Yellowstone River Weekend Update

I’ll keep this short and sweet. Fly fishing on the Yellowstone River, including with dry flies, has been quite good the last couple of days. There have even been some caddis on the water, though to announce the start of the Mother’s Day hatch would be premature at this point. Blue-winged Olive (baetis) and March Brown mayflies have been in relative abundance and the trout have noticed. The baetis are about a size 18 and the March Browns are quite a bit larger, say a size 14. Truth is, an appropriately sized Parachute Adams will work for both bugs. But we have several more imitative patterns for both species, so stop by Sweetwater Fly Shop on your way to the water and we’ll set you up for a successful day.

No need to rush out there. The main hatch activity has been later in the day – mid to late afternoon. The usual nymphs and streamers have been catching fish earlier in the day. It’s hard to beat a Rubberlegs with a smaller beadhead dropper (Psycho Prince, red, black, or chartreuse Copper John….). Black and olive streamers have been effective lately, but you might also want to try a lighter color (say brown and yell0w) today, given the predicted sun.

The water clarity at Carter’s Bridge is exceptional this morning – just a tinge of green. A bit more color may occur as some of the low altitude snow melts, but visibility shouldn’t be an issue today or even tomorrow.

Warmer weather is predicted later in the week. As water temperatures rise, look for the caddis hatch to get going for real. Stay tuned, and be prepared to take a “sick day.” It could be a short window this year, with a good runoff on the way.

We’ll see you out on the river this weekend!