Unfortunately for the big foam dry fly lovers, the fish in the Yellowstone below Point of Rocks F.A.S have decided to key in on smaller dries and nymphs. The water temperatures have been consistently lower recently, with the addition on steady rainfall and lower mean air temperatures. Fish have changed gears to eating a lot of small snacks, and few super-sized meals. This means that we are forced to transition into our fall nymphing routines, and will not see many big stoneflies or terrestrials fluttering about.
On the upside, the browns are really starting to color up nicely and the rainbows are super spunky, leading the unsuspecting angler directly into his or her backing on occasion. Cooler water has hit the reset button on the Yellowstone recently and a lot of fish are re-occupying their early season lies. The last few days finding fish has not been as tough as finding the bug they want. You might consider resupplying on 5x fluorocarbon tippet and indicators. Streamer fisherman are chomping at the bit for their chance to move some bigger browns, but the name of the game for now is persistence. Most people out there throwing #2 and #4 bugs on sinking lines are digging up one or two nice browns a day. Big migratory fish from down deep are starting to show themselves, and have begun to eat their way upstream. If you are looking for big fish don’t hesitate to book one of our guides soon. Late Septemeber though October is one of the best times to latch onto a big brown.
