As we noted last week, Slough Creek has been a savior for many Park anglers this summer - she continues to fish pretty well, particularly in the upper meadows.

No doubt you’ve heard by now all restrictions in the Park have been lifted as of the 22nd, making a hike to the upper meadows much more appealing.

Slough is a great example of an almost universal fishing truth -  few anglers walk / hike to more distant fishing, even if it is the third meadows on Slough.  As is almost always the case, the further you’re willing to walk, the better the fishing.

There’s no flow gauge on Slough Creek, though with the Lamar and Soda Butte stained due to recent showers, Slough Creek is probably at least stained if not a bit worse - rain chances are minimal the next few days and she will clear.

One of the most fun approaches at this point will still be terrestials, with ants, beetles, and hoppers all working well.  We would certainly trail a nymph (bead head PT probably if I had to stake one right now) off the hopper in particular when prospecting.

There are still a few PMDs and Flavs around, and a few Baetis and midges in the earlier morning; though everyone’s getting excited about the fall hatches coming.  Look for BWOs on the cooler days, with Western Green Drakes higher and Fall Green Drakes lower.

Keep in mind that as Slough, Soda Butte, and the Lamar have been some of the more reliable and consistent fishing in the Park this summer, there’s been some pressure on these rivers, and the trout have seen a lot of flies.  There’s going to be even more action in the next weeks with the restrictions lifted this week.  Think before you cast, and make that first cast to an unfished run count.

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Flies to have in the box:

Dries:  PMDs - parachute, sparkle dun, sprout, cripple, CDC emerger, PMX - yellow, peacock, royal; Paradrake, gray, green/olive; Parachute Adams; Lime Tude; small midge emergers; Turck’s Tarantala; Fat Alberts; be ready with BWO though we might be early here

Nymphs:  Bubbleback PMD; BH PT; Copper John, green / chartreuse; Shop Vac; Flashback softhackle, yellow

Terrestials: Hoppers - Grand, Whit, Dave’s, Carnage, Kicking, Hoppinator; Beetles- Fire, Foam, HiVis, Sam’s;  Ants - Chernobyl, ParaAnt, black and cinnamon, CDC Flying ant, black, brown, cinnamon; Epoxy, same colors

Streamers / Others:  Wooly Buggers, olive / brown / black;  Girdle Bugs, small; Muddler;  not huge players on this water currently

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