Fishing on the Yellowstone has been good lately, especially in the mornings. As expected, the afternoon fishing has been slower due to the higher water temperatures, but even then the fish have been eating hoppers in the faster water and shady areas. We’ve been seeing more hoppers this year, and if the wind is blowing a little you’ll see some of these on the water. Rubber leg nymphs and smaller beadhead nymphs have been the go to bobber rig. Lots of folks are fishing single dry (usually a hopper or stone) and going for a larger brown in the riffles. As always we recommend de-barbing your flies and once the heat hits (typically 2:00 – 5:00PM) we recommend landing your fish as quickly as possible, or in some cases even letting them off the hook (by roll casting them off or simply giving them some slack). If you happen to catch a larger fish, let your guide handle the fish for photos to ensure the fish are well taken care of. With temps in the 90’s this weekend and early next week it will be important to catch and release fish properly.
