Yellowstone River Fishing Report August 1st, 2020
Its HOT out there! We’ve had a string of hot days and the weather isn’t looking to change too soon. We’ll drop back down into the 80’s next week but its still hot. Fishing will be best in the mornings and will certainly slow in the afternoons once water temps ramp up. Don’t panic, these hot days are going to make the hopper fishing that much better once the river temps are back in shape! Warmer water temps means less oxygen and more stress on the fish. We highly recommend getting on the river early and off early. Those of you fishing in the afternoons, please take care of the fish you catch. Fish heavier leaders and tippet to get fish to the net quickly. Forget the grip and grins, keep fish wet and get them back in the water! Instagram will be here next week don’t worry. We aren’t worried about any river restrictions yet, but we all need to be very conscious of the effects the hot weather will have on our trout. All we’re asking is that people are conscious and think of the fish.
We’ve found that the dry dropper is best in the mornings as fish begin to get more active. Nocternal goldenstones are continuing to become more active and so the chubby bite has been solid in the mornings. Tan and gold are good bets in sizes #12-10. Fishing riffles and inside seams are a good place for those bugs. If you are running a dropper, try and imitate the sallies and what PMDs we have left. Lighter bodied bugs seem to be working when fishing 24″-30″ below the surface. Tung Darts, Yellow Spots and Pheasant Tails are all a good bet.
Terrestrial fishing continues to improve. Hoppers are here and most anglers are running them throughout the day. Hoppers continue to mature so fishing bigger patterns is working well. #12-8 sized grasshoppers are all well within the wheelhouse. Pink and yellow should be the best colors to work with but be sure to have some brown or tan in there too if the fish are being picky. We just restocked some of our best selling bugs so be sure to stop in the shop to load up your big bug boxes! Ants are continuing to fish effectively as well. Drop them 12″-18″ behind a big hopper or fish them on their own. Riffles and tail outs are great place to get a good ant drift through. Red or black ants should be all the information you need. Fish are starting to look for them and won’t be too picky yet.
Streamer fishing won’t be too effective with the heat and the sun. Trout aren’t interested in working too hard with the temps. We suggest early morning or later in the evening if you’re looking to get your streamer fill. But why fish streamers when fish are looking up?!
Per my last few posts, practice good river etiquette when out on the river. Be sure that you are all set to put the boat in and get the trailer off the ramp as quickly as possible at FAS sites. Be sure that you are using parking spots the right way, park close to other rigs to make sure there is room for the next anglers. Once on the water, give people space! No one likes having a boat riding their stern. If you are catching up to someone in front of you, drop anchor, drink some water and get back to it once they’ve gotten some distance on you. Avoid pushing around people and if you do be sure to give them at least 50 yards. Same goes for dropping anchor, make sure to look behind you before stopping on the banks, if you have to row to the other side of the river, it’s worth it. Also be sure to be have your boat in areas that are safe for both yourself and other boaters. Last week I had a boat stopped where I would have like to row the boat in order to avoid a large hydraulic, instead I put my boat through pretty gnarly water. Think about where you are and what it will do to other boaters! Likewise, before pushing back off the bank, look over your shoulder and make sure there isn’t anyone right behind you.