----- Original Message -----
Sent: Wednesday, July 11, 2001 6:31
PM
Subject: MT/ID/WY report
Just returned from an 10 day trip to the Yellowstone
region:
Fished Rock Creek MT one day on the way over (June
29th). A good number of pmd's and green drakes on the water and the fish
treated me well. Ran in to a MT biologist checking a smolt trap and he
mentioned that Rock Creek is second only to one of the Missouri tribs
(prickly pear?) in terms of whirling disease load. Caught Cutts, browns
and cutt-bows in that order of prevalence. No brookies or pure strain
bows. Usually only get 1 brookies for every couple of fishing
days in past trips, but the lack of rainbows is now very noticeable.
Several of the browns were kind enough to go aerial for me though to help
fill that gap.
The Henry's Fork was still fishing poorly during the day
(at least for me), as winds, higher temps and no clouds kept the PMD
hatches to a minimal level. 0/3 in the ranch one day and 1/1 below Ashton
(20" bow) on the second day (on foam body #10 golden stone.) Due to
familial obligations (i.e. because I was fishing all day I had to stick
around the cabin in the evening,) I did not fish the flav or caddis
hatches in the evening.
Did not fish it, but the salmon flies on the Madison
were already below Quake Lake when we arrived on the 30th, so lots of
pressure (bank and boat) up high.
The Park waters were all in shape. Fished the Lamar (OK
for cutts to 17-18" on stone fly dries and doublewing attractors) and
Slough Creek - good for cutts, 'bows and cuttbows. Lucked out in that the
one cloudy day of the vacation was on Slough Creek, so a decent number of
PMD's, and Drakes were popping. Also saw some larger spinners that may
have been Brown Drakes or Grey Drakes (tail length >3x body length),
but saw only the PMD and Green Drake dun's on the water. Some smaller
Flav. spinners showed in the afternoon, but the fish were still looking
for PMD cripples. Caught fish to 21" on PMD and Green Drake cripples.
One thing to note on both the Lamar and Slough Creek - this is a great
year for Deer flies and I lost a lot of skin for not having insect
repellant in my vest (applied at the truck before leaving, wore off of
many areas before the day was through.)
Fished Yellowstone Lake one day, but the callibaetis
were really not cooking yet and had relatively slow fishing from the beach
(1 fish every 15'). The lone tuber that I spoke with was not doing much
better further out. Pattern and retrieve did not seem to matter, as
everything was equally mediocre.
Spent an entertaining hour on the upper yellowstone
feeding salmon flies and golden stones to the cutthroat. I was amazed at
the amount of stonefly biomass that was crawling out of the river around
LaHardy rapids.
Now its back to the real world...
Tight Lines,
Andy
