Yellowstone River Fishing Report September 19th, 2019
Don’t let the cold temperatures discourage you! The Yellowstone is still in great shape and there are windows of great fishing. With a fresh blanket of snow on the ground here in Paradise Valley, the mayflies continue to come off the water. Anglers are continuing to have fish eat mayfly patterns. Don’t let that make you think that they are only eating flies presented under a bobber! Fishing parachute patterns and other attractors have been bringing trout to the surface throughout the portions of the day when there are not a ton of bugs out in the open. Come by and grab some #16-18 Hi-Vis Paracute Adams, #14-16 Purple Haze, #16 Klinkhammer, and #16-18 Hazy Cripples. If you are going to fish nymphs, we would recommend #16-18 Copper Johns, #18-20 Micro Mays, and #18-20 Pheasant Tails.
In the afternoon, look out for smaller mayflies on the surface and flying about. They most likely will be Baetis Duns(Blue Winged Olives). Good water to look for them in will be tails outs, eddy foam lines, and pockets of slower water with some current. Fish should rise subtly to these smaller flies, especially when in the cripple or dun phases. When you see multiple fish making splashy aggressive rises, its likely a pod of whitefish; but hey, white fish tug too! When fish start feeding selectively on Baetis it is good to have more specific imitations catering to size and color. We recommend having Sparkle Duns #18-22, #18-20 Viz-a-Duns and #18-20 Comparaduns.
Here are some Baetis trapped in the foam along a bank on the Yellowstone River.
As October is almost here many anglers begin to look forward to larger and more aggressive brown trout, beginning to make their migration towards spawning grounds. Its what all those streamer junkies dream about. As these fish kick into gear, they will continue to feed hard and become more aggressive. Putting a larger meal in front of the right fish will surely influence an aggressive take. Fishing different streamer variations in bright colors on a clear day is a good idea and refer to darker colors on a more over cast day.
As usual, don’t hesitate to reach out to use regarding fishing conditions. Better yet, stop on by the shop for a great selection of flies and up to date fishing report!