Montana/Wyoming/E. Idaho Fishing

Hey Everyone- I just got back from a "Family Road Trip" (AKA Fly Fishing Trip), to Montana, Wyoming, and East Idaho. I fished on a small creek in Idaho, near Driggs, called Packsaddle Creek the first day. A lot of whitefish but couldn't manage to even see a trout. Day 2:Tour Grand Teton National Park, fished on the Snake a little bit, nothing. Day 3: Fished Packsaddle Creek again, fish rising everywhere, Fished a caddis, nothing, caught a bug, a Pale Evening Dun, nothing to match hatch, no fish. Day 4: No Fishing, drive to West Yellowstone, Montana. Day 5-6: Tour Yellowstone Nat'l Park, amazing place. Day 7: Fished the Madison River for over half the day, little black mayflies. I tied a fly on-stream to match. Nothing...

With this information in your hands, I ask you...am I really that bad at Fly Fishing?
Has anyone else ever been to that area and caught nothing? Well, it was fun anyway.
-Fly_Fisher_12

I like to hit a local flyshop to get there advise first. It helps to know what may be happening and to support the local flyshops. I always buy a few flies in exchange for there advise.
-Jeff

some times your the bug some times your the windshield You should have stoped in to see one of the shops in west, Bob Jacklin would have been my choice but they are all pretty good. You can all most allways scare up a brown with a muddler on the maddison I fish the snake a bit up where you were at and find some cuts on hoppers and small streamers, small clousers are a good choice. If it were me and I was going to an area that I knew very little about I would belly up to the bar and hire a guide.

Rich

I did that, too. They didn't mention PEDs. Only PMD's (didn't work), Yellow Sallies(Also didn't work), and caddis' (obviously didn't work. And I did go to 8 fly shops, including Jacklin's
-Fly_Fisher_12

[This message has been edited by Fly_Fisher_12 (edited 08 August 2005).]

Oh, you Idaho guys! First you live in a most beautiful State, and I'm from Michigan!!
Got a Kid brother that's a Ranger for the State up in Whorley, ID. We've fished the Bitter Roots and the Saw Tooths. Been 10 years now and I have to go back one more time!!
Caught my first Trout on a fly there back in the 80's on the St. Joe River.
I wonder if I turn over my pension checks to him will he let me move in!!??

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I feel more like I do now than I did when I got here!

Cactus AKA "Lucky Dog (Pirate Name)"

Hey there FF12;
Shoulda tried a stimulator #14 with a #22 copper john dropper on the Snake. If dat don't get em , dey ain't dere.

Mark

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I'd rather be in Wyoming!

Did you try nymphing any of the waters?

Yup, I tried nymphing on the Madison and Packsaddle, Nothing. I used size 12-16 Zug Bugs and Beadhead Prince Nymphs. I'm not saying I didn't get strikes, but not a hook up. Most my strikes were on the Madison on a mayfly. Maybe I'm just naturally repelent to fish. Ha, Ha.
-Fly_Fisher_12

Don't feel TOO bad... I was there @ the end of runoff (end of June - first of July), which was not necessarily the best time to be there trying to fish, and didn't do all that great. I caught fish, but they were not easily caught. The trip was still certainly unforgetable, nonetheless!

I caught my biggest fish, 15" brown on the Gibbon on A.K.'s black, ugly nymph (thanks, A.K.). All the other fish in and around the park were caught on various hatch-matchers. The insects, numbers and variety, that i saw were incredible and sometimes the fish were very selective.

I consider myself an adequate fly fisher, but there were days on the big water that i felt defeated. However, if I got layed off tomorrow, I know where I would be...

I've fished that area before and I can attest that it can be difficult. On the packsaddle I finally got smome small whitefish and a brownie to bite on a VERY small mosquitoe dry. I emphasize the small size because before I caught them I was getting plenty of strikes, but nothing would hook up. I finally worked my way down in size and bam, whaddya know, fish on.

Moral of the story........Sometimes size does matter.