Western Sampler, July 2009

[Jeffrey Rasband]

Flew into Jackson, WY July 9th but unfortunately most of the local water was still high and off color. After checking the river flows and fishing reports we decided to head over Teton Pass into Idaho were the fishing was just getting into full swing, with warmer, clearer water and good dry fly fishing. First stop was the Teton River, an excellent Cutthroat stream often overlooked due to its proximity to the Henry's Fork, South Fork, and Madison. The Teton is known for its excellent population of large, albeit not very attractive Cutthoats, due to the fish being covered with black spots caused by a parasite harbored by the snails they feast upon. Fortunately the lesions are merely superficial and have no ill health effects. The fishing on the Teton was very good, with an excellent evening caddis hatch and plenty of aggressive 10-16'' Cutthroats willing to take just about any dry fly. In addition to the great fishing I saw my first rattlesnake and managed to get stranded down a steep, rough dirt road and almost had to pay 500 bucks to get towed out. Fortunately we ran into a guide and two very patient clients who just happened to have a tow rope and were able to get us out in one piece.

http://img294.imageshack.us/img294/8479/canyon.jpg (http://img294.imageshack.us/i/canyon.jpg/)
View after a 30 minute hike down to the bottom of the canyon. This stretch of the river was better suited for whitewater rafting than fishing but the views were well worth the effort.

http://img300.imageshack.us/img300/7315/tetoncast.jpg (http://img300.imageshack.us/i/tetoncast.jpg/)
My buddy casts just upstream of our campsite on the Teton River. We were able to find some wadable water at the mouth of the canyon, just upstream of the infamous remnants of the Teton Dam.

http://img31.imageshack.us/img31/125/tetoncast2.jpg (http://img31.imageshack.us/i/tetoncast2.jpg/)
A gorgeous meadow stretch with hungry cutthroat lurking in the undercut banks.


After the Teton we had planned on heading north to fish the Henry's Fork but decided to head down to the South Fork of the Snake for a guided float trip. The river had just dropped from over 20,000 cfs to 13,000 so the dry fly fishing was getting quite good. The South Fork is an absolutely huge trout stream with an incredible population of Cutthroats and large brown trout. With the Salmonflys and Golden Stones hatching the fish were keyed in on gigantic dry flies, and we caught all our fish on a size 6 chernobyl.

http://img300.imageshack.us/img300/5679/southfork.jpg (http://img300.imageshack.us/i/southfork.jpg/)
Most scenic lunch break I can remember.

http://img29.imageshack.us/img29/7299/southforkbrown.jpg (http://img29.imageshack.us/i/southforkbrown.jpg/)
Big brown I caught inside of a rock cave. He was most likely positioned there to ambush clumsy stoneflies.

http://img23.imageshack.us/img23/9915/southforkcutt.jpg (http://img23.imageshack.us/i/southforkcutt.jpg/)
One of many nice Cutthroats brought to the net.

http://img40.imageshack.us/img40/4756/southforkbrown2.jpg (http://img40.imageshack.us/i/southforkbrown2.jpg/)
A "typical" South Fork brown.

After the South Fork we headed north to the famous Henry's Fork of the Snake, which is known for its large rainbows and technical fishing, especially on the glassy waters of Harriman Ranch. We didn't spend too much time on the ranch due to bad weather but we did get the opportunity to cast to a few gigantic rising fish in the world's largest spring creek. Cant ask for much more than that. After the ranch we fished the rough waters of the Box canyon, which were quite difficult to wade and didn't yield as many large rainbows as we had hoped.

http://img36.imageshack.us/img36/2782/ranch.jpg (http://img36.imageshack.us/i/ranch.jpg/)
Harriman Ranch Splendor

http://img33.imageshack.us/img33/167/boxh.jpg (http://img33.imageshack.us/i/boxh.jpg/)
Fat Box Canyon rainbow caught on a Golden Stone dry fly. Contrary to popular belief box canyon fish do take dries!

Overall, the fishing on the Henry's Fork was a little slow compared to the Teton River and South Fork so we decided to move on to a little known stream called the Madison River. Upon arriving we were greeted by the elusive Salmonfly, as well as an abundance of caddis, yellow sallies, and PMDs. The stretch of the Madison we fished is known as the fifty mile riffle, with thousands of large rainbows and browns per mile, with seemingly just as many fisherman. Fortunately foot access was quite good so we were able to out hike the crowds. Whenever we came across posted property we just retreated to the shallow river and continued walking, covering miles of water. Overall the fishing on the Madison was very good for modest numbers of very large trout on large dry flies. Can't ask for anything else.

http://img23.imageshack.us/img23/3237/madisonw.jpg (http://img23.imageshack.us/i/madisonw.jpg/)
Madison below Quake lake

http://img41.imageshack.us/img41/7238/nightrainbow.jpg (http://img41.imageshack.us/i/nightrainbow.jpg/)
We hooked many of these large rainbows after dark during the prolific caddis hatches, each night fishing to 10:30pm. Landing them was another story!

http://img40.imageshack.us/img40/985/madisonbrown2.jpg (http://img40.imageshack.us/i/madisonbrown2.jpg/)
Large brown on a large dry

http://img29.imageshack.us/img29/4965/madisonrainbow2.jpg (http://img29.imageshack.us/i/madisonrainbow2.jpg/)
Had to chase this guy 50yds down stream but it was well worth it!

http://img29.imageshack.us/img29/599/madisonbrown.jpg (http://img29.imageshack.us/i/madisonbrown.jpg/)
Nice brown right at dark

After the Madison we headed back through Yellowstone to the airport. Although we initially planned on fishing the park it was just too crowded for our taste, and the streams we planned on fishing were still high and cold. Overall it was an excellent trip and I hope to be back soon.

- Jeff

[chrisdetweiler]

Wow. What an incredible report. I've yet to fish out west, but I'm looking forward to getting out there some day. Those are beautiful fish. Nice job!

[Marcel_Karssies]

Very nice and very good looking fish.

[Tissy Furnes]

Great report, JR!

[msaba]

Jeff, thanks for the report! I am headed to Jackson for the first time this saturday for 10 days, can't wait! Did you feel waders were useful? Any other useful tips wound be appreciated.

Mark

[Jeffrey Rasband]

Mark,

If I could have done it over again I would have left the waders at home, but its all personal preference. Aside from that I would bring some warm clothes as it got down into the low forties most nights. If you plan to fish Yellowstone NP be prepared for worse than normal congestion due to road work. As far as the fishing, everything should be fishable by the time you get there. Let me know what kind of water you like to fish and I can give you some tips on where to go.

[spilunkr]

Good looking fish, sounds like you had a good trip. Water levels here are finally begining to drop although most streams I've been fishing are clear but still bank full. I've always had good luck fishing the Box with golden stone dries in July. Even out in the deep fast current fish will come up from the bottom to hit it and you generally do not even have to set the hook as they have to hit the fly quickly before the current takes it away. On the Madison I've always had my best fishing after 8:00 p.m. Even after dark the fish are still rising to the evening caddis hatch and it is a trip casting to the sound of a rise instead of to a rise you can see.

Guy

[Salmo trutta]

When I tried fishing after dark with dry flies once, I had bats swooping down and picking up my fly from the surface. Somehow they didnt' get hooked but I had three or four hits from a furry little flying mammal and only once the fly was on the water. One guy near me actually caught one. His night was done after that. This was in North Carolina last year on the Davidson.

Awesome fish Jeff. The big browns are insane. The fins are so abnormally large. The type you only see on big, natural browns. Looks like you know all the when, where's and how to's.

[CaptMikeStarrett]

Very nice report..

Capt Mike

[Jeffrey Rasband]

Guy,

I will never forget the amazing dry fly fishing on the Maddison after dark. It was pretty wild to be catching such large fish in 10 inches of water. I was also very surprised with how few browns there were given the Madison's bout of Whirling disease. It was probably 20 percent browns below quake from my experience, but who knows I would probably be saying they constitute 80 percent of the trout population had I fished a streamer :)

Salmo,

I'm actually surprised I didn't catch a bat those things were thick! I'm about to head back to FL if any of you guys are ever in town get in touch. Nothing quite like sight fishing for snook on the beach!

[Glub]

Really nice photos. Beautiful fish. Those rivers out west are so nice. That stretch of river you described as looking better for rafting looks very fishy. Did you try any of those pockets at all?

I've caught two bats, both on separate occasions on the Roaring Fork in Colorado. The first time I didn't even know what was going on because it was getting dark. I pulled the line toward me and started wondering why it didn't feel right. Then the line was in the air and then the damned bat was suddenly flying around my head and I threw the rod and squealed like a little girl and ran about thirty yards. I gathered my senses and came back and the bat was gone with my green drake. I felt bad for the bat though.

[Annapolis 911]

your photos are outstanding.

[golfinjoe24]

Lucky
Great pics and report