# Skunked out West - Yellowstone TR



## bryson (Jun 22, 2015)

Early September, my wife and I went out West to camp in Yellerstone. Neither of us had ever been, so there was a fair amount of wingin' it. Shipped a 55# box-o-crap out there ahead of time and carried on another 45# bag. Lucky for me a 4 piece fly rod fits in an overhead bin pretty easily, since the 2 piece 5/6 wt I shipped out there got held up and didn't make it out there until the end of our trip. Anyway, this is much more a camping/hiking trip than a fishing trip, though I did get to try my hand at fishing some coldwater. Mods, feel free to move this to the Photo Hut or something if you think it's a better fit there.

Flew into Salt Lake City and rented a car -- the drive up to Yellowstone was beautiful, but longer than expected. Got to check out the Tetons briefly from afar, but we had a campsite to build and we didn't think the sun would wait on us.










Made a few stops on the way in to see some cool sights -- a massive herd of bison in a valley, some amazing geothermal features (Mud Volcano and Dragon's Mouth right off the road), but we made it to Canyon Village before it got dark.










Spent the next 5 nights sleeping on the ground in a tent, but we sure made ourselves comfortable. It was a little strange having to be so careful about food and bears.



















We hit several of the main attractions, but managed to get off the beaten path a little bit. Saw an osprey in his penthouse suite (best view in the country, likely) when we visited the Yellowstone Grand Canyon:



















Stopped by Disney World and Six Flags the Grand Prismatic Spring and Old Faithful:










Got away from the rivers of tourists for a while and did some hiking and a little fishing. I'm still trying to figure out why they call this place Yellowstone...


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## bryson (Jun 22, 2015)

After having no luck on the Yellowstone, we decided to try Slough Creek. I figure if I'm going to not catch fish, I might as well try to see the fish I'm not catching. A little smoky out, but still beautiful. A nice hike to the First Meadow for sure.










I actually got a solid eat on Slough Creek, but ended up with a tiny dry fly zinging past my face. Must have been the trout's fault; that's the only explanation. The riverbed was very small rocks and soft silt -- I don't think I'll ever forget wading barefoot and leaving my prints alongside those of bison and elk.










A humbling experience for sure. This freshwater stuff must take some practice -- good thing I neglected to try fishing any streams at all before coming out here. To add insult to a previous insult, we got caught in traffic on the trail back. This place is awful.










Fortunately we ran into some polite locals on the way back to camp.










We were able to sneak out of the park up to Montana to do a horseback ride. My wife and I and another couple we'd never met showed up for a guided trail ride. Everyone else's horses had awesome names -- Klondike, Sasquatch, and Commanche. I got Dan.










The dog from the ranch snuck out and did the trail with us -- even ran off a coyote. Textbook definition of a good boy.










One of the highlights of the trip was seeing 4 elk (2 cows and 2 calves) stake claim to an island in the Firehole River. We waited around to see if a bull would show, but never did. The elk eventually crossed the river to the road, walked right past us and disappeared into the forest.




























Zero fish, but it was an awesome trip overall. I got a few more eats on the Firehole -- never came tight to one fish though. I think one or two fish might have just missed the fly, but I'm pretty sure most everything else was user error. Can't wait to make it back out there. We checked several of the "must-do" boxes, so next time we go we will probably do some longer hikes and more exploring (and fishing).

Anyone that hasn't been out that way, I can't recommend it enough. Without a doubt, it's one of the most beautiful places I've been in my entire life.

Bryson


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## permitchaser (Aug 26, 2013)

Thanks man for a great report. I haven't been out there in years. I've fly fished and bird hunted out there in the west. It is beautiful


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## Blue Zone (Oct 22, 2011)

Thanks for the report. 

Next time you're out that way, post up some warning. There a couple of us on here who know the ID, WY and MT area pretty well. I am still hoping to get out that way before the snow flies and MS member *Cliff *has been out there most of the summer and is still there hanging around the Henry's Fork.


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## Dawhoo (Oct 27, 2015)

I roadtripped out there after college during a 5 week camping trip with friends from SC. I dont think I appreciated the solitude at the time as I would now, but still was probably the best trip of my life. I want to do it again now that I have a different perspective.


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## Steve_Mevers (Feb 8, 2013)

bryson said:


> After having no luck on the Yellowstone, we decided to try Slough Creek. I figure if I'm going to not catch fish, I might as well try to see the fish I'm not catching. A little smoky out, but still beautiful. A nice hike to the First Meadow for sure.
> 
> View attachment 15930
> 
> ...


Your photos brought back good memories, we did pretty much the same trip, and even camped at Slough creek and hiked to the first meadow and fished also. Nothing like fishing during the day and drinking a beer and tying flies at night. Pics of Slough creek


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## Wetfly01 (May 5, 2017)

Sorry about your luck on the fishing out west. But WOW you definitely took in some nice sites. My buddy and I did a 16 day trip out there 3 years ago. Fished the West Fork of the Bitterroot and Rock Creek. Spent 7 days on each stream. The fishing was absolutely awesome. We didn't see as much wildlife as you did, but the fishing made up for it. Definitely was a bucket list trip. Hoping to get back there again.


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## J-Dad (Aug 30, 2015)

Very cool.


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## crc01 (Oct 28, 2016)

Wetfly01 said:


> Sorry about your luck on the fishing out west. But WOW you definitely took in some nice sites. My buddy and I did a 16 day trip out there 3 years ago. Fished the West Fork of the Bitterroot and Rock Creek. Spent 7 days on each stream. The fishing was absolutely awesome. We didn't see as much wildlife as you did, but the fishing made up for it. Definitely was a bucket list trip. Hoping to get back there again.



Very nice report. Got to love it out west. The scenery and attractions for an outdoorsman can' t be beat.


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## crc01 (Oct 28, 2016)

Wetfly01 said:


> Sorry about your luck on the fishing out west. But WOW you definitely took in some nice sites. My buddy and I did a 16 day trip out there 3 years ago. Fished the West Fork of the Bitterroot and Rock Creek. Spent 7 days on each stream. The fishing was absolutely awesome. We didn't see as much wildlife as you did, but the fishing made up for it. Definitely was a bucket list trip. Hoping to get back there again.





Man I love Rock Creek. The Bitterroot took several days of fishing it to grow on me but now I love it. There's just something about fishing in a place where the sites and sounds can make you forget you are holding a rod. I've been trying to get my brother and dad up there with me, but they don't think they'd enjoy trout fishing. They don't understand that the actual act of fishing has little to do with why I keep going back.


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## crboggs (Mar 30, 2015)

Epic! Fresh water is certainly a different game. I missed many eats on my first trip trying to break from the habit of strip setting everything *lol* Also learning to mend line took some practice...


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## CurtisWright (May 9, 2012)

Salt water people usually fail the first time at trout fishing. I know I did the first half a dozen times.

Salt water fishing is all about interacting with the fish. Fresh water about interacting with the river.


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## Net 30 (Mar 24, 2012)

CurtisWright said:


> Salt water people usually fail the first time at trout fishing. I know I did the first half a dozen times.
> 
> Salt water fishing is all about interacting with the fish. Fresh water about interacting with the river.


Pretty funny how fresh water guys "Trout Set" on saltwater fish the first few dozen times and saltwater guys "Strip Set" on Trout. 

Makes for some good laughs and _"why do I keep doing that"_ moments!


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## Cliff (Oct 13, 2016)

I believe fishing for trout requires two different types of reactions when the fish takes. If you are fishing dry, and even more so if the fish are cutthroat, set slow and set gentle. Slow to the point of seeing the fish rise, deliberately waiting a second and then lifting the rod tip. Fishing the nymph is the opposite. As soon as you detect a strike, regardless if you use an indicator or are watching your line/leader-set as quick as possible with a sharp, deliberate lift and sometimes short strip depending on how much slack you have out. 

At least this is what I think is best and what works for me.


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## perrymcfly (Jan 19, 2017)

Went and explored Yellowstone for my first time last year in August. We went for a hike with the YA starting at Heart Lake and fished along the Snake River. We came out the southern boundary right as a wildfire was kicking into high gear. Ash was falling like snow when we loaded back up in the van. 

Our fishing was a little tough also, they were having a super low water year, we landed a couple REALLY nice cutties but overall, pretty slow. Gorgeous country and an amazing experience though, there's really something magical about that place.


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## bryson (Jun 22, 2015)

@CurtisWright -- well said. It was really interesting, and I'm actually a little surprised I got the eats that I got. Still, I wasn't locating fish based on water features, I only got eats when I saw a fish rise and made a cast upstream of it. Any time I tried casting to eddies or riffles or whatever, I got no love.

As far as the set, I had it in my mind *not* to strip set the hook. Unfortunately that left my other go-to reaction, a hard rod set like you would do with a spinning rod  Ha, obviously that didn't work so well either. I finally got myself to use a softer hookset, but those didn't connect either for some reason.

@Cliff -- I never tried fishing a nymph. I should have tied a dropper onto a small hopper, but I just didn't get to fish quite enough to experiment.

I'm really enjoying hearing what you all have to say about your trips out west! I didn't realize so many people on this board have been.

@Steve_Mevers that sounds like an incredible experience -- did you have to carry all your gear and camp in the backcountry at Slough Creek? I would have hated to walk that trail with a heavy pack -- I was travelling fairly light.

@Wetfly01, a 16 day trip would really be something. I would have loved to get to fish a river more than once -- the knowledge I was gaining each hour was pretty significant. I feel like you could really get to know a river fairly well (at least, a stretch of it) when you spend a week there.

@crc01 -- very true about the "act" of fishing. My wife absolutely loved sitting in the valley next to the river, relaxing and enjoying unspoiled nature, and reading a little from the book she brought out there. I'll never forget fishing the Firehole River with steam coming out of the rocks on the other side, or walking along the tracks of all these different animals, or even watching fish rise in a lake while a bison was right across the way on a hillside just munching grass (didn't have my rod on that hike ). Just scouting a river, walking along the bank I came across a mule deer crossing the river... The Park is so exceptional that these amazing, extraordinary things are almost commonplace out there.


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## afernandez (Aug 28, 2013)

Cool post Bryson. I grew up fly fishing Yellowstone and the rivers just outside the park every summer. It's been a while but definitely want to get back. You should definitely purchase this book, especially if you like hiking to your spots. Gives great info on some out of the way streams. One of my most memorable hikes was into Grebe Lake. cool spot and it's loaded with hungry and aggressive grayling. 

https://www.amazon.com/Yellowstone-...sr=8-1&keywords=Yellowstone+fly+fishing+guide


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## 1Fisher77316 (Nov 1, 2016)

afernandez said:


> Cool post Bryson. I grew up fly fishing Yellowstone and the rivers just outside the park every summer. It's been a while but definitely want to get back. You should definitely purchase this book, especially if you like hiking to your spots. Gives great info on some out of the way streams. One of my most memorable hikes was into Grebe Lake. cool spot and it's loaded with hungry and aggressive grayling.
> 
> https://www.amazon.com/Yellowstone-...sr=8-1&keywords=Yellowstone+fly+fishing+guide


My favorite is an "old-time" favorite for outdoor writers 30/40 years ago. I love the Madison. My wife and I fished it the last week in April one year and caught some fantastic browns as well as one larger rainbow. Great water and truly a beautiful experience.
Tight lines
1Fisher77316


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## crboggs (Mar 30, 2015)

This post got me thinking about a Yellowstone trip. My daughters really want to rent an RV and do some cross country stuff. So I've got allies working on convincing the wife.


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## Steve_Mevers (Feb 8, 2013)

bryson said:


> @CurtisWright -- well said. It was really interesting, and I'm actually a little surprised I got the eats that I got. Still, I wasn't locating fish based on water features, I only got eats when I saw a fish rise and made a cast upstream of it. Any time I tried casting to eddies or riffles or whatever, I got no love.
> 
> As far as the set, I had it in my mind *not* to strip set the hook. Unfortunately that left my other go-to reaction, a hard rod set like you would do with a spinning rod  Ha, obviously that didn't work so well either. I finally got myself to use a softer hookset, but those didn't connect either for some reason.
> 
> ...


I only hiked in to Slough with my backpack and rod, yes it is a hell of a climb to that first valley for us Florida boys. I have a truck camper rigged out for fishing with rod racks, fly tying etc... I was out there for 2.5 months the first time. I went out for about 2 months last summer. I rarely fish the famous rivers like the Henry Fork, and Snake, they are to croweded and I hate to fish around a lot of people. If you search out small streams on forestry and BLM land, that take a little effort to get to you can catch cutthroats and brook trout till your arms get tired. The truck camper allows me to access places you could never camp at with a travel trailer or 5th wheel.


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## Blue Zone (Oct 22, 2011)

I have finally cleared the deck for my vacation West to see my daughters and fish with a couple of business trips on the side. I'll be mainly in Idaho and Montana and unfortunately miss meeting up with @Cliff by about a week. I'm 6 or 8 weeks behind schedule so there will be some clearing of ice from the guides and I may not be able to get to some of my favorite spots at higher elevations. Better a tad late late than way too late...

To add to the discussion on flies, when nothing else works my go to are soft hackle flies. Also, when fishing in the Fall as I am doing, streamers should be included in your repertoire (Spring as well).


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## Cliff (Oct 13, 2016)

We had snow last night in Island Park. Bring small (size 18) bead head nymphs and mayflies. If it is cloudy at all you should see large hatches of blue winged olives (18 but 20-22 in places) during the middle of the day. No need to get up early the best fishing will be noon to three.

I hunted ducks on henry's lake outlet rather than fish yesterday because of weather. The Yellowstone and Madison should be great. The lower Henry's Fork will be great. Bring your winter gear for Silver Creek-good luck.


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## Blue Zone (Oct 22, 2011)

So after my business calls in CO and MT and hanging out with my daughters in Missoula and Bozeman, tomorrow was supposed to be my first fishing day. Then this:

_Winter Storm Watch in effect from late tonight through
Thursday morning above 5000 feet... 

* what... heavy snow possible. Travel across mountain passes may be
difficult at times. Total snow accumulations of 4 to 8 inches, 
with localized amounts up to 12 inches, are possible.

* Where... Gallatin County above 5000 feet.
_
I did manage to drop by my mecca, RL Winston, in Twin Bridges and scouted the Yellowstone above Livingston where I had planned to fish tomorrow.


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## Viking1 (May 23, 2010)

Love Yellowstone, thanks for bringing back great memories!


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