YNP Hatch Bonanza

WOW, it's been a while that I make a blog post in such a short interval😲
In between schedules and plans, I decided to get out to pry West side of YNP. I like this early season in this part of YNP as the season is still young, insect hatches are in mass and predictable, and trout rise with delights.

Firehole, as it usually does, has been cleared for the opening day. However, as in any other rivers around here, it has such a huge volume. As I heard in reports from here and there, I bet it would not have much going on in terms of rising trout.

Now water has dropped considerably for our favor. As I walked to my favorite spot, as much as I could foresee hatch & rise soon, I couldn't help but doing something "un-Firehole-ish"😏 It works when time is right and I admit this was the biggest of the day😎

Then it started😮 Tan caddis started to fly and trout responded accordingly at just where I predicted they would be😏

 All stages😏

 I think mayflies I saw were baetis rather than PMD.

Caught on a dark-olive caddis (that hatched next in a wave😮) this rainbow was some of the hardest-fighting and as large as the brown above. 

 This hatch stage really intrigued me😮😎

 I'm coming up with a new pattern😏

More species hatching😆

On the way out to West Gate, I stopped by one particular stretch of Madison River that no other people wouldn't care. One particular spot looked interesting and as I stepped in closer, yeah, trout were rising😏 This situation was much harder to decode than above, though rosters of insects were almost identical as above in Firehole. After several fly changes, I finally hooked one, the biggest one I'd been seeing among the group😎 As I set the hook, it pulled my line, leaped twice, and gone👋👋😲Somewhere in my mind, I admit that I was underestimating trout here😓 Next time.......😉

June is the period BEFORE Tsunami🌊of fishers and tourists hit Montana and YNP. Immediately after these streams, one by one, streams in the area start to clear and we may be able to sample "practical opening" of these. Definitely worth planning a trip for near future❗