So the when the sun comes up…there’s fishing is on the brain.

Everyone grabbed a quick breakfast and then off they went.

Jeff R and myself decided to take it easy and hang around the cabin.

The hardest work we did all day was deciding were to eat lunch.

Thanks again Jeff!! The rest was a much needed break.

It appeared that the weather was going to hold off for the rest of the crew.

Upon their return, we find out that school was in session for the fish.

Slough Creek was not as kind as our first visit, but many fish were caught.

Jeff C and Seth had a spectacular day in the alpine lakes, catching brookies up to 13″ in length.

 Their whole day of fishing included some on and off snow flurries…

Yes snow flurries!

The snow did not stop the brookies from ambushing most anything that dared to touch down in their realm.

Got to love those Brookies!!

Tomorrow is the departure date for most of our 2nd week guests.

Brett will stay a little longer and Jeff C and I will also fish on.

Check back tomorrow to see how the Firehole has treated us.  Tight lines!!

For all of todays trip photos, visit the Day 16 album.

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Day 18 came and the sun rose as usual, but there was something different…

SNOW!  That’s right it snowed!

It didn’t snow on our Porch but on the mountains towering over our temporary Montana home.

Jeff C and I were scheduled to do a float trip, but the thought of the down pour I had witnessed last time out left me with some lingering cold chills.

So I prepared a little better and layered up.

Packed a couple of hand warmers, and got the heavy duty rain coat out. 

Once we got to the river the sun was out, but the air was still brisk. We strung up our rods, tied on our bugs, and did some stretches ( well maybe not the stretching) and off we went. We were floating a lower section of the Yellowstone.

It ran from Carbello to 26 mile.

Jeff had some action early on but things were definitely not gangbusters.

Right before lunch things started to pick up.

Several fish were caught but nothing compared to the 19″ Brown Jeff coaxed to the surface with a Purple Haze Cripple.

Would you like to learn how to tie the Purple Haze Cripple?  Go to Parks’ Fly Shop website at http://www.parksflyshop.com/ and check out their tying videos.

The day only got hotter and hotter with numbers spiraling out of control…

Jeff somehow talked Wally into handing over the oars, and then began to put the guide on fish.

tyle=”text-align: center;”>We had a blast! 

I think everyone in the boat had a great time.

While we were floating, Brett took the chance to explore the Gardner for the first time…

…and worked his way over to a small brookie stream.

We found numerous fish willing to eat at both places.

Brett brought in numerous fish fish today as well.

Tune in tomorrow for our last day of fishing in Yellowstone National Park!  Click here for more Day 18 photos.

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Day 3 arrives and brings the first 2 of our guests, Spiros and Aaron. After a quick meet and greet we decide to head out on our separate ways. Jeff, Spiros, and Aaron had fishing on the brain and set out to hit a couple different bodies of water. My dad (LaBaron), my son (Bayden), and I set off to do a little sight seeing.

    We decided to head out to see some of the more exotic sights in Yellowstone.

Old Faithful was number one on the list. During the trip we stopped by to see several of the other geysers, hot springs, and mud pots. While at Old Faithful we made an appearance on the Old Faithful web cam for the family back home. 

   While we were out taking in the sites, the other guys were out piercing lips.  (photo below of Spiros navigating the Gardiner)

They stared on the Gardiner and after educating several fish, they decided to move over to Lava Creek to try their hands at some brookies.

They were greeted by large groups of picnickers but the fish did not seem to mind.

Here’s a picture of Aaron on Lava Creek

After getting their fill on smaller to medium fish and filling their bellies, they decided it was time for a little Soda Butte action and a chance at some larger Yellowstone Cutthroats.

Spiros is fishing the Butte below.

The fish were eagerly awaiting their arrival. Fish were feeding regularly and several were brought to hand.

nt-size: medium;”>A couple were in the 18″- 20″ range. All in all it was a great day on the water.    After finishing our sight seeing, the other two Garris’ decided they wanted to relax around the hotel.  I on the other hand, needed to get a line wet. So down to Yankee Jim Canyon I went.

That is a section of the Yellowstone that lies outside of the Park. It consists of steep rock on both side of the river with a ton of water flowing down in between. The Yellowstone can be overwhelming, but the side channels are the key.

Several fish were brought to hand and several more were LDR’d (Long Distance Release).

Whitefish, Rainbows, Cutbows, and Cutthroats were all ready to play. Most of the fish were were more than excited to play with my size 8 Yellow Stimi, but a few also fell prey to the all mighty Purple Prince.

After a quick fishing fix it was time to head back to Gardiner for some dinner and then a good nights rest. Tomorrow involves a trip to Bozeman to stock up, and then the rest of our guests arrive. I am sure we will sneak some fishing in as well. Check us out tomorrow for some more from Yellowstone country! 

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Day 11 of fishing has come to an end, and what a great climax for our guests. We decided to have somewhat of a later start given that it had been a long four days (10 for Nate and I) and our bodies were starting to feel it.

Although we were feeling a little sore, the fact of the matter was, this was our guests last day to fish in the park. It was time to get cracking!

We had originally planned to hike into Grebe Lake, but the daunting 3 mile hike was not encouraging us, so we chose otherwise.

With it being the last day we wanted everybody to have a good time and catch fish.  We decided to head over to Soda Butte for the morning session and then split up after lunch.

We started fishing just below the Soda Butte Rock and worked our way upstream and back. The fishing started a little slow but soon heated up. Hopper’s and Caddis were the ticket for the day (go figure).

Several very nice fish were landed…many more were missed.

The last time we had been on this water it was off color and that made it tough to get strikes. With something to prove, Jeff and Spencer got into some nice fish on the lower side of our section.

Charlie landed a 12″ fish and lost one considerably bigger. Dick worked his way upstream with no avail.

Dick changed flies and the fish were soon cartwheeling after his Yellow Foam Hopper trailed by the legendary Peacock Caddis.

The first two fish he landed were Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout.  The first one was at least 16″, the second was a very thick 14″er.

Dick later revealed that these were his largest wild fish to date.  He worked them like a pro!

At about 3:00 we decided to break for lunch and some ‘make your own salads’.

While relaxing in the shade and watching the rain coming in from the west, we were visited by about 12 Long Horn Beetles.

After recharging our batteries we decided to split up.

Jeff and Spencer went back to Soda Butte and the rest of us headed towards Lava Creek.

We decided to take a slight detour on the Grand Loop to take in some of the sights.

We passed by the Yellowstone River and went into the Hayden Valley…

We saw numerous Buffalo, Mule Deer, the Sulphur Cauldron, and several Mud Pots. The rain played tag with us for the rest of the afternoon, so we decided to head back to the cabin.

Jeff and Spencer arrived before us, confirming what we had suspected would happen…a hatch on the Soda Butte.  The fish were making the river boil and several really nice fish were landed because of it.

We left the river around six to start the daunting task of packing.

Dick was nice enough to hold true on his responsibility for the beer fish, and provided a Trout Slayer Ale to all involved.  We used the tasty libation to wash down pizza as we reflected on the five wonder days of fishing we had just been a part of.  Because Yellowstone is truly one of the most beautiful places in the world, I am sure we will each carry fond memories and images for years to come…I know I will.

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Another gorgeous day here in Paradise! After a big plate of french toast and ham, we set off towards the Upper Gardiner.

Home of thousands of painted up Brookies. We were planning to walk in a bit to a meadow section and try to educate some fish.

The fish were very eager for class and popped dry flies with abandonment.

If we were to slow on our hook sets we had to quickly recast before hooking the tall grass behind us.

This, in turn, caused multiple hits on consecutive casts. Brookies are notorious for striking flies extremely quickly.

Timing has to be just right or else they will flip right off our barbless hooks.

The fish in this stretch are not known for their size but the numbers that can be landed. That being said, numerous fish in the 8-10″ range felt our hook, a few were even landed.

Catching was constant all morning, heavy at times. Charlie got into a run of fish and began to pull them in like a vacuum. One after another, they fell to the Magic Nymph!

Dick was steadily getting strikes and landed a total of 8 out of 2 runs.

Spencer had to join up with us a little late because of the need to visit the Mammoth Clinic. On the float trip the previous day he had jammed his pinky finger on his non-casting hand. After being reassured it was not broken he was on the creek with us and sticking fish.

The day was warm and being in the open field was starting to wear on our energy levels, so we decided to hit the Sheepeater Cliff picnic area.

We were greeted by some very large, well-fed chipmunks. They almost ran up Charlie’s leg.

After lunch we headed down the hill to the Lower Gardiner for a chance at some larger fish and possibly the Slam.

We jumped into a previous spot we had fished hoping it would be as generous.

It was not gang-busters like we had hoped, but many solid fish were landed. Mainly Rainbows, but several Browns and a Brookie were caught.

To add to the excitement Nate saw another Bull snake, this one being about 4′ long.

Other than that, it was a very comfortable evening where the hatch just never took off, but a great evening of fishing none the less.

Walking out we spotted an enormous Mormon Cricket laying eggs in the trail.

We decided to head back toward the cabin around 7:30. The sun was just beginning to dip behind the mountains when we pulled out of the parking area.

On the scenic drive home we were lucky enough to see the one animal Jeff wanted to see, The Big Horn Sheep.

Although, after pointing those out, he requested that I bring them in closer for a better picture. Unfortunately, I was unable to oblige. On the last leg of the trip we were treated to one of Montana’s beautiful sunsets.

Just in case you were wondering, Dick was unable to pass off his beer fish net. Not because he didn’t try, others just had butter fingers…hee hee hee. Tomorrow we will be hitting our favorites from the week and enjoying our last day together as a group.

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Jeff and Spencer had decided to book a float trip with Richard Parks of Park’s Fly Shop.

They were going to float the Yellowstone, and Dick, Charlie, Nate and I were going to hit some smaller streams with the hopes of high numbers in the catch category.

With everybody having tired bodies, we thought an easier day would be in order. Jeff and Spencer could ride in style and we other would fish rivers with close access.  They had a great day being guided by possibly the premier expert on fishing the Park and its surrounding area.

They floated the Yellowstone starting close to Gardner and took out just before getting to Yankee Jim Canyon. The boated at least 40 fish the largest being around 16″. Cutthroat, Cut bows, and Whitefish were caught off of dries. Yes, Whitefish off dries. The said it was a beautiful day on a beautiful river. And they had they luck of seeing an Osprey during the trip.

While those guys were out being carted around, we were going to Lava Creek to begin with and Tower Creek in the afternoon.  Our day started out with everyone getting strikes on their first or second cast.

Dick was lucky enough to land the first fish on his first cast. The day never let up either. 4-5 strikes came out of every hole, with several being landed.

The fish were absolutely gorgeous with their spawning colors coming on.  Every fish practically was glowing with greens, blues, reds, and oranges.

The fish were eager and forgiving. Many fish struck numerous times even allowing for less than perfect drifts.

When hooked they were willing to dance with all their might.

After fishing Lava for several hours, and landing too many fish to count, all being Brookies, we decided to hit the road to find a little shade to eat lunch in.

We found this place at the rustic Roosevelt’s Lodge. The two picnic tables in front of the gift shop were exactly what we were looking for.

We had a quick lunch and enjoyed the shade, and then off we went to head towards Tower Creek.

The drive to Tower took the guys through an unseen part of the park. We were fortunate enough to drive past the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone and see the numerous unusual rock formations along the road. Once arriving at the Creek, and after a quick visit to the gift shop (I am not telling what was bought), we were back to fishing.

The fish in this river consist of Rainbows and Brookies, with Rainbows being the dominant species.

Tower Creek has a little bit more gradient than most are used to fishing but, many, many fish call it home. Catching started shortly after arriving and was fairly consistent throughout our time on this stretch.

Dries and nymphs were on the agenda with the caddis family being the big winners.

Around 5pm we headed back toward the house to put the feet up and enjoy some Ribeyes, roasted corn, and roasted potatoes.

After returning home Dick was awarding the much celebrated Big Fish Net after landing the smallest Trout this trip to date (aka Beer Fish).

When receiving his award he was wearing an “Older Than Dirt” T-shirt. All I can say is I hope I can get around like this man when I get to wear that shirt.

Every day is a pleasure with these guys and I truly appreciate all the knowledge they are sharing, especially Dick’s stories!

All in all this was a great day and it has us eagerly awaiting tomorrow when we head up to the scene of our recent 200 fish day. Brookies are in order in the morning and a chance for everything else in the afternoon. Let’s see who gets the Yellowstone Grand Slam!!

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Slough Creek was the destination for Day 8. It involved a fairly difficult 1.5 mile hike in. Over half of that was uphill.

We started out with a big breakfast of pancakes, sausage, and biscuits and gravy.  As soon as we were done, off we went.

The hike in was tough but, the views were breath taking when we arrived. Jeff, being the avid hiker, decided to push for the second meadow.

Within the first 20 minutes Spencer was hooked up with a nice 18″ Cutthroat.

The fish on the creek were rising constantly, but only to exactly what they wanted.

Early in the day it was size 12 beetles. In the afternoon it switched over a bit to size 8 crickets.

Many fish were caught. Many, many, many more were missed or broke off.

Charlie hooked an absolutely beautiful Cutthroat of about 17″.

When released he decided to pose for a few extra underwater shots.

Dick laid into a nice fish that found its way off the hook before it reached the net.

We stayed and fished until 5pm and started our journey out.

On the trail we met up with Jeff who had a spectacular day in the second meadow fishing strictly dry flies.

We conversed about the phenomenal day of fishing we had, and about all the big fish that got away.

When the trek was said and done everyone was a little sore, but with an easier day on the docket for tomorrow and a huge dinner of Burgers and Brats, soreness was soon forgotten. Needless to say everyone slept well.

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Our guests arrive today!

Just then we received a call from the other two in our party saying they would be arriving shortly. Like I said previously this was suppose to be a errand day, but with everyone arriving by 4pm that meant only one thing. That is right. Time to fish! We made a quick trip to Parks Fly Shop so every body could get legal (license), and off we went.

We headed to the closest water which is the lower Gardiner. A short 1/4 mile hike (sorry Dick, Spencer, and Charlie) and we were watching fish rise. Time to make some casts.

Shortly after unhooking his fly Spencer laid into a nice 12″ feisty cutbow that gave up a couple of cartwheels before he was brought to net.

Dick then climbed into his selected run and began casting.

After working over some water he got into a 10″ Rainbow in a faster current, and landed them like a real pro. Charlie, was intently working a riffle when, bam, the fight was on.

Several more fish were caught through out the evening and many more were missed.

Some flies got the full inspection from the more educated fish in the river, but were found unworthy.

All in all, for about 2 hrs worth of fishing and about 13 fish landed, it was a great first evening for our friends in Yellowstone!

Tommorrow is Pebble Creek and a trip to Soda Butte. Watch out cutties here we come!!!  If you would like to travel to and Fly Fish in Yellowstone National Park, contact the boys at Curtis Wright Outfitters…you’ll be glad you did! 

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So the expedition today, yes expedition, started with a trip all the way across the North of the Park to check out some promising new meadow water. We had read about the upper meadows of Pebble Creek and thought the idea of seldom cast at Cutthroats up to 16″, was very inviting.

There was one catch. The hike in was about 2.2 miles and in the process you gain 1000′ in altitude and then drop 250′. To most this would be a deal breaker. But not us, we were up for the challenge, we thought.  The hike began uphill immediately, and did not let up. The views along the trail were amazing and the trail itself was some what treacherous.

We kept pressing on with numerous re- encouragement sessions (air gasping breaks). The trail never seemed to let up until finally we saw light over the ridge. As soon as we topped out the descent began. Although the downhill was much appreciated, we could not help but think about the trip back out. The trail eventually opened up into a beautiful wildflower filled meadow.

align: center;”>The wildflowers are normally done blooming by this time of year, at least at normal altitudes. Shortly after stepping into the meadow we could hear water running, which really got our heart beating. Finally we had reached our destination, but no.

The stream was just a trickle and although enough water to hold trout definitely not enough to hold our sought after 16″ cutthroats. So, we started hiking some more. Probably another mile to where we could see another couple of streams join the flow. Now there was enough water BUT, two fisherman were fishing it. So off we went hiking some more.

— Joshua Garris – Curtis Wright Outfitters (828) 712-5896

Hosted Fly Fishing Trips to Yellowstone

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So Day 3 started out with a beautiful drive into Yellowstone through the North Entrance. We were greeted by the views of the Mammoth Hot Springs within the first three minutes. It was another beautiful day starting out with temps in the low 60’s.

While exiting the park we were wished good evening by more locals, the Big Horn Sheep and a Mule Deer (Chad don’t shoot!). Good night and long, drag free drifts!  If you are interested in a hosted

Fly Fishing Trip in Yellowstone, click the link, or call 828-645-8700.

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Well day 2 has come to an end and a very full day it was. We started off by fishing the Gardiner River above the conjunction with Boiling River. We started by fishing a small canyon with minor success and quickly moved up to a less gradient section of the river.

The Gardiner is in the lowest altitude area of the park which means a little warmer water temps and the only place in Yellowstone were there is a possibility of running into a snake. In all our several trips out we have never seen so much as a trace, so why should this time be any different. Right? Well not exactly.

Nate was fishing the left side of a run while I was fishing the right. Nate suddenly heard the sound of sand paper rubbing together and turned around to see this rascal running for cover. Not sure of the species but we believe it to be a Bull snake.

I know a snake is a snake but the bulls are not poisonous. The snakes apperance was shortly after the catching side of the fishing started to turn on. We were fishing caddis dries with a variety of nymphs underneath. The fish were evenly caught off nymphs and dries. 

We caught Browns, Cutties, Rainbows, and even a Brook trout of about 12″ that hadn’t got the memo that Brookies aren;t suppose to be in this stretch of river. What a pleasant suprise being brookies are my all time favorite fish. 

We continued on the Gardiner until 3:00pm and then decided to eat some PB&J’s and make the trip to Soda Butte to try a new stretch for the evening.

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So all I can say about Day 1 in Montana is, “WOW!” Talk about action. Talk about dry fly action. Pitchin 2″ Hoppers followed by size 12 trudes equals a phenomenal day on the Yellowstone River. We started off our trip by doing something a little different for us, hiring a guide and floating the big and mighty Yellowstone River.

We went to the local experts Parks Fly Shop, and hired head guide Walter Wiese and set off on our 11 mile journey from Brogan’s Landing through Yankee Jim Canyon.

Fishing and catching started immediately after launch and continued through out the rest of the day.

We caught Cutthroat, Cutbows, Rainbows, Browns, and the other native species the Whitefish. We were fishing pocket water near the banks, and bubble lines following the banks with great success, but we were often surprised by fish rising in the middle of the river in 10′-50 ‘ of water. We were fishing 7.5 ‘ 4x leaders with about a foot of 4-5x tippet between dry flies.

The catching was hot most of the day with an occasional lull. The largest fish we boated was about 17″ and most were in the 12″-14″ range. Numbers were the order for the day with us probably boating at least 70 fish (all on barbless hooks). The fish were absolutely beautiful and feisty and were rivaled only by the beauty of where we were.

On the agenda for tomorrow is the Gardiner and then over to %&?<: creek for some more BANG BANG action. What you thought we were going to give away all the secrets? Better yet book the Yellowstone Trip for next year and we will show you!

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