If you've ever thought about dropping everything to come fish the Yellowstone...
...Now is definitely the time.
We had a terribly warm and dry winter and an early start to the spring runoff in late April, but May has been just the opposite: cool and wet. This has cut the top off the spring melt and the Yellowstone came back into shape last weekend. Based on the 10-day outlooks showing no day with temperatures getting higher than 61 degrees here in Gardiner, I expect the good fishing to continue through AT LEAST Memorial Day, assuming of course they don't change the forecast on us. Some days will be better than others, especially since there's been rain knocking around, but overall the fishing has been great for the past five or six days and I expect it to continue.
The most consistent fishing has been on streamers and this will likely continue. Trail them with caddis pupae.
The Mother's Day caddis hatch should continue throughout this period, with the best hatches now in Paradise Valley and likely to move up to the Gardiner area as the week progresses, but there are good numbers of caddis everywhere. You might see some BWO or March Browns as well.
On days when it rains a lot, when the Yellowstone might get too dirty, the private lakes and the lower Madison River are great options. Montana small streams also open Saturday, and I don't expect them to get even slightly dirty even when it does rain, so they're good choices, too.
Owner, Yellowstone Country Fly Fishing
Head Guide, Parks' Fly Shop
Fly Designer, Montana Fly Company
Author, Yellowstone Country Flies and River Characters
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