Man, it’s been hot. 90 doesn’t seem too crazy for many of y’all suffering with 100+ degree heat and humidity, but at 6660 feet closer to the sun and no A/C, take my word for it. The trout are feeling it, too. That said, we are expecting a break in the coming days with highs back to a bit more “normal” and maybe even some much needed precipitation (just no lightning). As I’m writing this Thursday afternoon, we’ve had a touch of rain and it’s about 75 outside and cloudy. A nice respite already, but it’s drier than a popcorn fart out there. Air quality is smoky and hazy up here, and there are fires and fire restrictions all across the region, so make sure to check local regs if you’re camping. Here on the caldera, approved fire pits (in campgrounds mostly) are still in play as well as contained grills but no open burning whatsoever – a stack of rocks ain’t gonna cut it.
I appreciate all of you who have touched base with me regarding the honesty of my reports the last week or two. It’s much appreciated. I know they’ve been pretty pessimistic, but I’m just being honest, folks. Alas…….. it’s not all doom and gloom this week 😀
A little silver lining – flows from Box Canyon decreased a bit earlier this week, so we are all hopeful that peak irrigation draw-down has passed. That and cooler weather on the way, I’ve got my fingers crossed for an uptick in the quality of hatches and catching this next week.
Box Canyon (1540 cfs out of IP dam, add another 200 below the Buffalo River) – She’s still cranking pretty good, and most of our trips are running it twice as The Box is still very difficult to wade. Afternoon Golden Stone runs have been solid. As usual, have your assortment of small Rubberlegs, Perdigons, Crackbacks, Zebra Midges, Hot-Spots, Daggers, and the like for dry-droppers or tandem nymph rigs. Luckily, water quality coming from the dam remains quite good with very minimal turbidity.
Last Chance and Harriman – Let’s all hope flows continue to drop in decent increments when dam outflow reduction begins in earnest. We are all pretty optimistic that reductions will improve the quality of fishing here in Last Chance and through The Ranch. Out back of the shop has been a desert, unfortunately, but I’ll check again tonight…. The best fishing continues to be from middle Ranch down through Pinehaven, but it’s still been spotty. Morning and evening spinner falls have been decent on certain days: you’ll need a good assortment of Rusty Spinners, Flav Spinners, and Gray Drake Spinners. Have all stages PMDs #16-20, Flavs #16 ( about done), Callibaetis #14-16, Tricos #18-20, and Caddis #16-20. I’ve received a few reports of some random Honey Ants, so there’s that. It’s terrestrial-time party-people! Walking the dog with a hopper can be good, especially with a little breeze blowing. Another positive – not much in the way of crowds!
Warm River – Same as it ever was. Your best bet will be running hopper-dropper tandems and other foam like Chubbies and Golden Stones. Trips are reporting good numbers of fish hooked on most days and the occasional tanker landed.
Below Ashton (1990 cfs below Ashton, 1000 cfs at St Anthony) – With water temps topping out in the low 70s, it’s just best to leave the lower river alone until we get some much cooler weather (like September). There has been some decent hopper fishing if you must. Please make sure you’re landing fish quickly, keeping ’em wet, and spending time reviving if necessary.
Madison River (about 1200 cfs out of Hebgen, 1530 at Cameron) – Another good option for you, particularly in the upper reaches where the water remains cooler. There are PMDs, Caddis, Golden Stones, and Epeorous (like a Flav). It is certainly time for Terrestrials, especially in the float stretch down below Lyons Bridge. Standard fare on nymphs.
***Many Montana rivers are closed or are under “Hoot Owl” restrictions, so please make sure to check locally before heading out.***
Henry’s Lake – Wee hour water temperatures are already in the low 70s, so expect fishing to be pretty tough. Get out there early early early, and focus on the springs and creek mouths with the usual array of lake flies. Fish ‘em slow.
Hebgen Lake – Gulpers are still gulping and hatches remain strong. Have all stages of Callibaetis, have Terrestrials, and have some Caddis. Dropping Turkey Tails, PTs, and Chironomids can up your catch rate if the fish aren’t cooperating up top.
*** A note on area reservoirs (including IP Reservoir) and stillwaters: We’ve received nothing official from the county, but algal blooms are beginning to show up. Be careful with your furry friends this time of year. That sh**’s toxic as hell for the puppers.***
Yellowstone NP – Let’s start with the bad news: The Madison, Firehole, and Gibbon remained closed indefinitely due to high water temperatures. Yellowstone Park Service issued a release earlier this week about “Hoot Owl” restrictions on several stretches of waters, so no fishing from 2pm until the following morning beginning Friday July 26th:
-Slough Creek and Soda Butte Creek (in their entirety)
-The Gardner River from Osprey Falls downstream to the park boundary
-The Yellowstone River from Tower Junction downstream/north to the park boundary
-The Snake River from Forest Creek to the southern park boundary
-The Lamar River from Cache Creek to the confluence with The Yellowstone River.
Check at the gate on your way in for any additional changes and restrictions.
Now the good news. The Gallatin and upper Yellowstone remain good bets for some fun dry fly fishing. I was able to get into the park Tuesday with a couple of TroutHunter amigos and have some fun on the upper Yellowstone. There were good bugs almost all day – PMDs, Caddis, Green Drake Spinners, and Golden Stones. Expect crowds, particularly with the “Hoot Owl” in place as anglers look for open water. Yellowstone Lake is a good bet right looking for cutties cruising and sipping Callibaetis spinners. High Country lakes and creeks, both in and out of the park, are great options right now with all this dang heat we’ve been having. Throw a dart at the map, load up the cooler and bear spray, and head out somewhere new.
Stop in and say hello. We’ve got select Patagonia waders on sale at 25% off, are stocked on lightweight fishing shirts from Howler Brothers, Patagonia, and DuckCamp, and I’m expecting a solid order of tying materials any day now. We are here from 7am to 8pm daily. Here is a useful link for flow info and water clarity if you haven’t already bookmarked it. Have a great week and Cheers!
-Campbell
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