Warm, dry days in August are the perfect time to head into the high country of Yellowstone Park in search of cooler temps, and wild trout pining away for terrestrials like hoppers and ants.

The Cutthroat Corner is always a good choice when terrestrials are on the menu. Slough Creek, Soda Butte Creek, and the Lamar River could not be more perfectly composed for terrestrial fishing if you tried to design them yourself. Large expansive meadows, deep undercut banks, and opportunistic Cutthroat Trout are the building blocks of world class dry fly fishing. As always, keep an eye on flows if you venture up to this Northeast Corner of the Park as any rain can and will bring color to the water and botch even your best laid plans. For the best report on water conditions, give us a shout, or stop by the shop.

The Caldera stretch of the Yellowstone River continues to offer fantastic sight fishing opportunities for trophy Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout. Gray Drake Spinners, Nocturnal Stoneflies, Flying Ants, and Hoppers are at the top of the menu these days. Be prepared, as usual, to cover some ground hunting for good targets, and take your time to watch them feed before throwing at them to understand what they are eating. Mornings and early afternoons will be your best windows for spinner falls and rising fish. Hoppers are a good way to brig those big Cutts up to the surface in the afternoons.

Mid-August is about as ideal a time to head into the backcountry of Yellowstone as you could ask for. By this point in the season dry weather has done away with many of the biting flies, trail conditions are smooth and clear, and hoppers are everywhere. It’s the perfect time to pour over a map and find those squiggly blue lines that lie far off the beaten path. Throw a box of dry flies in your pack, and grab your favorite dry fly rod. Be sure to carry Bear Spray, know how to use it, and make plenty of noise (“YO! BEAR”) when traveling through Bear Country.

Have fun, an be safe out there!