Memorial Day on the Firehole
- This topic has 8 replies, 6 voices, and was last updated May 27, 2009 at 8:30 pm by
.
-
Posts
-
It has been almost 35 years since I’ve fished the Firehole River in the Spring. Despite the dire warnings that the early opener this year would make for some dicey conditions, I took a fishing buddy to the park on Monday—his first time ever to fish in Yellowstone. Almost everything in the Park is up and muddy, or still iced over, except the Firehole. Although the Firehole was about 8-10” higher than normal Fall flows, visibility was great and wading no more difficult than normal. We were able to navigate just about every part of the river that can be waded in the Fall.
Upstream from Ojo Caliente SpringI failed to take as many pictures as I usually do because I was tutoring my friend in the fine arts of swinging buggers and soft hackles. We got in about 8 hours of non-stop catching of 10-14” rainbows and browns that all fell to the winning combination of a #10 olive bugger and #14 soft hackle—partridge and yellow, partridge and olive and partridge and chartreuse. Although we didn’t see a lot of anglers—we fished the complete run at Muleshoe Bend without another angler insight—I did get to talk to a few and observe others. Those that insisted on Bobber fishing weren’t doing well. Those that were swinging soft-hackles were connecting regularly. My friend is a Bamboo Rod nut and he was using a really nice 8’ Granger he refurbished. But he had never fished buggers and soft-hackles—he’s a bobber fisherman. He’s now sold on this tried and true technique and the old soft bamboo rod handled the rig nicely.
Swinging the bugger with the GrangerSeveral weeks back I had the pleasure to sit next to Bud Lilly during a luncheon in Bozeman. I asked him about the Firehole and he provided some interesting insights. I mentioned that I was a bit un-conventional in fishing buggers and soft-hackles to risers on the Firehole. He replied, “you are not un-conventional, just old-fashion.” Those are words of wisdom in many ways. Here’s to Old-Fashion fishing.
Mike,
Nice report. I have always wanted to go there. Did you just get lucky and have the water to yourself? I would think a section of river that famous would be more crowded this time of year?
Neal,
I suspect we were very lucky to have the sections of the river to ourselves that we did.Great report. Are the high water conditions due to run off snow melt or did they get a lot of rain? Really like the pictures too.
Snowmelt runoff
Mike Cline…I’m ready to see more Montana threads from you this summer. Some kayak trips too I hope!
Baring extraordinarily bad weather my plans have me and the two Ultimates on Yellowstone Lake two days after the June 15th opener chucking clousers for Lake Trout. 🙂
Great report .. I was wondering how it was fishing .. I ran into another angler, in the airport (rod tubes are a great icebreaker), that was on his way up to west.
Baring extraordinarily bad weather my plans have me and the two Ultimates on Yellowstone Lake two days after the June 15th opener chucking clousers for Lake Trout. 🙂
I’m looking forward to that thread!
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.