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Greetings!
Welcome to another Blue Ribbon Flies weekly newsletter. Thanks for tuning in. Settle in and we'll tell you what's happening around West Yellowstone and our other favorite spots, show you the fly and the material of the week, and tempt you to plan your next trip with us.
We've got a lot to show you and tell you about this week, so settle down in a comfy chair and dig in. Take a break from work or play, grab a cup of coffee, and pretend you're leaning on the counter here at Blue Ribbon Flies.
We hope to see you soon, right here in West Yellowstone, but until then we wish you happy and healthy fishing and fly tying. All our best to each of you. We wish you were here, but until you are we'll keep you in the loop. Thanks for stopping by.
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What's New
What's Happening in Yellowstone Country
Spring truly has arrived in Yellowstone country. The grizzlies are out, robins and bluebirds along the meadows, rivers and streams and the Madison Valley looks like the Serengeti with migrating elk and pronghorn by the hundreds and thousands. Last Tuesday evening as Jackie and I were having dinner with friends 5 wolves showed up one a huge white female sporting a silver-gray collar. It was amazing to watch the wolves walk near grazing elk and whitetail deer as 14 bighorn sheep kept tabs from above. If you've not been in Yellowstone country during spring you owe it to yourself to experience it once, I guarantee you will return to do it again. And, the fishing is awesome in spring too!
Thanks to national Trout Unlimited for a fine time last weekend in San Francisco. What an honor, one Yvon and I will never forget.
Cam and I look forward to next weekend in Salt Lake City at the Stonefly Society's world famous Wasatch Fly Fishing Expo. More information on this 2 day event later on in this report. We invite all to attend. I am presenting a 2 hour fly tying clinic on fly patterns of Yellowstone as well as a conservation program and keynote address. We hope to see you there!
As usual in the rest of this issue, you'll find fishing news from Yellowstone Country in the weekly Fishing Report. You can see what's hot off the vise in the Fly of the Week, get a sneak peek at some of the best materials on our tying bench in the Fly Tying Material of the Week, and stay up to date with the guide staff and their trips in the Guide Trip of the Week.
You'll be seeing a new email newsletter most every week throughout the fall and winter to keep you tuned in to all things fly fishing and fly tying in the greater Yellowstone area and beyond. Throughout the seasons, we'll keep sending you news of hatches and fishing holes around West Yellowstone. So without further delay, go ahead and jump right into the newsletter. And as always, don't hesitate to give us a call or shoot us an email if you have any questions, or if you just want a little fish talk.
Read more from Blue Ribbon Flies...
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Where should I Fish this Summer?
Here's some predictions and a few places to keep in mind.
Many of you really enjoyed last weeks segment on our prediction for the 2012 season so we went a little further into the summer with a few thoughts on what might be happening July 1st to July 10th.
Charlie Brooks once said that you could fish a different piece of water every day for the rest of your life and still not fish all the water that is available in the Yellowstone area. The Park, and its surrounding areas, is full of streams and rivers that offer some of the finest fly fishing opportunities available, and the first two weeks of July constitute the beginning of the "Glory Days of Summer" in Yellowstone Country. Run-off should be behind us, and a multitude of summer hatches and fishing opportunities will be available. The breathtaking scenery and fantastic fishing will remind you why you took up fly fishing in the first place. With that said, let's discuss some productive options that will narrow down your choices and get you out on the water!
Gallatin River: This great pocket water stream has a good population of rainbows, hybrids, and browns from 10 to 16 inches with a few even pushing the 18-inch mark. The long, warm days of early July feature some great hatches on the Gallatin. Look for a mixture of Pale Morning Duns, Hydropsyche Caddis, Salmonflies, and Golden Stones. Try the water from mile marker 22 to 28. This stretch is located within the Yellowstone boundaries, and is accessed via route 191 North from West Yellowstone. The essential key to success on the Gallatin is to locate the deep water. Focus your efforts on the water with good depth and you will find willing fish. If you can find deep water associated with an undercut bank you are golden.
Madison River: We are all looking forward to another fantastic year on the Madison. We would highly recommend a float trip down the world's most famous fly-fishing river. Rainbows and browns haunt every rock in this river, and there are a lot of rocks in the Madison. Early July is prime time to try catching the elusive Salmonfly hatch. In addition to these monstrous stoneflies, you will also run into fantastic fishing with PMD's, Epeorus, Flav's, and Caddis. Evening fishing is outrageous at this time. Look for trout sipping mayfly spinners or emerging caddis, flavs, and epeorus as the sun starts to fade. Nymphing is always a good bet, where crystal serendipities, nitro nymphs, and shop vacs will fool these fish. Again concentrate good drifts right on the bottom in all the drift lanes created by rocks. If you don't want to float, try the water around Raynold's Pass Bridge or $3 Bridge. Don't be intimated by the rough and tumble nature of the Madison, try to view this large river as a small river instead. Look at the river from the banks out for 30 feet. Check for all the quiet water in and around rocks. Fish the seams of currents created by those rocks. And avoid getting wrapped up in wading all over the river. Frequently anglers are standing where they should be casting.
Slough Creek: The Northeast corner of YNP contains a variety of high mountain meadow rivers that are a great place to catch a native Yellowstone Cutthroat. Slough is one of these fantastic streams, combining great fishing, a hike into Yellowstone's backcountry, and spectacular scenery. You always want to fish the deep banks and shallow riffle tailouts on Slough, even if you can't spot the fish ahead of time. Cover the water well and you will be rewarded. Keep an eye out for Gray Drake Spinners, and emerging PMD's on calm mornings, as well as terrific evening caddis. If you don't want to hike into the meadows you can still enjoy Slough by fishing "below the campground". This 2.5 mile stretch is accessed via a dirt road which leads to the Slough Creek Campground and trailhead. This water consistently fishes well, and is often overlooked by anglers anxious to hike to the upper waters. Slough is a great place to reserve a backcountry campsite provided the river's in fishable shape, which generally speaking starts to happen around the first of July. If not, there are a ton of other backcountry options to explore, like Grebe Lake, the upper Gardner, and the black canyon of the Yellowstone this time of year.
Gardner River: The Gardner is a tremendous little river that sees some fun fishing in early July. Hatches include Salmonflies, Goldenstones, PMDs, and Caddis. Anywhere on this river is productive, but we like the first few miles around Mammoth. One of the great aspects of this pocket water stream is the opportunity to catch 6 different species of fish: rainbows, browns, brookies, cutthroat, hybrids, and whitefish. Trout in the Gardner love hoppers and parachute Madam X's. Probing the pockets with small streamers is another effective way to find those larger browns. Treat yourself to a day on this beautiful stream and you will be glad you did!
That sums up what we think are the best waters to fish in the Yellowstone area during the first couple weeks of July. You're coming during the Glory Days of Summer. So, expect to see a wide variety of fishing in a multitude of different rivers. Good luck and enjoy your trip!
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Hope you enjoy the latest issue. We'll keep 'em
coming, keeping you up to date on the best
fishing water, tips, and gear we can get our
hands on.
Thanks for spending time with us. We'll see you soon!
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