While most of the country has already busted out their beach towels, laid down a good base-tan, and started fully slipping into summer-mode, it’s finally just starting to feel like what the rest of the world calls springtime here in Yellowstone country! Though this disparity between high- and low-country is typical in most years, after a long winter there’s never any shortage of grumbling ‘round these parts about wanting a little more sunshine. Well, I’m happy to say that all you anglers and other sorts of ne’er-do-wells can finally rejoice — there’s plenty of sunshine in the forecast. This should mean a great things for our fishing inside of Yellowstone National Park.

After some always-needed precipitation and generally “scuzzy” weather these last few weeks the waters within this western-half of YNP are really starting to come into shape: while the deluge we experienced over the weekend did spike and muddy flows across the board, reports are showing water-levels dropping and visibility increasing — a great thing for those with their eyes on the Madison, Gibbon, and Firehole Rivers. Warm temps and recently-refreshed rivers can only mean good things for bug life that has been mostly dormant until now.

Recent mornings in the shop have found me bleary-eyed and listening to numerous angler accounts of the “big bug” nymphs along the banks of the Madison, Gibbon, and Firehole (namely the few miles surrounding the junction of these three rivers): “They’re any day now!”…. “It’s about to pop!”… “I saw a big natural flyin’ around – I swear!” — the sort of talk that makes you resentful of having to stand behind a counter. Not being able to take it any longer, I have ventured into the park a few times over the last few days and can happily confirm that a trout will indeed consume a well-placed Salmonfly imitation close to the bank right about now. Get it as close to the grass-covered, undercut banks and the stubborn and/or patient angler will definitely find a few willing players. It’s all about covering good stretch of river and not standing in one place.

PMDs (Pale Morning Duns) have also been a welcome sight these last few days and have been spotted along the glassy runs of the Madison upstream of 7-Mile Bridge, the upper reaches of the Firehole above the falls, and the lazy meanders of the Gibbon Meadows. Throw in a healthy pinch of caddis throughout the day and there’s plenty to keep the dry fly angler busy all day. If you’re not regularly finding heads and feeding fish, you might just drop a Splitcase PMD Nymph under something buoyant and “chubby”. Otherwise, the discerning streamer nut might strip a small Thinmint-style bugger or Bouface Leech upstream through deeper holes and cut-banks — this can sometimes bring out a trophy fish holding deep among her smaller resident friends.

Besides these three rivers, there are also numerous lakes dotting the western-half of the park that can be seriously rewarding for the adventurous angler — most require a bit of a  hike, but can fish fantastically well this time of year. Stop by the shop and we’ll point you in the right direction and make sure you’re set with the right flies. As is usually the case this time of year, most of the other notable rivers in the park remain cold, dormant, and not worth the drive to fish — if you have any questions don’t hesitate to give us a call for the most recent park updates!