Enroute to Montana we stopped for a couple of days at Thunderbird Campground on the Skykomish River. I floated from Sultan to Thunderbird on the three times on 9/7 and 9/8. Martin joined me for the afternoon on 9/8. We got no fish.
From Thunderbird we drove to Chelan for the annual Estvold family gathering from 9/9 to 9/11 and then drove to St Regis Montana on 9/12.
9/13 Floated Big Eddy to Dry Creek. Launch 1215, Land 1630. Enough fish to keep interesting. Had good takes on Elk Hair Caddis, Bivisible BWO with #18 black dropper, nymph rig. Most fish 10 inch, one larger on elk hair caddis first cast after launching. VERY few places to wade, stopped one time to wade at a small riffle behind a short rock outcrop. Very nice smooth and slow flow. Ideal for fishing from pontoon.
09/14 Floated 2 Mile launch (next to Sloway) to St Regis 1100 to 1600. Very few places to wade, fished from pontoon all day. Caught several nice size RB, a couple of Cutthroat. Largest fish was a cutthroat just before bridge at St Regis. Best on Elk Hair Caddis. Tried small drys and numphs but EHC was best.
There was one drift boat launching at the time I did, got separated from them soon. That was the only boat on the river both days. What a crowd.
09/25 Floated Yellowstone from Pray Bridge (Mile Creek Bridge) to KOA. About 9.5 miles. Launch 1115 to 1730. Spent first 3.5 hours from launch to Loch Leven, about 3 miles. Lots of takes or bumps, hooked several including 3 very nice 16-17" Cutthroat. Fished small Moorish Hopper along seams and foam at very edge all the way. The stretch from launch to Loch Leven only a couple of other boats, only a few from there on. Most others in mid of river. Best fishing first leg, Loch Leven to Mallards Rest also good, some good spots in last leg but not as many. Fished Elk Hair Caddis briefly in last leg and got a couple of good takes. Saw very few fish feeding all day, found them in seams and foam.
09/28 5000 CFS AM down to 4500 PM. With Dave Payne floated from Stickney to Pruitt. Slow start but picked up in PM. Cinnamon Ant, Beetle, Moorish Hopper all worked during the day. Did nymph or streamer. Windy most of day.
09/29 4500 CFS AM down to 4000PM. Wolf Creek to Craig. 1100-1900. Fished with Cinnamon Ant, Parachute Adams/Dropper, etc. Got a few fish but spotty. Martin got one about 19. Many fish feeding in last side channel around island just above Craig (with small old bridge)-couldn't get them to take anything we offered.
09/30 4000 CFS AM 3700 PM. Wolf Creek To Craig. 1030-1900. Much better day. Got several l8-19 fish on skated/twitched white caddis type just across and below launch. Launch and go across immediately, and stay left of the riffle / submerged island to fish the slow water area. Got fish all day on caddis, small olive/reddish wooly buggers were very good. Side channel around large island had many feeding fish that we caught on small wooly bugger or caddis. Same story as yesterday on last channel above Craig. Lots of fish in slow water areas-don't pass them up
After driving to Craig on the 26th and picking up Martin in Great Falls on the 27th we were ready for 3 days on the Missouri River.
YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK
10/01 Very nice drive from Craig. Gallatin river looks very nice. May stop and spend a couple of days at a forest camp.
When we had to delay or schedule a week Martin could only get cabin for 10/2 and 10/3, he got a hotel room 10/01.
NOTE: flows in all rivers high all week. Rain / snow on 10/6 and 7 spiked rivers, coming down on 10/8. Example: Firehole normal 267 CFS, 10/1-5 just over 300 CFS, 10/6 peaked at 425 in the afternoon. How does this affect fish???? Madison and other rivers similar.
10//02 Fished Madison at Riverside Drive. Martin got one 17" Brown, lost another, on beadhead soft hackle. Lunch at Old Faithful Inn, watched Old Faithful, Fished Mallard Creek area of Firehole, very few fish feeding, very slow. Martin got one decent Brown on an elk hair caddis. Tried several different drys, nymphs and small streamer. Walked geiser trail. Dinner at Branch Restaurant (with old train car)
10/03 Fished all day. Several spots on Madison below bridge in AM. Tried streamers and large (#8) soft hackles. No fish. Firehole in PM at several places. Both Martin and I got several fish on olive bead head wooly bugger, I also got a couple on very small nymph below high viz BWO. About 1730 stopped at Madison just up from Mt Haynes (???) overlook and I got one 18+ inch brown, very nice, also on olive wooly bugger. Martin had 3 good hits. Very tough wading where I was, above the parking. Martin went down and had easier wading. A few rain showers in PM.
10/04 Fished Firehole at Mallard Creek. Got one nice RB on small streamer/nymph. Occasional fish rising. Quite a few hits on small (#12 or 14) elk hair caddis, but no hook ups. Martin fished upper riffle area with similar result. Tried mid firehole area with no catches. Went to Madison at long pullout, second below Madison campground, Nice fishing water. Martin hooked 4 very nice fish on black seamer with rubber legs.
10/05 Drove Martin to Bozeman airport for return to SEA.
10/06 Drove to continental divide marker on road past Old Faithful. Snowing hard there, road to South Entrance closed for snow. Had lunch at Old Faithful, snowing there by the time we arrived. Very pretty. Stopped at Eagles store for waterproof shoes for me and turtlenecks for Susan. By the time we got back to Grizzly it was reported that the road was being closed south from Madison. Temp at 1600 31 degrees and falling.
10/07 Hung around camp in AM, Fished streamers at a couple of spots on Madison in afternoon. No takers. Light snow, some wind all day. High temp about 34.
10/08 Went for pizza for lunch. Fished Gibbon river at first and second pull offs above Madison with small olive wooly bugger. Nice little river. At second pull off there is a large meadow. I walked quite a long way ( 1/2 mile) along the meadow on the river bank, fished a little. No fish. Then went to Madison at first and second pulloffs below Madison picnic below bridge. Fished black streamer on 6 wt sink tip. At first stop got one good hit. First stop water too high to wade far out. No hits at second stop.
10/09 Fished Madison couple of spots below the bridge in the PM. Several fish feeding / boiling. Got hits on BWU hair wing and on small nymph dropper. Also got one very strong multi pull hit on black bugger streamer. Nice afternoon, partly cloudy, cool (mid-40), occasional windy.
10/11 Drove south through Grand Teton to Jackson and return via Drummond and Island Park. Beautiful trip. Note: 3-4 miles of 10% grade both ways on road from Jackson to Tetonia.
10/12 Fished Firehole at Mallard Creek for a couple of hours. Lost a few fish, 3 broke off flies-? Jet Fuel floatant weakens knots?? Rain then sun then rain. Beautiful day. Stopped at second stop below Madison Picnic area for about half an hour. HEAVY rain there.
10/12 Drove down to Ennis and checked in at Ennis RV Park. Got lots of river info from manager. Arranged for mobile rv tech to come in the morning to check out front heat pump. Went to town to quilt shop, all three fly shops.
10/13 Tech came and checked out heat pump. It seems to be working now. Called manufacturer, probable intermittent problem with upper circuit board. Easiest for me to order one and install myself.
1230-1730 Floated from Varney Bridge to 8 Mile. It is only about 5 miles and the river is fairly fast but I spent lots of time with cel phone gps navigating. Lots of briads, islands. A couple of places require taking the correct channel to avoid a diversion dam, allow access to the take out, etc. Not easy fishing. Need to work fins quite a bit to fish underway. There are places to stop but most likely water is accessible from boat. Got one 14" RB, lost another. Be sure to have good map and gps to float this stretch.
10/14 Burnt Tree to Ennis. Good long float. Several good wading places. Some braids, etc, but easier than Varney to 8 Mile.
10/15 Nice drive through Virginia City to Dillon. Much warmer-66 degrees. Watched Huskies and Cougars.
10/16 Relaxed, watched football, went to fly shop.
10/17 Flow 666 CFS. High Bridge 1130 to Pipe Organ 1630. Several good fish hooked on Olive Wooly Bugger. Got fish from banks, riffles, and two from slow water with grass on bottom. Good day. Decided to stay an extra day tomorrow.
10/18 High Bridge to Pipe Organ again. Floated without stop first mile or so. Best fish lower half of High Bridge to Hennebery and from Hennebery to Pipe Organ. Landed three. One measured 19 inches, others about 14 or so. Generally keep to right if in doubt.
