Those were the good old days Sawkill Notice I said WERE.

Don't waste your time fishing the Yellowstone River within the park anymore though. Between the disease and the Lake Trout, the fishing on the Yellowstone within the park is GONE!!! Catch rates are down over 70% and it's sickening. I spend a lot of time this past year talking to park rangers and some research biologists and what they had to say was very depressing.

Back in '01 & '02, the fishing on the Yellowstone from the 1-mile mark below fishing bridge to well down river, GIANT Cutts were the norm. There were lots and lots of 20"+ native Cutt's. I'll never forget the days on the water those 2 summers. It was flat out amazing. Now you can fish those same areas hard all day and most likely will not catch a fish. The population has crashed and there is no good news coming either. Then Pelican Creek was devastated by disease and over 95% of the fish were lost there.

So, consider the other options mentioned above but stay away from the Yellowstone INSIDE THE PARK. The fishing on the Yellowstone outside the park is still great though. From Gardiner on down, it's packed with fat and happy fish.

Repeat after me . . . the Madison below Quake Lake . . . the Madison below Quake Lake . . . the Madison below Quake Lake
I know it's not IN the park but it's a short drive from the park and well worth it.

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Jeff - AKA Dr. Fish
If it has fins and swims than I must chase it!