My Yellowstone Flies

[Mike Cline]

As the Yellowstone Park season is coming to a close on November 6, I thought I’d reflect on the flies I actually caught fish with this year.  Having fished in the park since 1972, I’ve had a lot of opportunity to fish a lot of park water, but really have a favorite few that I frequent on a regular basis.  I tie my own and have definitely refined a few patterns for consistency and durability, but when I stepped back and examined the flies I actually used and caught fish with, apart from color and size, the list is pretty short.  It’s heavily biased toward big, visible flies because at 63, my eyesight can’t handle #16 BWOs, even if the fish want them. Here’s a list of those waters and the flies that worked for me this year.

• Firehole River (June, September, October) – #10 Olive or Black woolly buggers with a classic soft-hackle trailer. Very occasionally, a #14 elk-hair caddis. This year I didn’t get in any early September time on the Firehole, otherwise hoppers would have been on this list as well.
• Madison River (September, October) — #6 Olive, Black, Brown or Yellow Woolly buggers, #6 Black or Brown Squirrel Tails.
• Upper Lamar River (August) — #6, 8, 10 foam hoppers (pick your color), occasionally a black woolly bugger
• Slough Creek (lower canyon) (August)– #6, 8, 10 foam hoppers
• Black Canyon of the Yellowstone (also near Tower Creek) (August, September)– #6 Olive, Black, Brown or Yellow Woolly buggers, #6 Black or Brown Squirrel Tails
• Gibbon River (upper canyon) (June)–# 12 foam ants, #10 buggers
• Gardner River (lower canyon) (late July through September)–# 6, 8, 10 Matt’s Stone, #10, 12 Matt’s Golden Stone, #6, 8, 10 foam hoppers.  The Gardner is about the only river where I’ll drop something off a bobber or hopper.  The lower canyon is big stonefly heaven, and during high water in July, the Matt’s stone nymphs are big producers.

Here’s the three fly boxes that accompany me when I am in the park—my Firehole box, my Madison Box and my hopper/stonefly nymph box.

My Firehole Box

My Madison Box

The hopper/stonefly box

Most of my buggers/hoppers are tied with dubbed bodies using Troutman’s Simi Seal dubbing http://www.troutsmen.com/parts.asp?category_id=59

This stuff is easy to work with, comes in lots of useful colors and makes a great body for buggers.

[olle bulder]

Hi mike, nice flies! I’m planning to fish in YNP next june for a few days, any flies and water you can recommend?

I was watching “Yellowstones Hatches” again today, is that still an acurate indication they are giving in that movie or has the climate changed things?

Thanks.

[Mike Cline]

First, I don’t give much credance to anything that’s blamed on climate change, since the climate has been changing for eons.

Second, June is a tough month in the Rockies.

[olle bulder]

Thanks Mike.

[Author]

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