CFS here on the Stone is low for early August at 2,120 but the fishing remains steady. We’ve been seeing lots of hoppers in the grass around the shop and on the banks of the Stone for a couple of weeks now, and the fish are finally starting to take notice. The general consensus from most anglers has been small (#12-14) and tan..but we’ve heard from folks that gold, pink, flesh, and even green hoppers are taking fish on those hot afternoons. While it might not be the most fun to row and fish in the wind, a hot and windy afternoon can mean lots of hoppers making it into the water. This certainly isn’t the easiest fishing you’ll have on the Yellowstone, but committing to hopper fishing all day can pay off in the form of a big brown. Having a rower who knows the water well can really help…
Not many other hatches to speak of… still a few caddis in the evenings and some sparse tricos in the mornings down low. Nymph fishing has been steady with the usual suspects, but it’s definitely important to cover a lot of water to really rack up the numbers (being in a boat helps here). Not much to mention in the way of streamer fishing, but that should get better as we get into fall.
We still have some guide availability for the last half of August, so give us a call to get on the water while the hoppers are hanging around… our guides love throwing hoppers! As always, give us a call or stop by the shop for a fresh fishing report and the hottest flies around.