trip report: Yellowstone River

[Adam McDowell]

I just returned last night from fishing with my wife on the Yellowstone River and some tribs around paradise valley for 5 days. The fishing was really good most days, with hoppers starting to take off. I am sorting through a good number of photos but here are a few of the first batch.

Yellowstone river near the mill creek bridge

cuttie ripping drag by TheMcDowell’s, on Flickr

beautiful colors

upper Yellowstone cutthroat by TheMcDowell’s, on Flickr

We fished two small rivers that required bridge parking and hiking up a ways. This 16″ male was a bigger fish in the day but the average was 12-14″ and all brownies

another creek brownie by TheMcDowell’s, on Flickr

Lots of bent rods

weight forward by TheMcDowell’s, on Flickr

My Wife’s big fish of the trip to close out the bird float. It taped out at 21″. She caught a 16″ hen brown 30 minutes later that I netted and released without a picture because I figured that she was satisfied (big mistake!)

21 inch  Yellowstone River brown by TheMcDowell’s, on Flickr

Here are a few more http://www.flickr.com/photos/46301990@N06/sets/72157624693042656/

[Corey Kruitbosch]

Nice pics and what looks like a great trip! That is one beautiful brown… the tail is huge! ‘Grats!

[anonymous]

nice slob brown.

[Tim Angeli]

Very nice.

[Zach Matthews]

Nice photos!

[Mike Cline]

Great! They don’t call it Paradise for nothing!

[Adam McDowell]

Thanks guys

Mike, we fished the EG by the tree farm and had no luck. It was supposed to be a slam dunk there, have you fished there much?

[Mike Cline]

Thanks guys

Mike, we fished the EG by the tree farm and had no luck. It was supposed to be a slam dunk there, have you fished there much?

I’ve fished the E. Gallatin 7 times so far this year–3 times after runoff.  The last time last Thurs.  I normally fish the Dry Creek to Swamp road section (MZ and Skinner Ranch), so am unaware of how the upper river has been doing.  So far the irrigation returns have kept the river a bit murky but that has not affected the fishing.  Its tougher on Sunny days and early in the day, but when you get cloud cover, the hatches of Caddis and PMDs are really prolific.  So far this year, I’ve landed 3 20″ + fish and lost a number of others.  Lots of fish in the 12-18″ range.  Its a good fishery, but you really need to get away from the roads and fish the remote sections.  Next time you are nearby, I’d be happy to take you on kayak float.

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