The Gallatin (YNP) has continued to produce fish this week - skinny water still mandates very stealthy, careful dry fly fishing, and you’ve got to walk a bit to find pools and runs deep enough to nymph.

Flows this morning (0645) are 394 cfs at Gallatin Gateway, with today’s average 435 cfs.  Flows on the lower Gallatin have slowly settled after last weekend’s rain and snow and this week’s snow melt - the upper river never really went off though.

Hatch wise - BWOs have been coming off a little later - after lunch on most days, and the hatch is not as active and is not lasting as long as a couple of weeks ago.  You might still see a rare small caddis, but we didn’t when up on Wednesday. 

Nymphs and streamers certainly will produce fish, though again due to low water you’ll be hiking a fair amount to find water deep enough to fish with these techniques (though there have been some impressive fish pulled out from undercuts with a small olive bugger…).  Swinging soft hackles has also been productive.

The Gallatin below the Park is fishing well also, we’ll update the Gallatin outside the Park next on the 28th at Best Fly Fishing Montana.

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Flies to Have in the Box

Dries:  baetis - BWO, Blue Dun, Olive Sparkle Dun, Para-adams, Comparadun; Caddis - EHC, X Caddis, - tan, olive, black;  myabe a small attractor on the sunny days.

Nymphs: Copper John, red,olive,natural; Rubberlegs, olive and brown; Hares Ear; San Juan worm, red, brown; BHFBPT; Lightning bug, gold, silver, green /olive; Soft hackles - various (mayfly > caddis)

Streamers / Other: Woolly buggers, olive, brown, black; Sparkle Buggers - olive, brown, black; Girdle bug; smaller sizes; Kiwi Muddler; JJs.

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