Fishing Yellowstone National Park

Recently, I managed to get the hay baled, unload several cow-calf pairs at the sale barn, and endure a screaming diatribe from one of my neighbors who was desiring to cut a road across the corner of my property for ill-defined reasons involving an elk hunting camp. When I demurred, spittle flew out of his mouth and he became quite agitated. For a moment, I thought I might have to get the Mossberg. In the end, he promised to make things so hot for me with our County Board that I would think the devil himself was after me. Against this backdrop, I decided it was a sovereign time to go fishing in Yellowstone.I have mixed opinions about the worth and accuracy of some Falcon Guides, but not this one. Armed with this guide, I wended my way through the bunkers of industrial tourism that blight our otherwise wondrous first national park, dodging the hatch of RVs and uncurious flabbos that choke the roads in high season. I settled first on a stretch of the Lewis River, which Merriwether Lewis never actually saw. It fished about the way the author said it would, and his descriptions were accurate and clear.Of course, anyone can write a roadside fishing guide but what about the pristine streams and creeks accessible only by foot or horse? I shouldered my pack and hiked twenty miles into the backcountry in search of some of the original strain of cutthroat. Again, his descriptions of Wolverine Creek and the upper Snake were clear and easy to follow. I used various atttractor patterns recommended by the author and some that weren't. Each produced an equal and abundant share of fish. I finished my week with a couple of nights on Pebble Creek in the NE corner of the park, fishing the undercut banks and big pools in the manner the author suggests. The cutthroat were plentiful, surprisingly sizeable, and not too selective. As a bonus, I saw a wolf pack cruising across the valley as I made my way down the stream bank.The short sections on ethics are a pleasure to read. Use barbless hooks at all times and don't poach another angler's water if he's clearly fishing a stretch you covet. Get out of bed earlier next time. The author occasionally gives short shrift to some of the more difficult trails in the Park, but if you want to get away from your fellow sportsmen and enjoy Yellowstone the way Colter did, take such damnings with a grain of salt. Overall, his impressions of the park's waters and their fishability mirror my own over the last 15 years or so. Also, he is not kidding when he estimates the number of fisherman who crowd popular sections of river, such as Slough Creek and the Yellowstone near Hayden Valley. Leave these waters in high season for the Zebco crowd and plan on fishing them in the off-season.

The best book on access points and times to go inside and outside the park. It provides many useful hints on further exploring you might do as well. It is a perfect complement to Craig Matthews' Yellowstone Fly Fishing Guide, which focuses more on hatches and flies rather than specific access to each stream or river.

I had purchased this book and one other for my trip to Yellowstone. This was by far the best book, had all regulations and great information on where to fish in the area. I studied this book in anticipation of my trip, had always wanted to go to Yellowstone and fish. With the use of this book and its recommendations, I had the best day of fishing in my life, caught 40 trout in one day. All I can say is get the book read it and follow the recommendations and guide you wont be sorry. Jeff

Extensive and very detailed tour of fishing in the Park, organized by watershed and with detailed information re: seasons, popular flies and lures. This book is packed with useful information and does not waste the reader's time with flowery descriptions and sentimental musings. Directions to fishing waters are clear and concise. Thorough maps are included. Poor fishing areas are identified as such and may save the reader from fruitless efforts. Guide includes directions and descriptions of waters which may be fished from the roadside as well as those requiring a day-hike or multi-day pack trip to reach. Highly recommended for novice and expert angler alike.