The big news of the week of course has been the LeHardy Wildland Fire which is burning near the LeHardy rapids and had the Grand Loop road closed between Fishing Bridge and Canyon for several days.  The road reopened yesterday around noon, and you’ll be able to see some western style forest fire action up close and personal for a few more days. 

Below the Lake / Above the Canyon – smoky, and you’ll be hunting and casting to decent fish tight to shore.  As in years past, not great numbers of this year.  Still seeing PMDs, Caddis (evenings as you’d expect), a few Yellow Sallies and Golden Stones, as well as few straggling Gray and Green Drakes.

Canyons of the Yellowstone – fishing very well right now.  PMDs, Green Drakes, and Caddis in the evenings, though a good friend had a great day with Stims (yellow, orange, olive), Royal Wulffs, and Trudes as attractors with standard attractor type nymphs as droppers. Heck, we’d even consider stone fly nymphs and streamers in the obvious runs if nothing were happening hatch wise. 

Near Gardiner – Coming around, visibility improving.  If we were fishing the Park section of the Yellowstone today, we’d probably hit the Canyons, but nymphing has been pretty darn productive though here.  The guys at Park’s are predicting a very strong dry fly season coming on – have your attractors / caddis / terrestrials ready.  

Flows are still running well above average out of Yellowstone Lake; flows today at the Lake outlet were 4430 cfs, with today’s historical average 2900 cfs. Visibility is better and better.

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Flies to have in the box

Dries:  PMDs - parachute, sparkle dun, sprout, cripple, CDC Emerger, PMX - yellow, peacock, royal; Drakes - Paradrake, gray, green, olive, life cycle; Parachute Adams; Caddis – EHC, X Caddis, Electric Caddis, EC Caddis, Spent Caddis – tan and olive; Golden Stone;

Nymphs:  Bubbleback PMD; BH & FB PT; Copper John, green, red, chartreuse; Shop Vac; Flashback soft hackle, yellow

Streamers / Others:  Woolly Buggers, brown, black, olive, blue; Sparkle Buggers, same - note overall they should be on the smaller side

Terrestrials:  Hoppers (smaller) – a tad early, ants, beetles

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