This is very important. If you love native and wild trout like I do please join me in supporting Montana Trout Unlimited’s “Montana Water Rights Protection Act”.

Make sure you go to their website and learn about this important piece of legislation that will protect stream flows, ensure healthy fish, improve fisheries and help us protect our coldwater resources while strengthening local economies.

This is urgent so act today! Thanks in advance for your support!

My fishing buddy Terry and I have been fishing the Firehole and Madison Rivers in Yellowstone National Park. They’ve offered up some of the best early season dry-fly fishing we’ve seen in years but, that will change as the weather and waters warm and flows diminish. We might have a week or 2 left of stellar dry fly fishing left so get there ASAP if these streams are in your fishing plans!

Yesterday we explored a piece of small water before hitting the Madison below Elk Meadow. Pale Morning Duns were beginning to emerge and a few fish rose to the duns. Check out the photo of Terry who'd delivered an accurate cast to a brown trout that rose to his fly. The next photo shows him landing that trout.

Mid-day emergences of PMDs have provided anglers with great dry-fly fishing during their time on the water. Evening caddis activity has been strong as well. White Miller Caddis will continue to emerge on warm evenings and the number of fish that rise to them can be spectacular. Check the photo of the batch of Fluttering White Miller Caddis I tied this spring. What is left of those 20 dozen flies are in Blue Ribbon Flies bins so get their quick before they run out if evening caddis fishing is in your plans.

If you fish the Madison River in the park expect to take brown trout like the one pictured finning above my wading shoe along a favorite piece of water in the Madison River. Many of these larger brown trout are Hebgen Lake residents that ran up the river to spawn last fall and remained in the river in winter and spring. They’ll stay until the water temperatures warm, then return to the lake to take advantage of cooler water for summer before running back up the river to spawn this September. These lovely brown trout will come up on cloudy afternoons for emerging PMD and BWO mayflies, and in the evening for emerging caddis.

I had to take today off to catchup, tie a few flies to replenish those I’ve used, and get ready for Yvon to arrive this evening. We’ll fish and explore off-the-beaten-path waters the next several days. And I’m looking forward to showing Yvon sections of a local stream that have recently been restored along with a couple future conservation projects we hope to work on. Please stay tuned here, reports to follow!

Thank you for reading, and please support Montana Trout Unlimited’s “Montana Water Rights Protection Act” today!

Since 1996 Jackie and I have been involved as Board of Directors and Emeritus Board members of Yellowstone Forever, formerly known as Yellowstone Park Foundation. For several years it’s been an honor to serve on these boards.

And, even after retiring from them we continue to work hard with Yellowstone Forever helping fund, and raise public awareness for their ongoing “Save the Yellowstone Cutthroat” and native fish conservation projects in Yellowstone National Park.

One continuing program has been the ongoing gill netting of invasive lake trout on Yellowstone Lake. Several years we as a YPF Board committed to supporting this program with a $1 million dollar yearly gift to the help fund the project. Working with Wyoming Trout Unlimited Special Project Manager Dave Sweet has been filled with successes, and rewards beyond words. For 12 years Dave’s tireless efforts have finally brought victory within sight. For the first several years some doubted success could be achieved, but with Dave’s hard work and that of Yellowstone Forever’s JD Davis and Yellowstone National Park’s staff, Yellowstone Lake’s irreplaceable and invaluable cutthroat trout are seeing the benefits of the project. Check out this article and contribute if you can. LINK HERE.

Glacier Lilies are ripe in Yellowstone country as are other spring wildflowers like Bluebells, Buttercups, Phlox and Shooting Stars. Within 50 yards from where I write this remain snowdrifts over 16 feet deep. As they recede in warmer springtime temperatures wildflowers show.

This morning 3 cow elk, their bellies sagging with the weight of the calves they carry, walked through our aspens below the house. We’ll see their calves within the next 2 weeks as they begin to drop them. Some cow elk have learned to have their young close to homes to avoid lion, wolf and grizzly predation.

Spring Baetis (BWO’s) are still emerging on the Madison River along with midges. This past winter and early spring season has offered up some of the best midge fishing we’ve seen in several years. I’ve been on the river over 60 days since February fishing dry flies to rising trout. The tiny BWO’s emerged 3 days in a row earlier this week. Yesterday though, even in idea conditions, the tiny olive duns took a day off to recharge after 3 strong afternoons of hatching. Ideal conditions for strong emergences are overcast, cool afternoons with rain or snow bringing on the best hatches.

Last-evening I decided to check out the river above the West Fork in hopes of finding a few fish rising. Arriving at 7p.m. winds were calm, light rain fell and fish rose to midges. Interestingly the fish were all large, and all brown trout. Don’t you just hate fishing to big-fat, rising brown trout? I scored a couple browns that ran and jumped several times. The fish were very healthy and colored up like fall run brown trout. The fish came up for a #18 Scotty’s Midge. I’ll be there again this evening and I hope to see you soon on one of Yellowstone country’s rivers!

Until next time, please stay safe and keep well, and thank you for reading my blog!

Help Support The Montana Water Rights Protection Act

GREAT NEWS!!! Lake trout numbers decline on Yellowstone Lake!

Since 1996 Jackie and I have been involved as Board of Directors and Emeritus Board members of Yellowstone Forever, formerly known as Yellowstone Park Foundation. For several years it’s been an honor to serve on these boards.