Steve K.
Forum Replies Created
-
Posts
-
One thing that I always thought odd about the Yellowstone cuttroat occurs in Slough Creek….which as many of you know, is a trib of the Lamar River which is a trib of the Yellowstone River.
After fishing Slough for several years now (mostly 1st, 2nd and 3rd Meadows) I noticed most all the fish we caught were in the 15 to 18″ range…..nothing smaller. We began to wonder where the fry were? Always was a mystery until one day……I ventured up the small canyon between 1st and 2nd Meadow. It’s all pocket water averaging no more than 12 inches in depth. We began catching a bunch of sub 10 inch fish. This led me to the conclusion that the cutts are possibly very aggressive like browns and prey on the smaller of their specie. Anyone that has examined the teeth in a Slough Creek cutt may agree. I am left to assume that the smaller fish prefer the shallow riffles as a way to avoid the larger and hungrier adults who lurk in the slow deep pools.
This was the only location on the creek that I encountered juvenile cutts until I began fishing similar riffle water upstream of the Silver Tip Ranch and northeast of the Park boundary.
Interesting stuff.
What Neal said.
I bought a rotisserie motor at the Depot for $8. The box had been opened and taped back. Who knows if all the parts were there….I only needed the motor. Works like a charm and turns at the correct speed.
It runs off two D-cells and will run for days on the 2 batteries.
Henry’s Fork Area Fishing Report
Last updated : June 8, 2008By Mike Lawson
This is turning out to be an old fashioned June. The snowpack and the water conditions have been like the old days, back in the 1970s and 1980s. The snow pack in the Henry’s Fork Basin is 187% of normal and the year-to-date precipitation is 111% of normal as of this writing. The percent of average is actually increasing because the snow has been accumulating instead of melting!
The weather and water conditions have definitely provided some challenges. The fish will be the beneficiaries. The rivers would have taken a very hard hit if the drought conditions of the past several years continued.
Make sure to utilize the hatch chart on our site for detailed information about all of the important aquatic insects of the region.Upper Henry’s Fork – Big Springs to Island Park Reservoir:
Fishing has been pretty good and it should get better. Until Henry’s Lake filled, the outlet was almost completely shut down. Now that the lake is full, trout will be flushed down through the dam into the outlet and will filter on down. Public access into some areas of Henry’s Lake Outlet is difficult because it flows through private property.
The salmonfly hatch in the lower Coffee Pot area is going full bore. There is a very good opportunity to hook some big boys on large dry salmonfly patterns. If you can’t get them to look up, use large heavily weighted stonefly nymphs.
Upper Henry’s Fork – Box Canyon:
Trust me; the salmonfly hatch is still coming. Things were starting to happen until the weather turned cold. The water temperature needs to rise in order for these giant stoneflies to emerge. Look for things to get going again with warmer temperatures.
Fishing has been good in the canyon with large rubberlegs stonefly nymphs, bead head nymphs and streamers. In many cases the numbers have been slim but the quality is high with some very nice rainbows landed.
Upper Henry’s Fork – Harriman State Park and Last Chance:
The water is cold and the hatches at Last Chance have been pretty quiet. With warmer weather you can expect some hatches of March Browns, Baetis and caddis. The Harriman Park stretch opens on Father’s Day, June 15th. Predicting what to expect is about like predicting who will win the NBA playoffs. There is no doubt that the ranch has been pretty tough the past few years. It has been particularly poor on the opener. Nobody is expecting any miracles here but I honestly think the fishing will be better this year. One reason is the high flows through the Box Canyon. This should help distribute trout downstream. Another factor is that the Island Park Reservoir was almost completely drafted last fall due to high irrigation demand. The result is more trout were flushed down through the dam into the Henry’s Fork. The winter flows were much better than expected due to a lot of hard work by the Henry’s Fork Foundation. Given the factors I’ve mentioned, there is simply no reason not to expect the ranch to fish better this year. However, a report is a lot easier to do than a prediction so make sure to check back next week.
Middle Henry’s Fork – Riverside Campground to Warm River:
Things should start to happen again in this section of the river. The salmonfly hatch was going full bore before the weather turned grouchy and cold. In fact, our guides were complaining that there were just too many adult salmonflies and the trout were full. There will likely be more salmonflies, especially in the Riverside to Hatchery Ford section. We’ve been catching some quality big fish in this stretch on our guided trips but most of them have been coming on nymphs and streamers. Look for some good dry fly fishing in the days ahead. I joined a couple of our guides early last week in the canyon below Lower Mesa Falls to get some photographs. We fished dry salmonfly patterns all day and caught a bunch of nice fat rainbows and browns. This is an amazing piece of water but you need to be in very good physical condition to make the long climb down into the canyon.Middle Henry’s Fork – Warm River to Ashton:
The salmonfly hatch is pretty much played out but you can still expect to catch trout on dry salmonfly, golden stones and attractor dry flies. With warmer water temperatures you can also expect to find some decent caddisfly hatches. Another good tactic is to use a dry/dropper rig with a high floating stonefly or attractor pattern with a bead head nymph dropped 2 – 3 feet below the dry. The most productive fishing has been with a double nymph rig with a rubberlegs stone as the top fly with a bead nymph trailer dropped below an indicator. Streamer fishing has also been productive, especially on cool, cloudy days.Lower Henry’s Fork – Ashton Dam to Saint Anthony:
The section from the Ora Bridge to the Chester Dam has fished well with nymphs but the dry fly fishing has been tough. Look for improvement with warmer weather and lower stream flows. The flows need to drop to 2000 cfs for optimum dry fly fishing. The water temperature also needs to warm up. Don’t despair; there will be great hatches of Pale Morning Duns, Blue Winged Olives and caddis. It will happen! I’ve taken a couple of floats below the Chester Dam this past week and I’ve been very impressed with the quality of the rainbows and browns. I have not had much action on dries but that should change. A double nymph rig with an indicator is the best way, if not the least enjoyable way to catch trout. I like streamers and I’ve taken some very nice fish stripping the fly out from the overhanging brush.Lower Henry’s Fork – St. Anthony to the Confluence:
The Henry’s Fork below St. Anthony is still pretty high, wild and wooly. The Gray Drakes should start popping after things settle down later in the month. We haven’t seen a strong Gray Drake hatch for the past few years. They seem to be most prolific with high water. This should be the year.Henry’s Fork Tributaries:
On Fall River, the salmonfly hatch normally starts happening about the middle of June and this is a normal year. The river has been high and off-color due to the heavy runoff but it has started to clear and shape up. It could get out of sorts if the weather gets hot but that isn’t in the forecast. Access isn’t as easy as the lower Henry’s Fork. The river begins in Yellowstone Park and then flows through national forest land. The bottom half runs through private land but most landowners will grant access to the river if you ask and behave yourself. The salmonfly hatch can really be spectacular on Fall River and it is likely to happen any time.Warm River is the best small stream in the area. It is been productive with a dry attractor and nymph dropper. You’ll get the best fishing if you get away from the public access points.
The Madison River:
The high flows of the past week have subsided and the river is fishing well with nymphs and streamers. The same double nymph rig with a big rubberlegs and a smaller bead head dropped a few feet below an indicator has been the most productive method. San Juan Worms have also been productive.Area Lakes:
We haven’t had a good report from Island Park Reservoir. It is no wonder because Henry’s Lake has been so good it is unlikely that many people are fishing Island Park. The fish in Henry’s Lake have been very concentrated along the shorelines and near the creek mouths. They are starting to spread out and the fishing has started to slow. Hebgen Lake has been fishing well with midges along the north shore. Use a dry midge with a pupa dropper to cast to cruising trout.Yellowstone National Park
The Firehole River continues to produce the most consistent fishing. Look for Pale Morning Duns, Blue Winged Olives and caddisflies in the afternoon hours on the slower sections of the river. Don’t forget to check our hatch chart for detailed information on these insects. Swinging a soft hackle through the riffles is another great way to catch trout on this most beautiful little trout stream. The salmonflies are also due to emerge in the canyon any day.South Fork of the Snake
Check the link to South Fork Outfitters for the most comprehensive report on the river. The flows are back to normal and the river has been fishing very well with nymphs and streamers.What Rich said.
Dennison Leader Making Vise. I use one to build my leaders but have no clue how to ‘splain it. You can purchase them here: http://www.flyfishusa.com/leaders/leader-accesories.html#Dennison
I also saw them on the Hook and Hackle website. I think they retail for 9 bones.
Tosh,
Welcome to IA. I see you have discovered this rather unique flyfishing/photography website. Kudos to Zach for making it possible.
I’ve always enjoyed your photography and became a fan when I saw your work in Drake Magazine. I’m looking forward to your imput.
Steve
Zach….What’s that fly pattern you are using on the stripers? It looks to be one of Kent’s Stealth Bombers?
The water level looks good on the Flint…..I hope it stays that way.
Tell Ian that is a nice Barbeque Sammich Bandito pose! ;D
You guys are going to bake today. It’s suppose to hit 96 in the ATL. Dayam.
Now is a good time to purchase a diesel pickup if you can afford the fuel. I’ve been watching a Dodge Ram 3500 with the Cummins Turbo. It’s brand new and has been on the lot for 18 months! The dealer calls me about every two weeks with a “better” offer. Car dealers are hurting right now. Definitely a buyer’s market.
I have changed my fishing habits for sure. Instead of 3 or 4 one-day trips, I’ll just wait and go for a few days at a time to minimize my driving.
A virtual toast with a Fat Tire and an Arturo Fuente! Nice job my friend.
I’ve said it before….and I’ll say it again. You need to take some of this info and put it in a book. Call it the
Jaison,
Shoalies are our version of smallmouth…..very similar in appearance and just as aggressive. In my younger days (30 years ago) I would wear them out on the Flint River with an ultralite spinning rod and white Beetle Spins.
Zach…..I hope the weather is better this time. Maybe you should leave that UGA tent/canopy at home to avoid any bad luck. Take some gar flies as well. ;D
Andrew,
Mid-July will be Salmonfly time on the Yellowstone River!
Photos….we need photos. Fish hard.
Corey,
I like your creativity! That’s a neat shot.
With a little crop, the wristwatch manufacturer would probably be interested!Solid shots Corey. I’m liking #3!
Aaron….. your shot of the guy with the bass is what I’m after. The photo is all about the fish and doesn’t scream out, “Hey…look at me and my fish!” On the other hand, the angler is still identifiable in the photo so he’ll have a record of his catch. The best of both worlds IMHO.
John…thanks for the tips…..most appreciated.
I’m telling you all……someone (Zach) needs to memorialize this stuff and put it in book form. Fisherman/photogs would eat it up.
I’m constantly impressed with the amount of talent on this website. Zach….you have something special here. Thanks for posting guys!
I feel ya’ Carter. Grip shots are very stale in my opinion and really do nothing to tweek my interest. I’m also looking for that different shot. Hopefully I will have my super wide angle lens in hand soon……and will start practicing and capturing the shots of the fish with the distorted (read huge) head, with the eyes in focus, and the fisherman just a faint blur in the background. I’m really partial to those.
The Bandito is a fresh approach but a little overboard if you ask me.
………….If Phil asked me to shoot something my reaction would be what does it pay and when do you need it and is Heidi Klum available? Man wouldn’t she look good in waders!
That would make a good cover!David….I know a couple of hotties down at the Pink Pony that would oblige in exchange for a few Benjamins
Damn fine job Bob! Knowing the difficulties you had while building it……I’m sure your son will treasure it.
I’m no expert on Fly Swap etiquette, but have hosted a few. Typically a swap is hosted by anyone that is willing to step up to the plate. Swaps tend to be theme oriented. The Swapmeister generally takes pride in the running of “his” swap, often throwing in a unique slant. Oftentimes the Swapmeister will throw in a small token of appreciation for participation. Conversely, participants are often encouraged to throw in an extra fly or two to compensate the host for his/her troubles. It’s a neat way to stock your flybox and develope a few friendships along the way.
Don’t know what happened in this case but the ones I have been involved in, have always ended on a positive note.
