A good opener on the Firehole

[Mike Cline]

Made the annual solo trip south the Yellowstone on Memorial Day to flog the Firehole. Stuck around Monday night to get another 6 hours in on Tuesday morning. Surprisingly, the west side of the park wasn’t that crowded and my early starts put me well out in front of the tourists.

6AM at Midway on Memorial Day morning

The weather was a bit scuddy with some wind, rain and occasional sleet, but that didn’t stop the Firehole from giving up its usual bounty of browns and rainbows to the bugger/soft hackle combo. The normal, but clear high spring water had the bigger browns tucked in the undercuts and eddies along the banks. Easy pickens with the bugger. Fished the 7’ 3wgt Diamondglass effortlessly throughout the day. Didn’t encounter but one other angler on the river in the sections I fished. He was patiently waiting for the hatch that never happened. Bison were the biggest distraction and one bull kept me out of water I wanted to fish. On Tues morning, with a 6AM start at Fountain Flats, I hiked 1.3 miles cross-country to intercept the Firehole near Feather Lake. Fishing the 1.7 miles in 5 hours back downstream to the mouth of Sentinal Creek, not a single angler or tourist was encountered. Who says Yellowstone fishing is always crowded? A few random shots from the two days.

The 3wgt at Goose Lake Meadows

This bull walked into the riffle and just stood there blocking my passage

A pair of Swans didn’t seem to mind a lone angler watching them feed up close.

Pretty typical Firehole Brown

Ever present Bison in Biscuit Basin

Having just crossed the Firelhole at the 1st Iron Bridge, the river is now about a mile across this flat.

This is one of the remotest parts of the Firehole. Its about 1.7 river miles from both Midway and Fountain Flats as well as 1.5 miles west of the main highway.

Typical Firehole Rainbow on the bugger

There are places on the river that are eerie.

Lots of beautiful water, devoid of anglers.

Strategy without Tactics is a Slow Route to Victory, Tactics without Strategy is the Noise Before Defeat - Sun Tzu

[Zach Matthews]

That second shot is the best looking picture of a parking lot I have ever seen. 🙂

Thanks Mike.

Zach

[Michael Phillippe]

There is no place else like this in the world!

[Author]

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