September Wrap Up

After the previous post, things got really busy!! - good!! Not just the number of trips, it was quite a pleasure to sample & taste around the variety of waters!

Lower Madison. Typical nymphs and baetis actions!

Learning how tiny we had to be.........

 Oh these guys were very active too!!

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Firehole River in Yellowstone National Park.
Now is the time to fish Firehole (and Madison) until the season closes on the first Sunday of November!! This angler had some great times with waves of caddis hatches!!

 White Miller were apparent...........

However, trout were feeding on a different types of caddis..........I was able to decode it successfully from my previous experience.

A lone and friendly one.........

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Then Burns Ranch Lake in Big Timber, MT was a total blast!!!!
We literally averaged 18" hefty trout!!!!
The day started with perhaps the biggest brook trout I've ever seen anywhere else!!

 Then typical Kamloop strain rainbows offered us plenty of actions!!

 Like this!

This lake/place from the boat is always picturesque to me.........

 This was also a very memorable brookies!! Look at its colors!!!!

Favorite snack.......

Not just from the boat, we stalked and sight-fished............ This local gem should be on your list!!!

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I also helped out a part of TU National Meeting Fishing Day on DePuy's Spring Creek.

They were from all over the country and were all skilled anglers, bravely challenged midge fishing!!

They all got good actions!!

After about a month of chaos, things are getting better around here.
Good end of September!! Hopefully to see more anglers in October!!

GRAND Re-Opening of Yellowstone River & DePuy's Spring Creek

If you haven't heard over the weekend........

UPDATES: two more long stretches of Yellowstone River has been reopened for fishing and other recreations on Friday September 16th. Currently only one closed stretch is Emigrant to Pine Creek, which experienced the highest number of whitefish death.
If I may still comment - as much as we shouldn't dwell on past, we should not forget PKD madness - FWP could have closed this section and then up- or down-stream, give or take, rather than the entire fishing sections............ We should not let this incident go lightly for our future. 
Practically speaking, I wouldn't float this currently closed section once algae seem developed, especially under hot summer and low water season. I may float in October as there are some good streamer-suitable waters. 

Yellowstone River and town of Livingston had some boat traffics over this past weekend, though it was nowhere close to average seasons.
One of my clients decided to come back and we tried a newly reopened section. Put it simply, fishing was good and, better or worse, very much normal, compared to before PKD madness.
Honestly no surprises about that because whitefish kills by PKD has NOTHING TO DO with Yellowstone River as trout fishery and trout that live there, period!! 
We started to catch "TROUT" just like our routine!!

Certainly we caught some whitefish, as we know ONLY A PORTION of whitefish got killed and killing has stopped since!! 

Then we caught now considered a COLLECTOR'S ITEM GIANT WHITIE!!!!

Eagle flies.........great to be on our beloved River............

A boat captain's view.........Action!

A nice streamer caught rainbow!!

We also tried DePuy's Spring Creek. As I reported, Livingston's spring creeks has been opened since Sep 1st. Insect hatches and rise actions are as great as always!!

.................that doesn't mean fishing is easy............. Indeed very challenging, we worked on trout that were rising on very tiny insects with smallest flies we have that require precise presentations along with right timing..................

That's very normal and common on spring creeks - which we gladly hope for and challenge!!

Renee and I fished along town for a few hours.
Look what she got............ Another Trophy Whitie!!

followed by!!!!

     We got our waters back!! And fall fishing has just begun!! Along with Yellowstone Park waters, come and sample glorious fall fishing in Paradise Valley!!

The Fall Approaches

Just as September sets, I feel summer abruptly ended then the fall has come.
It's still dry appearance and one can still wet-wade but days are getting shorter and we wouldn't expect 80F & above weathers any more. We have started to enjoy crisp air and lighter sunshine. So far we have had 70F weathers but also had some rainy days. I have started to anticipate the fall fishing!!

Renee and I hit the road to northeast side of Yellowstone Park. We were in waders and our feet were comfortably warm and dry. However once we touched the water, our hands felt really cold!
We were both rewarded with some of the handsomest cutthroat for the first thing in the morning!!

Once in a while I can catch a bigger one than she does.........

Fishers' privileged wildlife view!!

Originally Slough Creek was a part of our options however due to Buffalo Fire, we gave up for right reasons. It was smokey all over (picture may be due to controlled fire).
Good news is it's forecast to be rainy and wet for next several days in the area!

 We had some dry-fly actions too with misc insects and terrestrials imitations.

Last one to end the day!!

 As I have reported already, Yellowstone River and Livingston's spring creeks are already back in business with great fishing conditions! Come and try Yellowstone Park waters too before season ends in November!
Stay tuned for the fall fishing report!

9/1 Update: Spring Creeks Reopened & Yellowstone River Partially Reopened

NEWS UPDATE

This noon, there was a conference call among MT FWP commissions and they announced changes regarding Yellowstone River & tributary closures.
Armstrong's, DePuy's, & Nelson's Spring Creeks are opened for fishing.
Yellowstone River from Hwy 89 Bridge downstream is opened for fishing. 
Ha-lle-lu-Yeah!! 
Then, we all have to be aware:

• Yellowstone Park boundary to Carbella Access is open for recreations (rafting, kayaking, etc) but NOT for fishing.
• Carbella to Hwy 89 Bridge is still closed for all activities.

FWP conducts further monitoring and investigation on these stretches next week and later on. If conditions seem improving or improved, it's possible we are able to fish these stretches soon.
Commissioner Dan Vermillion says something I kind of expected to hear:
"The fish kill has not affected the trout fishery and trout fishing. One of the reasons the department did what it did is so we could tell you this disease has not affected the trout fishery."

Anyways, I got my options back. I can certainly guide Madison, Missouri, and Bighorn but there are so many outfitters/shops along those destined rivers. It's hard for me to promote from Livingston. That had left only Yellowstone Park waters as my destination for nearly two weeks.
Spring Creeks will be fishing better than ever!
As for Yellowstone River, though it may sound "not much" as the popular section - Gardiner to Livingston - is still closed, let me tell you below 89 Bridge makes quite amount of water!! Now we can call it the closure worked as a little break for trout there from our flies. Hopefully they have missed our hopper patterns!!

We've got all September back, starting from Labor Day weekend. Then October will follow.
It's not too late to reconsider your fishing trip to Paradise Valley and Yellowstone National Park within this season!!

With all being said, all the anglers from/to Yellowstone River are required to CLEAN, DRAIN, & DRY their gears. There's no law for it. However I guess now we don't need authorities to point us. I certainly follow and will encourage my clients to do so.

Hope to see you around here this fall!