I learned early in life that declaring my love for something resulted in both good and bad ramifications. In the fourth grade, when I declared my love for Jennifer McKendry to my entire classroom, a better decision could have been made. Today, declaring my affection for the Yellowstone River is a safer bet than announcing it to a classroom of 10 year olds.
My attraction to the Yellowstone began in middle school – a torturous time for many of us. So it’s fitting a river as mysterious, powerful, and ever changing as the Yellowstone became my first fly-fishing love. Beginning just south of Yellowstone National Park on a plateau that divides the Atlantic and Pacific drainages – appropriately named Two Ocean Plateau – the Yellowstone flows for nearly 700 miles before joining the Missouri River. Throughout that run, hyperbole intended, it’s nothing short of spectacular.
The water. The Yellowstone River is the longest free-flowing, undammed river in the lower 48, and is only about 30 miles from being the longest undammed river in the U.S. Because of this free-flowing nature, the river truly is a living thing. Its course changes often as new channels are created and old channels run dry.
The natives. It’s home to my favorite species of trout, the Yellowstone cutthroat trout. Native to the Yellowstone River drainage, this buttery, golden colored trout inhabits only streams with superb water quality. They have an affinity for eating off the surface, which if you enjoy casting dry flies you’ll greatly appreciate. However, despite their relative abundance in certain areas of the Yellowstone drainage and the river’s tributaries, they are a delicate species. Because Yellowstone cutthroat and rainbow trout both spawn in the spring, cutthroat numbers have declined due to interbreeding.
The trophy-size browns. If an angler has monster fish on the brain, the Yellowstone River is one of those places in Montana where they can target the trout of a lifetime. Each season a handful of anglers catch brown trout in the five-pound-plus range and one or two catch an eight-pound trout. Trophy fish like these take dedication: early mornings and long hours of fishing heavy flies with little reward … then it happens. If you ask five veteran Montana anglers what river is the best for gigantic brown trout, at least three would serve up the Yellowstone.
The abundance. The river has more miles of trouty water than any stream in our region, and perhaps even the lower 48. From deep canyons to pocket water, to valley bottoms with long riffles, variety is the name of the game on the Yellowstone. Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks has also done a fantastic job in ensuring there is ample access – it’s hard to travel more than 15 miles on the river with a public access point.
The consistency. Trout tend to eat similar flies year in and year out. I’ve been guiding the Yellowstone for nearly twenty years, and the flies in my box have only been modified, not replaced: big, bushy dry flies, rubber-legged nymphs, large streamers and Wooly Buggers, and the occasional beadhead nymph. Open up any dedicated Yellowstone River angler’s fly box and you’ll find the following flies: Girdle Bugs or Pat’s Rubberlegs in black/brown in sizes 8, 10, and 12; black and yellow foam ants or hoppers in sizes 8 and 10; tan and white Bow River Buggers in sizes 4 and 6; Beadhead Princes in size 12; any dry fly with peacock hurl in size 14; and elk hair caddis in size 16.
The raw beauty. The river and its backdrop are just downright beautiful. Surrounded by mountains and banked by cottonwoods, the Yellowstone is a sight regardless of the fishing. It flows near four mountain ranges: the Gallatins, the Abasarokas, the Crazies, and the Beartooths. Few rivers can boast that.
Due to its success, the Montana Fishing Guide School is offering a FALL 2014 session. Dates will be Sunday October 12 through Saturday October 18 and the classroom will be the waters around Bozeman, Big Sky, and Livingston, Montana. Intimately learn the Gallatin, Madison, Yellowstone, and the Paradise Valley Spring Creeks. Fish and learn through the eyes of a professional guide.
Our spring 2015 session will run March 22 through March 28 and will be in Big Sky, Bozeman, and Craig, Montana.
The Montana Fishing Guide School is exactly that: an intensive week of fly fishing, leaning to row a boat, expanding your fishing knowledge, and honing your angling skills. The school is designed for anglers wishing to become professional Montana fishing guides, but many of our attendees take it because they:
Want to learn to safely row a drift boat.
Learn their local waters from professionals who fish regularly.
Become proficient in fishing a variety of methods.
Have friends and family they want to take fishing with confidence.
Want to have a fun week of learning and expanding their angling skills.
Visit the Montana Fishing Guide School website for course itinerary, costs, more information and to sign-up.
PS - fishing has been great...
