While in the Park last weekend, having driven up for an interview in West Yellowstone and then on into the Park to fish,  we witnessed a very sad, very heated exchanged between two pairs of fishermen jockeying for the same stretch on the upper Gibbon.  Maybe it was the fact they had all traveled several states to get here, maybe it was the heat, maybe they were all having a bad day (it does happen, but shouldn’t in Yellowstone). 

Tempers flared, threats were exchanged….what a waste of a great place, great water, and precious time.  My first impulse was to ponder - what in the heck were these guys thinking?

My memory then jolted back to an experience that happened to my family and I a few years ago .  We had driven over to fish the Park, and had located a nice stretch on the Firehole (it was the first week of June), and were gearing up, waders on, rods almost fully rigged, and obviously seconds from being ready to roll.

As couple of sports in a black Cadillac Escalade (California plates) literally skidded into the pullout in front of us, jumped out of their vehicle in waders and boots, grabbed fully rigged rods, grinned at us and without a word jogged off down to the river.  I muttered what the hell, and was responded to by being flipped off - after which the two sports cackled as they headed off to fish.

I fumed a minute or two, decided I shouldn’t engage further in front of my then younger children, and headed off to fish another run - we actually moved to another pullout, walked a bit, and did very well.   (In my younger, more irrational day the sports would have been swimming, holding busted $900 rods, and searching for the rest of their gear….).  Sadly, we probably all have a story or two like this. 

Even with some of the waters in the Park and surrounding Montana closed or restricted, you should be able to find a decent run of water out of sight of another fisherman.  Walk a bit, you’ll  find better water anyway.  There’s more than enough great water to go around. 

I know, the guys who really need to read and hear this never read or hear this. 

The more time you spend getting to know and researching your target water, and the more you’re willing to hike or walk a bit, the more likely you’ll leave the idiots behind. 

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