I’ll be in yellowstone park from July 16th-24th. If you could only hit one spot in that time what would it be? I have been and spent most of my time in the NE portion of the park. I am surely not opposed to hitting it again but thought it would be nice to hear some other opinions. I have all the books and have been searching the web but I’d like some personal recommendations. Thanks in advance.
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Jim in CO
if yer talking in the park, the ne region (i.e. slough and pebble crreks, trout lake) is probably your best option. I’d consider grebe lake for grayling (bear territory).
outside the park, I’d hit the three dollar bridge section of the madison…
mgj
The Madison. Caddis go nuts that time of year. Plenty of places out of the way to get away from the crowds.
Have a blast,
-John
Lots of great fishing in and around the park BUT I was turned onto a great spot at the last FFF Conclave. The Madison below Quake Lake was awesome. BIG, BIG fish and plenty of them. The water is really roaring there so 99% of the fishing is within 4ft of the bank. I only wish I had more time so we could have fished it a few more evenings. BIG hatches right before dark and the fish came to small CDC Caddis drys very well. I had 4 fish take me into my backing (cool). The folks at Jacklin’s were anything BUT helpful. The three “kids” working the shop the 2 days I went in were simply a waste of space.
Jeff - AKA Dr. Fish
If it has fins and swims than I must chase it!
[This message has been edited by Dr. Fish (edited 01 March 2005).]
Does bob have a website? Or a phone number? Thanks so far for the input.
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Jim in CO
nevermind. I got it.
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Jim in CO
id say soda butte. i was there two years ago, and only got to fish it once, due to rain and muddy water, but that was the best place i fished.
Happy Birthday Yellowstone ~ Created 3/1/1872
Best, Dave
No, I’m not that historically gifted, I read it on another board today.
I did get a chance to meet Bob at the Conclave this past August. He seems like one heck of a nice guy and everyone had nothing but good things to say about him.
I was surprised that the guys in there were no good.
Jeff - AKA Dr. Fish
If it has fins and swims than I must chase it!
To answer the original post, there isn’t a bad area to fish in the park (unless you fish Pelican creek and get a ticket for fishing closed water, I suppose). Some areas are just more crowded than others.
In regard to Bob Jacklin’s shop, I have had the same experience as Dr. Fish with the hired help in the store. Young kids from out of state hired to guide and sell gear, who really don’t know much about the area at all. However, Bob is around much of the time and is great to talk to about fishing in the park or in that general area.
You can’t beat the “50 Mile Riffle”, Quake Lake to Ennis. Caddis and Stoneflies, both dry and nymph. Have Fun!!
I got to fish Yellowstone seven or eight times in the 70s & 80s, and we fished most of the well known spots. The place I liked the best, (and it was crowded back then too,) was Buffalo Ford on the Yellowstone.
I caught a lot of big Cuts there, and even if I hadn’t caught any, just looking down into the crystal clear water and seeing three or four 18-20" fish using your body as cover would have been thrill enough. Caught my biggest trout ever there, 22".
Is it spring yet?
Bob
There is a fine line between fly fishing, and standing in the water waving a stick.
[This message has been edited by Sawkill (edited 02 March 2005).]
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.
Jeff - AKA Dr. Fish
If it has fins and swims than I must chase it!