2017
YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK
YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK’S FISHING SEASON IS CLOSED AND WILL REOPEN ON THE SATURDAY OF MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND ( MAY 27, 2017).
25 days and counting, that’s all that remains until the fabled waters of Yellowstone National Park reopen to anglers for a new season of fishing. The Saturday of Memorial Day is opening day and will greet anglers with opportunities for quality fishing. Opening weekend typically finds most of the park’s streams and rivers swollen with snowmelt. Many river systems such as the Yellowstone and its tributaries (the Lamar, Slough Creek, etc.) are virtually unfishable during the early portion of the park’s fishing season. The portion of the Gallatin River within the park is typically fishable from a clarity standpoint, but the river and its tributaries will be flowing high and water temperatures will be cold.
Some of the best early season fishing opportunities in the park can be found along the Madison River and its two primary tributaries: the Firehole River and the Gibbon River. These fisheries are located near the park’s west entrance and are go-to destinations for most of our guide trips in the park. The Firehole is a popular opening weekend destination for anglers, and for good reason – flows are typically moderate and it’s a fairly safe bet that trout will be found rising to hatches of both caddis and baetis in the classic meadow water above the falls. Below the falls on the Firehole anglers may still find a few large, holdover fish that migrated up from Hebgen Lake during the fall spawning run. These fish can be taken on large stonefly nymphs imitating the giant salmonfly, a hatch that occurs in early June on the lower Firehole due to its thermal influence. Should opening weekend find the Firehole flowing high and turbid, anglers can still find success, but may need to shift gears and trying swinging soft hackles or nymphing.
The Gibbon River is a very diverse fishery that provides less reliable fishing for opening weekend – some years it fishes very well on the opener, and during other years it is too high and off color to be productive. If conditions allow, anglers will do well nymphing below the falls with stonefly patterns, or with baetis imitations along the river’s upper meadow reaches.
Opening weekend in Yellowstone is a tradition for many anglers, give us a call (800-423-4742) to discuss planning your own trip.
Patterns to have on hand for the opener:
Dries: Adams #18-20, Sparkle Dun (olive) #18-20, Purple Haze #18-20
Nymphs: Pheasant Tail #18-20, Soft-Hackle Pheasant Tail #18-20, CDC Emerger #18-20, Partridge & Olive Soft Hackle #18-20, Lightning Bug #18-20, WD-40 #18-20, RS-2 #18-20, Pat’s Rubber Leg #8
