Wade Fishing the Yellowstone River – A Few Quick Tips

Even experienced anglers are often intimidated by wading the Yellowstone, believing that it can only be fished from a boat. To the contrary, the ‘Stone can be fished productively on foot, and at a decidedly relaxed pace. Even floating anglers catch most fish within feet of the bank, and wading allows you to thoroughly fish the best water, instead of zipping by in a boat. I advise those who aren’t used to the West’s big brawling waters to ignore all that water “out there” that they can’t reach with a reasonable cast, then fish the closer in water as they would their smaller home waters. No big secrets here; trout are trout. Look for structure such as riffles, riffle corners, submerged rock “gardens,” and the like, then fish the best water hard. Smaller side channels can produce, and host less boat traffic. Or work your way up the bank with your stonefly or terrestrial dries, but don’t neglect the first drop off to deeper (and darker) water a few feet from the bank, especially later in the summer. Stop by the fly shop and we’ll point you toward our favorite wading spots, or just get out there and explore.