Welcome to West Yellowstone, Montana, and to the Federation of Fly Fishers National Fly Fishing Fair and Conclave. We in the local fly-fishing business and the community of West Yellowstone welcome the Federation of Fly Fishers and our visiting fly fishers and guests.

Over the last 40 years, the FFF has held many successful Conclaves and Fly Fishing Shows in many great locations. It is certainly a fly-fishing highlight of the year, the perfect opportunity to make new friends, reunite with old fishing pals, exchange ideas and share our fly-fishing and tying skills. West Yellowstone, in particular, has a rich fly-fishing heritage and matchless surrounding salmonid fisheries that many want to sample.  The very first questions for many visiting fly fishers are: “Where, when, and how do I sample the surrounding beautiful waters? Should I sneak off and chance missing one of the Conclave seminars, renowned fly tiers or special gatherings? Should I spend a day or two before or after the Conclave, or mornings or evenings during the Conclave to enjoy the fishing?” Answer:  “Yes” to all the above! Dave Whitlock faced this choice almost four decades ago, decided on fishing that day, and as a result wrote a very nice article expressing the joy of fishing the upper Madison River in Yellowstone National Park. He titled it “Hoppertunity.”

Fishing around West Yellowstone in mid-August truly provides opportunity as well as “Hoppertunity,” because terrestrial insect populations are peaking throughout the Yellowstone region. Lots of grasshoppers, ants, flying ants, beetles, yellow jackets, and caterpillars emerge and are on the move, making them available for hungry trout. Fishing terrestrials during these times is best on bright, sunny days having some wind. Open meadows lined with sagebrush and sedge grass along regional streams offer some of the best locations for mid-day fishing. For many seasoned fly fishers in the area, this terrestrial insect peak is the best “hatch” of the season because it lasts from mid-August until the snow flies. There are good evening hatches of caddis on the lower Madison and on the Gallatin rivers. The Trico emergence, coupled with that of Callibaetis May Fly provides morning-to-mid-day top water action in Hebgen and Quake lakes for the famed “gulpers.”  Bring your float tube or boat.

Now let us look at some specific waters and just how to fish them.

The great fact about the Madison River as well as the other rivers and streams in this Yellowstone area is that it hosts a good wild population of browns and rainbows. The upper Madison flows from within Yellowstone National Park to Hebgen Lake inlet just three miles north of West Yellowstone. This fourteen-mile section of the Madison has been characterized as a Limestone Stream with its long and slick pools, shallow riffles, and constant weed beds which is consistent with a true Limestone Stream. Good hatches of Trico happen on most warm mornings about 10 a.m.  After the hatch is over, the best chance is to fish some terrestrials along the banks and through the middle of the shallow riffles. As the river leaves Yellowstone Park and wonders through Baker's Hole Campground and crosses Highway 191, it becomes one of my favorite fisheries through late summer and into the fall. From Highway 191 bridge, the Madison flows down to its estuary with Hebgen Lake. This section of river is about a mile long and offers some great dry fly fishing. The morning hatch of Tricos will bring up some nice size rainbows and browns. After the hatch, switch to a small hopper or terrestrial and work the banks and riffles. This same section of river can be fished in the evening with some small streamers and woolly buggers with a good chance to bring one of these 18- to 20-inch trout to your fly.

The middle section of the Madison, referred to as “in between the lakes,” offers fast, cold, and challenging water filled with wild rainbows and browns. This mile or so of river is between Hebgen Dam and Quake Lake. In mid-August, it is best fished with small nymphs along the bottom or with  a large grasshopper pattern on top that may bring up that monster brown, “A Fish of a Lifetime.” In my opinion, this section of the Madison River is the finest and most productive mile of river in the state of Montana with high concentrations of wild rainbows and browns.  It is very heavily fished all summer long, but well worth it. As the river flows into Quake Lake, it slows   and offers a fine gravel and silted bottom with good Trico and Callibaetis hatches and some good caddis activity in the evening. The Fish are there! Can you Catch one? This is also a prime float tube area.

The 40-mile section of the Madison from Quake Lake to Ennis Lake is known locally as “the lower Madison.” The river drops about 1,000 feet in elevation, so it is moving and flowing very fast. Lee Wulff once referred to this section of the Madison as “one continuous riffle.” The first several miles from the Quake Lake outlet down to Lyons Bridge is fast and well oxygenated with large boulders and willowy banks. This provides a wealth of insect life and cover. Thanks to wonderful management by the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks, this stretch has become the “poster child” for an ideal wild trout fishery. The lower Madison has one of the largest concentrations of catch able wild trout per mile of any fishery I know.  Fishing with small and large nymphs will provide good catches throughout the year. However, the lower Madison is also one of many Western rivers where trout are conditioned to feed on top, even without any sign of an emergence. Trout can be enticed to rise for that Royal Wulff or Hopper Fly. The secret for success is that well-placed cast with a natural, drag-free drift. The Madison from Lyons Bridge down to Ennis Lake offers float fishing with opportunities for casting from the boat or wade fishing. As the river passes Varney Bridge, it changes character from the “continuous riffle” to a series of small channels and islands, each with its own secrets. Separate channels are like small streams, and pools are well defined with a riffle, a deep body, and the classic tail-out. I believe this section of river from Varney to Ennis Lake is best approached through wade fishing, but floating is also rewarding.

The Gallatin River is a classic meadow stream in its upper section. As the river joins Highway 191 and flows north, it becomes a typical  freestone stream with rocks and pocket water. The best section to fish is the upper river upstream of Highway 191. At the 20 mile marker, there is a trail head and a parking area just east off the highway. A short walk above the trail head will bring you to the upper Gallatin in Yellowstone National Park, a true meadow stream with a good population of native Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout.  Between highway mile markers 23 to 30, where it leaves Yellowstone National Park, the river is small by western standards, clear and easy to fish, thus receiving much pressure. Fish the riffles and the willowed undercut banks for best results. From the 35-mile marker to the Big Sky area, the river is mostly shallow and rocky. This section has only a fair population of trout because of winter icing that scours the bottom, killing insect life and fish. Just before the Big Ski area, one arrives at the Porcupine Game Range public access. The mile of river within the access is one of my favorite sections. A larger river now, the Gallatin offers good holding water, fast riffles, and long deep runs. Again the Royal Wulff and Hopper patterns are sure fire fish getters when the sun is on the water. The evening hatch of caddis can also be worth the time and effort. From the Big Ski area downstream to the mouth of the Gallatin Canyon, the river again speeds up and rocks turn into boulders. Highway 191 still parallels the river with good numbers of pull-offs. Larger and deeper pools offer the angler a chance for a large trout. Walking and wading is tough here with heavy highway traffic, so be careful!

South Fork of the Madison River:  

The South Fork of the Madison River is a meadow stream and spring creek rolled into one. It crosses Highway 191 four miles west of town, just before you approach the KOA campground. Upstream from the highway bridge, the river is closed to all fishing where it flows through the private and historic Madison Fork Ranch. From the highway bridge downstream, the river offers 4 miles of public water with some of the most challenging fishing I have ever experienced. Here this small meadow stream meanders with oxbow after oxbow, deep pools, undercut banks and gin-clear water. Before Hebgen Lake was formed in 1910, the South Fork was a good grayling fishery; afterwards, it became one of Hebgen’s main spawning tributaries with a good  spawning run of rainbow trout every spring and a run of browns in the late fall.

To sum it all up, West Yellowstone offers a very large choice of places to fish all very close to town. I have kept this article short with the emphases on waters which are within a short drive from town. I barely mentioned Yellowstone Park waters and thus did not discuss the Firehole River or the Yellowstone River and its great wild cutthroat population, or the Lamar River, Soda Butte Creeks, and Slough Creek in the northeast corner of Yellowstone. There is one important factor about the fishing which I want to mention. Because all of our trout are wild they are not easy to catch. Remember to use a light leader and a nice long tippet when fishing with terrestrials and dry flies. Make your approach to the water slow and your first cast well-placed. When fishing with the dry fly, your fly must float, look, and act as though it were not attached to the line.

Whether you are an experienced fly fisher or a novice, what you can experience and learn through attending the Fly Fishing Fair and Conclave and consulting with attending experts gains you years of fly-fishing knowledge. And if you try that newly acquired knowledge on surrounding waters, you will bring home a creel full of great memories, but release the fish. All of my best to you, Good Fishing!

By: Bob Jacklin