Yellowstone News: Fishing - Backcountry

Fishing - Backcountry

Fishing the Yellowstone Backcountry
- All Trips / Jack Dennis fly fishing Newsletter

Yellowstone National Park is one of the most unique National Parks in the world. The natural phenomena, wildlife, and the accessibility available to the public make the park a must stop for any visitor to the Jackson Hole area.

An asset to the fisherman is the amount of backcountry trails and water available to those willing to leave the car and the main roadways. Most of the trails are very well marked and easy to negotiate, even for the inexperienced hiker. Those who are willing to venture into the back country will also find their overall experience in Yellowstone that much more memorable.

Fishing in the back country is usually some of the best fishing in the park. There are various spring creeks and lakes scattered around the park; some have not seen a fisherman in a very long time. To the angler, this usually means bigger fish and a higher catch frequency. One prime example of a classic back country spring creek is Slough Creek. The trailhead is about ten miles above the fork in the road near the Tower Roosevelt area. The trail is very well marked and the hike is fairly flat and easy. The trail leads up the creek and eventually into meadows, of which there are three in all. Usually, the longer the hike, the better the fishing, and that's certainly true in Slough.

The most heavily fished sections of Slough Creek are the first and second meadows. The reason for this is the distance to the third meadow; it is about a ten or a twelve-mile hike. Because of this, fishing the third meadow is a multi-day trip; spending at least one night up there is usually required.

Since Slough Creek is nestled in a meadow, there is a lot of insect life. Both terrestrials and mayflies flourish here and account for most of the food that supports the large population of cutthroats. There are a few major mayfly hatches that occur on Slough Creek. Pale Morning Duns will most likely occur in great numbers on the average summer day. The best hatch during the mid-morning and evening - another good reason to spend the night. On the cloudy, rainy days of summer, Blue Wing Olives, or Baetis, come off in substantial numbers. These mayflies usually hatch during the afternoon but sometimes in the late morning. In the latter part of the summer tricos are usually very abundant. This hatch usually takes place in the morning hours and sometimes in the evening. Besides the mayflies that hatch on Slough Creek and other spring creeks in the park, there is an extremely large number of terrestrials. Because of the meadow setting of Slough Creek, grasshoppers are very numerous, as are ants and beetles.

Top water flies are not the only way to fish Slough Creek or the other spring creeks in Yellowstone. Nymphs can serve as a very effective way of fishing. The most productive nymphs to use are: Hare's Ear, Pheasant Tail, Prince and Pale Morning Dun floating nymphs. Many anglers use a two fly system, in which a nymph is dropped below a dry fly such as a grasshopper. Since the water is crystal clear during the summer, fish are extremely wary of danger. Because of this, leaders need to be a little on the light side. A nine-foot 5X and 6X leader is recommended. Later in the summer, as the fish become wiser, a 7X leader may be needed. Backcountry lakes can be just as much fun to fish as the spring creeks, maybe even more so. The backcountry lakes of Yellowstone offer any species of fish a person can hope to catch, from cutthroats to rainbows to grayling. One such lake that holds a very large supply of both rainbows and grayling is Grebe Lake. The trailhead to Grebe can be found about a five-mile hike in, and although the hike is a little tough, it is well worth it. The most fascinating thing about fishing Grebe Lake is the large amount of grayling. Grebe is one of the only lakes in the area that holds a population of grayling. The nicest part about fishing for grayling is that they are somewhat easy to catch. These fish will hit just about any fly under the surface, but they can be a little choosey with top water flies. The Blue Damsel Hatches that take place on Grebe Lake, and on most of the back country lakes, take away a lot of the complications in getting grayling on the surface. Any good blue damsel pattern will do. Grebe lake also holds a fairly large population of rainbows. These rainbows are some of the healthiest, hottest fish one can hope to catch, and like the grayling in the lake, are known to key in on the damsel flies. Other suggested flies to use on Grebe are: Wooly Buggers, streamers, leach patterns, damsel fly nymphs, Hare's Ear Nymphs, Pheasant Tail Nymphs, Parachute Adams and attractor patterns.

When fishing Grebe Lake, use heavier leaders. A seven and a half foot to a nine-foot leader in 3X, 4X, and 5X will do fine. The bigger and heavier the fly, the heavier the leader, and bring a sinking tip line and float tube if possible

The most attractive aspect about fishing the back country water in Yellowstone, is not only the number of fish usually caught in the average day, but the size of the fish. The average fish caught on the spring creeks and lakes is about fifteen inches, if not bigger. Also, keep in mind that Slough Creek and Grebe Lake are only two pieces of water out of literally more than a hundred back country places to fish. Most spring creeks experience the same hatches as Slough Creek. While not always containing grayling, most back country lakes fish the same way as Grebe. Be careful when heading into the back country. The chances of seeing a bear are slim, but they are in the area. Bear bells can help make your presence known to bears; a startled bear can become defensive. On the chance that you should have an encounter, 10% pepper spray in at least a 9 oz. size will save your life - and the bear's. If you are camping, be sure to follow the guidelines provided by the Park Service for bear-proofing your camp.

Bears are not the only animals to fear. Moose, elk, and buffalo can be equally aggressive, especially if the animal has offspring. The chance of running into one of these animals is likely, but as with bears, if you keep a safe distance and don't harass them, they will go about their business.

The Park Service requires that all parties heading out on a multiple day trip apply for a permit and watch a video tape on having a safe back country trip. All in all, though, there really is nothing to worry about, so have a great time, and enjoy the first national park established in America.

Content Error? let us know OR write for us!